In Ideal Homes’ communities as well as other new home communities in the Oklahoma City Metro area there has not been any need to address hazardous icy driveways, sidewalks or porches this winter season. When the next big snow or ice storm hits, be sure to follow Chad Tolle’s, our Director of Customer Care, advice regarding the removal of packed snow and ice covering:

Avoid salt and chemicals when deicing porches, sidewalks and driveways. This includes Calcium chloride, Magnesium chloride, Deicing fluid and all other associated chemicals. These chemicals can penetrate, corrode and disintegrate concrete.

Rock salt (Sodium choloride) releases the highest amount of Chloride ions when it dissolves. These ions can pollute water supplies such as rivers, streams and lakes. They can also corrode metals on your vehicles and prove to be skin irritants. Imagine the damage caused to new landscaping and sod.

Tolle recommends evade all use of chemicals and take an alternative method of using sand. Sand acts as a traction assist and not as an actual deicer. Look for sand that has less dust content to ensure respiratory irritants are not later released into the air through the dust. Use minimal amounts so as not to cause clogging issues with drainage and sewer systems.

For more alternatives check out these Eco Friendly Deicing Options. You may want to contact our Customer Care team prior to using one of the listed options.

Check out our last blog post about avoiding frozen pipes.  If you have tidbits of advice you would like to share, email kboone@ideal-homes.com.

Visit Ideal Homes to learn more about our company, products and communities.

Ideal Homes takes a proactive approach to deter potential home ownership mishaps. Even addressing issues before they happen leaves room for error. Our warranties help eliminate financial burdens that may arise in the event something does go awry.

Our Customer Care Team visits our home owners at 60 days and eleven months after residing in the home. This is to address anything which can be covered under our one-year builder warranty & to ensure all expectations are met.

One thing which helps home owners avoid unnecessary mishaps is education. Frozen pipes can plague even the most savvy home owner.

Tolle states the following in regards to avoiding this cold and costly issue:

Unhook hoses or any applications to exterior faucets during below freezing temperatures.  These can hold water in the faucets causing it to break inside the wall. (See the faucet image.) The next time the exterior faucet is used, water may leak into the wall due to the break. Exterior faucets affected by freeze breaks are not covered under warranty and may become a costly repair expense.

When temperatures drop to freezing level ensure avoidance of frozen interior pipes by leaving a steady drip in water through faucets most affected by the decreased temperature. It is also helpful to open cabinets and circulate the warmer air to keep the pipes warmer. If the air is still too cold, caulk and seal any openings near the pipes.

Check out our last blog post about year round lawn health.  If you have tidbits of advice you would like to share, email kboone@ideal-homes.com.

Visit Ideal Homes to learn more about our company, products and communities.

Our Director of Customer Care, Chad Tolle, is our new homeowner’s best resource for home health advice. Our  E-Newsletter, Tolle’s Toolbox, will circulate bi-monthly and tie back to different tips he and the Customer Care Team share through our blog.

The first tidbits regarding yard maintenance are crucial given this mild temperature we have had so far this winter season. One surefire way to watch a potentially beautiful lawn deteriorate is by not quenching its thirst throughout the seasons.

Tolle states the following in regards to wetting your lawn’s whistle:

Continue to water new sod, shrubs and trees as weather permits.  Grass turns brown and trees lose leaves due to changes in seasons. Make sure to still care for lawn and landscaping.

Winter can bring precipitation, and yet Oklahoma weather is anything but predictable.  If climate dictates no moisture for a week and the temperatures are mild enough to do so, it’s time to water. Watering the grass during winter months can continue to help secure root establishment. This will assist in making  greener, healthier lawns when the season changes.

Another thing to consider – avoid herbicides if your lawn is less than a year old. Herbicide will kill your dormant Bermuda. This will leave your lawn in disarray upon the arrival of spring.

We will post more advice soon. If you have tidbits of advice you would like to share regarding home health, email kboone@ideal-homes.com.

