Shrinking Homes In A Shrinking Economy

Americans like their stuff big.  We like to super size everything from our food to our homes.  But now many developers in America are scaling down on home size to make homes more affordable.  Years past have seen homes getting bigger and bigger as the housing market grew hotter and hotter.  But now the market is adjusting so costs have gone up and builders are being forced to explore new or different ways to reduce the cost of home building.

 

One good way to reduce the cost of home building is to reduce the square footage in different areas of the home.  Homes that were once being built with 2,200 square feet are now being built with 1.800 square feet, which makes a big difference in price. 

 

You can still find super-sized homes, if your income supports it and your lifestyle demands it, but many others are starting to realize they don’t really need the huge bathrooms or the extra space that builders were using as a selling point.

 

Another thing that’s coming to an end in many new communities are the amenities like large clubhouses and elaborate swimming pools.  Homebuyers are choosing to forego these extra luxuries to save money in today’s economy. 

 

Things are beginning to look up, though.  The economy grew 0.9 percent which was better than the 0.6 percent predicted.  So, supersizing may not be a thing of the past for long.

 

When you need help finding the right home with the right square footage for you and your family, contact me, I’m here to lend a hand.

Browsing for Housing Successfully

There’s nothing like browsing for houses online to bring speed and knowledge to the home-buying process.  There’s so much information made available to us online that when we actually go see the home, it’s just to validate what we’ve seen online.  When you start your online browsing, follow these steps:

 

• Research, browse and focus with online search tools.  This will generally put you in quick contact with the home’s information and the listing agent or broker.  Realtor blogs, how-tos, market reports, and other information can give you the foundation for an informed online search.
• Search in real-time.  These days, first come, first serve takes on a whole new meaning with property listings.  So, sign up to get email alerts and listing updates.  This will help to ensure you get first dibs on new listings and will eliminate the need to manually check the web again and again for updates.
• Zero-in.  With hundreds of thousands of listings online, it can be quite a chore to navigate them all.  Use online tools to help you refine your property search.  This will narrow your search, making it easier for you.
• Search fresh.  You want to avoid websites that don’t update frequently.  There’s nothing worse than thinking you’ve found your dream home, only to discover it was already sold.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but your very own website, showing off your new home, is priceless.  I have homes with their own website as a gift to you when you buy from me.

 

Home of the London Bridge – Lake Havasu City , Arizona

Believe it or not Lake Havasu City is the home of the London Bridge .  Strange, but true.  The bridge was purchased for $2.5 million from London in 1968.  The bridge was taken apart and reassembled in Lake Havasu City for another $7 million.  The bridge was complete and open to the public in 1971.  The bridge has been a popular place to visit ever since.  

 

The City of Lake Havasu  sits on the east shore of awesome Lake Havasu . The main focal points of Lake Havasu City are the English Village and the London Bridge .  Both are the main site of a multi-million dollar resort made up of lodging, restaurants and shops.  Over 1 million visitors come to Lake Havasu City annually. 

 

The City sees beautiful weather year round with the most spectacular sunsets ever seen.  

 

Lake Havasu is a water lover’s paradise.  There’s nearly 11,000 acres of water that stretches along 23 miles of shoreline.  Residents and visitors alike enjoy boating, fishing, swimming, sunbathing, hiking and camping at the lake.  There are over 50 boat ramps around the lake that provide the best way to take advantage of fishing. 

 

You will have everything you could need or want in Lake Havasu City .  The City has great schools and is full of history.  It’s a great place to live and play.