Your Planning Parade of Homes

Your Planning Parade of Homes

As a real estate agent, often I am requested to find my clients specific types of homes and home sites for building. These specifics typically include: Bay front, Lake front, water view, specific number of bedrooms and baths etc. If you've ever purchased a home, then you know exactly what I am referring to...

Your Planning Parade of Homes

In recent months however, I've been increasingly asked to locate homes or home building sites in gated communities around my service area of Bay County: more importantly, the Panama City - Lynn Haven metro area of Florida. I believe we are all well aware of what a gated community is, but if not let's identify some characteristics of these communities...

Your Planning Parade of Homes

A gated community is a type of residential community which offers controlled access and entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and may feature a closed perimeter of walls and fences.

Your Planning Parade of Homes

While gated communities are not a new form of residence, they are often misunderstood. In today's real estate market there remains a common misunderstanding that gated communities are only for the wealthy and beyond the means of the average home owner. This of course is not entirely true.

Your Planning Parade of Homes

While there are some upscale communities that cater to a more costly living style, there are also many gated communities that offer similar life styles and amenities for the average home buyer. In my area there are many of these types of communities all offering various amenities and benefits. From master planned gated lake communities such as Lake Merial or Wild Heron, to master planned gated bay front communities such as Bay Point.

Your Planning Parade of Homes

Each gated community may offer unique living and investment potential. For the consumer interested in these types of communities, there may also be additional benefits. When speaking with my customers regarding their desire to own a home in a gated community, an over-riding factor seems prevalent: Gated communities are perceived safer for children and families and offer unique living styles for those that so desire them. They are also perceived as maintaining their home values and appreciation.

Your Planning Parade of Homes

While gated communities may not be for everyone, they do offer features many find attractive for their choice of style and quality of living. Features such as private and semi-private marinas, on-site fitness clubs, golf courses and child day care are being required by home buyers more and more in today's real estate market. These features and amenities tend to be prevalent in many gated communities and fulfill the wants and needs of these types of home buyers.

Your Planning Parade of Homes

In addition, I've recently been made aware of another unique style of gated community which caters to the racing fan! These communities offer residents race tracks for their amusement. From oval stock car style tracks to 1/8 mile drag racing tracks as well as motocross racing. How's that for a unique recreation and living style!!!

Your Planning Parade of Homes

A retired couple I am currently working with would like to find an Active Adult 55+ Community. Both husband and wife workout daily, own a boat and are avid golfers. Naturally, they would like to purchase a home within a gated community, which is either on or very close to the golf course. The community must offer dock space for their boat and have a club house or community club with an exercise room or fitness center.

Your Planning Parade of Homes

As I show this couple the available communities, a few items are of particular interest to them: Some gated communities offer limited or no "through traffic" to the residents, which they value. The limited trough traffic value is for their grand children whom visit with them several times a year. Homes within gated communities often exhibit a strong pride of ownership. I've yet to find within a gated community a home with an unkempt lawn or debris scattered about the property. In large part this is due to the homeowners' associations' rules, or covenants and restrictions which govern many of these communities.

Your Planning Parade of Homes

Homeowner association rules often include restrictions such as:

Your Planning Parade of Homes

No overnight street parking

Your Planning Parade of Homes

No boats, campers or RVs allowed in driveways

Your Planning Parade of Homes

Houses must be painted only certain colors

Your Planning Parade of Homes

Landscaping must be pre-approved by an appointed committee

Your Planning Parade of Homes

Additionally, residents of these communities take pride in their community and self-monitor and maintain their properties. To some these rules may seem excessively restrictive, while to others they are a necessity to maintain their style and quality of living. Many of these communities have what I refer to as "spot light homes". These homes are the "premier" homes of the community. Often, they are built for specific owners or for events such as the Panama City Parade of Homes.

Your Planning Parade of Homes

They will feature the highest quality construction materials and fixtures, and often are the highest priced homes in the community. While many gated communities offer luxury homes, vacation homes, and luxury condos there are also those that offer affordable homes, condos and home sites.

Your Planning Parade of Homes

These communities may not have the full amenities of the more luxurious communities, but still manage to offer safety, community spirit and modest community pools and club houses. Many of these practical communities are specifically and conveniently constructed near schools and local recreation venues.

Your Planning Parade of Homes

Summary

Your Planning Parade of Homes

Not all master planned gated communities have uniformed security guards and cameras, but all offer unique living opportunities for those that desire the features and amenities the gate community has to offer.

Parade Of Homes Suite

Parade Of Homes Suite

The first of many steps in building a new home is finding a lot or land available that is suitable for your custom house. There are many factors to consider even before purchasing but first you need to know how go about finding the perfect location for your new house. Here I provide three tips for finding a lot. Three tips for finding a lot for your custom built house:

Parade Of Homes Suite

Contact New Builders-There are many new home builders who carry lots available for purchase or to build on. Most of the time they will want you to build your house with them but this is not always the case. Homebuilders are also land developers, they pull their resources together to develop a new custom home neighborhoods to compete with large tract home builders subdivisions. Checking with local builders to see if they have any lot inventory available is a good idea.

Parade Of Homes Suite

Realtors-Many times realtors have new home lots available for sale. If not, then they know how to find the residential contractors or land developers who do have them available. Be careful, explain to the realtor upfront that you only plan to use their services to purchase the lot and not to negotiate the home contract.

Parade Of Homes Suite

Parade of Homes-Every community has a Parade of Homes at least once if not twice a year. These events usually take place in the Spring and Fall. You can find out when this community wide event takes place by checking with your local HBA. This event allows new homebuilders to showcase their houses in new and upcoming subdivisions. This is a great time for those searching for new home lots to find new neighborhoods. An example of finding available lots in a parade home neighborhood is Taylor Pointe in Mobile, AL. New home builder J Craig Homes built a showcase home in this subdivision in hopes to promote the neighborhood to those looking to build a new house.

