Realtor National Open House Event

What better way to check out some of the newest CBH homes than joining us for the Realtor National Open House Event this weekend!

When: Saturday & Sunday, June 4th and 5th

Time: 12-5:30pm

Where (the following locations):

Capri in Ventana (Meridian) - 5347 N Isla Ave Meridian ID, 83642
Coral in Crimson Point (Kuna) - 2142 N Firebrick Dr Kuna ID, 83634
Palisades in Union Square (Boise) - 1440 S Union Square Ave Boise ID, 83709
Langton in Meriwether Park (Nampa) - 17688 N Weiser Rd Nampa ID, 83687

Here are three reasons why you should join us (source ACAR):

• It's a great opportunity to show for a new home from a wide selection while interest rates are still low.
• We are simplifying the house-hunting process. It's a great time saver giving you a convenient way to visit multiple homes in a short period of time.
• You get the chance to see our agents in action! You can find a fantastic, approachable, and knowledgeable expert that can help you navigate the purchasing process.

For more information, contact a CBH Homes Sales Specialist at one of our Square One Sales Centers or visit the CBH Homes Livin' Large Blog for all the updates.

We look forward to seeing you there!

CBH HOMES : (Buyer at closing table of SHORT SALE HOME) "What!!! I have to pay full taxes on my house for a YEAR!!!"

I bet you or someone you know have had a deal fall through at the closing table of a short sale or bank owned home.... ever wonder why this is the case!? Give us a call at our Square One Office and we can let you know what steps we have taken to make sure shady and silly things like this don't happen to you or your clients. (if you're an agent!)The last thing we want to do is have this happen to you........


Instead we want you to have an experience like this happy family:

Once upon a time there was a family that lived in 5 bedroom house, on a corner lot, that was east facing and this family had BBQ's everyday of the summer in the shade! They loved their home, and loved knowing that because they bought a NEW HOME they would only half to pay taxes on half the purchase price of the home rather than FULL TAXES like their friends that bought a short sale or bank owned home!!! And then they lived happily "CBH" after!!!








Seriously, you owe it to yourself to cut out all the "guess work" and "month to month waiting" on short sales and bank owned homes! We know your time is precious and valuable! Call us with any questions you may have! 208-922-3955

CBH Homes: Amazing article.... and guess what, WE CAN BUILD IT ALL FOR YOU!!!

The 10 Must-Have Features in Today's New Homes
by Steve Kerch

Monday, February 1, 2010provided by
The kitchen is still king.

LAS VEGAS -- Americans want smaller houses and they are willing to strip some of yesterday's most popular rooms -- such as home theaters -- from them in order to accommodate changing lifestyles, consumer experts told audiences at the International Builders Show here this week.

"This is a traumatic time in this country and the future isn't something we're 100% sure about now either. What's left? The answer for most home buyers is authenticity," said Heather McCune, director of marketing for Bassenian Lagoni Architects in Park Ridge, Ill.

Buyers today want cost-effective architecture, plans that focus on spaces and not rooms and homes that are designed 'green' from the outset," she said. The key for home builders is "finding the balance between what buyers want and the price point."
For many buyers, their next house will be smaller than their current one, said Carol Lavender, president of the Lavender Design Group in San Antonio, Texas. Large kitchens that are open to the main family living area, old-fashioned bathrooms with clawfoot tubs and small spaces such as wine grottos are design features that will resonate today, she said.

"What we're hearing is 'harvest' as a home theme -- the feeling of Thanksgiving. It's all about family togetherness -- casual living, entertaining and flexible spaces," Lavender said.

Paul Cardis, CEO of AVID Ratings Co., which conducts an annual survey of home-buyer preferences, said there are 10 "must" features in new homes.
1. Large Kitchens, With an Island

"If you're going to spend design dollars, spend them where people want them -- spend them in the kitchen," McCune said. Granite countertops are a must for move-up buyers and buyers of custom homes, but for others "they are on the bubble," Cardis said.

2. Energy-Efficient Appliances, High-Efficiency Insulation and High Window Efficiency
Among the "green" features touted in homes, these are the ones buyers value most, he said. While large windows had been a major draw, energy concerns are giving customers pause on those, he said. The use of recycled or synthetic materials is only borderline desirable.

3. Home Office/Study
People would much rather have this space rather than, say, a formal dining room. "People are feeling like they can dine out again and so the dining room has become tradable," Cardis said. And the home theater may also be headed for the scrap heap, a casualty of the "shift from boom to correction," Cardis said.

