Parade of Homes | Fall 2020

Parade of Homes Fall

On behalf of the Western Ohio Home Builders Association, we’d like to welcome you to the 2020 Parade of Homes. Despite all the turmoil surrounding Covid-19, our core commitment, to protect and preserve the home building industry and keep housing a ordable for future generations still stands.

is year marks our 65th year in business as an Association and we’re grateful that you have decided to spend your time here with us. We are excited to bring to you 11 spectacular homes located from Tipp City to Sidney. It’s amazing to see the growth in our community over the last 65 years and we are honored to be a part of western Ohio’s success.

e Parade of Homes is the best opportunity to visit with local builders and see the latest home design trends.

Technology, home design, appliances, lighting and interior and exterior features are always changing and improving. e Parade of Homes is our builder’s chance to introduce new products and designs and your chance to see what features would best enhance your life.

As you explore these homes, we hope you are inspired by what our builders, designers, and trade contractors have created. As an association, we are proud to have so many innovative people providing quality products for you to enjoy. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors. None of this could be accomplished without the dedicated professionals who help us put on this Parade. We thank every one of you!

We hope you enjoy the Parade and if you are looking to build your rst home, your move up home or the absolute home of your dreams, please contact one of the home builders in the Parade or call the Western Ohio Home Builders Association for a list of builders. Also, don’t forget to tell your friends and enjoy the Parade!

LANDSCAPING 101

What is landscaping and what are the benefits?

Increased Property value

Buying a home is one of life’s great experiences, and most people relive that experience at least a couple of times before they make it to their last home. Real estate is an ongoing investment and there is opportunity to make a substantial return upon selling. A well-manicured lawn and eloquent landscape design are a guaranteed promise to raise the property value of any home.

The Environment

Landscaping has managed to gure out how to make money while preserving nature just by adding a couple of trees. Giving back to the world that inhabits us should be an important aspect of every home. On average one tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from the air each year. Trees will also absorb dust, smoke and other harmful gases, producing oxygen in return.

Personal Health

A daily dosage of interacting with the outdoors has always had positive e ects on mental and physical health in humans. We as humans share a natural bond with nature, so it isn’t surprising that integrating it into our homes can have great bene ts on our well-being. e simple act of looking outside a window at a scenic view displaying nature has proven to lower blood pressure levels in some people and reduce overall stress.

Popular landscaping services

Landscaping is a very dense niche with projects ranging from sprinkler system installations to a full outdoor makeover: design, install, and management. ere are packages and specialties that homeowners tend to favor when hiring a landscaper, but each project will be unique to the house that it frames. For beginners, here are a few gems that are good go-to’s when starting the immersion into landscaping.

The basics for a great looking landscape

1. A uniform healthy green lawn. is may require starting from scratch and includes proper maintenance, fertilization and watering.

2. e landscape design compliments the architecture and style of home.

3. e plants selected are native to the area and climate.

4. Watch the sun and make note of the shady areas to select the proper plants that will thrive in this environment.

5. Add hardscaping such as patios, walls and walks that suite the age and style of the home. is may require some advice from a professional.

6. Add landscape lighting to enhance the beauty of your home and landscape during the evening hours.

7. Add an irrigation system to keep the lawn looking healthy and green through the dry periods.

8. Most importantly, keep up on the bed maintenance, weeding and pruning.

Final Note

Remember, each service and company will o er a unique experience so it is important to put the research into what exactly you are looking for. Landscaping upgrades will pay o in the end, but getting to enjoy the yard as much as you’re sure to will be the real payo .

Get a Construction Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit

BUILD THE HOME OF YOUR DREAMS

with the help of these nancial opportunities.

It’s always been your dream not to simply buy a home for retirement, but to build one from the ground up that is perfectly suited to your vision for how you want to spend your twilight years. To achieve this dream, two of the major nancial options to consider are borrowing against the value of your current home with a home equity line of credit or taking out a construction loan.

What is a construction loan?

Steve McLinden, a real estate advisor for Bankrate, explains a construction loan is typically a short-term loan that carries a higher interest rate than a conventional mortgage. ey’re colloquially called story loans because the money is lent without the collateral of a nished home; instead, you present your lender with a detailed budget and timetable to receive the loan. McLinden notes the lack of collateral also makes these loans more di cult to obtain without a well-maintained credit history.

According to Beth Buczynski of NerdWallet, lenders will scrutinize your credit score, debt-to-income ratio and plans for repayment.

Buczynski notes two major categories of construction loans for building a home from scratch: construction-topermanent and construction-only. A construction-topermanent loan becomes a mortgage at the completion of construction and locks in your interest rate at the time of closing. Construction-only loans speci cally cover the construction phase, which makes it ideal if you want to obtain a mortgage elsewhere or plan to use the pro ts from your previous home and other cash reserves; but it also requires you to pay closing costs multiple times.

If you are approved for a construction loan, the money is meted out in draws, which follow your provided timetable to accommodate stages for construction from start to completion. Dr. Don Taylor, also of Bankrate, notes that this approach makes it imperative for your project to stay on schedule — interest accrues over the period of construction, and the longer you take to get the job done means more money spent.

Why consider home equity lines of credit?

If you’ve lived in your current home for some time; therefore, have established su cient equity, a home equity line of credit is an option for nancing the construction of your new home. Natalie Campisi of Bankrate notes that HELOCs are easy to open — so long as you have equity — and only charge interest on the amounts you borrow.

