Have you considered adding a dog to your family? 5 reasons why owning a dog is a good idea

Dogs have the reputation as being man’s best friend, and rightfully so. The humane society estimated that approximately 39 percent of households own a dog, but why? Dogs provide companionship, friendship, and entertainment. They don’t pass judgment and are always happy to see you when you come home, which is especially uplifting if you’ve had a tough day at work. Dogs can also help teach your children about responsibility, and can even help your children develop stronger immune systems.

If you’re on the fence about adding a dog to your family, True Homes, the largest homebuilder in Charlotte, NC, has put together a list of the top five reasons you should own a dog.

Dogs are good for your health

Studies have long shown that dog ownership is associated with a number of positive health benefits, including: reduced stress, lower blood pressure, reduced risk of dying from any cardiac disease, increased physical fitness, 

Dogs are entertaining

Whether you plan on training your dog to perform funny tricks, play fetch, or simply want another personality in the household, dogs are a constant source of entertainment. 

Dogs help teach your children responsibility

Dogs are a wonderful way to start teaching your children responsibility. By giving your children certain responsibilities for you dog, such as feeding, walking, or grooming the dog, you can start to teach them the importance of being responsible. Since the responsibility of the dog is ultimately up to the adults of the household, you can teach your children consequences by taking away privileges if their duties are not kept up with. Dogs also teach your children the importance of being kind and respectful to animals.

Dogs make your children healthier

According to several researchers, infants who grow up in a household with a dog go on to live a healthier life. In particular, one study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that children who grew up with dogs were 31 percent less likely to contract respiratory tract infections and 44 percent less likely to suffer from ear infections. While this may seem counterintuitive, since dogs are known to have a number of allergens and track in dirt and debris from outside, it is the exposure to these contaminants that help your children develop strong immune systems.

Dogs help keep you and your family safe

Dogs are very loyal companions and part of their companionship means protecting their masters. One of the most common examples is when dogs bark to alert you if someone is approaching your home, or if one of your family members is in distress. Other ways that dogs keep your family safe depends on the particular breed of dog. For example, herding dogs will keep the family pack together no matter what, which can help keep your children from wandering off.

There you have it, True Homes’ top five reasons to add a dog to your family. If you are thinking about getting a dog, you should consider adopting. By adopting, you’ll save a life, money, and feel better about your decision to get a pet. Adopted dogs appreciate you rescuing them, and make one of the most loyal companions you’ll ever have.

True Homes has a number of new home developments in Charlotte, NC marketed to young families (many of which are dog owners). To learn more about True Homes, visit us online at www.truehomesusa.com or get in touch with us directly on the phone at 704-271-1191 today.

How to find a good babysitter for your kids

Raising a family is a full time job, and everyone deserves a night off sometime. Leaving the kids at home gives you a chance to spend time with your wife, and escape the realities that wait at home. However, finding someone that you can entrust your kids with while you spend a night on the town can be a difficult process. How do you know they are responsible? Will they make sure your kids are safe? True Homes has put together a list of resources that you can use to help you find a good babysitter for your kids.

Ask Your Friends

One of the benefits of living in a new home community full of other young families is that some of your neighbors may have already scouted a reliable babysitter you can use.  Be warned though, with good sitters becoming increasingly hard to come by, some neighbors are reluctant to share their resources.

Another option to finding a babysitter for your kids is barter with your friends, sort of like someone being the designated driver for the night. One weekend, you’ll watch their kids over at your place while your friends go out, and the next weekend they’ll reciprocate. This arrangement can be especially good since you won’t have to pay extra for a sitter, or worry about having a stranger in your house while you’re away. Many areas are also starting babysitter co-ops, which is a more organized community of the barter agreement described above. Instead of paying with money, the co-op works on a point system to ensure that everyone has to give in what they take out.

Online

There are a number of online resources available to help you locate a good babysitter for your kids. More general websites like Craigslist and Angie’s List have very active communities, and a lot of people report having found a good sitter through these sites. Be careful though, when selecting any sitter, you’ll want to do some basic background checking on them and meet with them well before you need them to get a sense of the type of sitter they are.

Other online options like Care.com and Sittercity.com focus specifically on connecting parents with babysitters across the country. Manny of these sitter-centric websites charge some sort of membership or usage fee in exchange for doing a lot of the heavy lifting, e.g., prescreening babysitters and handling the payments.

Everyone deserves a break from the normal routine every now and again, but you want to make sure your kids are safe while you’re out having fun. The most important advice of all when selecting any babysitter to watch your kids is to meet with them first, do a little background research on them. Even if you don’t want to pay for a full background check, you can easily ask your prospective sitter to provide you with several references and speak with them about their experiences with that sitter.

True Homes is the largest homebuilder in Charlotte, NC and has a number of new home communities geared for young families.  If you’re looking to relocate to Charlotte, or are looking for a new home in the area, we hope you’ll consider one of our fabulous communities. One of the benefits of living in a new home development is you’ll be surrounded with like-minded neighbors. For example, you’ll most likely all have young children and can start your own neighborhood babysitting co-op. For more information, visit us online at www.truehomesusa.com or call us on the phone at 704-271-1191. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

How to start saving for your child’s education

One of the most expensive aspects of raising a family is paying for your child's education. With college tuitions on the rise, and the pressure to graduate from college growing, it’s more important now than ever to start saving for your child’s education. To help get you started, True Homes has put together a list of helpful guideposts to keep in mind when planning for your child’s education. 

