How do you know that you are making the best investment when looking at buying a new home?  How do you know that you’ve picked the best builder, and the best neighborhood?

Because new neighborhoods have very little historical information to glean from, it can be difficult to know if you have made the right choice in a home builder.

Here are 10 questions you should ask your real estate broker or agent, before signing a contract on a new home.  These questions will  help you determine the credibility of the builder, the neighborhood, and the potential for problems ahead.

1.     What is the average price of homes (new and existing) in surrounding neighborhoods in this area?  What is the average price per square foot of new homes in this area?

2.     How long are homes generally on the market in this neighborhood?

3.     How many homes have been built in this area so far this year?  How many are planned?

4.     When is construction in this neighborhood expected to be complete?

5.     What are the anticipated HOA fees, and what kind of increases have other neighborhoods with this builder seen?

6.     Is this the most expensive house on the block? (You never want to buy the most expensive house on the block…aim for something in the middle)

7.     Are there any unknowns about this neighborhood I should know about?  For example, garbage routes, empty lots, landfills, school information, zoning changes?

8.     How do the schools in this neighborhood fair with those in the surrounding areas?

9.     What are the monthly utility bill estimates for this house?

10.   How does this builder deal with warranty issues and claims? What sort of reputation does this builder have post-sale?

Asking the right questions is essential to finding the right new home and neighborhood for you and will save you time, energy, and frustration in the end.  If you are looking for the perfect new home and neighborhood for your lifestyle, feel free to contact the Hayden Homes Sales Department to find listings and neighborhoods in your area.

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Contact Us

We encourage you to directly contact the communities in which you are interested. Our courteous sales staff is more than happy to assist in finding the perfect Hayden Homes for you.

Model home hours are provided along with phone numbers and email addresses.  Just click on the State and City to the left that you are interested in.

Should you require further assistance, please call:

Phone: 800-923-6607
Fax: 541-548-0761

For General Sales Email
For Customer Service/Warranty assistance Email

Spring has arrived, and its tradition, it has brought with it everything that is synonymous with this time of year: sunshine, daylight savings, flowers, showers, and the urge to freshen up household spaces with a little spring cleaning.

A little spring freshening of your household can not only spruce up your home’s appearance, it can boost your home’s value, add curb appeal, and help encourage your neighbors to do the same.

Here are five ideas spring cleaning your household.

1. Freshen up your home’s curb appeal.  Your home’s front yard and entry is the first thing people see when they come to visit, yet it is often neglected because homeowners enter their home from the garage and not the front door.  Make your entry more inviting by sweeping up the front porch, patio, or entry, removing cobwebs and dust from the front of the home, and cleaning or power washing the exterior and front-facing windows.  If you are feeling extra ambitious, add a fresh coat of paint to the front door, replace the doormat, add some potted flowers, and revive the front porch seating with new furniture cushions.

2. Clean your home’s windows. Nothing will freshen up your home quicker than a good window washing.  Washing your windows allows more of the daylight in, brightening your home and instantly creating a sunnier, friendlier space.  While you are up on the ladders cleaning away, you may also want to consider giving the blinds a good dusting and the window treatments a good washing. Also, don’t neglect the screens.  Spritz clean, remove of bugs, and repair broken or torn areas.

3. Dust off hard-to-reach places.  Hard-to-reach places often get neglected by the daily and weekly cleaning regimen. Use this opportunity to dust off light fixtures, fans, floorboards, and other hard-to-reach places such as under the beds and behind couches and end tables.

4. Organize your garage.  Over the course of the year, garages tend to get neglected while the stuff inside them continues to pile up.  Spring is the perfect time to clean and organize this space because the warmer weather allows you tackle the mess with doors wide open, while also adding much need space to store and retrieve your favorite spring and summer gear such as tents, bicycles, coolers, camp chairs, and kayaks.

5. Spruce up the main spaces.  Go through the shared spaces of your home and remove anything that’s off-season, too heavy for the room’s visual, unnecessary, or very bulky.  Simply ridding your home of the extras can spruce up any space, making your home appear brighter, lighter, and cleaner.  For the smaller things you reach for all the time, look for storage solutions that will tackle the clutter without impeding on convenience, such as magazine racks, charging stations, and mudroom lockers.

