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United States economic recovery, rebuilding efforts in Japan, a worldwide weakness in the dollar and unrest in the Middle East are creating the “perfect storm” for material pricing. Read more at this post on CNNMoney.com:
The commodities crunch hits homebuilders hard
Published on Housing Zone (http://www.housingzone.com)
Byline: Jonathan Sweet, Editor in Chief
Publication Date: Wed, 2011-04-13 10:27
Despite the housing bubble and subsequent crash, more than 80 percent of 
remodelers still think buying a home is the best long-term investment a person can make. That’s according to a recent Pew Research Center study [1], which found that 37 percent strongly agreed with that idea and 44 percent somewhat agreed with it. About half of homeowners in the survey said they believe their home has dropped in value since the recession began, while 31 percent said it worth about the same. Seventeen percent said they though their home had increased in value over the last few years. Of the renters in the survey, 81 percent said they intend to buy a house at some point. Only 17 percent they plan on continuing to rent.
Prospective home buyers have the choice of two types of houses on the market: resale or new. Home buyers planning to buy a brand-new house or condominium often cite energy-efficiency, open layout, a warranty, and being able to select appliances, flooring, paint colors and other design elements as factors driving their choice. But builders say that buyers can be drawn to a new house for reasons that aren’t so obvious. Below are a few more benefits of a brand-new home that you may not see in the sales brochure.
Building a Community Together
A brand-new community is one of the built-in benefits of many new homes. When families move in to a subdivision at the same time, often lasting bonds of friendship and neighborliness are formed right away. Nobody is the “new kid on the block,†and many home builders host community block parties in new developments to help owners meet and connect. Popular amenities like pools, walking trails and courts for tennis and basketball offer additional opportunities for interaction among neighbors of all ages. Often new communities are comprised of home owners in the same stage of life, such as young families or active retirees, so neighbors can get to know each other through carpools, PTA meetings, tennis matches or golf games.
Entertaining
Throwing a party in an older home can be a challenge because smaller, distinct rooms make it difficult to entertain guests in one large space. Builders are responding to today’s home buyer preferences with layouts featuring more open spaces and rooms that flow into each other more easily, like the popular great room. While you are in the kitchen preparing dinner, you can still interact with guests enjoying conversation in the family room without feeling closed off. The feeling of spaciousness in today’s new-home layouts often is enhanced the higher ceilings and additional windows that bringing in more light than you would find in an older home.
A Clean Slate
For some buyers, parking the car in a sparkling-clean garage or being the first to cook a dinner in a brand-new kitchen is part of the appeal of new construction. In addition, you won’t have to spend time stripping dated wallpaper or repainting to suit your own sense of style. You can create your own home décor from the get-go! The advantages of being the first owner of a home extend to the outdoors. Instead of inheriting inconveniently or precariously placed trees, or having to tear up overgrown shrubs, you can design and plant the lawn and garden you want.
Outlets, Outlets Everywhere!
Homes built in the 1960’s and earlier were wired much differently than houses today. Builders had no way of anticipating the invention of high-definition televisions, DVRs and computers that we enjoy today — and the very different electrical requirements they would introduce. New homes can accommodate advanced technologies like structured wiring, security systems and sophisticated lighting plans, and can be tailored to meet the individual home owner’s needs. Anyone who has ever lived in an older home can also attest to the fact that there are never enough outlets, inside or out! New-home builders plan for the increased number and type of electronics and appliances used by today’s families, so you can safely operate a wine cooler, Christmas lights or your computer.