Campisi also points out that these loans tend to come with variable interest rates, may require an annual fee and can become problematic if the value of your home decreases. If you plan to sell your current home and move into your newly constructed home; however, then you’ll have less to worry about the major drawbacks of HELOCs.

Writing for e Balance, Sensible Money, LLC CEO Dana Anspach puts forth the idea of using a HELOC to pay for the down payment on a new home, and the same logic applies to fund construction on fertile ground. Anspach suggests this is a preferable alternative to cashing in on your investments, and you should build the loan payments into your retirement budget. If you intend to sell your former house quickly, you can use the money from the nal sale to pay back the HELOC and put it toward the balance owed on the new home.

THE QUESTION OF COLOR & LIGHT

THE QUESTION OF COLOR & LIGHT

CHOOSING PAINT COLOR FOR INTERIOR ROOMS is o en challenging due to di erent types of light including the light re ective value of the paint itself.

Most decorating is done by daylight, with the result that a room o en changes completely under ordinary arti cial light. Also many colors that look bright and rich at night turn muddy and bilious in the daytime. If your room is to be used mainly in the evening, plan your scheme under electric light. If it must stand the test of both day and night, then provide lighting that will preserve daylight colors in their purity.

Blue has probably given decorators more headaches than any other color when it comes to lighting. Ordinary arti cial blue light turns light blue walls yellowish green, and hyacinth walls dusty gray. To keep a blue room really blue, use daylight bulbs which have no yellow in them. is will result, however, in a cold-looking room. Compromise with bulbs tinted pale ivory.

Yellow frequently disappears at night. Yellow is apt to take on a dull tannish aspect or turn cream unless enough green is put in the paint to o set this. A strong lemon stays yellower at night than a butter yellow.

Dark wall colors look richer at night - brown, for instance, that may seem a bit cold or grayish in the daytime, appears much warmer and browner in arti cial light.

While you will probably have no wish to produce startling, stage-set lighting e ects at the ip of a switch, it is well to know how you may modulate or retain fully the tones of your color-schemes.

Paint nish also plays a role in light and color as far as walls are concerned. Flat nish is usually the best for hiding imperfections such as nail pops and dry wall seams, whereas egg shell nish is much easier to clean and doesn’t mark as easily.

Be sure to consult with your interior designer to choose the perfect look for your space.

How to Find the Right Builder for You

Maybe you’ve toured all the homes on the Parade of Homes or maybe you’re just in the market for a new home. If you’re thinking about building a new home, one key decision you’ll have to make is nding a home builder that you connect with. Working with an experienced, professional builder can make a di erence when it comes to creating your dream home. Seeking out a home builder that will meet your expectations involves targeted research and asking the right questions. Below are some steps you can take to nd a builder who is just right for you.

Make a List of Potential Builders

With so many companies to choose from the best rst step is to make a list of potential builders. e Western Ohio Home Builders Association has a list of builders who work in this area. If you want to add more names to your list ask friends and relatives for recommendations. Another great source is your local Realtor. ey are tuned into the new construction market and can help you navigate through some of the di erent styles and price points of builders in your area.

Ask Questions

Once you’ve generated your list of potential builders, reach out and ask questions. You can start by asking about associated costs in the short and long term such as nancing options, i.e., does the builder carry the construction loan or does the homeowner? Where does the builder build? In a particular subdivision or on your lot? Does the builder have a showroom? What is the builder warranty? Ask for references of recent buyers. A professional builder will be able to provide you with names and contact information of recent customers.

When you connect with a reference, talk to them about their experience working with the builder in terms of planning, timelines and budgeting.

Get to Know Your Builder

Once you’ve narrowed down your list, make sure the home builder has experience building the type of home you want. You can ask to see model homes, or oor plans and design options. Some builders have professional designations which is a sign that the builder has expertise in a speci c area of building, for example, Certi ed Green Builder (CGP).

Establish Communication Expectations

Before you agree to work with a home builder, make sure to establish communication expectations. You both should agree on how o en to connect to discuss updates throughout the project. It is best to determine what communication channel (email, text or phone) ts your needs. Also make sure you set expectations on site visits to the project. Some builders restrict clients coming to the house during construction. Taking this small but important step will help eliminate any confusion in the home building process and avoid damaging your relationship with your builder. It’s best to always set expectations up front. is is go a long way in keeping a very happy and health relationship between you and your builder for the 6-8 months your together.

To meet local home building professionals and learn more about the home building process you can always call the Western Ohio Home Builders Association and we’d be happy to put you in touch with our Builder members who’d love to put you on the path to building your dream home!

Living a MAINTENANCE Free Lifestyle

Clubhouse amenities to include: Outdoor pool, covered porch, outdoor firepit, workout room, 2 card game rooms, full prep-kitchen, pickleball courts, and other outdoor games activities.

9 large stocked ponds, for fishing. Beautifully lit walking paths.

VILLA HOME PATIO HOME

Six different End Units, 1,600SF to 1,760SF of living space. Floorplans consist of, 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 2 Car Garage.

Three different Middle Units, 1,680SF of living space. Floorplans consist of, 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 1 Car Garage.

Monthly HOA Fees, $225/per month. HOA covers all common areas, Lawncare, Landscape, Trash Pickup, Snow Removal, and full access to Halifax Clubhouse

Six different Floorplans ranging from 1,600SF to 1,960SF of living space. Floorplans consist of a slab foundation, 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 2 Car Garage, or a 2 Master Suite option.

shelter.

Monthly HOA Fees, $200/per month. HOA covers all common areas, Trash Pickup, Snow Removal, and full access to Halifax Clubhouse