Cooling off and playing around in the neighborhood’s splash pad is just one of the amenities found at Featherstone. Add more than 40 acres of common areas, a playground, gazebo and Victorian lamp posts that dot the landscape, and you’ll find Featherstone to be a quiet new home community full of personality in Moore, Oklahoma.

Located in SW Oklahoma City south of SW 149th on Western, this Ideal Homes new home community offers new homes in Moore, Oklahoma from the $140s to $180s. Three and four-bedroom home designs are available from 1,267 to approximately 2,000 square feet. Keep in mind that all of Ideal’s new home designs, from the smallest to the largest, follow strict construction guidelines that provide twice the energy efficiency in heating and cooling as Energy Star homes. This green feature saves home owners approximately $50 to $80 per month on heating and cooling costs when compared to homes built to standard energy codes.

Whether you’re needing a new home now, within the next 45 days, or have the time to build from the ground up, new homes in Featherstone can accommodate your time frame.

Featherstone offers a quick commute to Oklahoma City’s three major highways – I-35, I-240 and I-44 and Will Rogers World Airport. New home owners living in Featherstone enjoy shopping, dining and entertainment in SW Oklahoma City and Moore, both of which are minutes away.

Moore Public Schools serve the children living in Featherstone. They attend Oakridge Elementary, Brink Jr. High and Southmoore High School, Moore’s newest high school facility.

Featherstone is quickly becoming one of Moore, Oklahoma’s most popular new home Communities.

Your new home search is drawing to a close. It’s been an exciting and educational journey. If you have put significant time into the process, you are ahead of the masses. Home buyer studies show people spend more time researching flat screen televisions than they do the purchase of their homes.

You are at the point your selections are narrowed down to two homes. Price, size, amenities and location are all ideal, but you just can’t determine THE winner. Will it be the two-story new home with the gorgeous master suite or the new three-car garage home with the chef’s kitchen? 

Try this simple, old-fashioned neighborly suggestion, and it may help you commit to the new home address that will find you instantly thrilled with your new home and the families residing nearest to yours.

Knock on the doors of the families located around the homes you’re considering. Introduce yourself and ask them about the community. What was their experience working with the builder before and after the sale? Ask about the homeowner’s association. Ask how they feel about their existing neighbors.

Observe the aesthetics of their property. What’s the outward appearance of their home? Does it have attractive curb appeal, or does the yard need a landscaping miracle? Are there several cars parked on the property? What about boats or RVs? Is their front porch an unsightly storage spot? If you feel uncomfortable with their upkeep, select a different home site.

When you meet the people who may be your new neighbors, you lay the foundation for positive interaction, if you choose to live next door. Evaluate your encounters and ask yourself what neighbors you prefer. Let those answers assist you with your final home.

In this age of ever-changing technology and high-tech communication, knowing your neighbors is often an uncommon experience. Introducing yourself and extending a handshake prior to your new home purchase may be the smartest neighborly thing you’ll ever do.

For more suggestions on the new home selection process contact Ideal Homes at www.ideal-homes.com or call 405.364.1152.

Ideal Homes was ranked #10 on the Best Places to Work in OK 2011 roster. okcBIZ was a wonderful host nearly two months ago at the Skirvin Hilton June 16 during the awards dinner. okcBIZ and Best Places to Work OK began collaboration several years ago to select and honor those companies who provide exceptional workplaces for their employees. It is still a program both business owners and employees enthusiastically support. I have only been with Ideal for a little over half a year and am proud to unabashedly tout the outstanding company culture.

This post is an opportunity to share highlights which are not easily summed up by external sources. Those who know me well know my propensity to buck the system on occasion. A company in which creative solutions are encouraged and strategy is supported has the ability to even tame my spirit. Even as I was typing this, one of the owners came into my office to offer compliments on performance and feedback from people he knows. That courteousness causes me to work even harder.

It is a humbling experience to work as a respected professional next to leadership who practices everything they ask of employees. Ideal Homes believes in personal and professional growth. There is no harassment, no flagrant gossiping, no condescension and no disrespect. There is support, encouragement, appreciation and respect. The mission, vision and core values of Ideal are consistently put into practice.

Cumulatively Ideal Homes is involved in over 65 unique charitable organizations. The organizations range from American Cancer Society to OK Ethics Consortium to ReTHREAD OKC. Over $300,000 is reinvested in the community on an annual basis.  That is roughly $1,000 per home sold. This does not take into account individual donations given by the owners and employees.

“Inspired leaders and inspired organizations regardless of their size, regardless of their industry all think, act and communicate from the inside out.” Simon Sinek stated this in September 2009 during his ted talk. Ideal Homes is an inspired organization and the organization is run by inspired leaders. In turn they inspire employees, contractors, home buyers and other builders to remain accountable and energized. Thankfully they saw value in me and chose to add me to their team.

Forty+ days of triple-digit temperatures in Oklahoma are no fun. Stepping outdoors feels like someone left an oven door open, and yard after yard of brown grass is begging for rainy, cooler days.

