A brand new kitchen at Meridian Ridge, Newtown CT, appeals to all the senses.

Do you remember buying your first new car with its virgin ashtrays, unset radio buttons and clean cup holders? The euphoria of the vehicle being all yours from the start? Well, for me, buying a home is exactly the same. I want that spring-like awakening of my senses; that sense of a new beginning when I first enter a house I am thinking about purchasing.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy other people. Quite to the contrary, I really am a very social being. But honestly, I don’t have any desire to live in a home filled with the evidence of past inhabitants. For me, a new house is just so much nicer. It simply appeals to my senses:

Smell: Smell is your strongest sense. When you step through the front door and smell old cooking from the previous owners, or the telltale odors of their dog, Sparky (who had repeatedly and efficiently marked his territory), you feel like an intruder. When looking to buy a house, you want to get that immediate feeling of “Home Sweet Home.” You want to smell nothing but fresh, clean air that you can claim as your own; that distinct air of newness you only get when the walls are freshly painted and every, single part of the home lends its aroma to your senses.

Sight: You look around and what don’t you see? Layers of wall paper that you know you will have to tear down, treads with sags in the middle, windows that don’t quite close or quite open, scratches on the refrigerator, stains in the sink, bathtubs with cracked tile and plumbing that does not shut off, ceilings that are too low to put up ceiling fans, one electric outlet per room. This list of deficiencies could go on and on. Upon buying a new home you have visual proof that no one else has ever used your appliances and that no one else’s dirty shoes or hands have ever marred your flawless floors and walls. As a homeowner, you want to be proud of where you live so you can show it off to all of your family and friends.

Sound: You do not want to let anyone hear the unavoidable squeaks made from the old staircase as you descend for a midnight snack. You want to avoid the clamor of the kids running around upstairs that is easily mistaken for a herd of elephants. Peace is what every family longs for in their home. Enough space where sound doesn’t travel as far and toys are allowed to claim a corner without disturbing the tranquility.

Touch: You long for a home where cold isn’t seeping through cracks in old windows as you watch television. You hope you won’t get another splinter from your old bookcase as you search for your favorite novel. You don’t want to pour all your hard earned money into heating bills. Insulated walls and floors will make you warm. Newly polished floors, banisters and bookcases will leave your feet and hands splinter free.

Taste: You may love your new house so much you want to give it a kiss, but we cannot guarantee that you will like the taste of the polished floors. Taste is an extension of you.

The next time you go into a new home, open your senses to the fresh, clean environment. You may find it irresistible!

Next blog: A new home is an empty canvas upon which owners can put anything and everything exactly where and how they want it. This will be the topic of my next article: floor plans.

Meridian Ridge Home

1. It’s NEW!
   • No one else has ever lived in it before, so everything is clean and brand new. Be the first to soak in your luxurious tub or cook in your new stainless steel oven.
   • No need to worry about expensive repairs or replacements of out-of-date, damaged or worn materials.
2. Contemporary Floor Plans
   • Designs evolve. Old, obsolete homes may not address the way people live today. New homes have floor plans designed to facilitate interaction with family and friends.
   • Take advantage of state-of-the-art kitchens, bathrooms with double vanities, ample storage space, and large family rooms open to the kitchen, features which often are lacking in used housing.
3. Customize Your Home
   • Build your home to order. You help design your own living environment, just the way you want it.
   • Personalize your home by selecting your own colors, finishes, cabinetry, flooring and features
4. Quality Built By Someone You Can Trust
   • You can check out a builder’s reputation before choosing to work with him/her.
   • Develop a personal relationship with the professional responsible for building your home. Become part of the team that will create your future residence.
5. Safer And Healthier
   • Wiring systems are up-to-date. Hazardous materials, such as asbestos, formaldehyde and lead, have been eliminated from new home building products.
   • New homes must conform with the newest and safest building codes and regulations.
6. Energy Efficient & Technologically Current
   • Energy efficient windows.
   • Better insulation technologies.
   • Better control of air infiltration, resulting in healthier indoor air quality.
   • Modern heating & cooling system.
   • Latest appliances and features.
   • Take full advantage of the latest communication, security, home office and entertainment technologies. New homes accommodate electrical needs that didn’t exist just a few, short years ago.
7. Less Expensive To Maintain
   • Home comes with warranties you don’t receive when buying a used home, including direct manufacturers’ warranties on new appliances, products and systems.
   • No old parts or appliances to fix.
   • Monthly operating costs are less due to improved technologies. This can mean big savings on utility bills.
   • New building products are more durable and require less maintenance.
   • Frequently, the money saved on a used home is quickly offset by lower maintenance and efficiency costs.
8. Neighborhood Bonds
   • Make friends quickly. Everyone in your new neighborhood just moved in, so it’s easy to establish new and lasting friendships.
9. Pride
   • Pride in the ownership of your new home, one you helped design and which expresses your lifestyle and taste.
10. Financial Advantages
    • Build home equity.
    • Roll the cost of upgrades into your mortgage and pay over time. When renovating a used home, you need to pay cash, or take out a home improvement loan at a higher interest rate.
    • Newer homes usually have a higher resale value.

