Gone are the days of the McMansions.  At one time Americans were trending toward large homes filled with soaring ceilings, rooms for every occasion, thousands of square feet and skyscraper like windows.

As the housing industry changes, so too do the demands of buyers. In today’s market conditions, economy is the key.  Builders are building smarter, not larger.  Money is saved when clever builders take the time to analyze the space and make full use of it verses adding superfluous square footage along with higher prices.  Larger houses sit on more land, and use more materials to build. This is a double whammy on the pocketbook.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, the average home in the US measures out at about 2390 square feet. This number is expected to drop further to 2150 square feet by 2013.

With efficient space planning, multiuse rooms, the use of energy saving materials, and the downsizing of the home, builders are providing homes that are more budget friendly while still providing ease of livability. The trend toward downsizing and one-story homes can be attributed to the aging baby boomer population. Living on one level, or in easier to maintain townhomes and condos allow the older generation more freedom and escape from costly house payments, pesky stairs, high maintenance requirements, and create a more convenient over all living experience.

Even today’s designs are trending more toward smaller homes.  Furniture is starting to scale down in size, decorating shows and magazines are focusing on small spaces, and space saving ideas are popping up all over.

Stay tuned for some great multipurpose decorating tips for small spaces. Space planning doesn’t mean losing any luxury or details that makes your house a home.

Sometimes people let fear of the unknown win out over reason.  Owning a home is a central point in the American Dream.  As the country continues to fight it’s way out of the recession, prospective homebuyers continue to ask, is this a good time to buy a home.  The answer is a resounding “Yes!”

While the housing market is beginning to recover, it is still a buyers market. There are many factors that bring together the right elements to purchase a wonderful new home. With low mortgage rates, affordable pricing, innovative spacious floor plans, and advances in building materials, new homes have never been more affordable and economical.

Mortgage Rates – How do mortgage rates really affect your home purchase clout?  Take a look at a home priced at $150,000. About 5 years ago a mortgage rate of 6.5% was fairly normal and this was seen to be low by homebuyers at the time.  The monthly principal and interest payment on that $150,000 home at a rate of 6.5% on a 30 year fixed mortgage would be $948.10.  Compare this to the lower mortgage rates of today and look at a monthly payment at 4.5%.  At this rate you only pay $760.03, so with that reduction in rate you can purchase a whole lot more home for the money.

Affordable Pricing – During the housing boom pricing went up and up and up in some areas of the country. The silver lining in the housing down turn can be found for would-be homeowners.  With more available inventory providing better choices for homebuyers, coupled with the lower pricing, it’s a perfect storm of conditions in favor of the homebuyer.

Innovative Floor Plans –  As home building evolves and customer service continues to increase, builders who are in it for the long haul continue to innovate with their home designs. It’s not uncommon now for marketing dollars to be spent on focus groups to help create the next new trends in home designs. By focusing on the important elements to their future homeowners, builders are creating better marketing and selling climates within their market place. More elements like low maintenance materials, flex spaces, storage areas and so on are being incorporated into the home planning for better livability.

Going Green – Now more than ever advances in building materials have had a better long-term effect on the environment while creating amazing energy savings for homeowners. With energy costs at the top of the consumer concerns list, builders are constructing their homes in a more energy efficient manner with the long-term costs of operating a home in mind.

As all these factors come together and continue to persist, this continues to be a great time to buy for homebuyers who are looking to enter the American Dream of homeownership.

There are many benefits to buying a new home. Your home is built to current codes and standards. Your home is constructed to the latest energy efficient guidelines.  The most up to date materials are used in building your new home. There are many other great things that make buying new verses used a real benefit to a new homebuyer. One great advantage is the peace-of-mind you gain from the myriad of warranties associated with a new home.

There are several levels of assurance you will receive from a good homebuilder which include walk-throughs, checklists, and in-house and outside warranties.

1) As your home is being built there are a number of walk-throughs that may take place with the homeowner which coincide with the inspections. Whether or not you personally walk through your new home, the builder will conduct walkthroughs with inspectors that make sure all your electrical, plumbing and construction are up to current codes.

2) Many builders will include  a one-year warranty that allows for repairs to issues discovered after the construction of the home and move in. For instance it is not uncommon to see nail pops as a home settles but many builders will give the home owner a one year checklist and will then come in and fix building related issues such as those and other construction related issues.

