Looking for Your New Home

Congratulations – you have just made the first choice to financial and personal well-being by buying a home. Buying a home is a purchase on all levels – emotional and intellectual. Balancing the two fuels a smart home buyer with the tools to make a happy home buying decision that will last for years.

See the blogs below, by our team of home experts, for the tools you need to sort out your choices to make the best decision for you.

What to look for in a new home? Michelle Koss, Divisional Sales Manager

Clear the mechanism. I see it all the time. When buyers start looking at models – they easily get caught up in the oohs and aahs of looking at homes and the models with the pretty colors and furniture. In order to get past that and see what you want, make a list of your needs and wants for a new home.

Start by looking at your current home or apartment. Or if this is your first home, think of your parents' or friends' homes. Be as specific as you can to help narrow things down.

Here is an example.

I need...

• Kitchen
  • an island for preparing meals and for the kids to eat a snack
  • more cabinets and/or a pantry to store everything and keep things organized
• Rooms
  • a bedroom for each of the kids
  • someplace for the kids to do homework and play games
  • someplace to work on the computer or read undisturbed
• Big backyard with a nice area to play and entertain
• Close to the train(highway)
• Good schools

I want...

• Hardwood floors
• Fireplace
• Granite countertops
• Stainless appliances

Etc. etc. etc. It’s your list! Now Prioritize the list by placing the most important on the top – and so on. Make a bunch of copies of the list and take them with you when you home shop at models or on the internet. Start checking the items that each home has and evaluate them. The one that fulfills the most of your top priorities is probably the right choice for you.

What to Look for in a Builder? Phillip Hartz, President PD Hartz

It is really easy to say look for quality, look for reputation, etc. But all those things are true. This is the biggest purchase you will ever make in your life, and it also has to serve your needs every day. You don’t want a hassle – you just want a great home. So, check out the builder first and you will be well on your way to a good home buying experience.

Look for Quality – the workmanship of the models

• Open the doors and windows – are they loose – do they work?
• Check the corners of the trim – do they meet up?
• Does everything look straight - corners of walls, trim, doors?
• Do the floors creak?

Look for Service

The way a builder treats their customers before, during and after the sale of the home says a lot and can give you a clue what to expect?

• Do they have a customer service dept to handle any problems or questions?
• How does the staff treat you when you walk in the door? Are they helpful? Do they answer your questions? Are they pleasant?
• Do they have a place to make selections?
• Do they walk you through the home during construction?

Look for Success

I once heard someone say, "When you invest - trust the broker with the nicest car. If he/she does well, he/she must be good." The same can be said of a homebuilder. You can measure the builder’s success by visiting web sites and/or touring the sales centers and models to find out...

• How long has the builder been in business?
• How many homes/communities has the company built?
• Do their customers refer people to build with them? Do they buy from that builder again?

If you find all or even most of these things in one or more builders, you are making a good investment decision – then it is just a matter of which home you want.

What to Look for in a Community? Samar Kayyal, Divisional Sales Manager

Some people say, "Towns are all the same, they all have stores, gas stations, libraries, etc." But it isn’t just an address – it is your new hometown and that is important. It is the place you are going to raise your kids and the place they will remember. It is the place you want to live in and it needs to fit you.

Here are a few things you can find out to help you choose your new hometown. Then you need to decide what is most important to you. All of these questions can easily be answered on the internet, on the town’s web site, and the state’s school report card. It is also a good idea when visiting the town to pick up their local newspaper – that will give you a good picture of the town.

• Where is the nearest grocery store?
• Where is the nearest place to eat?
• How close to the train? highway?
• Does that town have a library?
• What kind of services does the park district offer? How close are their parks?
• What are the taxes?
• How are the schools? What is the financial situation of the schools? What is their drop out rate? How many teachers per student?
• What is the crime rate?
• How close is the fire department? Police Department? (you can ask your insurance agent for the town’s rating- it will affect your insurance)