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Are first-time homebuyers helping to drive the housing market? According to the National Association of Realtors, existing home sales increased in September driven mainly by the drastic incease in first-time homebuyers. This recent Housing Wire article by Kelsey Ramírez shares details from this new report.
Total existing home sales, completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 3.2% to a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.47 million in September. This is up from a downwardly-revised 5.3 million in August. Sales are actually at their highest pace since June, and 0.6% above last year’s 5.44 million.
“The home search over the past several months for a lot of prospective buyers, and especially for first-time buyers, took longer than usual because of the competition for the minimal amount of homes for sale,” NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said.
“Most families and move-up buyers look to close before the new school year starts,” Yun said. “Their diminishing presence from the market towards the end of summer created more opportunities for aspiring first-time homeowners to buy last month.”
First-time homebuyers increased to 34% of the market share, the highest share since July 2012. It is up from 31% in August and 29% last year.
A new survey from Zillow shows the importance of Millennials in the housing market. This new generation may not only be fueling the housing market, but also changing it, according to the survey.
“There’s hope the leap in sales to first-time buyers can stick through the rest of the year and into next spring,” Yun said. “The market fundamentals – primarily consistent job gains and affordable mortgage rates – are there for the steady rise in first-timers needed to finally reverse the decline in the homeownership rate.”
All major regions saw an increase in closings in September, according to the report. Furthermore, distressed sales fell to a new low of 4% of market sales.
[Read the full article here]
Apple’s HomeKit app and other smart homes devices take home automation to the next level, as seen at Lennar’s Marina Shores community in Alameda, California. Get the latest news from Prashant Gopal of Bloomberg, and see what features you might find included in future new homes!
In a darkened master bedroom, David Kaiserman stood in shirtsleeves next to a turned-down king bed. “Good morning, Siri,” he said to the iPad in his hand, and the lights went on while the blackout shades retracted.
“Your home is ready to rise and shine,” the virtual assistant replied.
Inside this four-bedroom stucco house in Alameda, California, Kaiserman, president of the technology division at construction company Lennar Corp., was pitching a vision of a home controlled via iPhone or iPad.
Tap your phone, and AC/DC’s “Back in Black” blasts. Tap again, and the bath runs at a blissful 101 degrees. Sweet, right? Of course, your dad might view it as a bit over the top. All told, $30,000 worth of gadgets and gizmos were on display here, many run with Apple’s free HomeKit app.
As iPhone sales growth slows, Apple is teaming up with a handful of builders and using these kinds of test beds to inch its way into the market for Internet-connected home furnishings, a nascent field that has attracted rivals like Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Amazon.com Inc.
The gamble is that pricey wireless home devices will be an easier sell when bundled into the home itself. Builders market granite countertops and brushed-nickel fixtures at thousands of models homes across the U.S. Why not video doorbells?
Unlike Google and Amazon, however, Apple isn’t hawking hardware meant to connect the home. Instead, the HomeKit app could increase the value of its iOS ecosystem — and make it tougher for users to switch to Android phones and tablets.
“We want to bring home automation to the mainstream,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of product marketing. “The best place to start is at the beginning, when a house is just being created.”
[Read the full article here]
New Lennar Homes Offer Efficiency, Comfort and Health in Orange County
Irvine, Calif. – October, 2016 – When you enter the homebuying market, there’s a lot to consider from floorplans, budgets and of course a primary question being “Is a new home or a resale home right for me?” While resale homes that need repairs or renovation updates might be originally lower in cost, a new Lennar home offers a whole host of benefits you simply can’t get out of a resale home.
“We know that a new Lennar home enriches the homeowner and their families lives in more than a few ways,” said Janet Price, Marketing Manager for Lennar California Coastal. “Not only are they stylistically current, giving you the very latest in design, materials and home technology, but they provide an overall healthier environment for you and your family.”
According to the National Center for Healthy Housing, seventy-five percent of homes built before 1978 contain toxic lead paint. New Lennar homes at any of our Orange County communities, such as Beacon Park or the upcoming and highly anticipated Parasol Park, promote healthy indoor air quality with low-VOC interior paint. Additionally, these homes abide by improved energy standards and codes during the building process. Our new homes lessen exposure to pest and contaminates.
They’re also built with improved materials and technology, reducing the risk of mold you’ll get with any resale home. They’re also built with improved and innovative well ventilated systems that help keep it dry and help direct air flow in a way that pushes any contaminates away from the main living areas.
A new home is also most likely going to be bigger. The National Association of Home Builders, homes built before 1970 have an average size of approximately 1,400 square feet. At Beacon Park or Parasol Park, we build homes with up to 3,196 square feet of living space, offering more than twice as much room for you and your family. We also offer a dynamic range of more than 25 floorplan variations in Orange County alone, making it possible for you to find the home that best fits your family’s needs.