3) A one year mechanical warranty is not uncommon with many builders. This will cover any electrical or plumbing issues that arise with in the first year related to the installation and building of your home.

4) All your appliances, mechanical equipment, roofing, and siding come with warranties from the various companies who make the equipment or manufacture the materials. If there are defects and problems and if it is a default of the product the company will take care of the issues.

5) A ten-year structural warranty is often administered by an outside warranty company, which the builder provides with the home.   In essence this is a policy provided by a third party who is ensuring that if any structural defects within the parameters of the warranty were to happen as a result of the construction of the home by improper building practices by the builder, this warranty would cover the problems. Because it is an outside company providing this warranty builders have to prove the quality of construction and pass muster with these companies in order to be taken on as a client by the third party warranty provider. This in itself is a statement on the quality of construction and reputation of a builder.

The conditions of various warranty types, terms, and time limits differ from builder to builder. For more information on the specific warranties provided with your Ideal Homes home, contact us.

Many people begin their search for new homes in Oklahoma City by calling a REALTOR®. This often leads to the question, “Is Ideal Homes open to working with my real estate agent?”

The answer: “Absolutely.”

Ideal Homes loves working with real estate agents and we’ve fostered great relationships within the Oklahoma City Metro community of REALTORS®.  In fact, over 40 percent of our customers work with a local REALTOR®.

Many of the top real estate agents in the area consistently show Ideal homes. Why? Because they’re experts in the real estate market, and they know that Ideal Homes builds quality, energy efficient homes in the best school districts in the metro area.

Vernon McKown, Co-owner and President of Sales of Ideal Homes, has had the opportunity to give back to the real estate community by sharing his expertise in building science and green building through continuing education courses provided at no cost to local REALTORS®.  Tony Marbell, Ideal Homes’ REALTOR® Relations Field Director, spends time in area real estate offices to make sure we have a finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the market and to educate the REALTORS® on our quality homes and processes.

Whether you stop by one of our 18 model homes with a REALTOR® or shop for a new home on your own, Ideal Homes will provide same great service throughout your home buying process.

Some of the amazing REALTOR® organizations we work with include:

Oklahoma City Metro Association of REALTORS®

Norman Board of REALTORS®

Edmond Board of REALTORS®

Stillwater Board of REALTORS®

Midwest City/Del City/Moore Association of REALTORS®

I am fascinated with clocks. This was a fascination even as a young girl. The time keeping aspect didn’t intrigue me as much as the inner workings of the clocks’ functions. From early remembrance it was imperative to know exactly what made those hands move, from where the steady “tick, tick, tick, tick” noise derived and how the numbers were prompted to change on the digital clocks. This curiosity is still prevalent as an adult. Even the clock widget on my Android myTouch 4G phone is fashioned after internal gears of a clock. Contemplation of a topic to share as a blog post for Ideal Homes brought clocks to mind for multiple reasons:                                                                                                                               

1 – Transparency: Similar to opening a grandfather clock

                How often do you encounter transparency in the inner workings of an organization? I had the privilege of attending the January 2011 kickoff staff meeting. It was my first and will happily attend many more. There is quite possibly no word that conveys my views of that meeting; “refreshing” bears the closest semblance. During the meeting Ideal Homes’ business standings were prominently displayed for the employees. Ideal Homes states one of their Core Values to be Integrity; openly revealing strengths and weaknesses is one way they exemplify this.

2 – Internal processes: Each department equals a gear

                There are many facets to both the development of an Ideal Home Community and the output of the final product, a new home. Ideal Homes has many departments internally that  operate in an autonomous manner, yet are bound together and driven by a desire to provide Ideal home buyers with an exceptional new home purchase experience. Development, Production, Accounting, Sales, Selection Center, Customer Care and Marketing produce a well designed and constructed new home; set in the best school districts; conveniently located near amenities and set apart by landscaping, parks and individuality.

 3 – Final product: Rhythmic production just like time

                Due to the teamwork encouraged and emphasized within the Ideal Homes corporate culture, the home buying process for an Ideal Homes’ new home buyer is as seamless as one could hope to have. 20 years experience would mean nothing if the owners and the Senior Management Team had not chosen to glean lessons and apply learned principles to ideal Homes’ processes. The adjustments over the years translate into a more thorough information share with individual home buyers, an advanced scheduling of necessary meetings, a more open and consistent communication with individual home buyers and a strong follow up process. As a home buyer this means one is able not only to express concerns and needs during the home building process, but also to be heard and have adjustments made as needed.

