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Are smart homes a new necessity among potential home buyers? Smart home technology may just be an important selling factor according to a new survey from Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC and Parks. This recent Real Estate Weekly article explains the details of the survey and what buyers are looking for when purchasing a home.
A new survey from Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC and Parks Associates found that Americans are thinking differently about “move-in ready” homes; they now want it to be “smart ready” too.
According to the survey of 1,250 U.S. adults who have broadband Internet access at home, 71 percent of Americans want a move-in ready home.
Of the respondents who opted for a move-in ready home, 44 percent said that smart home technology should already be installed. Another 57 percent would consider an older home updated if it had smart home technology.
“We have entered a realm where home buyers are demanding smart homes. This is a shift from the previous thinking about what constitutes a move-in ready home. It’s a defining moment for real estate,” said Sean Blankenship, chief marketing officer for Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
Angel Piontek, sales associate affiliated with Coldwell Banker Elite, said, “At the beginning of my real estate career, home buyers were willing to purchase fixer-uppers that needed tender love and care. But over the years, there has been a clear shift toward move-in ready homes that don’t require any updates or renovations.
“Most recently I’ve seen that the term move-in ready is evolving still to include the convenience and comfort that smart home technology provides.”
[Read the full article here]
It’s always a good idea to prepare your home for each season before it actually starts. With summer coming to an end, it’s the perfect time to start prepping your home for the fall weather. This recent article from The Huffington Post shares 8 simple fall home maintenance tips for both the interior and exterior of your home!
Interior:
Home Safety
Before you close up your house and turn on the heat for the first time, you should make a point to check all of your safety devices to ensure that they work properly. Replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors and make sure your fire extinguishers aren’t expired.
Schedule Furnace Maintenance
Once the cold season strikes, your HVAC service is likely to be busy on service calls. Instead, schedule a furnace check in late August to ensure that your furnace is functioning optimally. Late summer is the ideal time to catch small furnace problems before they cause large ― and expensive ― problems during a cold snap.
Exterior:
Check for Cracks
Look for cracks in your home’s foundation and seal them properly to prevent cold drafts from getting inside. Cracks in your foundation or near windows also function as an entryway for unwanted critters like mice.
Check Your Roof
It’s important to check your roof for problems before cold weather hits. Check for loose shingles and make any necessary repairs before the autumn storms arrive. Don’t forget to check your gutters while you’re on the roof. Although you’ll likely have to clean your gutters after the leaves have fallen, you can still remove any leaves, branches or nests in late summer to ensure optimum drainage.
Reinforce Doors and Windows
Before the cold weather hits, set aside a day to replace your door and window screens with storm windows. You can also add weather stripping to doors and windows to help keep cool air from seeping inside.
[Read the full article here]
Vancouver, Wash. – August 2016 – Lennar will bring a collection of homes to Vancouver with their newest community of Abbey Glen. Slated to grand open later this fall, an interest list is now forming and homes are now pre-selling. Interested parties are encouraged to take advantage of pre-model pricing and join the interest list today!
“We are thrilled to be bringing new homes to an area where there is a demand,” said Sia Howe, Marketing manager for Lennar Portland. “We’ve paired some of our most popular floorplans with a great location. We expect this community to be a huge hit!”
Abbey Glen offers three distinctive two-story floorplans to choose from with prices starting from the mid $300,000’s.
The Hickory plan provides approximately 2,304 square feet of living space. This two-story home features four bedrooms, two and one-half bathrooms, a downstairs study and gourmet kitchen with huge center island, along with a two-car garage.
The Willow plan is great two-story home that provides approximately 2,303 square feet of living space. This home features three bedrooms, two and one-half bathrooms, a downstairs study, back patio, super-sized bonus room or fourth bedroom and a two-car garage.
The Hampton plan is a spacious two-story home that provides approximately 2,448 square feet of living space in a great layout. This three bedroom, two and one-half bathroom home boasts plenty of storage space and open layout, where the great room, nook and gourmet kitchen seamlessly interconnect. A huge upstairs loft provides versatile options.
Every home at Abbey Glen comes with upscale Everything’s Included features at no additional cost to homebuyers. Among these features, some of the most noteworthy are smart home front door locks, granite slab kitchen countertops, stainless steel appliances, programmable thermostats, air conditioning and much more.
Abbey is now pre-selling and prospective buyers are encouraged to act fast to take advantage of pre-model pricing. Find contact information and join the interest list at www.lennar.com/new-homes/washington/vancouver/vancouver/abbey-glen/.
With hundreds of communities nationwide and homes designed for first-time, move-up and luxury homebuyers, Lennar has grown to become one of the nation’s leading and most respected homebuilders and proudly remains steadfast in their commitment toward quality, value and integrity. Lennar has a longstanding history of building exceptional homes in only the most well planned and desirable locations throughout the country.
