Simmons Homes

When you think of using technology to sell your home, what comes to mind? Likely it’s Craigslist, Zillow, or other online sites designed to help you sell and market your home. A recent article from MSN, however,  depicts a new way people are using technology to sell their homes. Video! That’s right, video! One of the most important steps in preparing to sell your home is the “staging”. During the staging phase, you update things, paint, and try your best to allow the potential buyers to envision themselves living in your home/neighborhood. But are they really getting the FULL view? Of course not!

The buyer will likely not see how great the community is, or how cozy the house is from YOUR perspective…. Or will they? Video taping your home and community is a GREAT way to let potential buyers into the day to day operations of the house you call home. I’m not talking about a family skit or anything of the sort.  In fact, it’s very simple. You make your video from the standpoint of a realtor, selling your home on it’s best features.

If you’re still weary of posting the luxuries of your private home on Facebook and other social media, you are not alone. In fact, the article speaks about a man who serves as a church outreach director and felt uncomfortable boasting about his home to friends and family on social media. The awkwardness was soon dissolved when, just moments after posting, he began receiving many responses to his video. Just one day after posting, he accepted an offer made on his home by a person whose agent had seen the listing via Facebook!

It’s not necessary for you to be in school for film directing, or and extravagant actor/actress to make your video. It need only be the simple details that you feel would stand out to a potential buyer. Include your favorite parts of the outside and inside of your home, along with a few snippets from around your neighborhood. No fancy software is required. You can take a simple video directly from your smartphone or, if you feel comfortable, use one of the many free video editing programs available online to make edits to your video. Either way, your video will stand out from others in web searches, and likely entice many more potential buyers than your listing alone.

If you are in the market for buying a new home, your first priority may be selling the home you have. While it might seem a little overwhelming at first, we’ve rounded up some tips that will have your current home sold in no time! This will alleviate that hurdle for you, get top dollar for your home,  and have you able to turn your attention to making your new house a home for you and your family.

Start from the Inside Out

If you plan on getting potential buyers in the door, you’ve got to first have a bit of curb appeal! The first impression is everything! Does the exterior of your home, feel like home? It should give potential buyers that “warm and fuzzy” feeling inside, that will allow them to picture themselves and their family there. This doesn’t have to be a huge remodeling expenditure. Just put a little love into it. Think: beautifully manicured lawn, inexpensive shrubs, a few plants lining the walkway…whatever fits for your home.

Stay on your game!

You’re preparing your new home, working, taking care of the children…all while trying to sell your current home. Chances are, you feel like kicking back and relaxing at the end of the day. That’s great, but don’t get too comfortable on the bench! Your home should ALWAYS be ready for an impromptu showing. This means keeping the dishes out of the sink, the counter tops and mirrors clean, and your house tidy day in and day out. Cleaning may be the last thing on your mind right now, but in the end, it could make or break a potential sell!

Go Neutral

Does your home have that adorable room that you painted just for your little girl? Or the office dedicated solely to mom’s scrapbooking?? May be time for a spruce up! While you might find these things endearing, and possibly sentimental, a potential buyer may not feel the same. Rooms should be gender neutral, and allow ANY prospective buyer to envision using it the way THEY need to…not in a way that fits your family. Don’t let a quick paint spruce up block a potential sale!

Hide the Creatures!

While your pets are a part of your family, they are not a package deal with your home. Therefore, they do not need to be included in the showing. Before opening your homes for showings be sure to have a game plan for securing your pets. In fact, many articles suggest sending your pets to a friend, family member, or even a pet hotel for the day when getting ready for viewings. Not everyone is a pet lover, and some may even have allergy aversions to your pets that would persuade them from buying your home.

Know the Focal Points

When remodeling your home to sell, focus your attention on the kitchen and bathroom areas. These are the areas that sell homes. It is much easier for people to imagine themselves doing the updates they prefer in other parts of your home then it is for them to imagine themselves updating the kitchen and bathroom. These are two rooms potential buyers prefer to be updated, modern, and of course clean finished when considering purchasing a home.

A common concern among parents is, “When is the best time to move to a new home?” There’s no solution that will work for everyone. It depends on the children and their ages and personalities.Moving in the summer allows families to settle into a new home during a less hectic time period. The kids can use their vacation months to explore the neighborhood and maybe take part in summer camps and activities where they can meet classmates.

But there’s also something to be said for moving during the school year. You automatically integrate your child into a school where they meet classmates the very first day—as opposed to sitting around the house or yard and feeling isolated because they’ve left their friends behind. By starting out your new home experience during the school year, your children also jump right into the many activities happening in this time—clubs, sports, scouts, and field trips. They quickly make friends as they settle into their new community and routine. A teacher will often take a little more time getting new kids acclimated in the middle of the year than at the beginning, when all students are new to her class. She might be more aware of a youngster’s unease and pair the child with someone else or encourage others to include the newcomer into their activities.

