Five Things to Ask When Purchasing a New Family Home

Purchasing a new family home can cause a rush of emotions and leave you with more questions. At True Homes in Charlotte, we understand the importance of helping our future residents prepare for purchasing their new home by laying out some of the most important questions to ask to ensure you make the best decision for you and your family.

1. Does My New Home Come With A Warranty?

Warranties offer the added security of knowing that systems, built in appliances, and fixtures in your new home will be covered after the sale is complete. Home warranties benefit both buyers and sellers by protecting them from surprise repair costs that are not covered by standard homeowner's insurance policies. Home warranty coverages can vary significantly depending on the home and builder, so it's important to review the specific policy of the home you’re considering.

2. What’s The Neighborhood Like?

It's important to know as much about your new surroundings as you can since you’ll be spending a large portion of your life there. Find out as much as you can about crime in the area, noisy roads nearby, schools, and hazards such as an area being prone to flooding.  Find out the state of your neighborhood, such as whether it’s "up and coming" or maturing.  You should add an extra layer of inquiry if you have or are expecting to have children, since finding a safe area for a child to grow up in should be just as important as the house itself.   

3. Is It Energy Efficient?

If owning an energy efficient home is important to you, it’s crucial to find out if the home you’re considering purchasing was built with eco-friendly products. This is best achieved by speaking directly with the builder so that you can be assured that your potential home is everything you’ve been looking for—inside and out. Often, new homes come with energy efficiency ratings that allow you to easily compare the projected cost of operating one home over another. You may not understand all the ratings for insulation and other building materials, but you will understand how they affect your bottom line. Be sure to pick the option that’s best for you.

4. Are Current Residents Happy?

Making sure current residents are happy and continue to stay happy with their neighborhood is extremely important, as you one day may very well feel just the same as they do. As you’re visiting potential homes, make it a point to meet your potential neighbors and simply ask, “How do you like your home.” They may also be able to provide you with helpful tips and advice to make your new home as comfortable as it can be.

5. Are There Any Neighborhood Amenities?

Though this might not be your first thought, asking in advance about the various neighborhood amenities offered will allow you to decide whether or not the home you’re considering is the perfect fit for you and your loved ones. This is also a great question to use as a deciding factor if you’re stuck between two otherwise similar homes.

As Charlotte’s largest new home builder, True Homes is committed to help you find the perfect home for you and your growing family. If you’d like to speak with a sales representative today about the benefits of selecting a True home, we encourage you to contact us by calling (704) 271-1191. Additional information may also be obtained by visiting us on the web at: www.truehomesusa.com.

Five Eco-Friendly Landscaping Ideas That Will Make Your Home Look Great

In an ever-growing environmentally conscious society, True Homes in Charlotte, North Carolina understands the importance of helping our residents live the life they’ve always imagined—a comfortable, delightful, and sustainable existence. Since True Homes already provides you with superb indoor air quality, lowered VOC’s, energy efficiency, and plenty of natural lighting in your home, what’s the next step in making your home sustainable? The answer is simple: go outside!

1. Reduce Harmful Garden Chemicals
One of the biggest mistakes that individuals make in their gardens today is adding unnecessary chemicals to the soil. Before using harsh fertilizers, it’s important to have your soil tested. A soil test will tell you which, if any, nutrients and chemicals it is lacking. By doing this in advance, you’ll be reducing the amount of fertilizers and pesticides in your garden, improving the water and air quality in your area for all living things. Also, you should consider using organic fertilizers, such as specialized manures and compost. These can help enrich your soil while naturally inhibiting the growth of weeds.

2. Build A Fence—Of Life!
Instead of opting for a backyard or garden fence made of plastic, metal, or wood, try planting small trees or bushes to create a natural fence. Not only does this add an element of uniqueness to your backyard or garden, but is also very eco-friendly. Additionally, you can grow hedges much taller than you could feasibly build a fence, which can provide you with increased privacy over time.