Visit Ideal Homes to learn more about our company, products and communities.

Buying a new home is the fun part. You find your floor plan, pick your options, watch your new home materialize, and then you have your keys in hand. Exciting!

Moving: Not so exciting. Moving can be a daunting task. Here are some tips, tools, and checklists to help make moving into your new home smooth and easy.

1. Space planning: One of the most difficult questions when moving, “Where’s it going to go?”

A great iphone app that helps you find the answer is Mark on Call. This Home Interior Layout Designer lets you construct your new room. Measure and re-create your furniture and position it in the space.

This helps immensely when directing movers or friends to place furniture where it will go verses stacked in a corner. Remember move rugs in first and unroll them. Then bring in the furniture and boxes.

2. Labeling: Seems simple, never is.

Keep like objects in boxes from specific places and write a detailed label. Don’t just write master closet or kitchen. Write suites and ties, summer shorts and t-shirts, Coffee maker, toaster and crock pot. This will be a lifesaver when you are digging in a box of bathing suits to find your fuzzy robe and slippers.

Descriptive labels will eliminate countless hours of frustration when you desperately need that first cup of coffee in the morning. Without them you’re unwrapping endless numbers of wine glasses wishing for coffee and more detailed labeling.

3. Utilities And Services: Some utilities and services may be transferable from your current location, while others may require new accounts. Some services are optional and others may be included in your fees.

There’s nothing more chillingly eye opening than taking a shower shortly after moving into your new home and realizing you didn’t contact the gas company.

Take a look at the following list and make sure you know what you do and don’t need and research the right companies to call in your area.

• Electricity
• Gas
• Phone
• Cable
• Internet
• Trash Removal
• Water
• Waste Water
• Security

4. Changing Your Address: Seems straight forward, you can find USPS online but this will only forward your mail for one year. After that, the little yellow labels run out. If you haven’t changed everything over you may not receive important information.

Here’s a key list of people and services you should notify.
• Car Insurance, Health Insurance and any other Insurance Providers
• Credit Cards, Loans, and Anyone Else You Owe Money To
• Amazon.com, Ebay, Other internet services that have your mailing address
• Monthly Magazine and Newspaper Subscriptions
• Doctors Offices
• Previous Employers (W-2s)
• Professional Licenses, Business Organizations
• Parents and Grand Parents (Especially if you get checks during the holidays!)
• Your Drivers License

Being proactive with just these four things will make your move a much easier process.

Realtors have many new home construction options for their buyers, so what makes Ideal Homes a great fit for them and their clients? Wendy Foreman and Charlotte Greganti, Realtors at Keller Williams in South Oklahoma City, share their positive Ideal experience.

Charlotte says that Ideal Homes treats her new home buyers like royalty, and she’s a big fan of the company’s “awesome systems for the process.”  She adds that Ideal’s energy efficient homes and customer service set them apart from other builders.

“They care,” Charlotte said.

Wendy appreciates Ideal’s company structure, their respect for Realtors and customers and their outstanding customer care department.

“I think the best thing about Ideal Homes is their desire to continue to be better,” Wendy continues. “They are always stepping up to improve their products by building greener, more efficient, and healthier homes while continuing to be competitive in their pricing. When you look at the country overall, Oklahoma is cutting edge as far as efficiency and green building, and I know it is in large part because of Ideal. The other companies follow suit.”

Charlotte says her Ideal buyers love their new home communities and the service after the sale. Wendy’s buyers, who frequently choose to build another Ideal home when moving up or down, love the monthly energy bill savings due to the home’s well-built construction.

An Ideal homeowner since 2005, Wendy summarizes her admiration for the company. “All you need to know about this company can be found in the Extreme Makeover Home Edition house they recently built,” she says. “They care about their employees, they care about the environment, they care about their community, they care about customers, they care about the product they put out and stand behind it, and they care about the real estate community as a whole.”

