Take a peek at Prato, a brand new townhome community located within San Diego County in San Marcos, CA. This spacious and urban yet suburban community is within walking distance to everything you’ll need and want. It is within the distance of the San Marcos Unified School District where you can enroll your children in well-appointed schools for all ages just minutes from home. Spend your days off taking a stroll to the bright sunny beaches of Carlsbad and Encinitas as well as enjoying hiking trails, parks, and community activities. Shopping for life’s pleasures and day to day necessities will never be an issue at Prato. You can find staples such as Albertson’s Grocery, Chase Bank, Hills Family Dentistry, Postal Annex, and Shane’s Pizza and Pints. Within the San Elijo Town Center you will come across your favorite spots like Everbowl, Starbucks, Lourdes Mexican Restaurant, Cycle Bar, Grand Vision Optometry, and Sour Dough and Company all just a few miles from home.

Prato offers 12 spacious three-story townhomes with three-floor plans to choose from. You’ll find 3-4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a two-car garage, and 1,749-1,827 square feet of living space. The home designs at Prato by Hallmark Communities offer stainless steel Jenn-Air appliances, shaker style cabinetry, quartz solid surface countertops, are pre-wired for front entry camera and security system, Schlage Sense Lock-front door smart lock with phone connection, and a great room and deck perfect for entertaining.

Hallmark Communities has had a long-established history of being a trustworthy homebuilder since 1984 building thousands of brand new homes throughout San Diego County. This builder has earned the title of Builder of the Year in 2019 from the Building Industry Association of San Diego. Hallmark Communities is willing to go the extra mile by building with quality materials and using the latest technologies to ensure their customers enjoy their homes for years to come. End your search for a new San Diego home by contacting the sales office at Prado by Hallmark Communities to experience its wonderful amenities and prime location. 

The Coronavirus also known as COVID-19 has many people up in arms across the globe and for good reason with over 13,000 known cases reported in the U. S. alone.  This virus has hit the economy in a major way with an interruption and even a complete halt of supply chain productions. Along with the travel industry and foodservice industry, this is bringing up concerns for the future of the real estate market during these trying times. Not even real estate is immune from the impact of the Coronavirus.

The Pandemic has affected everyone

Due to the urge of having to self-quarantine and the push for school closures across the U. S. for several weeks, many American workers have been forced to stay at home with their children, and many have been left jobless as a result of this. For those companies that do not offer the option or ability for their employees to work from home, many are left wondering how they will be able to pay their bills and feed their families in the coming months. Many small business owners have also seen a vast decline in sales with people remaining isolated.

Emotions are leading most decisions to buy real estate right now

With stats changing daily and many living in a world of uncertainty, it can be easy to question what to do with some of the biggest financial transactions such as buying or even selling a home. Although many people will have less money and less access to funds during this time, the real estate market has not yet been deeply affected as some may think. There is a slight decrease in both buyers and sellers due to the current state of the world right now based mainly on emotion. 

Some seem more optimistic and eager to buy while rates in the housing market are so low. Those willing to enter the housing market with high hopes have the benefit of low rates and are jumping on the opportunity pretty quickly. The housing stock will be more attractive to many than what it is to rent being that some are currently considering buying a new home to take in more family members during the time because of the effects of the pandemic.

There may be opportunities for price discounts for those buyers that choose to stay in the market during this time while others are pulling out allowing their emotions to get the best of them which is truly understandable.

What does the future of the real estate market look like?

There is a possibility that history can have its way of repeating itself. We can look at recent historical events such as the Swine Flu, SARS epidemic, and MERS and other aggressive Flu strains to get an idea of how the COVID-19 will affect the housing market in the coming months. History has shown that the housing market typically can remain stable during disruptions like these with only a slight fall in sales. Although this may be true, the economic impact of the pandemic COVID-19 is greater than the impact of SARS and others like it. It may take a little longer to see a significant rise in sales again when things finally begin to blow over.

As far as a long term outlook on the effects of the Coronavirus to the housing market, home prices may remain flat or creep up slower than they have since 2012. In short term, realtors are already seeing a decline of 10% in home sales due to loss of employment with citizens having to self-quarantine and make use of social distancing to reduce the risk of spreading this virus.