3. Select Plants Native To Your Geographic Region
Selecting plants native to your area makes it easier to maintain them throughout the year. Some plants are more sensitive to extreme climate changes, and are not feasible for areas that experience cold winters like Charlotte. While you can certainly grow more exotic plants in your garden, they will require a lot more work, especially during the winter.

4. Make A Rain Barrel
Rain barrels are a great way to collect rainwater that you can reuse to water your garden later on. Making a rain barrel is a great idea to help minimize the amount of excess water you’re using and ensures that your plants are being soaked with all-natural rain that hasn’t been chemically treated. Reusing rainwater can also lower your water bill, which gives you more money to grow your garden or pursue other home improvement projects.

5. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!
If you’re considering building a fence or deck in your outdoor area, consider using recycled materials or reusing concrete pieces or bricks. Repurposing materials helps eliminates the need for additional wood and adds a vintage touch to your new project.

At True Homes in Charlotte, North Carolina, our goal is to provide you with the house of your dreams. We can help you achieve a comfortable, affordable, and environmentally friendly home for you and your family. To speak with our sales representatives about your options today, please call (704) 271-1191 or visit us on the web at: www.truehomesusa.com.

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.

True Homes Committed to Green Homebuilding

For True Homes, nothing could be more important than creating a healthy living environment. Green, energy-efficient homebuilding is at the core of what we do, and establishing new green homes throughout North Carolina and South Carolina continues to be one of our central goals.

Green Building and Home Design

No longer is green a trend, it’s a necessity. With the high cost of energy, the demand for green, energy-efficient homes is on the rise. True Homes is answering the call, providing homebuyers with affordable green-building options that can work with any budget.

Every True Home is more than 40% more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than most average homes, bringing customers much delight in the enormous savings their “green investments” have provided. Through well-designed green construction and energy conservation efforts, most green-home buyers watch dinosaur utility bills shrink to a much more manageable and affordable size.

Green Tested and Certified

Green homes built by True Homes are all third-party tested and certified through the Home Energy Rating System (HERS Score), which is determined by a RESNET certified building inspector who provides standard evaluations of efficiency usage for every True Home's customer. The score compares the amount of energy used in the inspected home to a typical new or existing home. Lower scores mean greater efficiency and, greater savings.

In addition to the energy score and certification, True Homes also provides homeowners with Pre-drywall Energy Inspections and Air Leakage testing. As a final step, customers receive a written estimation of all anticipated savings. 

Go Green!

For more information on True Homes’ Green Homebuilding in North and South Carolina, visit us at: http://www.truehomesusa.com/carolinas-new-homes/true-green

www.truehomesusa.com

704-908-3077

True Homes Giving Away $200 Target Gift Card

If you haven’t yet entered our $200 Target gift card sweepstakes, now’s your chance. We, at True Homes, are giving the card away to some lucky Facebook fan, and it could be you! And, who couldn’t use a few extra bucks to help spruce up their new, True Home?

To become a “liker” and enter the sweepstakes, just visit the True Homes Facebook fan page, click on the Like button, and submit your information to play. Participants must be at least 18 years of age to enter the contest.
  
True Homes is the largest, private new home builder in Charlotte, North Carolina with over 60 years of home-building experience. From townhomes to luxury estates, True Homes offers four unique home style collections to satisfy homebuyers of all ages.

Good luck!

Enter to win your True Homes $200 Target Gift Card by visiting:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/True-Homes-USA/147186671985119

For more information on new home building by True Homes, visit our website: www.truehomesusa.com.

True Homes Featured Home of the Week: Hazel Ridge $289,900

STUNNING SPEC HOME


Location: Waxhaw, North Carolina, Lot: #4, Union County


Home Main Features:

*Traditions Collection – Signature Series
*5BR/3.5BA
*3.581 sq. ft.
*3 Car Courtyard Garage
*Butler Pantry
*Luxury Dining Room
*Master Suite with walk-in closets
*Breakfast Bar
*Gorgeous Patio
*Office/Study
*Exercise Room

This week’s Featured Home by True Homes is an outstanding 5 Bedroom - 3.5 Bath model home located in the beautiful Hazel Ridge neighborhood of Waxhaw, North Carolina. The stunning Traditions Collection- Signature Series home is currently being offered at a modest discount price of $289,900 .