4. Main-Floor Master Suite
This is a must feature for empty-nesters and certain other buyers, and appears to be getting more popular in general, he said. That could help explain why demand for upstairs laundries is declining after several years of popularity gains.

5. Outdoor Living Room
The popularity of outdoor spaces continues to grow, even in Canada, Cardis said. And the idea of an outdoor room is even more popular than an outdoor cooking area, meaning people are willing to spend more time outside.

6. Ceiling Fans

7. Master Suite Soaker Tubs
Whirlpools are still desirable for many home buyers, Cardis said, but "they clearly went down a notch," in the latest survey. Oversize showers with seating areas are also moving up in popularity.
8. Stone and Brick Exteriors
Stucco and vinyl don't make the cut.

9. Community Landscaping, With Walking Paths and Playgrounds
Forget about golf courses, swimming pools and clubhouses. Buyers in large planned developments prefer hiking among lush greenery.

10. Two-Car Garages
A given at all levels; three-car garages, in which the third bay is more often then not used for additional storage and not automobiles, is desirable in the move-up and custom categories, Cardis said.

Copyrighted, MarketWatch. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of MarketWatch content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of MarketWatch. MarketWatch shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

CBH HOMES: KUNA Square One. Price Reductions Announced!!

We are excited to announce that here at the Kuna Square One we just had price reductions in our communites! Here are a couple of examples that are smokin!

In our amazing "Applewood Community" this Tatom floor plan, with a three car garage was just reduced to $159,155!!!



And if you like the 3 car garage, you'll love this Kitchen as well!




And what would you say about 2248 sq. ft. of home and being able to pay NOTHING DOWN, through a RD loan! Check out this great Sienna floor plan in our Arbor Ridge Community!! Just reduced to $141,990!!!



And this kitchen is amazing as well!!




Call us for more information on the RD (zero down) loan!

208-922-3955

PCBC 2009 in San francisco - Best affordability in 37 years?

I recently had the opportunity to attend the Pacific Coast Builder's Conference, or PCBC, located in San Francisco, CA. Our team had a goal of gaining 95 happy new home owners for the month of May. We were reached our goal and our reward was attending the conference to obtain information about new construction, sales and our current economic condition and how it relates to the housing market.

We arrived in San Francisco on Wednesday, June 17th, and the weather was absolutely amazing! I attended the conference in 2007 and the weather was much cooler then our Idaho climate during is during the months of May. In fact, in 2007 we had to wear our jackets the entire time as it was windy and not above 60 degrees while we were there. We knew the weather was better than average but we really didn't know how great it was until we spoke with some of the locals that claimed we were experiencing the best weather that San Francisco has to offer!

That morning we attended one of the classes that we were looking forward to and there was a lot of good information that I was surprised I had never heard before! But I'll get back to that in a moment!

A friend of mine knows the hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants and was able to get us tickets to Wednesday's game against the Angels! Tim Lincecum was on the mound and he was absolutely dealing for the first 5 or 6 innings as the Angels were unable to hit him. But they ended up giving the Angels the lead in the top of the 8th which ended up deciding the game. Later that night our team headed to McCormick and Kuleto's for a wonderful seafood feast and then to Ghirardelli for some dessert.

The next day we went to another class at PCBC and then to fisherman's wharf to see some of the tourist sites. The city was great and the weather was even better!

Back to the classes at PCBC. As I said before, I learned some information that I am extremely surprised I have yet to hear or see it all over the news. Today we are experiencing the best housing affordability in almost 40 years! That's right, 40 years!!! The average monthly payment for a home is typically 38% of the average monthly income. Today however, the average monthly payment for a home is only 26% of the average monthly income! This is incredible!!!

I'm not sure what is more surprising to me. The fact that affordability is the best it has been in almost 40 years or that nobody knows about it? Consider yourself one of the lucky few if you happen to be reading this within 6 months of the date it was written. I am often asked by my prospects and clients when I think the bottom will hit, even more so recently. While I have no idea when the bottom will come, I know a good deal when I see one. Frankly, it's difficult NOT to find a good deal in today's real estate market.

Referring to that question, I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes from Warren Buffet, "Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.". Again, you are hard pressed to find buyer's in this market who aren't fearful. And who am I to judge the wisdom of Warren Buffet? The market might not be at bottom yet, but by the time you find the bottom it has likely already passed you by!

Sincerely,
Chase Craig
Kuna Square One Manager
http://www.ownboise.com/