If you are on the fence about what your next steps should be during this very uncertain time, just know that you are not alone. The decision of whether or not to buy or sell during this time is simply situational. Take the time to weigh out the pros and cons and evaluate your current and possible financial situation to make the decision that is best for you and your family. The coronavirus will have a positive impact on the U. S. Real Estate market if the interest rates remain low and if you are willing to take the risk, right now is a good time to get your feet wet and experience more inventory, low-interest rates, and better pricing.

Can you envision yourself living a beachside lifestyle in the ultimate home of your dreams? Come take a look at the stunning new single-family homes at Parkside Estates by homebuilder Shea Homes where that dream can soon become reality. Located in gorgeous Huntington Beach, CA, this community offers an astounding location just 1.5 miles from sandy beaches such as Bolsa Chica State Beach and Huntington Beach. You can also find the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve nearby as well as plenty of beachside entertainment, restaurants, shopping to enjoy. At Parkside Estates, there is an abundance of open space and coastal wetlands as well as a wildlife habitat preservation area. The community is also surrounded by walking trails, a tot lot with swings, and active and passive parks. Enroll your children in nearby schools within the Ocean View School District or the Huntington Beach School District at schools like Hope View Elementary School, Harbour View Elementary School, and Huntington Beach High School.

The new Orange County homes at Parkside Estates span between 3,500 to 4,000 square feet of living space and offers 4 to 6 bedrooms and 4.5 to 6.5 bathrooms. The several floor plans offered here come equipped with Coastal California Rooms, spacious gourmet kitchens, lofts, and media rooms. 

The Residence 1 floor plan is a two-story living space that includes a walk-in pantry, den, a loft, 3-car Tandem Garage, a Coastal California Room with a fireplace. This plan offers 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, and spans up to 3,496 square feet of living space.

The Residence 2 floor plan features a bonus room with a kitchenette, a den with your choice of either a powder room or full bath option, the option of a second laundry room, and a downstairs master bedroom. This floor plan offers 5 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, and a 3-car split garage with 3,751 square feet of living space perfect for entertainment.

The Residence 3-floor plan is a two-story floor plan that includes 5-6 bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, and a 3-car garage with 3,682 square feet of space for the entire family to enjoy. Features include an optional covered deck at the master bedroom, a catering room, and a bonus room.

Homebuilder Shea Homes offers single-family homes, condos and townhomes, resort communities, quick move-in homes, 55+ communities, and master-planned communities. They create new home designs that are functional, livable, and provide usable space, as well as in-home technology. They are committed to providing customer experiences and value each of their homeowners as if they are a member of their extended family. Contact the sales office of Shea Homes to “live the difference” at Parkside Estates in order to make your beachside lifestyle a reality.

Our March realtor of the month is Joe Frazzano, listing specialist of The Frazzano Team and our Real Estate Market Expert for Dublin, CA.

Joe Frazzano entered the real estate industry in 1988 and has consistently been a leader in Real Estate ever since. Joe has sold well over 1000 homes since beginning his Real Estate journey in 1988. In the year 2000, Joe joined Re/Max Accord and during that time obtained his Certified Residential Specialist designation which only 5 percent of Realtors ever actually obtain. Joe Frazzano has earned several awards over the years. He has been a top 1% nationally recognized agent and has been a Rockcliff Realtors Presidents Club Top Agent, Diamond Club Winner, and Chairman Club winner.  After selling an average of 60-100 homes per year from 1993-1998, Joe earned the N. California "Salesperson of the Year" MAME award. Joe has also worked with one of the largest homebuilders in the United States, KB Homes as their Resale Homes Director.

Joe Frazzano is very well versed in the real estate industry and understands the value of owning real estate and his team continues to maintain an extremely high percentage of satisfied customers. Contact Joe and The Frazzano Team as you continue on your journey to find yourself a brand new home in San Francisco. 