Nestled within the greenery of Union County, the Riley in Hazel Ridge offers a unique opportunity to own the home you always dreamed of having but didn’t think you could afford. The picturesque community offers outstanding architecture coupled with strong feature levels and a variety of designer choices - and is located just minutes from the excellent shopping centers and charming downtown Waxhaw.

Featured Amenities:

The home is situated in outstanding Union County and offers unique value for the even the most demanding homebuyer:

*Close to shopping and dining in Weddington/Ballantyne
*Easy access to major freeways - Hwy 16 (Providence Rd.) and I-485 Interstate
*Low Union County Tax Rate
*Near desirable Union County Schools - New Town Elementary School, Cuthbertson Middle School and Cuthbertson High School

Designer Options:

Homes in Hazel Ridge offer exclusive designer options, allowing homebuyers to exercise their personal creativity in developing their dream house. Some of the options include:

*32" Great Room Fireplace
*42" Castled Kitchen Cabinets
*Stainless Steel Appliance Package
*Granite Countertops (kitchen and bath)
*Beamed Kitchen Ceiling
*Ceramic Tile Bath Flooring
*Powder Room (Bead Board Trim & Framed Mirror)
*1st Floor Hardwood Flooring

With such amazing features at extraordinarily low prices, True Homes offers an unmatched opportunity to own a spacious new home with many great finishes. This is truly one home you should not miss seeing!

For more information, contact one of our True Advisors at 704-209-7559 or visit www.truehomesusa.com

True Homes to Charm Charleston Residents

The True Homes’ building team is celebrating the construction start of their first Charleston area homes.  The homes are being built in the established community of White Gables in Summerville.  The homes in White Gables feature traditional architectural design elements with rear garages and beautiful streetscapes.

Ground breaking of the True Homes occurred in January, and home completions are scheduled for March.Frank Finlaw is the Managing Partner of True Homes in Charleston.  Frank is a recognized leader in the Charleston home building industry and has served as President of the Charleston Home Builders Association.  “Our vision is ‘to give people the opportunity for more life.’  Home building is a noble vocation – as builders, we have a unique opportunity to enrich the lives of our customers and those who build their homes.”

True Homes is one of the largest private home builders in the Carolinas and has been serving the York and Lancaster County areas of South Carolina since it was founded in 2007.  According to Finlaw, “We will continue to focus on what makes any home builder successful…satisfying one customer at a time.  We accomplish this by having a great team with high character, competency and commitment.  The vision and values of True Homes are embraced by all of our team members and each of us is committed to giving our best every day.”

True Homes will offer a variety of home designs at White Gables ranging from the 140’s to the 200’s.  The homes offered will include True Style and Designer Packages that are on the leading edge of trends in new home design.  Included in every home are ‘True Extras’ – 20 standard features such as Ceramic Tile Kitchen Backsplashes, Designer Lighting, Dual Zone HVAC, 30 year Architectural Shingles – all included standard.  “We are hopeful that Charleston area home buyers will have a positive response to our home designs and value.  The early response has already been very encouraging.”

True Homes is committed to green home design and construction.  True Homes believes that we have a stewardship responsibility to our customers, our communities, as well as the environment.  We achieve this through GREEN BUILDING, ENERGY EFFICIENCY and INDEPENDENT TESTING.  Each home True Homes builds receives a certified Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score from an independent RESNET certified inspector.

True Homes is a Carolinas owned company with over 60 new home locations in North and South Carolina.  True Homes focuses on building new homes for their customers that are unmatched in space, value, style, quality and ‘green building’.

Visit - http://www.truehomesusa.com/