Plus visit us at www.enrightandmolleson.com

AVID Ratings Co. is a customer loyalty and survey management firm that works with the home building industry. AVID recently released its annual survey of home-buyer preferences, revealing these 10 most-desired features of new homes:

1. Large kitchens, with islands and granite counter tops. These are most popular among buyers trading up or buying custom homes.
2. Energy-efficient appliances, insulation and windows. Rising energy costs are making these the most sought-after ‘green’ selling features.
3. Home office/studies as alternatives to formal dining rooms.
4. Main-floor master suites. These are must-haves for empty-nesters, says the survey.
5. Outdoor living rooms. Livable outdoor spaces are gaining popularity in both Canada and the United States.
6. Ceiling fans.
7. Master suite soaker tubs. Large showers with seating areas are also becoming desirable.
8. Stone and brick exteriors.
9. Natural surroundings. These include community landscaping, walking paths and playgrounds.
10. Two-car garages.

AVID Ratings Co. is a customer loyalty and survey management firm that works with the home building industry, and presents annual customer experience awards to builders in both Canada and the United States.

If you are interested in buying a new home, please call me today.  With years experiences selling new homes, we are well equipped to walk you through the new home buying process!

Source: Century 21 Canada

Are you in the market to build a new home?  Now is the time to start thinking about building if you want to get into your new house for the Spring/Summer 2010 and avoid paying the new HST taxes!

As a local REALTOR who specializes in both Resale Homes & New Construction, my partner & I are a perfect fit to help you secure your newly built home.  We understand what goes into the construction of new homes, the selection process and the details needed to ensure that you get what you envision!  Below are some existing and upcoming locations in Kingston to build a new home – all of which we can represent you in the purchase of this new home!

1. Lyndenwood, located behind Rona, just off Princess St.

Area Pricing for New Construction: High $200,000′s to $600,000.

Type of New Construction Available: Single Detached, Custom Homes

Builders: Geertsma Homes, V. Marques Homes, Caraco, James Selkirk, Haynes Classic Homes, Dehoop Homes.

2. West Hampton, located East of Costco off Centennial Drive.

Area Pricing for New Construction: Low $200,000′s to high $300,000′s.

Type of New Construction Available: Single Detached

Builders: Caraco, Dehoop Homes, Braebruy Homes

3. Greenwood Park, located on the East side of Kingston near CFB Kingston.

Area Pricing for New Construction: Low $200,000′s to $400,000′s.

Type of New Construction Available: Single Detached, Towns

Builders: Caraco, Braebury, Tamarack Homes, James Selkirk, various small custom builders.

4. Conservatory Pond, located just south of No Frills off Bayridge Dr.  Only 2-3 spec homes available here.

Area Pricing for New Construction: mid $200,000′s to $300,000′s.

Type of New Construction Available: Single Detached

Builders: Braebury Homes

5. Stonebridge, located south of Taylor Kidd, just off Centennial Dr.

Area Pricing for New Construction: High $200,000′s to $600,000.

Type of New Construction Available: Single Detached, Towns

Builders: Caraco, Braebury Homes, various small builders.

6. Westbrook Meadows, located off of Wesbrook Rd, just West of Collins Bay.

Area Pricing for New Construction: High $200,000′s to $500,000.

Type of New Construction Available: Single Detached, Custom Homes

Builders: Any builder of choice that follows area covenants.

7. Lakeview in Amherstview, head west on Bath Rd to Speers Dr in Amherstview.

Area Pricing for New Construction: low $200,000′s to $300,000′s.

Type of New Construction Available: Single Detached, Good Entry Level options.

Builders: McFarland Construction, Barr Homes, Royal Palm Homes

8. Rural Building Lots

There are a number of rual building lots available to purchase and build to suit.  In this case, you can secure the lot and select the builder of your choice to cosntruct the home.  There are various ways to structure the purchase of the lot & the deal with a builder – ask for details!

9. Highgate Creek in Woodhaven, North-West corner of Bayridge Dr & Princess St. *** COMING SOON ***

Highgate Creek in Woodhaven is the next big development in the west end of Kingston.  With pricing starting in the range of $190,000 for a town house and upwards of the low $300,000′s – this area is sure to draw a lot of interest when it’s released in the Fall of 2011 (tentative date). 

The area is comprised of Single Detached homes, Semi-Detached and Townhouses.  Plus with walking paths and the future location of the next Limestone District School boards elementary school, there is tons to enjoy in this area.

To be kept up to date on product availablility in this area, please send me an email to be added to the list.

Figuring out what you want and/or need in your home can be a challenge. Here are some tips to get you started. Be sure to ask everyone in your house to participate and keep track of this “wish list” so that you can discuss it with your Real Estate Agent.

• Style of home – Bungalow, Two-Storey, Condominium, Townhouse.
• Number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, size of garage, main living spaces (eg. Family Room, Great Room, Dining Room, Living Room, Den etc).
• Open concept floor plan or more divided spaces.
• How much outdoor space you need and/or want, do you want a large deck, a fence, a pool?
• Proximity to your work, schools and amenities and public transportation to these if needed.
• School someone in your household attends or plan to attends if already have one in mind.
• Any interior finishing features you’d like, such as carpet or hardwood floor, vinyl or ceramic tiles, central air conditioning etc.

Buying a home is a big decision, but these tips should help get started. Contact me and I’ll help take this list to the next step – finding you a home that meets your vision.

Advantages of Buying a Resale Home

With an older home, for the most part you can see exactly what you are getting. And the things you cannot see, your home inspector will be your source of valuable details about the home. For a resale home, you are usually able to assess the characteristics of the neighbourhood if it’s established and you can see the traffic flow, local amenities and any other elements of importance to you as the buyer.

On a financial side, many resale homes offer a more finished home – eg. landscaping may be done, a deck may already be built, driveway already paved and the basement may already be finished. There are generally fewer move-in costs during the first year with a resale home (possible costs could be revealed by a home inspection). While there are a number of advantages, the age of the home and the overall condition can contribute to the overall cost to you in the future. A thorough home inspection is always recommended so that any anticipated costs for repairs or worn out / out of date items can be considered at the time of purchasing the home (eg. age of shingles, age of furnace etc).

Advantages of Buying a New Home
A brand new home also has advantages. While you may buy a new home from a plan or during the construction phase, in the end you usually have much more flexibility with a new home in customizing your decor and landscaping to suit your tastes. If you have particular preferences for design and layout, building a new home may be just the option you were looking for! Another plus for new homes is simple, when you move into you new home it’s all brand new. You walls are free from blemishes from wall hangings, painted in a colour you selected, your floor coverings are new and compliment your style and so on if you had the opportunity to select your finishes.

Newer homes often address such concerns like shortage of storage, room sizes and of course offer more energy efficient homes by following the new building codes for insulation, wiring, plumbing etc. Since all builders vary with their options and floor plans it’s always a good idea to review the building specifications and inclusions in details before proceeding with your offer. This is where I can help – after working as a dedicated New Home Sales Rep I can lend my expertise to help ensure your new house is the home you imagined!

So if you know which avenue you prefer – resale or new – or if you need help figuring out which option best suits your preferences, call me and I can help.