The New Year more than likely brings about the desire for change in many areas of your life including your home. Trying to keep your décor up to date with what’s trending each year can be pretty stressful at times. Things change with the blink of an eye from furniture styles, paint colors, and even fabric choices. You may be tempted to make a few adjustments to your interior design as you journey through this year and we’d like to help give you an idea of what direction the popular design trends are going in 2020 and beyond. 

Painted Kitchen Cabinets

Have fun with color this year in one of your favorite rooms in the home, the kitchen. Choose an element of your kitchen such as the island or cabinets and go to town with a pop of color like dark red, navy blue, bright yellow, and even green.

Textured Wall Tiles

Adding textured tiles on the walls is a great way to add a little pizazz to your interior design. It adds character and personality to every room without overpowering it. Try adding an embossed title for a luxury look in your bathroom or some subtle texture as a kitchen backsplash.

Curved Furniture

Curved furniture such as headboards, love seats, and chairs are making a comeback this year with some of the throwback styles from the ’60s and ’70s of course with a modern touch. We are moving away from the more structured and rectangular shapes and moving toward gentle curves that will help to create a soft environment.

Dark Painted Doors

Say goodbye to those drab white or brown front doors that initially came with your home and say hello to a fresh paint job in 2020. The color black in either a satin or gloss finish gives your front entrance an elegant and classic look. Or try a nice deep blue hue to give your home a more vintage jazzy appearance that is sure to wow your guests. What a great way to make an entrance to the New Year.

Thrift Store Crafting

Although this is nothing new, repurposing thrift store finds is definitely a popular interior design trend that won’t hurt your bank account and adds a touch of personality to any room. Pick up a wicker chair and apply a few coats of spray paint or repurpose a preloved vase for a special touch to any room in your home.

Plant life

Beautifying your new home through the addition of plant life is continuing to be common in this year’s interior design trends. Adding live plants and flowers assists in providing personality and another layer of space in the home. It can also add a simple dash of color in drab spaces.

Mixed Metal finishes

Simple traces of mixed metal finishes throughout the home on things like doorknobs and sink features create a very simplistic accent to your home’s interior design.

Wallpaper

Painting the walls is not always everyone’s favorite option so adding wallpaper is a great go-to way to add color to the rooms in your home. In 2020 you can expect to see more pops of color through the use of wallpaper. You can expect to see the wallpaper in the form of botanical designs, metallic, and geometric patterns this year. Choose from a wide selection of designs and place your wallpaper on your bathroom walls, ceilings, walkways, and even use it for accent walls in bedrooms and living spaces.

Kitchen Islands

Kitchen islands have become very popular over the years and allow for more space for both dining and meal preparation as well as allow for ease with the entertaining of guests while still being the life of the party. This has become a common focal point in the kitchen space and a must-have feature in almost any home. 

However you choose to decorate your home this year, be sure to do it with love and don’t hold back on your creativity. Your home’s interior design is an expression of your personality.

The journey to homeownership all starts with the search, so why not make it easier to begin? NewHomesDirectory.com has recently added a brand new feature that will aid in making your home search even more easy and convenient! NHD continues to explore ways to increase the productivity of your home search from the comfort of your home and the palm of your hand. Time is something you don’t always have much of and now you can save even more of it when looking for your next new home with the use of the new map and grid split view feature.

Depending on your search preference, viewing new homes within the map view may be much more convenient. The map view can assist in gauging the distance of your new home to your place of employment, access to nearby freeways, local schools, shopping, and more. While searching for new homes in the directory, you can now click on a pin within the map view on the left side of the webpage and it will highlight the associated community details on the right side. You still have the option to view new home communities within the grid view on the right side of the webpage as well without having to switch back and forth between pages. Simply click the “grid view” or “map view” button on the right side of the page next to the “filter results” button to switch your view of the available communities in the directory. You can also directly visit the community of your choosing to learn more by clicking the “visit community” button when the pin is highlighted. 

NewHomesDirectory.com is very proud of the addition of this new map and grid split feature in hopes that it will help bring you that much closer to turning the key on your brand new home.

