Dustin Shaw Homes was the spotlight partner and sponsor of this year’s Fayette County Board of Realtors’ holiday party December, 7. Three gourmet holiday baskets were given away by DSH as prizes, as well as Belgian chocolate bars for all in attendance. We’re looking forward to an increasing number of agents in Fayette County who understand the value of true craftsmanship.
When Jackie and Robert Fuller decided they wanted to move from North Carolina to be closer to their daughter and her family’s home in Peachtree City, they decided on Newnan and started looking thoroughly in the area for their perfect home. When they found Vanderbilt Pointe they fell in love and the search was over. The Fullers were one of the first families to move into the neighborhood and say their home has “everything they need,” with the master bedroom on the main floor and a wide open floor plan.
The Fullers were first drawn to their Newnan new home community by the “beautiful and quiet neighborhood.” Jackie Fuller said, “I’m a walker and I enjoy getting out and walking near the lake and watching all the birds almost every day. A few weeks ago I saw an American Bald Eagle fly right over my head!”
About their home builder, they couldn’t be more pleased. “You can tell Dustin Shaw takes pride in his workmanship because you can see it in everything he does,” said Mrs. Fuller.
Mike Flanagan of Timber Creek Estates has a thing or two to say about home design. This homeowner loves his Fletcher floor plan for its great use of space. He says “I’m enjoying my home very much. It’s not the biggest floor plan I could have gotten but the layout is wonderful and it has excellent use of space.” He particularly likes the master bedroom on the main floor and the fact that the kitchen is on the opposite side of the house from his bedroom.
These are just a few things to keep in mind when discovering what is important to your buyers.
Dustin
The clock ran out last week on taking advantage of the federal homebuyer tax credits. And even though it looks like the deadline for closing these loans may be extended to September 30, 2010, it’s still too late to get in on that deal with a new loan.
But that doesn’t mean there is no hope for prospective homebuyers who need a loan. I think some people feel it’s all bad news out there when it comes to financing. But that’s just not true.
Recently I talked with mortgage loan officer Sherry Downing at Heritage Bank in Fayetteville. My company has done business with the bank since our beginning and they offer a variety of residential mortgage products.
Sherry told me there are some great deals available, even if lenders aren’t still offering 100% financing. FHA loans, for instance, are not just for first time buyers anymore but are available to everyone looking to purchase a home. The loans feature down payments as low as 3.5%, lower closing costs and liberal credit score requirements.
FHA loans do require mortgage insurance but that’s not nearly the drawback it once was. Legislation was passed in 2007 to make FHA mortgage insurance premiums paid on loans tax deductible from Federal taxes. That makes an FHA loan a great way to get around a 20% down payment.
There are other options for affordable loans. With high enough credit scores, and by purchasing a home in a qualifying market, you can put as little as 5% down on a conventional loan. There are even 100% financing loans available for veterans.
Another plus is that the mortgage process has gotten faster than it was earlier in the year. New underwriting legislation put in place for 2010 has made great strides toward protecting the industry and homebuyers, but loan officers were slowed down by getting used to the new rules. Sherry said now that the mortgage industry is accustomed to the rules, the process is going much more smoothly. Buying a new home makes the process go even faster since they do not require an appraisal.
The bottom line is getting a mortgage is no stumbling block for moving into a new home. Sherry said, “you couldn’t ask for a better time to buy a new home, with prices down and mortgage rates as low as I’ve ever seen them.”
I agree. So get out there and start shopping!
Dustin
In the late 1800’s a movement began in this country that had city leaders and urban planners adding beautification to their plans. The idea was that the more aesthetically pleasing you make a city, the more people will want to live in that city, and the happier they will be. Builders in major cities started integrating beautiful natural areas into home communities and public buildings and the idea took off.
One of the leaders of the City Beautiful movement was Frederick Law Olmsted, the “founder” of American landscape architecture. He was one of the top designers in cities that led the way in the movement. The park surrounding the US Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. is his design and he was the superintendent and chief architect for Central Park in New York City. (And you may recognize the name, Olmsted, from the Newnan new home community, The Parks of Olmsted.)
Olmsted also made his mark closer to home, in the Atlanta area and Southeast region. He designed the grounds at the Biltmore Estate, near Asheville, NC and helped create one of the first planned communities in this country, Druid Hills in Atlanta, with a string of parks as its centerpiece.
I believe natural and attractive common areas help bring folks together and strengthen a sense of community. That’s why neighborhoods at The Parks of Olmsted pay tribute to Frederick Law Olmsted and the entire City Beautiful movement. The communities are all connected with winding paths and feature scenic views and large open areas for people to relax in. Streets are lined with sidewalks and Victorian style streetlights and homes have wide front porches and outdoor activity areas.
Building the neighborhoods at The Parks of Olmsted around a 100 acre lake seemed like a great way to tie them all together and make homeowners feel like part of a cohesive neighborhood. The views are peaceful and serene and the grounds will make you feel like you’re part of the original City Beautiful movement of the 19th century. With high speed internet access, of course.
Dustin
The first home I ever built was for my family, as a kid with my father. Then we built one down the road for my grandparents. Building the house you’re going to live in teaches a person something about attention to details. And not just any details, but the details that really matter to people.
When I started my own company I wanted to take that principal and apply it to every home we built. I set out to build homes with plenty of space in them, but it had to be quality livable space. Not just square footage or bells and whistles.
A good example is in the Lincoln floor plan at Timber Creek Estates in Sharpsburg. I know people like cabinets, but there really can be too many cabinets in a kitchen. Especially when it means there is not enough room to get around the center island. Just a few adjustments created a slightly larger island/work station and a kitchen with much better flow than in the original plan.
I try to carry that attitude throughout an entire home. I ask myself “what would a homeowner really like here?” The answers are features like drawers with magnetic slides and piston stops, tile backsplashes and built in appliances that are standard with every home.
It’s pretty simple, really. Happy homeowners mean we’ve done our job. And giving attention to the details where people really want them makes happy homeowners.
Check back soon for real estate information and interaction
Our Holiday Gift to You – Free Photography Workshop!
We are excited to offer a very special holiday gift this year – a free digital photography workshop! If you’re like me, your digital camera has loads of potential but you don’t know how to work half the buttons on it. We’ve asked Atlanta photographer and instructor Monica B to come teach a short class about the different settings on your camera and how and when to use them. FREE of charge! The workshop will be held Friday, January 14 at the Vanderbilt Pointe model home from 10: 00 to 11:30. Space is limited to the first 20 respondents. To reserve your space, contact Angela Cole at 678-633-9265 or angela.cole@metrobrokers.com.
Merry Christmas – Dustin!