Amanda’s New Home

May 7, 2012 in First Story, Heard around Town | 3 comments

Last week a dream came true for a Redmond mother of two, Amanda Ward. First Story, Hayden Homes and Heart of Oregon Corps all came together to build a home for her family.

Amanda and her 13-year-old daughter Kylee and 11-year-old son Kalvin received the keys to their new Redmond home while a crowd cheered on.

“It’s awesome,” said Kylee.

“They are just so excited, and that has been the happiest part for me, is seeing how happy they are,” said Amanda Ward.

First Story is a non-profit that helps qualified, deserving families that are ready for home ownership, but still lack the resources to own their own home. Homes are provided through a zero down payment and zero interest 30-year home loan. There is a list of about thirty primary partners that donate to the First Story homes, including founder, Hayden Homes.

Nearly thirty at-risk young adults in the Heart of Oregon Corps’ YouthBuild program worked on the home. Heart of Oregon Corps invests in Central Oregon youth by creating “work, learn and earn” opportunities. YouthBuild members work on their education while gaining job skills and serving their community. It’s a Win- Win combination.

“It’s just amazing to see how the whole thing came together,” said Ward. “It helps give them a better future — and gives us a better future.”

Hayden Homes has had a wonderful partnership with both Heart of Oregon Corps and First Story.

At Hayden Homes, employees donate a portion of their paycheck to First Story as well as the donation of time, materials and labor. “We want to make the communities we live in stronger and helping families to own a home is a big part of that,” says CEO Hayden Watson. “These families are now building a more prosperous future.”

To read more about this incredible story download this insert from The Source, or click here to read Kim Tobin’s story on KTVZ.com news.

Home Office Spaces That “Work”

May 3, 2012 in Around the House | No comments

One of the biggest advantages of working from home is the opportunity to get things done in a space that is personal, comfortable, and designed to suit your taste.  But creating a perfect home office space can present challenges for an amateur; such as spacing, lighting, electrical outlets, and furniture arrangements.

Houzz.com makes the following recommendations for creating a home office space you’ll love.  For more ideas and pictures to help inspire your home office space, check out their article, “Home Offices That Earn Their Keep“:

1. Start a home office wish list. Create a file, or even a board on Pinterest, with files and pictures of things you like, items you want, and colors and fabrics that suit your taste.

2. Decide how many people will be using the space.  This will help you determine adequate seating, supplies, and computers.  Is this just a home office, or will this space also double as a homework room, study, or place to balance the checkbook?

3. Will your office be paperless?  If so, you can opt for utilizing more table and creative space.  If not, you will need more storage for files and papers.

4. Think outside the office furniture box.  Designers are now opting to use everyday furniture to grace their offices.  A table can double as a desk.  And why not replace the ugly office chair with an antique tufted chair?  Try to find ways to incorporate comfort and style into your office space using items you love for the rest of the house.

5. Make an impact with color.  Use bold colors to define the space and give the room an extra “pow”. 

Hayden Homes offers numerous floor plans that incorporate specific areas for a home office. Most of our plans have the option for converting a third bedroom or loft into a den into a private workspace. The Orchard, Rockwood, Tumalo and Parkland floor plans are just a few that offer this option. To view and customize a floor plan that will meet your home office needs, visit our website and select a community in your area to access the “Design Your Home” function.

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There’s an App for That!

April 30, 2012 in First Time Home Buyers | No comments

Yes, there is an app for that!  There are a ton of apps for potential new home buyers that can help you find and select your perfect new home.  So we comprised a list of our Top Ten Favorite Home Buying Apps for you to check out.  So get out your iPhone, Droid, Blackberry, or tablet, and begin exploring–which one will lead you toward your new Hayden Home?

1. ColorSmart: Brought to you by BEHR, this app helps you visualize colors in your new home. Take a photo, then fill in a BEHR paint color of your choice.

2. CrumbTracks: Store photos and videos you’ve taken of homes and floorplans you like. You can annotate and share photos, take notes, and even estimate monthly payments with this app.

3. Dictionary of Real Estate Terms: Check out this app to find a dictionary of over 300 terms in real estate. It’s great for new homebuyers who want to familiarize themselves with the industry.

4. Home Buying Power: Use this app to determine your buying power. Enter your desired payment or income percentage, along with a down payment, loan term, and interest rate to determine the right price range for you.

5. Home Depot App: This app has tools for measuring a room and saving those measurements, as well as paint and flooring calculators for planning your move-in.

6. Redfin: See every home for sale on an MLS-powered map, complete with photos. You can save searches, favorites, tours, notes, and more.

7. Sketches: Use Sketches to jot down notes and illustrate ideas on a blank tablet or on pictures you’ve taken with your phone.

8. Walk Score: Find out how far and how “walkable” local attractions are such as stores, parks, and other amenities.

9. Wikihood: With Wikihood, you can learn about the people, culture, buildings, companies, and geographical information of any neighborhood in the world.

10. Zillow: With this app, you can drive around a neighborhood and view values of all homes, not just those for sale, so you can compare the value of a potential home with the existing neighborhood.

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Tri-Cities Has Jobs…and a whole lot more!

April 23, 2012 in Community Features, Heard around Town | 3 comments

Where does industry, educational opportunities, and recreation abound?  Why, the Tri-Cities, Washington area of course!  Perhaps that’s why the recent Census credited the Tri-Cities and Moses Lake, Washington areas as two of the fastest-growing areas for population and jobs in the US.

According to a recent  article in the Spokesman Review, they attribute the area’s growth to the cheap energy and land, being used to host a boom of industries in fabrication, technology, and energy. But anyone who has been to the area can also agree that the appeal of the Tri-Cities does not end with job opportunity.  In fact, there is endless opportunity for entertainment, recreation, museums, wineries, and golf scattered throughout the region.

The Tri-Cities well-rounded, lined with opportunities for industry, education, and entertainment. That’s why Hayden Homes is proud to have hosted several communities in the Tri-Cities area since the 1990′s, including West Richland, Pasco, Walla Walla, Richland, Kennewick, and up north to Moses Lake.

As with all our communities, Hayden Homessearches the Northwest for promising neighborhoods that boast a lifestyle of convenience, opportunity, and recreation. In fact, many of our hardworking employees call these cities home for that exact reason!

So whether you are interested in finding ”home” near a farmer’s market, close-in dining,  wineries, outdoor recreation, or any of the other amenities that Southeastern Washington has to offer, we hope you will consider one of our communities, which converges the best of both worlds: The beautiful Tri-Cities scenery, and the bricks and mortar that make a Hayden Home, “your home.”

“Kennewick-Pasco-Richland grew an estimated 4.3 percent from April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2011, the bureau reported.

The area was one of the nation’s fastest-growing employment centers in recent years, with job growth in the nuclear industry as well as in construction, specialty metals fabrication, health care and food processing.

Another Eastern Washington city made a Census Bureau top 10 growth list in today’s report. Moses Lake added 2,145 residents between April 1, 2010, and July 1, 2011, placing it 10th among micro areas with the largest numeric increase.

Recent population growth in Moses Lake is related to expansion in the manufacturing and technology sectors, aided by the availability of cheap hydropower and inexpensive land.”

via The Spokesman Review, “Tri-Cities, Moses Lake among nation’s growth hot spots.”

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