 There are other processes Ideal Homes has which can be stated as analogous of clocks. Continue visiting our blog and learn more about new home building processes, corporate culture, community involvement, employee highlights. Let us know your thoughts and share with us topics you would like to read here.

Building an energy efficient new home is not about one isolated component- it’s treating the home as a system.  Many people (and builders unfortunately) equate an efficient and healthy home solely with the heating and cooling unit and the type of interior material used in the home – like low VOC paint, etc.  While those elements are important, the biggest impact on your home’s efficiency and your family’s health starts before the sheet rock is on the home.  Two often overlooked contributors are:

1.  Tightly sealed ducts in the new home

2.  A fresh-air strategy

Here is how we tackle the first of these issues in every new Ideal home:

Which method do you want in your attic?

Ideal Homes’ Foil Flex Duct System has the greatest impact on energy efficiency.  Based on an independent market evaluation of new homes in Oklahoma City, the average air leakage is 25 to 30 percent in overhead spaces as the ducts move air from the unit to other areas of the home.  This is in new homes – just imagine the leakage in older homes.  What does this mean to homeowners?  They spend one quarter of their monthly bill to heat and cool their attic. Verified by a third party expert the Ideal Homes system guarantees five percent or less air leakage.  We utilize a Mylar backed insulation to wrap the ducts  This acts as a thermos to reduce temperature exchange.  We also use a mastic sealant around the joints secured with vinyl tie straps for the best non-conductive, hardened fit.

Once the home is sealed tight, it is vital to have a fresh-air strategy for your home.  Everyday living produces a lot of moisture in your home.  Consider this; the average single-family home uses 80 gallons of water per person each day.  That’s a lot of moisture in a home.  We also know vehicles leak fumes into homes from garages.  When we build an Ideal home, we want to make sure families are breathing the freshest air possible at all times.  We are happy to share our processes openly with those who inquire.

In a later post, we will discuss the fresh-air ventilation strategy used by Ideal Homes in every new home in Oklahoma City.

Like many of our homebuyers, I’m a mom, and my family is a top priority in my life.   When I began thinking about a new home, my family’s needs were at the forefront of my mind.   Ideal Homes focuses attention in the same areas. 

1)      Health – Nothing is more important to parents than doing everything we can to keep our kids and families safe and healthy. Ideal Homes places the same importance on health by providing features like fresh air ventilation systems that reduce allergens.

2)      Lifestyle – Ideal Homes communities are located in some of the best school districts in the Oklahoma City area including Deer Creek, Norman, Edmond, Moore, Mustang, and Choctaw / Nicoma Park. Stillwater has a community as well. We also know how important the community is. That’s why our communities are strategically designed with amenities like playgrounds, sidewalks and plenty of open green space.

3)      Your Specific needs – No family is alike. That’s why Ideal Homes gives you an opportunity to customize your home in our 6,000 square foot Design Center. Our floor plans are designed to provide open and flexible space that will accommodate your family’s individual needs. 

4)      Monthly Budget – Savvy moms know that numerous factors go into balancing monthly budgets. Ideal Homes doesn’t simply save you money on your utility bills; we actually guarantee your heating and cooling costs. In addition the warranty on your new home means you won’t get caught with unexpected repair expenses.

5)      Family Time – Between work, school, and kids’ activities, today’s families are busy. That’s why Ideal Homes strives to work with your schedule to make the home buying process as easy as possible.

By building with Ideal Homes you can expect to get the most out of our green building and energy saving techniques. You could save up to 60% or more in energy costs alone when incorporating a number of ‘green’ features when building your home. A few areas of concentration include: lot and site development, water, energy, indoor environmental quality and resource efficiency, as well as owner education. The lowest score these categories receive, a higher level of green certification is given by the NAHB Research Center.

If you want to do the right thing for your community, neighborhood and family, you should consider going green and looking into these practices when building your new home. Ideal Homes has all the right tools to help you.

Hands down, the number one question people have about our Extreme home pertains to the foundation.  Here’s a great article about the smart people who made it happen.  READ MORE.