The International Builders Show took place recently, and times have changed. What are today’s consumers looking for, according to the Nation’s builders? Smaller homes, more authenticity, more energy efficient, with a feeling of family and togetherness — oh, and it’s still about the kitchen. A survey conducted among home buyers this year defined the following as the top 10 must-haves: Large kitchens, with an island. Buyers still want higher end kitchens, and it’s still a good place to put in the money. Granite is on the bubble however — a must for a lot of move-up... [more...]

Would you like to live in a 100-square-foot house? What if you could buy it for $50,000, pay no mortgage or no utilities? Believe it or not, this is attractive to some people! Sure, it’s small group, but it is gaining in popularity. One company at the forefront of this trend is Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, and its founder Jay Shafer has been living in houses of this size since the 90s. He now runs his own company and sells these homes (either plans or the whole house), and they run in size from “tiny” (65 – 140-square-feet) to “small” (250 – 840-square-feet).... [more...]

Watch the Virtual Tour This home is built by both High Pointe Custom Homes and Summit Custom Homebuilders. It’s hard to hold back on my description of this home because, incase you can’t tell from my review, it’s my favorite! #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } I... [more...]

Watch the Virtual Tour Built by John Henry Homes, Inc., this home is the most contemporary inside and out. Clean lines and sharp detail make this home stand out from the others. The contemporary flair is noticeable as soon as you walk through the front door, and the clean, contemporary style is continued throughout. This is one of the few homes with site-finished hardwood flooring, which makes a big impact on the overall feel of the home. The kitchen is a great workspace, spacious, with a huge island in the center and plenty of natural light. This house has the most fun kids rooms of the tour,... [more...]

Apartments.com and CBcampus.com (a division of CareerBuilder.com) has released its second annual list of best places for college grads to relocate. Cincinnati ranks fourth. The “Top 10 Best Cities for Recent College Graduates” research was based on the ranking of the top U.S. cities with the highest concentration of young adults (age 20 – 24) from the U.S. Census Bureau (2006), inventory of jobs requiring less than one year of experience from CBcampus.com (2009) and the average cost of rent for a one bedroom apartment from Apartments.com (2009). CBcampus.com currently lists almost... [more...]

Crescent Communities, a builder in Charlotte, has released their list of the hottest home-building trends after researching their most-requested items from buyers in their luxury communities. Outdoor Living This is a trend that continues to gain popularity. Especially in some areas of the country, where outdoor living can be accomplished for three seasons. (In our area, as you know, weather can be unpredictable, but we can enjoy a ton of outdoor time.) More homeowners are requesting screened-in porches as well, so they can extend the feeling of outdoor living even more. In some homes, buyers are... [more...]

Crescent Communities, a builder in Charlotte, has released their list of the hottest home-building trends after researching their most-requested items from buyers in their luxury communities. Room to Store “In the old days, closets were scarce. As the years have progressed, homeowners have demanded more storage space. The trend is for bigger, walk-in closets with built-in storage systems and packing islands. The idea is to avoid wasted space and maximize the square footage of the home. Built-in niches and attic storage rooms provide a purpose for otherwise unusable space.” This trend... [more...]

The Number 1 Question I have been asked in the last month as a Certified Residential Specialist is: “Is it the right time to buy Real Estate and why?” Usually the very next question is “Where should I invest?” and that second question is for another blog topic! To answer this question, for me, a well seasoned Accredited Buyers Representative, is second nature. [more...]  Read More →