Bonus Tip: Tackle the paper clutter.  We all have a place where paper clutter congregates.  Spring is the perfect time to go through old files and rid of old bills, statements, assignments, and other paper clutter.  Since spring comes just after tax season, it’s easier to know what items you can purge, and start fresh for the new year.  You can even opt to scan in your important papers which will help you rid of paper clutter altogether (just remember to backup those files!).

There’s nothing like a little sweat and elbow grease in the mild temperatures and spring sunshine to motivate you to freshen up your home. Tackling these cleaning tasks will make your home fresh, clean, and inviting, and allow you to relax the rest of the spring and summer away!

In the 1950’s, the average home size was around 1,000sq ft. But by the turn of the 21^st century, that number doubled to almost 2,500sq ft, despite the fact that family size in the US had actually declined.

Then the recession came, and by 2008, many families were forced to do more with less: less income, fewer work hours, and smaller homes.  But as the saying goes, “A door is never shut where a window is not opened,” some Americans found that “sizing down” had its benefits, and as the housing market begins to recover once again, many families are purposely choosing this lifestyle and selecting smaller floor plans.

The benefits of simple living in smaller spaces is not always obvious.  Sure, most homeowners are aware that smaller homes mean a smaller mortgage upfront.  But few think of the time, social, and environmental benefits of smaller living.  If you’ve never considered downsizing your home, or if you are trying to decide what size home to purchase, consider these benefits of homes with smaller square footage:

• Smaller homes force out the excess clutter.  Living in a small home creates a mentality of keeping only what is needed or important.  Generally, homeowners have to choose to keep only what is “useful or beautiful.” This forces homeowners to buy less, carefully consider all purchases, and purge unneeded items in order to make the most of their square footage.
• Smaller homes are easier to clean.  Homeowners of small spaces will tell you that having a small home means less time vacuuming large floors, cleaning multiple bathrooms, and scrubbing miles of counter top.  Because everything has its place, homeowners tend to feel more organized, and are able to find and put away items more quickly.  That means less time spent cleaning up, and more free time to spend recreationally.
• Smaller homes are more energy efficient.  Smaller spaces mean less energy to heat and cool the home, which means a smaller carbon footprint, and lower utility bills.  Small square footage, when paired with energy efficient appliances, quality insulation, and energy efficient building practices, can save homeowners thousands over the life of their residency.
• Smaller homes have lower property tax.  Because assessed property value takes into account the square footage of the home and the lot, generally smaller homes have lower property taxes.
• Small homes force us to get out.  Living in a smaller space encourages homeowners to make the most of their surrounding community, parks, and local recreation.  When there’s not a separate room in the house for each person to watch their own TV program, family members are forced to come up with other ways to entertain themselves, often together.
• Small homes promote family time.  Sharing a small space can promote togetherness.  After all, a smaller home means a singular space for homework, dinner, and family time.  Sharing a room can bring siblings closer together, and shared family spaces can help spark interaction among family members.
• Smaller homes are generally designed well.  Because every detail needs to be thought out from storage space to floor plan design, smaller homes promote innovative design.  Space limitations challenge creativity and versatility: a nook becomes a reading corner, a closet becomes a home office, and a kitchen island becomes a butcher block for food preparation.
• Small homes are cheaper to maintain.  Roofing, painting, and maintaining a 2,500 sq ft home can become a small investment.  Smaller homes have lower costs to maintain and often allow a homeowner to tackle the project him/herself, because the square footage of the project is less overwhelming.
• Small homes are cheaper to build, and cost less to upgrade.  Most houses are priced by square footage, meaning that the overall cost to build a smaller home is less.  Less home means less concrete, wood, flooring, ducting, and roofing. In addition, homeowners can opt for higher-grade materials—such as granite counter tops or travertine flooring—because the square footage of the kitchens and bathrooms are dramatically lower, driving costs down.

Downsizing requires homeowners to rethink their way of living and simplify their home life.  But this endeavor can ultimately lead to a higher quality of life because it frees up time, money, and stress, while giving homeowners a chance to bond closer with their community and family.

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“We hear the train coming…it’s coming around the Bend (pun intended!)…” and if first time home buyers don’t hop on this train, they may miss out on all the opportunities the housing recovery has to offer.

Those who have been able to take advantage of the housing recovery have been able to benefit from low interest rates, reasonable housing prices, and almost-instant equity.  But only about 35 percent of people benefiting from these opportunities are first time home buyers.