If you’ve ever been fresh out of ideas when it comes to designing your newly purchased home, Trandmaker Homes Austin has the perfect solution! Longtime home builder, Trendmaker Homes has recently announced the grand opening of its newest 4,000 square foot Design Studio which is located in Austin, TX. This new development will move Trendmaker Homes forward as a premium lifestyle brand within its industry.

What is a Design Studio?

The Trendmaker Homes Design Studio is a Class A space designed to inspire you with numerous possibilities for the customization of your newly purchased home. You'll have the ability to choose the finishes, options, and upgrades you desire by simply visiting the Design Studio. It offers a curated collection of product choices with interactive displays as well as resources to help you find the perfect touches for the home of your dreams and create memories that will last a lifetime.  

What are the benefits of using the Design Studio?

Trendmaker Homes Austin offers the opportunity to meet with a design consultant in order to make selections from flooring, countertops, cabinets, lighting fixtures, appliances, interior paint colors, stair railing systems, and even the electrical options. Each of these many options available are based on what the customers of today desire in their home’s interior design.

Who can make use of the design studio?

Homebuyers who purchase a new to-be-built home at Trendmaker Homes communities within Austin, TX can make use of the new design center including in such communities as Rancho Sienna, Palmera Ridge, and Highlands at Mayfield Ranch. The viewing of the Design Studio is not available prior to purchase your home. As an added bonus, those who purchase a home in 2020 also have the opportunity to receive up to $10,000 in design studio selections credit.

About Trendmaker Homes

Established over four decades ago, Trendmaker Homes Austin designs builds and sells high-quality single-family homes in Austin, TX. Trendmaker Homes is a member of TRI Pointe Group which is a family of premium regional home builders as well as one of the largest homebuilders in the United States. Inspired by the Texas families they build for; Trendmaker Homes Austin envisioned a new home buying experience that would turn out to be both simple and straight forward. This homebuilder has also been a leader in green building since 2001 by offering a LivingSmart program that includes five areas of advancement: HeathSmart, EnergySmart, EarthSmart, WaterSmart, and HomeSmart. Trendmaker Homes believes that the home buying process is about becoming a partnership instead of a negotiation.

South Cove is one of Dana Point’s newest communities with luxury must-have amenities and a prime location you do not want to miss out on! This high-end development made up of 168 luxury flats offers up to 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and up to 2,038 square feet of living space perfect for entertaining guests or simply spreading out. Enjoy the simple convenience of being within distance of all of what sunny Dana Point, CA has to offer. Dip your toes in the cool waters of Doheny State Beach or Dana Point Harbor. Learn and explore at the Dana Point Headlands Conservation Area where there are over 150 species of native coastal plants and animals. Westwind Sailing offers safe boating and sailing education for the general public. You’ll easily find yourself living an active lifestyle while walking, biking, and rollerblading on the many trails in the area.

The standard community features in each floor plan at South Cove including exterior styling with dual-glazed white vinyl, Low-E windows, the option of balconies, patios, and roof decks per plan, and Boral fire resistant flat concrete tile roofing. The interior amenities include quartz countertops in the kitchens and bathrooms, Decora rocker light switches, recessed lighting at select locations, USB ports at the kitchen and all bedrooms, and pre-wire for ceiling fans in the living room and all bedrooms. The gourmet kitchens come equipped with GE Profile Series gas stainless steel cooktops, stainless steel pyramid hood, built-in single convection wall oven, and a counter depth side by side stainless steel refrigerator. Your brand new kitchen will also come with a heavy-duty garbage disposal and a kitchen island with bar top seating.

South Cove’s Luxury Home Designs also offer energy-saving features that are truly beneficial to your way of life. Central forced air heating and cooling, Low Flow toilets and showerheads, and temperature-balancing shower valves will all save you energy and lower your monthly bills. You will also find fluorescent lighting in the kitchen and garage, weather stripping on all living area exterior doors, and energy-efficient gas hookup at the laundry room dryer location.