By moving when the most activity is happening, your child will make friends sooner and then have the summer months to build on those relationships.

Moving with children is always a challenge. If you have any tips or experiences about moving a family, we’d love to hear from you!

People often rent, due to the fact they feel they are not ready for the added responsibilities of buying a home. Whether this be the maintenance/maintenance cost, insurance, or even the initial down payment; this may be true in some cases. Buying a home is a long-term investment and should not be taken lightly. There are necessary steps you should take before buying a home, to gauge your readiness. Once you  have determined you are ready to buy a home, you will find there are many benefits that accompany home ownership.

It is Cheaper to Buy than to Rent

In a study by Forbes magazine, it was found that buying is now 45% cheaper than renting in the 100 largest U.S. metros. That leaves you with an average savings of $771 a month!

Make the house fit you

When you buy a home, particularly a brand new home, you are able to make the house fit you rather you fitting the house. You can choose the floor plan, color schemes, and details of your home that fit your families taste and needs. You can also feel comfortable that you will be able to do any updates and remodeling in the future, without first seeking the permission of the landlord or property owner.

Tax Advantages

There are tax advantages to purchasing a home. Interest paid on a owner-occupied home is tax deductible. You may also be eligible for other tax deductions based on different environmental features of your home, etc. It is important to discuss this with your tax specialist to ensure you receive all of the savings allotted to you through the purchase of your new home.

All in all, buying is better than renting because at the end of the day….it’s yours. You have made an investment in something that is your very own. The feeling of ownership is incomparable.

With spring cleaning often comes spring redecorating. If you missed out on the interior designer gene, this can seem like a stressful task. Worry not! We’ve done our research, in order to bring you a few styling tips for 2013! According to Ilyce Glink of CBS News,  color trends are playing a HUGE part in decorating this spring. Ilyce outlines the best colors, per room We’ve provided you with a break down below.

The Bedroom

Redecorating the bedroom should be at the very top of your priority list. This is a place where you are going to spend A LOT of time, and time here is usually meant for relaxing and restoring yourself for the next day. It’s important your atmosphere is conductive of this. Light blues and greens help to accomplish this.

The Master Bathroom

Flowing with the feeling of renewal and rejuvenation from the bedroom, emerald is a great color to incorporate into your master bathroom.

Kitchen

The kitchen should bring out the “pizazz” in your home!! Don’t be afraid to go bright with it! Yellow is a great color to make your kitchen pop. If the idea of an entirely yellow kitchen seems like a bit much to you, feel free to experiment with an accent wall instead.

Family Room

Another room that should “pop” is the family room. This is usually the room where your family will spend most of their time together, so it should SCREAM comfort and fun with a nice warm homely feel in the background. Splashes of  Red, Orange, or even Green can help accomplish this!

Keep in mind, paint isn’t the only way to switch up a room. If you’d like to incorporate some new colors into your living place, without going all out with the paint, stick to accent rugs and decorations that bring out these colors. This is an easy way to experiment with color while leaving the option for change in the future.

Simmons also welcomes you to visit our Design Studio for color ideas and more for your new custom built home!

There’s an old belief that buying a new home is expensive, stressful, and there are many “hidden components” that pop out at random times during the process. Simmons Homes would like to give you the truth behind these myths, with the inside scope on building a new home. We must, however, add a disclaimer. We speak only of the home buying process with Simmons Homes. The process can vary between home builders and we can not vouch that the same methods used by Simmons, to provided a smooth and stress-free home buying experience, are used by other home builders.

Myth 1: Building a custom home is very expensive

Whether you’re a first time homeowner, or seasoned veteran, Simmons ensures that you remain included and informed in each and every step of the home buying process. This includes knowing what prices are from the beginning, as well as your options throughout every phase of the process. This makes budgeting for your new home.

Myth 2: Building a custom home takes a lot of time

This is not true! In addition to having very reasonable times for building new homes for scratch (in most cases 6-8 months), we also have homes that are move-in ready. Building a custom home saves a lot of time (and gas) vs. buying used. Not only are you not spending time driving around looking for homes, and waiting for an inspection to find out what’s going on beneath the visible aspects, you also aren’t spending the time it takes to remodel a home from scratch. Quite the opposite, in fact. Your custom home is just how you want it, right from the get go and always build “move-in ready”.

Myth 3: Building a new home is a hassle, and takes a lot of work

While this myth may be true with some builders, it is not the case with Simmons Homes. In fact, Simmons allows you to be as involved with the process as you wish to be. We guide you along the process, and encourage you to choose the details that suit your families needs. From there, we handle obtaining the permits, inspections, and behind the scenes work it takes to take your new home from a lot, to a place your family can call home for the rest of your lives.