The reduced number of new home buyers in the market are directly related to the decreased number of non-distressed homes on the market, experts say.  A dramatic increase in non-foreclosure/short sale listings, and an increase in new home inventory seems to have scared off first time home buyers.

However, it should be doing the exact opposite!  New homes and non-distressed existing homes may be perceived as less of a deal by new home buyers, however they are often in better shape than distressed homes, and come with disclosures and warranties that distressed homes do not.

This decline surfaces as purchases of non-distressed homes–houses that are not in foreclosure–have increased dramatically in 2012. The report shows that the vast majority of the homes being sold are regular purchases–accounting for 64.7 percent of all houses sold in October, up from 55.7 percent in February. The increase is a sign of strength in the housing market, as fewer people are buying homes in foreclosure.

But according to the survey, first-time buyers are the only group that has not purchased more non-distressed properties in the last five months. Meanwhile, current homeowners are picking up an increasing number of properties, purchasing 54.4 percent of all homes in October, up from 50 percent in June.

Via “First-Time Homebuyers Missing Out on Housing Recovery.”

Though some claim that first time home owners are scared to enter the housing market because of a housing crisis hangover that has left them weary of investing, others argue that there has never been a better time to buy because of low interest rates and recovering home prices.

Either way, one thing is for sure: people are being more selective about what they buy to help ensure they won’t be burned.  That’s why it’s more important than ever for first time home buyers to invest in properties and neighborhoods that are desirable, growing, and have the potential to increase in value.  That’s why Hayden Homes is seeing an increase in home buyers interested in investing in a new home in one of our many desirable neighborhoods across the Northwest.

If you are interested in seeing what kind of new homes we have to offer in a neighborhood near you, check out our new home inventory and neighborhoods online.

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For the first time, finances and not diet and exercise made the top of Americans’ New Year’s Resolutions lists. More and

more Americans are looking for ways to save money in 2013 so they can be more financially fit, save more money, or possibly make that investment in a new home this year.

Inspired by an article written by Ken Torrino for New York City Real Estate, “5 Money-Saving New Years Resolutions for Your Home,” we thought we’d pass along some ideas for how to save money on household-related items in 2013.  These five simple tasks take less than an hour to perform, but can mean big savings for homeowners in the long run.

1. Change your filters.  Clogged filters are not only reduce air quality, they can also compromise the efficiency of your heating or cooling system by 15-20 percent.  New filters, which cost just a few dollars, can save you big dollars in the long run on your energy bills and service on your heating and cooling systems.  Plus, new filters will improve the air quality and create a healthier habitat within your home.

2. Get rid of the extra fridge.  Refrigerators use a lot of energy, especially the extra ones that often reside in the garage.  Getting rid of an old fridge will not only save you money on your electric bill, you can also get $40-50 cash and free removal of your fridge from companies like Energy Star of Oregon in exchange for forfeiting your old refrigerator.

3. Get new quotes on homeowner’s insurance.  It’s a good idea to shop around for homeowner’s hazard insurance every couple years.  There are potential savings for everything from your credit rating, to improvements to your home, to what type of dog you own.  You can shop around for rates and discounts that can be combined with your other insurance policies as well (such as auto and life insurance) and save even more.

4. Have a home energy review or home energy audit performed.  Most utilities in the Northwest offer free home energy audits to customers.  A trained technician will come out to your house and identify ways your home can be more energy efficient, which will save you big money on your electric, gas, and water bills.  In fact, minor improvements such as replacing weatherstripping, re-caulking windows, and replacing shower heads with water-reducing options can lead to huge savings.

5. Replace broken down appliances with energy-efficient ones.  If you are planning on purchasing a new appliance in 2013, replace them with today’s more energy-efficient options.  Water and energy-efficient appliances really do save money!  In fact, they can pay for themselves in almost no time. The older the appliance replaced, the more cost savings you will see, so start with the oldest and work your way from there!

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Hayden Homes is excited to announce the Grand Opening of its first community in the Portland area, Oak Hill Settlement. Oak Hill Settlement has a spacious family-friendly park and is close in proximity to Forest Grove High School. Right down the street is Thatcher City Park, a vast area filled with sports fields, picnic areas, playgrounds, and a dog park.

Life in Forest Grove offers an array of arts and entertainment events, as well as restaurants and quaint antique shops with turn of the century architecture. There are over forty specialty stores, coffee shops, restaurants, spas and galleries to visit. Forest Grove is also home to the tree-shaded campus of Pacific University, which provides enriching and educational activities all year round.