Zephyr is an extraordinary development company with a commitment to sustainability and a history of bringing to life some of the most innovative ideas. Zephyr was named Best Builder in Ranch & Coast Magazine. The Park, Bankers Hill, and South Cove won multiple gold and silver awards at the NAHB Nations in February of 2019. Zephyr takes a fresh approach to the environments they create and strays away from designs that fall in the box of being simple or ordinary. Look for your next new townhome in Orange County at the beautiful beachside community of South Cove by Zephyr.

Our February realtor of the month is Liana Norman, broker-associate for Liana Norman & Associates and our Real Estate Market Expert for Dana Point, CA.

Liana prides herself on going above and beyond for all of her clients in the South Orange County area. She is knowledgeable in all fields of real estate and keeps clients informed in the marketplace using the latest statistics in the local area.

Liana has been in the top one percent of Realtors in Orange County for years. She began her career in 1985 working in the lending industry and transitioned into working in escrow and property management in 1987. While working in San Clemente, Liana obtained her real estate license in 1989. Partnered with realtor-associate Dusty Janisch, Liana has made over $260,000,000 in sales since 2000.

Liana’s main objective is to work diligently to assist her clients with meeting their real estate goals whether they are buying or selling. If you are in search for the perfect new home near Orange County, be sure to contact Liana Norman with Liana Norman & Associates for all of your real estate needs.

Millennials are the next generation of home buyers that are making a wave in the real estate market this decade. They are the largest U. S. generation ever and are definitely making an impact. Millennials are expected to buy more homes in the next year than both Generation X and baby boomers combined. With lessons learned from previous generations, this group of tech-savvy adults has come to make decisions with a very different perspective. 

Despite the popular belief that millennials are less likely to invest in purchasing homes with their overbearing student loan debt and love for Starbucks, they are taking homeownership to a new level. Millennials were the most dominant buyers in 2019 and will play a large role in the coming year as well. In 2016, adults 36 years old and younger accounted for the largest portion of homebuyers at 34 percent. Millennials make up 56 percent of first-time homebuyers according to Zillow.

Rent prices are continuing to rise and more times than not, a mortgage may turn out to be much more affordable for a 30 something adult. This generation is taking its time and planning accordingly when it comes to their first home purchase. We are seeing many millennials becoming more frugal by moving back home with family members in order to finish school and save for their first new home.

Millennials rely heavily on technology to find and purchase homes

This is the generation that is extremely tech-savvy dominating with the love of social media. Millennials are twice as likely to use their cell phones as aids in their home search process compared to the baby boomer generation. There is literally an app for everything these days including an app that will assist in searching for and eventually purchasing a new home. In 2017, 99% of millennials searched online prior to making their first home purchase. These same buyers tend to look for properties with a social media prescience when trying to find the right home to fit their needs. Apps like Trulia, Realtor.com, and Zillow are just a few of the tools that have helped millennials dig into the real estate market.

Millennials are going green

Millennials are very interested in minimizing their carbon footprint by going green, which means they are on the hunt for lots of green features both inside and outside of their home. This generation is very environmentally- conscious and is looking to have efficient features such as low-emittance windows, fluorescent light bulbs, sustainable lumber, and solar energy. Many millennials have a desire to help reduce their carbon footprint and will opt for more all-electric homes that come equipped with induction stoves and heat pump dryers that are energy-efficient and will reduce costs.

Millennials are looking for convenience

Along with the desire to help save the planet, millennials are opting for communities that are closer to everyday necessities like parks, shopping, dining, and even employment to lessen the load of a commute. Many are riding bikes, carpooling, taking trains, buses, and utilizing Uber or Lyft to save funds and the earth.

Millennials want more space

This generation of adults is starting families and businesses, and entertaining guests. They desire homes with open floor plans and great rooms that will accommodate their growing needs. New homes with spacious and open floor plans are more desirable and allow for more options as life changes. Potential homeowners are looking for houses with options for an in-home office, game rooms, nursery, or even an in-home gym.

As more and more millennials begin to dominate the real estate market and express their specific home needs, home builders are making the efforts necessary to accommodate this growing generation with smart home technology and lots of amenities that will keep them coming. Millennials are making much bigger decisions than which Snapchat filter to use. They're making investments that will last a lifetime.