Chad Tolle, Ideal Homes’ Director of Customer Care, reminds Oklahoma City homeowners that a home’s exterior also takes a beating in this extreme heat. He offered some helpful tips to protect your largest investment from weather damage.

Foundation: Chad recommends watering the foundation on the sides of your home with a soaker hose for a minimum of 30 minutes every other day, reminding homeowners to comply with any water-rationing restrictions. Sprinkler systems typically hit the front and back parts of a home’s foundation. If you don’t have a sprinkler system, be sure and water all the way around your foundation on a regular basis.

“Soil needs to be moist to keep it from cracking,” Chad said. “If the ground dries out, it can cause the home to settle. A home’s age doesn’t matter when it comes to foundation issues. By watering the sides of the home as well as driveways and sidewalks, this helps prevent movement and cracking – with the added benefit of a good yard.”

AC Condenser Unit – With a hose, spray out the AC condenser unit from top to bottom to clean the coils. This will remove the hair, grass, dust and trash that accumulates there. Chad recommends doing this twice a year in the summer – at the beginning and again in the middle. For maximum energy efficiency, monthly is the very least filters should be changed, Chad said, and more often if there are lots of people or pets living in your home.

Trees – During this scorching heat, Chad said you can never water trees too much. Watering them now makes for more shade in the future. If leaves are withering at the top, the tree needs more water. Use a trickle hose on trees at least 30 minutes every other day.

Caulking – Heat causes caulking to separate and crack. Check around doors and windows and re-caulk when necessary when temperatures cool down.

Fences – Water around the posts to prevent soil shrinkage and leaning panels and posts.

Paint – A home’s exterior may need to be painted more often when it’s frequently exposed to extreme heat. Also, Chad said that left-over paint cans should be stored inside the home and not in garages, sheds or attics.

For more information on keeping your home’s exterior protected in Heat Wave 2011, contact Ideal Homes at 405.364.1152..

The idea of decorating your new home can be daunting, but our Model Home Designer, Michael Ridge, gave me some easy tips on how to decorate your home to reflect your personal style without breaking the bank.

According to Michael, whether you build from the ground up or select a completed home, your Ideal Home can be viewed as a “blank canvas” with endless possibilities.

1. Find a common theme with fabric. Michael says she gets her creative inspiration by visiting fabric stores. Once she settles on a fabric, she then “ties in” the colors from the fabric to the walls.

2. Build on what you already have. If you already own a piece of furniture like a couch or dining set but feel it doesn’t quite fit the look you are going for in your new home, try changing the appearance with new pillows or accessories. Michael re-used the red couch and created an entirely different mood from the previous red, black and white color palate.

3. Make it your own. Just because you bought pre-packaged bedding or drapes doesn’t mean your room has to look like it was ripped straight from the page of a catalog. Michael believes that adding your own personal touch can be as easy as finding accent ribbon to tie curtains/towels and the right shade of paint to pull it all together.

4. Break it up. Alternate colors on different walls to define each space. Since several Ideal plans feature kitchens that are open to the living area, don’t be afraid to use a contrasting color from one room to the next as long as it blends with your color scheme.

5. Shop for bargains. Believe it or not, Michael finds the majority of model home accessories and bedding at places like Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, TJ Maxx and Ross! She shops around and keeps her eyes open for good deals that will ultimately complete the design of a room.

6. Don’t be afraid of color. Paint is an inexpensive way to give your room personality. Michael recommends taking your fabric samples to the paint store and holding them up to paint swatches to make your own color board and better visualize how everything will come together.

Have you applied any of these steps to your new Ideal Home? Send us photos that show how you personalized your favorite room.

As a mom, I’m always looking for new, fun places to take my son to burn off energy. Ideal Homes has developed some amazing playgrounds within our communities. Here are a few of my favorites.

1. Valencia in Edmond:

Kids love this towering pirate ship and its huge slide. This is only one of several playgrounds in Valencia’s 30 acres of parks and open spaces. Valencia is located between May and Penn, just north of 178^th.

2. Red Canyon Ranch in Norman:

There is a lot to love about this playground. It’s located on one of the highest points in Norman and has great panoramic views. Your kids will love the swings and the nearby nature trail. Red Canyon Ranch is located on E. Tecumseh, just west of 12 Ave NE (Sooner Road) in Norman.

3. Featherstone in Moore:

The playground in Featherstone is located beside the large pond in the center of the community. Featherstone is south of SW 149th Street on Western Ave.

What are your favorite parks in the OKC metro?

Langley Floorplan - 2,024 SQ FT.

Ideal’s Design Center manager, Dari Roberts, and her team design interiors for the company’s beautiful model homes. This summer, Dari will blog about quick ideas that you can incorporate into your summer makeover plans. First up: a study nook or home office.

“We took advantage of a hallway alcove to create a study area for kids in the Country Place model at 2340 SW 135^th. This home already had a beautiful home office, but we thought this alcove made a great place to do homework. You could do something similar in a closet or the corner of a bedroom. We used painted cabinets, but you could use a file cabinet with a painted hollow core door for the top. Add a chair and lamp, and you’re in business.

The chair and wall art look custom, but we found a chair that we loved and matching pillows. We stapled the pillow fabric around stretcher strips for an instant custom look.”