“Low mortgage rates and the cumulative decline in house prices have contributed to an extremely affordable housing market and helped spur home sales this year,” said Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.  “For instance,” he said, “total new and existing home sales in October were 36% higher than their January low on a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Association of Realtors (NAR).  The NAR also reported that pending existing home sales rose for the ninth straight month in October, representing the longest consecutive gain since the series began in 2001.”

Sales of new single-family homes in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 430,000, which was 6.2% above the revised September rate of 405,000.  Existing-home sales, including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, surged 10.1% in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.1 million, up from a downwardly revised pace of 5.54 million in September.

First-time home buyers will now be eligible for the tax credit if they sign a contract by April 30, 2010, and settle on their home no later than June 30. Likewise, move-up/repeat home buyers (existing home owners) who have lived in their primary residence for five of the last eight years will now be eligible for a tax credit of up to $6,500.

The tax credits are expected to boost new and existing home sales by 180,000, including sales of about 40,000 new homes and 26,000 in sales of vacant homes. These sales are also expected to generate more than 200,000 new jobs, primarily in residential construction and related fields but also through the jobs created by the ripple effect of the new construction jobs and the additional spending power of the tax credit recipients. While the boost will be temporary, this is just the medicine that housing needs at present.

When homes are built and communities are created, people spend dollars in the local market far into the future, including buying groceries and furniture, hiring housekeepers and landscapers, and spending money on local entertainment and in area restaurants.

Nationally, according to estimates from economists at the National Association of Home Builders, three full-time jobs are created for every new single-family home built.  In a typical metro area, a healthy housing industry not only provides jobs, but brings revenue to the state and local economies.

In the first year, the impact of 100 newly-built single-family homes equates to:

• $21.1 million in local income
• $2.2 million in taxes and other revenue for local governments
• 324 local jobs

After the first year, the recurring benefits are:

• $3.1 million in local income
• $743,000 in taxes and other revenue for local governments
• 53 local jobs

You can make you voice heard by letting your members of Congress know that housing equals jobs, and to restore America, we must revive housing!  Visit www.revivehousingnow.com to get started.

If Congress acts to extend the tax credit program, it would spur 383,000 additional home sales, including 80,000 housing starts down the road as additional sales help deplete the inventory of unsold homes.  This stimulus will create nearly 350,000 jobs over the coming year. That’s good for the economy and good for America.

How You Can Help

Call your members of Congress today toll-free at 866-924-6242 and tell them to:

• Extend the deadline for the $8,000 tax credit through November 30, 2010; and
• Make it available to all home buyers.

Thank you for your help in letting Congress know that to restore America, we must revive housing.

Charter Residential Development, LLC is an affiliate of Charter Group, Inc., a custom home building company that has been creating distinctive residences in Western Connecticut since 1978.  During this time, it has become one of the most successful and dynamic companies in the region, with hundreds of beautiful homes to its credit.

“To have been selected for this honor is a great achievement.  We look forward to providing quality homes at a fair price in Western Connecticut for many years to come,” says Steve Rodgers, President, Charter Residential Develpment, LLC.

The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country.  Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category.  These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.  The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity.

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based organization established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community.  The organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups.  Their mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

“Today’s report was in keeping with our forecasts for some glimmers of improvement on the single-family side in the second quarter, and also with the results of our latest builder surveys,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe.

Single-family housing starts rose for a fourth consecutive month in June, posting a 14.4 percent gain to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 470,000 units, while single-family permits rose for a third consecutive month, posting a 5.9 percent gain to 430,00 units.  Regionally, housing starts were mixed, with the Northeast and Midwest posting big gains of 28.6 percent and 33.3 percent, respectively, and the South and West posting declines of 1.4 percent and 14.8 percent, respectively.

The advantages of homeownership don’t just benefit individuals; they also have a positive impact on our own community and the entire country as well. In recognition of the incredible rewards of homeownership, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and Charter Group, Inc. will celebrate National Homeownership Month throughout the month of June.

“As the current economic downturn has shown, housing has a significant impact on our national economy, and for that reason it’s important that we recognize the importance of homeownership this month as well as throughout the year,” said Joe Robson, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders.

For individuals, homeownership means mortgage interest and property tax deductions; the stable investment that comes with home appreciation; increased borrowing power; and the ability to build equity. More broadly, a healthy housing market creates a positive ripple affect into our communities across the country — NAHB member companies employ 7 million people nationwide and home building accounts for 15 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

There is no better time to take advantage of the benefits of homeownership — interest rates are at 40-year record lows, home prices are more affordable, there is a great selection on the market to choose from, and first-time home buyers can benefit from an $8,000 tax credit.

During National Homeownership Month in June, and throughout the year, Charter Group, Inc. is encouraging anyone with interest to take advantage of the unprecedented homeownership opportunities in today’s housing market.

ENERGY STAR® is a voluntary partnership between the government and more than 9,000 organizations, including more than 3,500 of the nation’s home builders. Together with home buyers and their families, we are working to achieve a common goal – protecting the environment for future generations by changing to more energy-efficient practices and products today.

We are proud of our affiliation with ENERGY STAR®, and will continue to stress energy-efficient construction and environmental protection in all of our homes and communities.