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Gallup’s U.S. Economic Confidence Index climbed to -8 in November, the highest monthly reading in nearly a year and a half. The index in November essentially matches the post-recession high of -7 in May 2013. This is the monthly index’s fourth consecutive improvement after a long year of fairly stagnant readings. Until October, the index had remained in a narrow range of -14 to -17. Though the index remains in negative territory, November is the closest it has come to breaking into positive territory in quite some time. The current reading is the second-highest monthly reading since Gallup began tracking the index daily in January 2008. Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index is the average of two components: how Americans view current economic conditions, and their perceptions of whether the economy is getting better or worse. [Read this article]
Regular home maintenance is an extremely important part of keeping your Lennar home in tip-top shape. Although we use them almost daily, appliances can sometimes be overlooked when planning our home maintenance routine. However, this neglect can lead to problems and sometimes even serious safety hazards.
One appliance that requires regular care is the clothes dryer. It is recommended to clean the lint trap each time you use the dryer, a fairly simple task to complete regularly. In addition to this, though, you should clean your dryer vent on a yearly basis, or even more often depending on use. Common signs that can indicate that it’s time to clean the vent are if it’s taking a longer time than normal to dry your clothes or if the outside of the dryer is not warm to the touch during operation.
How important is it to maintain this item? Well, according to the U.S. Fire Administration’s document entitled Clothes Dryer Fires in Residential Buildings, “Clothes dryer fires account for about 15,600 structure fires, 15 deaths, and 400 injuries annually.” Considering the potential for such catastrophic damage, this is one job that should definitely make your home maintenance “A” list.
How do you clean a dryer vent? You can either call a professional or do it yourself. Many professional ductwork cleaning companies will clean dryer vents, so when you have your ducts cleaned, see about combining that with a thorough cleaning of your dryer vent. If you opt to do it yourself, you can find the necessary supplies at a hardware store or online. We found several online resources with information about dryer vent maintenance and basic do-it-yourself information:
Cleaning Dryer Vents – Tips To Prevent A House Fire!
Dryer Vent Cleaning – How to Get Lint Out of Your Dryer Vents
Dryer Vent 101
How Often Should You Clean a Dryer Vent?
As always, if you need help or have a question about your home, please contact our Lennar Customer Care Team for assistance. At Lennar, we are here to help and will get back to you as quickly as possible.
Living in the heart of Manhattan may appeal to some big city enthusiasts, but for those who prefer the charm and slightly calmer ambiance of urban waterfront living while remaining conveniently close to the concrete jungle, The Avenue Collection may fit the bill.
The new offering of upscale condominium residences and five-star, hotel-inspired amenities and services is situated along the Hudson River waterfront in Weehawken, NJ facing midtown Manhattan. 1000 Avenue at Imperial, the first of five modern buildings in the collection, features 74 of the total 669 ultra-luxe residences to be built. Nearly 70% of the new homes are already sold and occupied, having successfully appealed to a discerning clientele that appreciates the privacy of a boutique, seven-story building, panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline, and a location within steps of ferry service to Manhattan and easy access to the Lincoln Tunnel, Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and Newark International and Teterboro Airports.
Lennar, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, fashioned a private suite of amenities for the property to foster an upscale, hotel-like lifestyle within an intimate setting. A two-story lobby lounge with reception and 24-hour Concierge welcomes residents and guests, while a social room looking out onto New York City, a state-of-the-art fitness center with sauna and steam showers, and a third-floor outdoor plaza featuring a convenience kitchen, open lawn, seating areas, fire pit, sundeck and cooling sprays enhance the overall lifestyle. Fully-furnished guest suites are available for visiting friends and family.
Design distinction extends to the homes as well. Found throughout the expansive one-, two- and three-bedroom residences, which are priced from $1.1 million to $2 million, are Brazilian Chestnut hardwood floors in main living areas and gourmet kitchens with a GE Monogram Appliance Suite including Pro Style Range, Avantium oven with SpeedCook Technology, direct vented Avantium hood to outside air exhaust, Energy Star® rated refrigerator and dishwasher, under-counter wine coolers in select residences, Spazzi European cabinetry in a raked wood finish with integral handles, DalTile marble kitchen floors and marble backsplash, and granite counter tops.
Lennar is developing The Avenue Collection in the heart of the $2 billion master-planned Port Imperial community which stretches two miles of Hudson River waterfront and offers residents access to a beautiful waterfront promenade with shops, restaurants and parks.
For more information on 1000 Avenue at Port Imperial and to schedule a private tour of a furnished model home, visit www.theavenuecollectionnj.com, or call 201-210-0099.