Save Early, and Save Often

The more time you have to save for your child’s education, the more money you’ll have available when the time comes. The power of compounded interest helps your education savings snowball into much more than you’d think. For example, if you start setting aside $200 per month when your child is born, those contributions will grow to almost $70,000 by the time your child turns 18 (assuming a 5 percent annualized return). A good way to make keep up with your child’s education savings is to have a set amount deducted from your paycheck every month.

Consider Special Tax-Deferred Education Accounts

There are a couple of special, tax-deferred education accounts that can help you get the most out of your education savings. Two popular education savings accounts are: 529 College Plans, and Roth IRAs.

529 Plans are state-sponsored investment vehicles; similar to your employer-sponsored 401-K. 529 Plans are set up by the parent, who always retains control of the account. The main benefit of 529 Plans is that the account owner (parent) doesn’t pay income taxes on the account’s earnings, meaning your investments can grow tax-deferred much like an IRA. Contributions made to the 529 Plan are after-tax dollars, and qualified withdrawals for education expenses are tax-free. Additionally, there are no income restrictions, so anyone can open (and contribute to) a 529 Plan. And if your child decides not to go to college, you can always transfer the account to another beneficiary. FinAid.org has a comprehensive page detailing the pros and cons associated with 529 Plans.

Roth IRAs are another popular type of account to start saving for your child’s education; however, they are much more limited in terms of who can contribute to them and how much. Roth IRAs must be opened in your child’s name, and there may be minimum opening deposits and/or annual contributions. Roth IRAs also have income cutoffs, and must be opened at least five years before you plan to start withdrawing money for education expenses. Furthermore, any profits withdrawn from Roth IRAs are taxable. The upsides to Roth IRAs is that any unused money can be used to jumpstart your child’s retirement savings, and they are much more flexible in terms of investment options.

Prepaid Tuition

A number of states and private universities offer prepaid tuition programs that can help you save for your child’s education while protecting against tuition inflation. Basically, once you start the plan, you’ll be locked into that year’s prevailing tuition rates. For example, can prepay for a year of college tuition while your child is still in elementary school. Monies paid into prepaid tuition programs are generally transferable if your child decided to go somewhere else; however, the dollars may not stretch as far since you’ll be paying then-current tuition costs. A number of private universities also offer prepaid tuition programs. You can learn more about private college 529 Plans here.

Talk To Your Kids about Their Education Expenses

Another aspect of saving for your child’s education is educating them about the reality of college expenses. If you’ve been saving for your child’s education, use it to motivate them to do better in school. Giving your children a sense of ownership in their education savings account lets them know that doing good in school and receiving scholarships potentially means more money in their pocket. 


If you have specific questions about saving for your child’s education, you should meet with a qualified financial advisor who will be able to assess your individual situation and help you develop a plan that best suits your needs.

As the largest home builder in Charlotte, NC, True Homes understands that your family’s future is important. We offer a number of new home communities marketed towards new families with floor plans for every budget. To learn more about True Homes, visit us online at www.truehomesusa.com or call us on the phone at 704-271-1191.

Find Out Why Charlotte is Such a Great Place to Raise a Family

It’s no secret that Charlotte is a wonderful place to live. With a low cost of living, wide selection of educational options, and a vibrant economy, Charlotte is also a fantastic place to raise a family. Hence, new homes in Charlotte are high in demand. To help you understand exactly what makes Charlotte so great, True Homes has put together list of the standout reasons why you should raise your family in Charlotte.  

Low Cost of Living

With a cost of living index of 94, Charlotte, NC is significantly more affordable than most cities in the United States (the average is 100).  A lower cost of living means that your paycheck goes further and you’ll have more disposable income to save for your children’s education, your own retirement, or to simply enjoy many of the activities Charlotte has to offer. 

Stable Economy

Charlotte has seen explosive growth over the past 20 years, and this trend is expected to continue. As one of the largest financial centers in the country (second behind New York), Charlotte has many high paying jobs and opportunities for career advancement. Charlotte’s robust economy has also helped stabilize housing prices, which makes it an ideal area to invest in a new home for you and your family.

Education Choices

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School district ranks as the second largest in the North Carolina and the 20^th largest in the United States. In addition to having a number of excellent public schools, Charlotte is also home to several outstanding private schools further adding to your options for your children’s education. Additionally, North Carolina is home to a number of nationally ranked universities including Wake Forest, University of North Carolina, Davidson, Elon, and Duke University (to name a few).

Activities Abounding

Charlotte has a wide variety of activities you can enjoy with your family. Whether you like spending time outdoors or at developed attractions, Charlotte has something for everyone. Some of the notable attractions in and around Charlotte include: the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, which is home to many outdoor concerts throughout the year; the US National Whitewater Center, which is the largest man-made recirculating river in the country; the McDowell Natural Center and Preserve; the Charlotte Motor Speedway; and a number of beautiful parks and historic sites. With so many choices, you’ll never run out of things to do with the family.

The points discussed above are just some of the reasons that make Charlotte such a great place to raise a family. It is the crowning glory of North Carolina real estate. In addition to area-wide considerations, another important aspect of raising a family is living in a neighborhood with like-minded families. To help create the ideal environment for your family, True Homes has developed several of new home communities in and around Charlotte specifically marketed for new families. To learn more about True Homes in Charlotte, North Carolina, visit us online at http://www.truehomesusa.com or give us a call on the phone at 704-937-2307. We look forward to welcoming you home.