During our monthly staff meetings, I am reminded how much this company cares about customers and employees. We start our meetings with deposits. ‘Deposits’ are accolades given to one another to show appreciation for going above and beyond scope of responsibilities. It is enjoyable to hear how the different departments both relate to one another and respect the work accomplished by individuals within the departments.

This month one of my deposits given was to our Customer Care team. There is a woman, Angie, who called me and stated she had been unable to open one of her bedroom windows since she purchased her home over 15 years ago. Her daughter’s window became impossible to open as well. Angie mentioned her home is located in an Ideal Homes community.

I sent an email to Customer Care. They researched the address and found the home to have been built by another builder in 1997. Our Director of Customer Care still elected to dispatch someone from the team to look into the issue.  They were able to use Teflon spray and dislodge both windows, which now work fine.  Angie was thrilled and I felt proud of our team.

Ideal Homes Core Values are Integrity, Quality, Leadership and Relationships. This instance as well as the deposit routine at the open of all staff meetings are examples of how Ideal Homes enforces their Core Value of Relationships. Not only do they treat every home buyer the same, they extend courtesy and responsiveness to vendors, employees and individuals in the community.

Email any positive stories you may have about an Ideal Homes experience to kboone@ideal-homes.com. We can blog about it!

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.

I was asked to write a blog post as an introduction of my position. Those of you who thought you came to the Ideal Homes blog with expectation of reading enlightening industry related tidbits, please accept my apology. You will read instead a possibly boring post, but know it is written with love.

It is wonderful to report after over ten years experience in the Oklahoma City corporate realm my home has been found with a home builder committed to excellence. My passion is to build community among people and Ideal Homes passionately builds communities for people.

Ideal Homes was a builder / developer partner of mine when I worked with Cox Communications. During meetings their primary question was, “how does this help our home buyers?” Based on the parameters of our partnership, they executed all deliverables as needed and were more than willing to openly communicate. They definitely earned the 2010 Builder of the Year honor extended to them by Professional Builder Magazine.

Their Core Values: Integrity, Quality, Leadership and Relationships drive their interactions with purchasers of new homes as well as vendors, partners, local communities and employees. Their Vision: “Building the American dream through mutually beneficial relationships with customers, contractors and co-workers” sets the tone of their corporate environment.

It is an honor to have joined the Ideal Homes family. Serving in the capacity of Community Outreach Specialist will give me the opportunity to be an extension of Ideal Homes among local corporate entities, chambers, civic organizations and via online mediums. I look forward to writing future blog posts to further share both their story and the stories of their home buyers.

If you or anyone you know in Oklahoma City, Norman, Stillwater, Midwest City, Mustang or Edmond look to purchase a new home, please consider Ideal Homes. Their Mission: “Quality Affordable Homes, Today and Tomorrow” is even reflected in their Design Center options, quality and affordability of upgrades.

Remember, “Anything Else is Less than Ideal!” Thank you for perusing this post and your feedback is greatly appreciated.

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Ideal Homes was recently named, “2010 Builder of the Year” by Professional Builder Magazine. We get a lot of questions regarding this award and how Ideal Homes was selected by the editorial staff. Feel free to read the article here – but there are three important things that make us really proud:

Leadership: Ideal Homes introduces leading building technologies into the Oklahoma City housing market. In 1998, we became the first builder in America to build affordable Energy Star homes. In 2005, Ideal Homes built the first affordable Zero Energy Home in America. In 2009, Ideal built the first National Association of Homebuilders Green Home in Oklahoma. All this to learn better ways, to build better homes for Oklahoma families.

Discipline: We want our customer to have peace of mind that we will be there for them for years to come. That’s why Ideal’s conservative approach has created a stability that instills confidence in our customers that the Builder who built their home will be around for a very long time.

Service: For years, Ideal Homes has used a third party to survey every customer on their homebuing experience. The owners of Ideal Homes read every comment, made by every customer, and constantly look for ways to build on our strengths and improve our weaknesses.

When considering a new home, regardless which builder you’re considering, we encourage everyone to never settle on these things.