Earlier this year, the National Association of Realtors released a report entitled, “Best Purchase Markets for Millennial Homebuyers,” which took into account a lot of variables that can affect real estate investors when making a decision on where to buy investment property. In conducting the study, NAR looked at a number of factors, such as the local employment situation, the inventory of homes, the migration patterns of millennials and the affordability of homes in those areas. Out of the top 100 metropolitan areas analyzed by NAR, markets that stood out as projected to gain or to witness an increase in millennial homebuying in the upcoming year include Austin, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis and Seattle. [Read this article]
Many companies have been trying to make it easier and cheaper for homeowners to generate electricity from the sun. The number of residential solar installations has climbed, aided by their declining cost and government incentives. Now home builders have jumped in. Such systems are less expensive to install during a home’s construction than afterward, while some builders offer the cheaper option to lease a system rather than buy one. Few companies have gone as far as Lennar, the nation’s second-largest home builder. Consumers shopping for a Lennar home in more than 100 of its developments in California, 11 in Colorado and a handful in Nevada find that almost all the houses have solar panels. The company plans to expand the program to more states, focusing on locations that have programs to encourage renewable energy. “We aren’t offering homes with solar as an option – it’s a standard feature” in certain communities, said David Kaiserman, president of Lennar Ventures, which oversees the builder’s solar project. [Read this article]
Zillow’s predictions for 2015 are all about buyers – especially young home buyers – having their best shot in years at finding a home. First-time buyers who stayed out of the market – either for demographic reasons or because they just couldn’t find the right entry-level home – will have a breakthrough year, according to Zillow. In fact, Zillow predicts the millennial generation will overtake Generation X as the biggest group of home buyers in 2015. Zillow took a look at income data, home-value growth and the number of entry-level homes for-sale to rank the best markets for first-time home buyers in 2015, which include Atlanta and Las Vegas. [Read this article]
Thinking about what you will do in retirement is not an activity you want to shortchange. Planning your retirement days puts you in the right frame of mind to retire. What would you like to do in retirement? You might want to golf, go out with friends, play bridge or all of the above. Not every fun activity will cost a ton of money, but you do need a bit saved so you won’t have to worry about where every dollar is going to come from. Think of how much the lifestyle will cost, and save enough to fund that dream life. Saving money isn’t a sacrifice, but a down payment on your future lifestyle. Maintaining a social calendar will prompt you to stay more active. Planning some actives and social engagements for retirement will give your days more meaning and leave you more satisfied. Once you know how your days will generally be filled, then it’s much easier to estimate how much to save for retirement. [Read this article]
Builder Magazine’s tenth annual Energy Pulse study (a national study performed with 2,009 Americans that mirror the U.S. population) found that the percent of respondents saying they are likely to buy or build a new home has remained consistent over the past three years, hovering at around 15 percent. Respondents who were likely to buy/build a new home were asked, “In comparing two homes for purchase, how much would energy efficiency impact your choice, assuming other features like price, size, location and major amenities were comparable?” Consistent with previous years, 80 percent responded that energy efficiency would have somewhat to very much impact on their selection decision. Seventy-one percent of potential new home buyers said they were likely to very likely to pay more for a high-performance home. [Read this article]
It’s universal. Lennar Atlanta knows everybody has a favorite scent – one that immediate brings back the holidays:
• Cinnamon – in (almost) everything.
• Cranberry sauce with oranges and cloves.
• Cornbread stuffing with chestnuts.
• Pumpkin pie. (Close your eyes and think of your favorite holiday smell… made you smile, right?)
For many families, large and small, the festivities related to the upcoming major holidays, (Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas) begin and end in the kitchen. That is where time-honored traditional dishes as well as new recipes are prepared and shared and discussed and enjoyed.
A great kitchen is truly the ‘heart of the home’ – where friends gather for tasty bites and conversation, where families plan and relax, kids do their homework, and where parents or grandparents teach their (grand)children how to cook the special dishes they enjoyed during holidays past.
Lennar Atlanta knows how important well-appointed, well-designed and modern kitchens are to today’s new home buyers, and that’s why much emphasis is placed by our company on the lay-out, finishes and appliances included in each new Lennar Atlanta home. “It is our dream that our homeowners use their beautiful new kitchens to continue or create new family memories,” says Ginny Bryant, Director of Sales for Lennar Atlanta.
“For instance, check out this inspiring kitchen of the elegant new home in one of our executive neighborhoods, Stuart Park in Alpharetta. The beautiful new home on 820 Stuart Drive, a four-sided brick Virginia Plan, has 5 bedrooms, 4 baths and beautiful finishes.
“The spacious kitchen is equipped with Electrolux Ss Appliances with wave technology, cushion close kitchen drawers, and features both a ‘hidden pantry’ (great to stock up for all those holiday parties!) and a ‘keeping room,’ a separate area to store prepared dishes and extra catering needs,” says Bryant. “A great kitchen helps make a great holiday even better.”
Lennar Atlanta: Home Sweet Home – every day of the year, but especially during the holidays!
For more information about the different house plans and the various kitchen designs offered by Lennar Atlanta in new communities throughout the metro Atlanta area, call 404-931-7462 or visit www.LennarAtlanta.com.
