We recently talked about the trend toward smaller more economical homes, but small doesn’t need to be cramped and, in-fact, with some well-planned design elements a small space can feel even roomier than poorly planned big spaces.

Many new home layouts include open airy floor plans, high soaring ceilings, large windows and nice storage nooks. As builders move toward creating smaller spaces, this has given rise to smaller furniture as well so shopping for your home should be a snap. The following tips and tricks can help you make the most out of your floor plans and create a comfy cozy home.

1. Define a Space with Open Shelving – A great way to define two adjacent rooms in an open floor plan is to create a shelving unit that can store some of your knick-knacks. A floor to ceiling open unit provides spaces for items while still leaving the airy feel that an open floor plan has to offer. You don’t lose any of the light and yet can create two distinct spaces while adding more storage.

2. Turn Nooks into Usable Space – do you have a space between two walls or a tiny alcove? Make this into usable space with storage benches, shelving or desks to create lounging, storage, or workspaces.  This goes for spaces under stairs, in bay windows, or even between two closets in a bedroom.

3. Avoid Dark Colors – To keep spaces open and bright and to give a larger feeling, decorate with lighter hues both for your wall colors and for your furniture. Dark colors can make rooms appear smaller and more cramped.

4. Floor to Ceiling Window Treatments – Increase the flow and create a larger look to your room with floor to ceiling window treatments. This creates the effect of an extensive bank of windows, and draws the eye up to the high ceilings in the space creating a spacious feel.

5. Use Mirrors to Enhance Space – This is one of the oldest and most effective tricks in the book. A well-positioned floor to ceiling mirror can extend the space visually and bounce the light around a room and brighten the space as well.

Just a few small implementations can create big results in turning your small space into a grand statement.  Let us know if you have any tricks and tips that work for you!

For new home buyers needing quick access to Tinker Air Force Base, Boeing, I-40 or I-240, two of Oklahoma City’s major highways, Sundance, Ideal Homes’ new home community in Midwest City, may be just the perfect new home ticket.

Situated off SE 15th between Hiwassee Road and Anderson Road, Sundance features nine new designs in the $130s to $170s price range, offering 1,282 – 1,965 square feet. Rolling hills, mature trees, a walking trail, basketball court and a playground dot the neighborhood’s beautiful landscape.

New home buyers have the option of building from the ground up in Sundance or investing in a new home already under construction in this growing, friendly Midwest City new home neighborhood.

Children and young teens living in Sundance attend Nicoma Park Schools. Those in high school attend Choctaw High School.

Within a 10-minute drive from Sundance, new home owners can dine at Cheddar’s, Logan’s, Chili’s and Old Chicago, just to name a few. In addition, they can shop to their hearts’ content at Kohl’s, Target, Lowe’s and other nearby retail stores.

Homeowners frequently mention the country beauty of Sundance, its nighttime peacefulness and crisp clean air as reasons that Sundance is an ideal place to call home in Midwest City, Oklahoma.

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.

In Value Versus Price Part 1 – The Neighborhood Beyond the Bling we discussed outside attributes that contribute to the value of a home. But besides these intangible points, there is also hidden value inside your home, not easily apparent to the naked eye.

Yes you can see the beautiful granite, hardwood or stainless steel appliances – The bling, but so much more goes unseen yet adds far more value to the home.

Most of the unseen value is located in the bones of your home.

Green materials – These more modern materials, while not always the cheapest, add to the life of your home and the energy efficiency. In the long run you are contributing to leaving a lighter footprint, as well as reaping the benefits of long term energy savings, and in many cases these materials have a longer life.

Modern floor plans – Current homes are designed with modern needs in mind including better closet space and storage, larger pantries, workspaces, better flow to kitchens for ease of use and entertaining, as well as overall flow for activities and family interactions. Older floor plans can feel choppy, have lower ceilings, less light and space.

Meeting the most current codes – New homes adhere to the most current standards for electrical, plumbing, and safety. In the long run you will have better insulation, wiring that fits with the needs of your electronic life style, and you will have all the modern comforts that keep you safe and up to date.

Warranties – Each new home comes with a value added warranty on structural and mechanical elements of your home, and because everything is new there are a variety of warranties with your appliances and equipment as well that come directly from the manufacturer.

Home Owners Associations – This is a guarantee that your home and your neighbors’ homes will be kept to a level of standard that will not deteriorate over time. You will not see unkempt lawns, rust encrusted vehicles, or overflowing garbage cans that sit for days. There are many benefits to the requirements of upkeep a home owners association provides for a neighborhood for long term enjoyment and value of your property.