Oak Hill Settlement offers signature quality homes at an exceptional value. With several well-appointed home plans available, you are certain to find one to call your own. Come see for yourself during our Grand Opening Weekend – Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 16-17, from 11am-5pm. There will be food, prizes and much more. See the event schedule below:

Saturday, Feb.  16th
12 pm: Ribbon Cutting & Free Food
9am-3pm: Live Broadcast with 101 KXL

Get a chance to mingle with a live radio broadcast – In The Garden with Mike Darcy, Around The House with Handyman Bob and Cooking Outdoors with Mr. BBQ!  Also, you could WIN one of several great prizes including:

• A Weekend Beach Vacation & Golf Package
• Watch the NCAA playoffs in style, with a 4-pack of tickets to the Bing Lounge

And so much more!
Bring your appetite, because from 11am to 1:30pm a BBQ lunch will be served by our fiends at Parr Lumber. Stop by the model home anytime during the day to learn about your new Hayden Home.

Sunday, Feb. 17th
12-2pm Join 750 The Game’s Street team for some fun!

Enter for a chance to win more great prizes and stop by the model home anytime during the day to learn about your new Hayden Home.

Directions:

For more information contact James Montgomery at 503-779-4770, jmontgomery@hayden-homes.com

People all over the nation are making New Year’s Resolutions to get more exercise, lose weight, and eat healthier.  But if you are an Oregonian or Washintonian, you are a bit more likely to have already made great progress in living a healthy lifestyle.  That’s because the United Health Foundation’s 2012 America’s Health Rankings found that Oregonians and Washintonians are two of the most likely groups to take care of themselves, ranking Oregon and Washington the No. 13 Healthiest States.

Among the reasons Oregon and Washington were selected as one of the healthiest: Cardiovascular and cancer deaths have declined by 18.0 percent since 1990, fewer residents participate in less sedentary behavior, and fewer residents are experiencing disturbing levels of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Oregon and Washington continually rank among the top for healthiest state studies, with Deschutes County, Oregon getting recent attention for ranking in the top five healthiest counties in Oregon.  This comes as no surprise for Central Oregon residents who are witness to Deschutes County’s local recreational offerings, organic and health food options, and 360 days of sunshine.

But Oregon in itself has a variety of strengths that habitually put it towards the top of “healthiest state” lists.  Among them:

• Low prevalence of sedentary lifestyle: While Oregon’s sedentary lifestyle rate is one of the lowest in the U.S., there are still almost 600,000 adults who are not regularly active.

• Low rate of preventable hospitalizations: In the past ten years, the rate of preventable hospitalizations declined 20 percent from 53.6 to 42.9 discharges per 1,000 Medicare enrollee in the past five years.

• Low infant mortality rate: Oregon has the second best infant mortality rate compared to the U.S. In the past 5 years, the infant mortality rate declined from 5.9 to 5.0 deaths per 1,000 live births.

via Oregon ranked 13th-healthiest state

Washington’s health strengths were also noted as such:

• Low prevalence of smoking: Washington has one of the lowest smoking rates in the U.S. at 17.5 percent of the adult population; however, more than 900,000 adults still smoke.
• Low rate of preventable hospitalizations: The rate of preventable hospitalizations declined from 51.9 to 46.4 discharges per 1,000 Medicare enrollees in the past 5 years.
• Low prevalence of low birthweight

via America’s Health Rankings – Washington

Idaho was also in the Top 20, Ranking as the No. 17 Healthiest State.

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The good news: Housing is headed up, up, up!  Especially in desirable Northwest regions such as Seattle, Portland, and Central Oregon, where prices have shown the most recovery, residents can expect housing prices to continue to climb, while interest rates stay near record-breaking lows.

The bad news? With housing prices increasing at rates around 10 percent and financing tighter than previous decades, home affordability may become the new housing problem.  And, as the market becomes more competitive, inventories decrease, and good bargains become more difficult to find, buyers can expect more competition in obtaining the home of their dreams.

That is why more home builders in the Pacific Northwest are staying busy.  Buyers are realizing they can get the exact home and location they want, without the competitive bidding process involved with existing home inventory.

More buying, selling and price stability made 2012 a better year in Central Oregon real estate after several difficult ones.

The year “shaped up to be a very good year for the whole real estate market,” said Michael Warren, president-elect of the Central Oregon Association of Realtors.