A lot of money can be spent alone on increasing the energy-efficiency of a resale home. New Lennar homes at Beacon Park or Parasol Park come with many energy-efficient features included at no extra cost through the Everything’s Included® program. At these communities, some of these features include programmable thermostats, tankless water heaters, radiant barrier roof, solar electric systems in select communities, ENERGY STAR® certified stainless steel appliance, water conserving fixtures, low-E windows, LED lighting and even more!
Plus, resale homes often lack the amenities found in new home communities. At Beacon Park, for example, residents enjoy private parks, playgrounds, sport courts, a community center, swimming pool and more.
To learn more about new Lennar homes for sale, please visit www.lennar.com/oc.
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.
Lennar has partnered with online interior design service Laurel & Wolf at The San Francisco Shipyard. For a limited time, homeowners will receive interior design services with a new home purchase at The San Francisco Shipyard. Read on for tips and head to Laurel & Wolf to start your design project today.
It’s easy to fall in love with the cleverly curated spaces that fill our Pinterest feeds. But no matter how many boards we create, there’s really only one person who can bring all of our “pinspirations” to life: the interior designer. A creative director, best friend, and therapist combined, they have the ability to help translate a vision into a reality that is at once beautiful and functional. So instead of pinning another round of DIYs that we’ll never get around to actually doing, we’re going to the experts.
From ways to avoid the dreaded “Room in a box” look, to dressing your room like you dress yourself, our interior experts share their rules for a designer job well done.
“Don’t be scared to mix patterns and textures! That’s exactly how you’re going to give the space some character and depth. You may be weary about mixing a Mongolian fur pillow with a bold Ikat patterned pillow, but do it! You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can bring new life to a mundane space.” – Laurel Startzel
“I like to compare styling to the jewelry rule, you know, always remove one piece of jewelry before leaving the house. You see, no matter what the space, styling can go wrong just by layering or adding one too many items.” – Gina Baran
Via Swatchpop
“Once you have determined your foundational furniture pieces, take inventory of the leg and arm features, the overall silhouette, and the finishes. Source additional pieces that mimic the same silhouette or leg and arm profile. In other words, find a common feature in the furniture selections that will produce a consistent look throughout the room.” – Kimberlie Wade
“Have you ever noticed furniture companies running sales on an entire bedroom set? I know it is tempting to snag a good deal and get everything all at once, but don’t do it! Your house will feel like a showroom display. I style rooms like I do my outfits. If I am wearing a polka dot shirt, I am not going to wear a scarf, pants, and shoes with the same exact print. Everything should blend together without being an exact match. It is more pleasing to the eyes and senses when a room has an organic flow.” – Ashley Cason
“Avoid what I call “the room in a bag look.” Source items from different collections or vendors to avoid the everything matches appearances. Combining items from multiple collections or retailers gives the appearance that each item has it’s own unique story and contributes to the room’s curated look.” – Kimberlie Wade
“Consider the ceiling as part of the overall design. Oftentimes, the ceiling is the last part of the home to get love, but if you focus on this aspect sooner, it becomes an interesting piece of the design. Paint it a color other than white, maybe even wallpaper it!” – Megan Stolley
Via King George Homes
“Odd numbers always provide a dynamic look in a space. Create gallery walls in groups of 3, 5, 7, or 9, or hang pendant lights in groups of 3-5. Decorative trays, boxes, and picture frames can also be positioned as a trio on a dresser or a credenza. If you find a wonderful piece that deserves it’s own spotlight, then let it shine and highlight it in the room as a solo feature.” – Kimberlie Wade
“Is there a WOW factor? A space must have one item that instantly catches your eye when you enter the room whether it be a piece of art, a coffee table, or throw pillows made from amazing fabric.” – Gina Baran
Via Cool Chic Style Fashion
“Never push your furniture against the wall! It breaks the flow of the room and by placing it a few inches in front of the wall, you instantly warm up a space. It’s everyone’s first instinct to place furniture against a wall, but resist the urge and pull it out just a few inches.” – Megan Stolley
Lennar, one of the nation’s leading homebuilders will soon be celebrating the grand opening of their newest community located in Bonita Springs, FL. Bonita Landing will provide maintenance free living and feature a wide variety of floor plans for new home buyers to choose from. Located just five miles east of I-75 on Bonita Beach road, residents are just a short drive to shopping and restaurant destinations, as well as beautiful nearby beaches.
Take in the beauty at your new home in Bonita Landing, where homes are situated around a large lake offering gorgeous views of the preserve in the background. Residents can expect to enjoy an array of amenities and activities all located conveniently within their community. A community center and swimming pool are just a couple of the amenities offered to residents in Bonita Landing.
With prices that are anticipated to be starting in the mid $300s, Bonita Landing will offer both Executive and Manor homes at an affordable price. Each Lennar home will come filled with luxurious upgrades that are both energy and cost efficient that homebuyers can enjoy at no additional cost thanks to the Everything’s Included® program.
For more information on this new community please visit Lennar.com.
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.