As you can see there is much value that can be found both inside the home, and outside the home that contribute to the making of the price. When comparing homes only by their price make sure you are comparing apples to apples, not apples to lemons.

Would-be Home shoppers can often turn the home shopping experience into a simple price comparison. We definitely hear it in our models, “We just saw a newly remodeled home on the market for less than this new home and it has a lot of the same features.”

Many people do not stop to consider the value of all the elements that make up the price of a home. Value is often more intangible than the hard dollar amount that you see on the bottom line of a sales agreement. This is because value can vary from person to person and circumstance to circumstance.

Here are several neighborhood attributes that go beyond the house itself and add value to a home above and beyond the bling – hardwood floors, granite counter tops, and stainless steel appliances found in both new homes and in newly remodeled homes.

Close proximity to shopping – Make quick runs to the grocery store when you are in the middle of preparing a meal, when you’ve forgotten something essential or just to save time during your daily chores and errands.

Good school districts – Whether you have kids or not, it may be important either for your future family plans or for the resale value of the home later to live in the most desirable school districts you can reasonably afford.

Easy Commutes to key areas of business and industry – There’s nothing more valuable and irreplaceable then time. Time spent with family, friends or engaged in leisure activities is time much better spent then enmeshed in traffic.

Neighborhood amenities – When you have playgrounds, walking trails, clubhouses, and other accoutrements found in many new home communities you have a greater connection to neighborhood and to family. This creates natural spaces to meet your neighbors and make ties that you may not naturally make in an older neighborhood that lacks central gathering spots.

All of these points are sometimes overlooked when calculating the value of the home and how that figures into the price. Stay tuned for more value added features in Value Versus Price Part 2 – Beware of Lemons Disguised as Apples.

In today’s economy it’s not uncommon to hear people on the fence about buying a new home. However there are so many more advantages in purchasing new that trumps buying a used home.

Modern Floor Plans – New homes have the latest floor plans. You’ll find typical ceiling heights are much higher than that 1980’s and older fixer-upper. With open floor plans, attention to detail in master bathrooms, closets, and special rooms like man caves, sun rooms, and morning rooms, floor plans today are designed to optimize space. You won’t need to put in the costly expense of moving walls, updating kitchens and bathrooms or lose a bedroom to make way for your shoe collection.

Customizable – In a new home, you can customize the home to fit your needs as it is being built, you can choose the colors, flooring, cabinetry and other options that will fit your tastes and you won’t have to worry about costly renovations as soon as you sign the final papers. Instead the house is made into something you will love before you ever put the key in the door.

Technology – New homes are designed with today’s technology in mind. You will have ample phone jacks, high-speed cable, and surround-sound speakers. Security systems can be prewired in as you build your home. With smart home technology, you have so many more options and they can all be put in place before the drywall ever even goes up. New homes have less mess and headache then the task of creating holes to add today’s technology to yesterday’s home.

Easy Maintenance Materials –Lower maintenance materials allow you to carve out more time and enjoy living in your home, verses doing time consuming projects to maintain its beauty. From vinyl to composite materials, with a new home you can put down the sander and paintbrush and pick up a book and enjoy your weekends.

Going Green – The more modern a home, the more likely energy efficient equipment has been installed to make your home a greener place to be. From energy efficient doors and window, to proper insulation and energy star rated equipment and materials a new home is going to have a lighter impact on the environment, and on your wallet when it comes time to pay your energy bill.

Safety – With modern materials and homes built to current building codes you eliminate the possibility of lead based paints and asbestos as well as bad plumbing and wiring issues that don’t hold up to the building codes used today.

Warranties – When you buy a home from a builder, it comes with a variety of warranties, from structural and mechanical to the warranties that come with the equipment used in your home. All around there is more peace of mind when purchasing new. While a warranty can be purchased with a used home, they typically last a year and only cover certain things. A homebuilder’s warranty is far more comprehensive and can cover certain equipment for 2 years and other aspects of your home for up to 10 years.

Predictable time frames – Builders build homes like clock work, they know how long it will take for each phase of the process and can give you a very clear estimate on time it will take to complete all stages of your home. With short sales, there is no predictable timeframe from offer to close. This can be a nerve-wracking process if you need to be in your home in time for a new job, the start of school, or the arrival of a new baby.

Customer Service – When purchasing a new home there are knowledgeable sales people to help you customize your home every step of the way. They keep you abreast of time lines, and create, meet and exceed your expectations during the home building process.

Community – New homes are not just houses; they are often built in planned communities, which are designed around a neighborhood concept. With parks, playgrounds, and amenities such as swimming pools, tennis courts and walking paths, new home communities are designed with meeting your neighbors in mind and growing life long connections.