Dari’s Tip: This fabric has a bold striped pattern, so you should select your paint color after you select furniture and accessories. It’s a lot easier to match paint to fabric than the other way around.

At Ideal Homes we design every floor plan around livability. We strive to build new homes in Oklahoma City that work for how people actually live in them by looking at how our home buyers use their homes and customizing floor plans to fit their needs. We learn what home buyers need by analyzing feedback from several sources.

1.  Homeowner surveys. We ask every family in an Ideal home how they live in their home, what they like, and what they would change.
2.  Customer requests in the Ideal Homes’ Design Center. When we see a trend, we implement it in future designs.
3.  Ideal Homes employees. A large number of our employees are also Ideal homeowners. We get great feedback from inside our own company.

One example of feedback we’ve taken directly from our homeowners and applied to our floor plan design is the addition of more flexible space. Through a combination of the avenues above, we learned that many homeowners were using formal dining rooms for home offices, playrooms, craft rooms, music rooms or home gyms. Families were using the extra space to meet their unique needs. We knew our floor plans needed to reflect that. Ideal Homes responded by including more flex space in homes that offered different options for the space and provided plans with more flexible layouts that could meet a variety of needs.

New homes in Oklahoma City should reflect how you live.  We always encourage feedback.  Feel free to visit any of our furnished model homes and give us our thoughts.

Over half of Ideal Homes home buyers are purchasing their first home.  One of the challenges of home ownership is saving money for that intimidating down payment.

Preparation for your down payment is a challenge. Spending money without being mindful of budget is easy; debit and credit cards = quick swipes to purchases. Saving money conversely is not so easy. Saving money is important. What if you’ve had your eye on a new home in Oklahoma City?

If you are a renter, the possibility of home ownership seems more and more appealing with each passing rent payment. The benefit of tax deductions and the building of equity make initial sacrifices of spending to save for a down payment a little easier to support. Where will the money come from? Where will you find your down payment and all those other new home expenses?

Chances are, the money may be easier to find than you think. The first place to start looking – your spending habits.

If you arrive at work every morning with a cup of coffee from your favorite coffee shop, how much does that put you back? Let’s assume $4. Multiply that by five days a week, and you’ve consumed $1,040 worth of caffeine in one year. If your significant other does the same thing, together you’re spending almost $2,100 on hot beverages. Consider the alternatives: invest in a coffee pot and make your own at home, satisfy your super Joe addiction only two days a week or find a convenience store that sells the stuff at a quarter of the price.

It’s 11 a.m., and you’re hungry. Where will you and your co-workers go for lunch today? Restaurant meals take a big bite out of your pocketbook. Let’s say you spend $10 a day. Over 12 months, those lunches eat up $2,600.  If your significant other eats restaurant meals daily as well, the two of you rack up $5,200 in restaurant expenses each year. The alternatives: brown-bag it or check out the $1 menu at many fast-food places.

If new homeownership is on your horizon, make a plan. Set a budget and watch those expenses. It may stretch your spending resolve initially, but in the end it will be well worth the sacrifices made.

Contact us and ask us for additional tips that will help you take the first big step to home ownership.

Congratulations! You’re the proud owner of a new home (hopefully an Ideal home). You’ve survived moving day with your marriage, your relationships with friends and family, and your back mostly intact. 

You’ve unpacked at least 100 more boxes than you packed, and the garage is still stacked to the ceiling. In spite of your best efforts, the coffee machine and your favorite t-shirt are on the missing list. And, worst of all, your house just doesn’t feel like home yet.

Consider something green and growing. Indoors or out there’s no quicker way to make your home feel welcoming than festive container gardens.

Tip #1: Just buy them. If you have no inclination toward planting and tending, you can find patio pots in a wide variety of colors at garden centers, hardware and home centers, and the plant tents cropping up in parking lots all over town. Do decide in advance if your container garden is going into sun or shade and pick accordingly. If the tag doesn’t give you this information, be sure to ask. Getting this part wrong will doom your pretty pot from the start.

If you’re sick of unpacking, grab the kids and take a swing at planting your own pots. Here are some ideas.

Tip #2: Pick your container carefully. Clay, stone, concrete and iron pots are gorgeous, but once you fill them with plants, they are very heavy. Resin and Styrofoam offer a lighter choice. These have improved so much that you can hardly tell them from the real deal, and many of them survive the winter better than clay pots.

Tip #3: Pick colors that look good with your home. Here are some sample palettes that always look good together.

Foliage (leaves)

• Red, silver and blue
• Dark green and lime
• Dark green, red and variegated (2-color)

Flowers

• All one color – any color, just vary them from light to dark
• White with anything – makes all the other colors show up better. Try Diamond Frost euphorbia. It works in sun or shade and makes any pot look professional.
• Cool colors – pink, purple and blue
• Warm colors – red, orange and yellow

One Last Tip: Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers. Choose one attention-getting plant to be your focal point, at least one plant that will drape over the side of the pot and medium-height plants to fill in between.

So that’s it. If you need more ideas, check out www.ProvenWinners.com for ideas and pot recipes. And enjoy going green!