He says 2012 was a stabilizing year, and throughout Central Oregon, Bend seems to grow faster than other communities.

According to Trulia, an online residential real estate site, Bend showed an average price per square foot increase of 5.4 percent in 2012, coupled with a median home price increase of 9.4 percent.

via “Central Oregon real estate: Stable, better in 2012.”

Bend, Oregon, in particular, is outpacing the growth in many regions, but places such as Portland, Oregon (where unemployment is shrinking and inventories are low) are also poised for quick housing market recovery as well.

Buyers are realizing they need to keep up with the new pace of the market.  The sluggish market of yesterday is in the past and these indicators are sending a message to buyers that prices are rising and homes are moving a little faster.  Smart buyers that are in the market will make their move soon, while interest rates are low and prices are still good.

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Great news if you are a homeowner, or if you’ve been waiting to put your home on the market: home prices are headed up, up, up!  And Central Oregon–Hayden Home’s playground–is no exception!  In fact, home prices in Bend, Oregon are up 13.7 percent from a year ago…that’s twice the national average, which is also up!!!

Up almost 2 percent from October alone, Bend has seen a huge uptick in pricing.  As one of the most devastated areas after the housing crash and recession, Bend was expected to make a larger than normal recovery once things leveled out.  Bend is a desirable place to live, and mountain views, recreational activities, and majestic high desert beauty is something that can’t be changed, so people will always (eventually) come back.  This has left home buyers with a lower-than-normal housing inventory, and a created a boom in new home construction in Central Oregon.

“We really started to see more movement and an uptick in building at that time,” Renner [Principal Broker, Cascade Sotheby's International Realty] said. “And it’s going to continue to accelerate.”

That also means folks in the home construction business going back to work.

“Big trucks are rolling, lumber trucks are rolling — haven’t seen this in five years,” Renner said.

Renner says it’s going to take a little bit of time for builders to get more inventory and overall get the market back to a healthy level.

“We don’t want to stay at this level of low inventory, because we’ve had the reverse problem for five years,” Renner said.”Now it’s getting hard to find buyers good quality properties in a reasonable amount of time.”

Realtors hope to see housing inventory numbers somewhere between five and seven months’ worth, which they say will give them good buyer/seller parity.

“Both sides have a really good opportunity to do what they want to do,” Renner said. “Sell at a fair price and buy at a fair price.”

via, “Bend home prices finally on the upswing.”

Rising home prices and an uptick in the economy are just ammunition for Bend making on the top of more “Best of” lists.  Most recently, Travel and Leisure magazine named Bend No. 3 “Best Ski Town” and accolades just keep coming.

Hayden Homes has over eight communities in beautiful Bend, Oregon, and the surrounding Central Oregon area. In Bend alone, Hayden Homes is currently selling properties at Obsidian Ridge, Merrick, South Briar, Aspen Rim, and our newest community, North Village.  Our communities in Central Oregon offer value and options at a variety of price ranges, sizes, and locations.  Tour one of our model homes today, or take an online tour of our designs.

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Home prices for the third quarter of 2012 jumped 3.6 percent–that’s nearly three times the previous quarter–and unlike the home price jump in 2010, there is nothing artificial about this market. Rock-bottom interest rates on mortgages, inventory demand, and rising consumer confidence are all padding the argument that housing recovery is happening.  Add to that growth in areas of the Northwest such as Central Oregon, which is reporting a steady growth in population, and the lowest foreclosure rate in five years, and you’ve got a formula for housing recovery.

If you have been searching the market for your next home, you may have noticed the lack of inventory and selection. Many homebuyers are dealing with low foreclosure rates, and sellers who are hesitant to put their house on the market in fears they are underwater.  These factors are slowing down the flow of supply, and many homebuyers in the market are finding they can get a new Hayden Home in a great community with all the features and amenities they want by building a new home. After six straight months of month-over-month increases in home prices, fewer foreclosures, record-low interest rates, and less inventory, why compromise getting the home you really want when you can buy a customized new home of your dreams and start building equity today with a new Hayden Home?

So, good news if you are ready to become a homebuyer: “With six months of consistently rising home prices, it is safe to say that we are now in the midst of a recovery in the housing market,” said David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices.  You can still get in while the getting’s good.  But if you are waiting to take the plunge into buying a new home in hopes of lower prices, more inventory, or lower interest rates, you may be out of luck.  All things (including the housing market) look like they are headed up, up, up!

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