Making the leap into home ownership is an important milestone. Choosing the perfect homebuilder is as important as choosing the perfect home model, neighborhood, and details.  It is crucial, however, that you do not neglect the planning stage PRIOR to this. That’s right! Planning for your new home should begin before you even click on a model home. The simple planning steps below will help to ensure your home buying process is smooth and glitch free.

Budget

Before you begin searching for your new home, you must make sure your budget is ready for this venture. This can be done with a few simple calculations. Sit with a piece of paper and estimate the expenses of home ownership. If the expenses of home ownership are higher than your current expenses, it may be a good idea to try putting the difference aside in a savings account for six months, to ensure your budget is able to withhold the impact.

The Loan

Before you even THINK of researching loans, check your credit score! It’s important to know where you stand. There are several different loan options available, and these options may differ based on your credit score. Once you know your score, you can begin researching loan types to find the one that works best for your family’s situation. You’ll then be ready to gather the documents you need (proof of employment, income, etc.) to gain pre-approval for your home.

Let the Fun Begin

Once you have completed the steps above, you are now ready to begin your new home search!!! The information you have obtained in the steps above will leave you prepared, and educated as you enter the world of home ownership. From this point, you get to partake in the funniest part of the venture: Choosing your new home!

Lauren and Daniel Rew are self-proclaimed “big lookers”. They spent 6-7 months looking for a home, searching amongst used homes. The Rew’s soon found that used homes would not provide them with the exact details and amenities they craved for their new dwelling. They assumed building a home would be out of their price range…until they came across Simmons Homes that is.  Building a home with Simmons not only proved to be financially obtainable, but allowed them to choose the details that they wanted for their new home.

Lauren and Daniel describe they process of building as “extremely comfortable” and “a very pleasant experience from the very beginning”. They weren’t the only ones excited about their new home! Their 4-year-old son found it easy to transition, due to the help of a Simmons site manager. The site manager made a point to include their son in the visits, as their home was being constructed. Before the home’s construction was complete, their son had already become acclimated with where his new room would be, the bathroom, kitchen, playroom, etc.

“I feel like {the line of communication between the buyer and the builder} was always open, my questions were always answered in a timely fashion, and I was never left hung out to try with anything. I appreciated that”. Lauren Rew

At Simmons, we make a point of making your home buying experience easy and stress-free. One of the tools we use to accomplish this, is by keeping you armed with all information upfront. We want to ensure that you understand, and feel comfortable with, each and every step of the process. When beginning to search for homes, it is important to understand the associated terminology. Below is glossary of some of the most commonly used terms in the home buying and homebuilding world:

Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM). A loan whose interest rate is adjusted according to movements in the financial market.

Amortization. A payment plan by which a borrower reduces a debt gradually through monthly payments of principal and interest.

Annual Percentage Rate (APR). The annual cost off credit over the life of a loan, including interest, service charges, points, loan fees, mortgage insurance, and other items.

Appraisal. An evaluation to determine what a piece of property would sell for in the marketplace.

Appreciation. The increase in the value of a property.

Assessment. A tax levied on a property or a value placed on the worth of property by a taxing authority.

Binder. A receipt for a deposit paid to secure the right to purchase a home at terms agreed upon by the buyer and seller.

Cap. A limit to the amount an interest rate or a monthly payment can increase for an adjustable rate loan either during an adjustment period or over the life of the loan.

Certificate of Occupancy. A document from an official agency stating that the property meets the requirements of local codes, ordinances, and regulations.

Closing. A meeting to sign documents which transfer property from a seller to a buyer. (Also called settlement)

Closing Costs. Charges paid at settlement for obtaining a mortgage loan and transferring real estate title.

Conditions, Covenants, and Restrictions (CC and Rs). The standards that define how a property may be used and the protections the developer has made for the benefit of all owners in a subdivision.

Conventional Loan. A mortgage loan not insured by a government agency (such as FHA or VA).

Credit Rating. A report ordered by a lender from a credit bureau to determine if the borrower is a good credit risk.

Density. The number of homes built on a particular acre of land. Allowable densities are usually determined by local jurisdictions.

Downpayment. The difference between the sales price and the mortgage amount on a home. The downpayment is usually paid at closing.

Earnest Money. A sum paid to the seller to show that a potential purchaser is serious about buying.

Easement. Right-of-way granted to a person or company authorizing access to the owner’s land; for example, a utility company may be grated an easement to install pipes or wires. An owner may voluntarily grant an easement, or in some cases, be compelled to grant one by a local jurisdiction.

Equity. The difference between the value of a home and what is owed on it.

Escrow. The handling of funds or documents by a third party on behalf of the buyer and/or seller.