Now, armed with these 10 points, you are better equipped to go out into the world and shop for a new home. By comparing what may seem like a bargain or a deal, to all the conveniences, safety and ability to customize your new home, there’s no comparison. Find the perfect new home today.

It’s not uncommon to hear new home buyers weighing their choice between a new home verses a great deal on short sales and foreclosures. And yes there are some great deals out there. But more often then not that great deal might really be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Foreclosures and short sales used to only attract serious investors with capital, time and resources to rehab a home. Just because everyone is talking about them – doesn’t make it a good deal for you. Sometimes – the best “deal” isn’t the best fit for you or your family.

More often then not when you walk into a foreclosure you can tell you have some work ahead of you. You have several different categories of foreclosures and short sales.

The Obvious fixer upper: These are the homes that are old and outdated. They may be a steal of a deal but you know you are going to dump money into it to update and change. If you are looking for a project, and you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, at least you are usually prepared to take on this monster.

New On the Outside, Abused on The inside: And then there are those new ones that are only 4-7 years old that look like they should be beautiful as you walk up the front pathway. But when you enter the door you see the results of an angry owner. These poor homes have holes in the walls, ripped out appliances and other markings of distress that you know you will need to improve.

The Stealth Nightmare: These are the homes that either by intent or neglect have underlying problems you wouldn’t be aware of by just looking at them on the surface. There have been instances where disgruntled homeowners have poured concrete down drains, pulled key pieces out of HVAC equipment or worse, things that you don’t even want to see on carpets and walls.

There are plenty of horror stories out there about what owners do to foreclosures. There is a good reason that there are million dollar businesses out there focused on cleaning out these homes.

But then there are other problems that can come from a property that sits for a while without electricity, water or utilities turned on. You may need to check for mold, gas leaks, and in the winter pipes can freeze. When abandon for a while these are the perfect conditions for mice, rats, squirrels, roaches and bugs to take up residence. There are a host of problems that you wouldn’t encounter with new home sales.

If you dare to be brave enough to look into properties on auction, there are a myriad of nightmares associated with those homes. These types of sales are not for the novice, nor the faint of heart. There are situations – from owners who won’t vacate the property to owners that have burned down the houses, bulldozed them and rammed trucks into them – all in order to prevent the bank and those that would pursue these properties from taking possession.

All of this coupled with the fact that the short sale and foreclosure process can take many, many more months than a regular straight-forward sale, make it difficult if you have a time frame in mind for your move.

Overall between the warranties, guarantees, and ability to personalize your own new home that no one else has ever lived in, the seemingly pro’s of a good foreclosure deal are often beat out by the value of a better one, your own new home.

If you’ve been searching for a new home you’ve probably heard someone say, “There’s never been a better time to buy a new home, interest rates are at an all time low.” But what does that really mean to you?

Here’s a little history on interest rates. Do you know what a high mortgage rate would look like? December of 1980 the 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 14.79%. By January of 1990 it dropped to 9.67%. Over a 10-year period, rates inched down by about 5%. But by May 2000 the rates were only down to 8.52%, barely a 1% change in 10 years. So, when you hear reports that mortgage rates are at an historic low, this gives you more context.

Several years ago people were happy to purchase at a 6.5% interest rate, but now, with mortgages available from the high 4% to low 5% range there truly has never been a better time to purchase a home. Especially as rates slowly creep up again.

So what can you get for your money with lower interest rates?

Low rates mean lower payments: If you can afford a mortgage of $150,000 at a rate of 4.9% your monthly payments will be around $796 per month (not including taxes and insurance). A rate of 6.5% would cost about $948 per month. By purchasing a home while the rates are low, you free up over $150 per month.

Low interest rates mean you can get more house for your money: If you can afford a payment of about $790 per month (not including taxes and insurance) that means at a rate of 6.5% your mortgage would be approximately $125,000. Yet at a rate of 4.9% you can afford a home loan of almost $150,000 this gives you nearly $25,000 more house for the same payment of approximately $790 per month.

This difference in price could be the space you need and the options you want. Rolling $25,000 more into a mortgage could get you a lot more house for your money in a new home.

It’s important to understand rates so that you can make an informed decision about purchasing your new home. Many people keep waiting for the lowest rates. But how will you know when the rates hit bottom? Usually when standing at a higher point looking down.

By assessing your situation and looking for the right loan to fit your current lifestyle, you can look at the historic rates and see how much more home you will get for your money now verses just a few years ago.

*We have to say this lame disclaimer…Rates and payments are approximate for the purposes of this article and do not include taxes and insurance.