Parade Of Homes Suite

Parade Of Homes Suite

Parade Of Homes Suite

Parade Of Homes Suite

The first of many steps in building a new home is finding a lot or land available that is suitable for your custom house. There are many factors to consider even before purchasing but first you need to know how go about finding the perfect location for your new house. Here I provide three tips for finding a lot. Three tips for finding a lot for your custom built house:

Parade Of Homes Suite

Contact New Builders-There are many new home builders who carry lots available for purchase or to build on. Most of the time they will want you to build your house with them but this is not always the case. Homebuilders are also land developers, they pull their resources together to develop a new custom home neighborhoods to compete with large tract home builders subdivisions. Checking with local builders to see if they have any lot inventory available is a good idea.

Parade Of Homes Suite

Realtors-Many times realtors have new home lots available for sale. If not, then they know how to find the residential contractors or land developers who do have them available. Be careful, explain to the realtor upfront that you only plan to use their services to purchase the lot and not to negotiate the home contract.

Parade Of Homes Sweet Place

Parade Of Homes Sweet Place

Introduction

Parade Of Homes Sweet Place

For cities and municipalities, both large and small, parades are a source of civic pride. But they are also a crowd management challenge. Planners not only have to worry about the logistics relating to parade marchers and vehicles (and sometimes floats), but also consider arrangements for those who come to watch the parade - how many will attend, where will they stand, and whether there will be any safety or security issues.

Parade Of Homes Sweet Place

Whether it's parades celebrating holidays such as Thanksgiving, Labor Day, St. Patrick's Day, or Veterans Day, parades welcoming home returning soldiers, or celebrations when a city's team has just won a championship, parades draw large crowds. Crowds generally line up, sometimes many people deep, along long parade routes, which necessitates the pre-planning of crowd control tools and activities.

Parade Of Homes Sweet Place

Parade organizers, or the responsible police authority, must ensure that crowds (or any individual attendee) can't break through and interrupt or disrupt the parade. This is not just a matter of choreographing a pleasing parade, but it is a major security and public safety issue.

Parade Of Homes Sweet Place

Barricades as Crowd Management Tools

Parade Of Homes Sweet Place

Parade sites have long used physical barricades to separate an audience from a parade route. Prior to the mass success of steel barriers, wooden sawhorses were perhaps the most common barricade used. But an attendee didn't need to be strong to push over a wooden sawhorse; pretty much everybody could do it. And sawhorses did not connect with each other. As a result, unruly (or simply excited) attendees sometimes pushed sawhorses over, or squeezed in between them, to encroach onto the parade route.

Parade Of Homes Sweet Place

As the years went by, more cities or parade organizers turned to interlocking steel barricades. With their heavier weight, individual barriers are much harder to push over, and when they are connected in a long line, it becomes exponentially more difficult to push them out of the way. And because they connect with each other, spectators cannot go between the barriers. Just the presence of steel barriers provides a psychological impediment to any thought that the parade route can be broached.

Parade Of Homes Sweet Place

Steel crowd control barricades prevent a parade route from being "squeezed" by surging spectators. They provide a clearly marked and controlled space for the audience, ensuring that parade participants have enough room to march or perform.

Parade Of Homes Sweet Place

Barricades used at parades most often feature the bridge base style. Barriers with bridge bases provide the best resistance to push by crowds and provide stability even in places where the street surface may be uneven.

Parade Of Homes Sweet Place

Success in New York City

Parade Of Homes Decoration

Parade Of Homes Decoration

1. Finding a Home Builder with ... Passion!

Parade Of Homes Decoration

Do not make the largest purchase of your life, without doing your homework. If you are ready to build your dream home, you must invest the time, to learn more about the Home Builders in your area.

Parade Of Homes Decoration

Before you make a final decision on who will be building your dream home, do your research. As in any industry, not all professionals are the same. Not all home builders will have the same passion for the project as you do.

Parade Of Homes Decoration

Home Builders with Passion - In every town, there are always a few Home Builders that are so passionate about their craft, that every home they build is a "Work of Art".

Parade Of Homes Decoration

Their attention to detail, and continuous learning of new real estate construction ideas, ensure that they will always be at the top of their industry. Every home of theirs is a "Signature Piece", reflecting the values of their company.

Parade Of Homes Decoration

When you first meet a "Home Builder with Passion", you will notice their charm, and keen listening skills. They are very similar to a great doctor. Their focus will be entirely on listening to the patient, or you the home buyer. They will have many questions, which will help them diagnose or determine your needs.

Parade Of Homes Decoration

Once they understand your needs and desires... Hang On. They will begin a presentation of ideas and possibilities that will astound you. You will tour some of their previous projects, to see first hand their quality and dramatic ideas.

Parade Of Homes Decoration

Their passion for their craft, and desire to build the best home each time will take you back. You will sense that they are more, than just a Home Builder. Their love of the Home Building Profession, and the pride they have in their homes will be evident. Now, the hard part, finding a "Home Builder with Passion".

Parade Of Homes Decoration

To find your "Home Builder with Passion", you will have to do your homework. Begin by asking for referrals from friends, subcontractors in the housing industry, Interior Designers, Architects and anyone who has recently built.

Parade Of Homes Decoration

Look in the Yellow Pages under Home Builders. Also, look in the real estate ads under New Real Estate Developments and New Home Construction. Next, get in the car and take a trip. Drive to some of these new subdivisions and developments.