Federal Housing Administration (FHA). A federal agency which insures mortgages that have lower downpayment requirements than conventional loans.

Fixed Rate Mortgage. A mortgage whose interest rate remains constant over the life of the loan. The payments are not necessarily level. (See Graduated Payment Mortgage and Growing Equity Mortgage).

Fixed Schedule Mortgage. A mortgage whose payment schedule for the life of the loan is established at closing. The payments and interest rate are not necessarily level.

Hazard Insurance. Protection against damage caused by fire, windstorm, or other common hazards. Many lenders require borrowers to carry it in an amount at least equal to the mortgage.

Index. The interest rate or adjustment standard which determines the changes in monthly payments for an adjustable rate loan.

Infrastructure. The public facilities and services needed to support residential development, including highways, bridges, schools, and sewer and water systems

Interest. The cost paid to a lender for the use of borrowed money.

Mortgage Commitment. A formal written communication by a lender, agreeing to make a mortgage loan on a specific property, specifying the loan amount, length of time and conditions.

Mortgage Company (Mortgage Banker). A company that borrows money from a bank, lends it to consumers who want to buy homes, then sells the loans to investors.

Mortgagee. The lender who makes a mortgage loan.

Mortgage Loan. A contract in which the borrower’s property is pledged a s collateral and which can be repaid in installments over a long period. The mortgagor (buyer) promises to repay principal and interest, to keep the home insured, to pay all taxes, and to keep the property in good condition.

Mortgage Origination Fee. A charge by a lender for the work involved in preparing and servicing a mortgage application (usually 1 percent of the loan amount).

Note. A formal document showing the existence of a debt and stating the terms of repayment.

PITI. Principal, interest, taxes, and insurance (the 4 major components of monthly housing payments).

Point. A charge of 1 percent of the mortgage amount. Points are a one-time charge assessed by the lender at closing to increase the interest yield on a mortgage loan.

Principal. The amount borrowed in a loan, excluding interest and other charges.

Recording Fee. A charge for recording the transfer of a property, paid to a city, county, or other appropriate branch of government.

R-Value. The resistance of insulation material (including windows) to heat passing through it. The higher the number, the greater the insulating value.

Sales Contract. A contract between a buyer and seller which should explain, in detail, exactly what the purchase includes, what guarantees there are, when the buyer can move in, what the closing costs are, and what recourse the parties have if the contract is not fulfilled or if the buyer cannot get a mortgage commitment at the agreed-upon terms.

Settlement. (See Closing).

Shared Appreciation Mortgage. A loan in which partners agree to share specified portions of the downpayment, monthly payment, and appreciation.

Title. Evidence (usually in the form of a certificate or deed) of a person’s legal right to ownership of a property.

Walk-Through. A final inspection of a home before settlement to search for problems that need to be corrected before ownership changes hands.

Warranty. A promise, either written or implied, that the material and workmanship of a product is defect-free or will meet a specified level of performance over a specified period of time. Written warranties on new homes are either backed by insurance companies or by the builders themselves.

With the end of the year approaching fast, taxes are beginning to come to the forefront of everyones mind. Luckily, homeowners who built with Simmons have something to look forward to this year. Tax credits are one of the many advantages of having an energy efficent home.

Simmons Homes achieves significant energy savings through established, reliable building technologies and by working closely with respected Home Energy Raters to select from a number of energy efficient features when planning and building homes including:

1) Effective Insulation – Properly installed, climate-appropriate insulation in floors, walls, and attics ensures even temperatures throughout the house, less energy consumption, and increased comfort.

2) High-Performance Windows – Energy-efficient windows employ advanced technologies, such as protective coatings and improved frame assemblies, to help keep heat in during winter and out during summer. These windows also block damaging ultraviolet sunlight that can discolor carpets and furnishings.

3) Tight Construction and Ducts – Sealing holes and cracks in the home’s “envelope” and in duct systems helps reduce drafts, moisture, dust, pollen, and noise. A tightly sealed home improves comfort and indoor air quality while reducing utility bills.

4) Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment – In addition to using less energy to operate, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems can be quieter, reduce indoor humidity, and improve the overall comfort of the home. Typically, energy-efficient equipment is also more durable and requires less maintenance than standard models.

5) Lighting and Appliances – Simmons Energy Innovative homes may also be equipped with proven energy efficient products — lighting fixtures, compact fluorescent bulbs, ventilation fans, and appliances, such as refrigerators, dish washers, and washing machines. These energy efficient products provide additional energy savings to the owner.

6) Third-Party Verification – With the help of independent Home Energy Raters, Simmons Homes and its builder partners choose the most appropriate energy-saving features for their homes. Additionally, our Home Energy Raters conduct onsite testing and inspections to verify energy efficiency of our homes.