Why Modular Homes Make Sense

Factory-built homes offer all the amenities of traditionally built homes, often at reduced cost and increased quality. Modular homes are like the hybrid car of the house-building industry. They save money, they make sense, but they haven’t caught on yet. General misconceptions keep many from considering going modular, and the confusion between modular homes and manufactured (mobile) homes has led to regulations and restrictions being placed by towns that have new home builders scared into going the traditional route. But the word is getting out. It turns out modular homes are in many ways superior to stick-built homes, and, once assembled, cannot be distinguished from their traditionally built counterpart.

What is a modular home?

“There is no such thing as a modular home,” states Dave boniello, vice President of Sales and Marketing at Simplex Industries, a Pennsylvania-based modular home manufacturer. It is a matter of the literal meaning of the word modular, which insinuates a standardized unit or repeatedly used structural component. “The modular homes industry uses a system-built technology,” Boniello explains. “The homes are built in a factory in a controlled environment. They are built in a system.”

Simply put, a modular home is one that is built in a factory, usually in assembly-line fashion, and then transported to a site in large units. These units are then lifted from the transport by crane and rested on a pre-built foundation and fastened together. The entire process takes a fraction of the time it takes to build a house on-site, and the finished product can cost a good deal less.

Customize, customize, customize

"There is nothing you cannot do with a modular home.” So says Harvey, the assistant director of government affairs with the modular building system association.  Harvey, who splits his time between apprising association member of any new industry regulations and seeking new ways to educate the public on the benefits of modular homes, is a firm believer in the industry he represents. “Anything you want in a modular home, you can have.”

The process of building a modular home

Once a potential homeowner has decided to go with a modular home, there are a few steps to take that are relatively consistent regardless of which modular home building company one is working with.

First a homeowner must select a modular home manufacturer. The majority of manufacturers are located on the east coast and some are very specific as to what states they will ship their homes. Since it is usually necessary to include a local builder or developer in the process it may be helpful to consult with this party for advice on manufacturers. Many local developers have established relationships with certain manufacturers, so this is a good place to start.

After a local developer and manufacturer have been decided on, the homeowner must choose a floor plan and select from a wide range of options. When these decisions have been made and an initial contract is signed, the manufacturer’s engineering staff overlooks the plans and the factory can go to work on constructing the home.

Once the manufacturer has begun building the home in the factory, it is usually just a matter of weeks before the units are ready for transport. As the work in the factory is taking place, on-site construction of the home’s foundation by the local builder is being done to ready the site for arrival of the home. “Because the foundation is being laid on-site as the home is being built in the factory, the overall construction time is dramatically reduced.” Says Harvey.

The modular home is then shipped to the site on flatbed trucks. The units are then placed by crane onto the foundation, and the entire home is fastened together. At this point, the amount of time until the homeowner can move in depends on a number of things. “Some customers want to put on custom trims, or finish the basement.” Says Boniello. There are plumbing and electrical tie-ins to address as well. Completion time after the units have been placed can be anywhere from a couple weeks for simple designs to 90 days for complex custom jobs. The average completion time from initial order to move-in is roughly three months, compared to an average completion time of about six months to a year for a site-built home.

Built-in strengths

While this may seem a matter of opinion, there are a few areas in which modular homes have stick-built homes at-large beat. “Modular homes,” Harvey declares, “are built with 20 to 30 percent more materials than typical stick-built homes because they have to withstand the transport from the factory to the site.” In a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) study following the Hurricane Andrew in 1992, it was found that wood-frame modular homes in hard-hit Dade County, Florida, stood up to the devastating winds better than stick-built homes. The finding states: “Overall, relatively minimal structural damage was noted in modular housing” the report also points out that the construction method of modular homes” provided an inherently rigid system that performed much better than conventional residential framing.” The use of more materials also equals greater energy efficiency – another money-saver.

Controlling costs

Modular homes are built in factory. This is a controlled environment that is unaffected by variables that plague site-built homes, such as poor weather and theft or vandalism. Not only does this cut down on construction time (which saves money) it can lead to a better product. A quality modular home is assembled using top-shelf products that can be purchased by the modular home manufacturer from suppliers in large quantities at reduced costs. “We’re not ashamed of the products we use.” “We can guarantee brand names. Site-builders use what’s on-hand…what’s available. They don’t have a Purchasing Department who can source products like we can.”

Modular homes are built to the state and local regulations of wherever the home is to be transported. In order to assure that each home passes inspection, every manufacturer’s factory has third-party inspection. This means every step of the home’s construction is reviewed and checked by inspectors who are up-to-date on the state and local codes of the home’s final destination. “Our homes do not leave the factory until they meet or exceed state code.

Purchasing a modular home can save money. While it is impossible to affix an exact figure, the savings can be anywhere from 5 to 25 percent over building traditionally. Right now the modular home industry accounts for 7 to 8 percent of all new home sales. But that number is on the increase as the public becomes more educated on the superior qualities of the modular home. “Modular housing is coming into its own” The future outlook is very strong.

Pennwest Quality Homes by Edith Metts

Eddie started as a receptionist in 1991 at Astro Homes.  She then moved onto sales secretary then to sales coordinator and assistant manager of the service department.  In 1999, moved to the retail side of sales and became General Manager of QC Home Center in Shippenville.

As luck would have it she joined the Pennwest family in April 2010. She believes Pennwest Homes has the top kitchens as far as layout design and quality in the entire industry. 

As homes are her passion she has provided so many homes to so many people through the years. She advocates the Pennwest series of homes as being the “forerunner of home manufacturing in her mind”.  “What makes this a winning product is not only the finished product and the visual eye appealing effect but also the quality.”  By putting those together it creates a top quality home.    You can find these quality Pennwest homes at Homestead Oak in Meadville and Fairview. 

Edith Metts

Regional Sales Manager

Pennwest Homes

Introducing Mona's Story - A Story of a Mother's Love

   Conneaut Lake is privileged to be the hometown of two underground Superstars --Duke and Mona Opperman--who have managed to raise over 250 children without benefit of grants or state funding.  At one time, when they lived in Ben Avon a Pittsburgh suburb, they had taken in 24 children.  My interview with Mona was a reality life lesson in how God can personally move in people’s lives. 

    Mona told me she desperately wanted to escape her home life as a teenager.  Her mother had had six husbands and Mona admitted to being rebellious, skipping school and dipping into activities typical of other hurt and rejected children.  Marriage offered a legitimate pathway of escape and so she said she prayed for a husband  (without personally knowing the Lord or even being convinced that God would hear her).   However...shortly thereafter she met Duke Opperman at a dance; they had two dates and he bought her an engagement ring.  They were married three months later .in 1958. Two months after that she found out she was pregnant with their first child.

    “When I went to Allegheny General Hospital to have the baby,” Mona told me, “there was a girl there who was also in labor, was having complications, and had no family.  Little did I know that this woman would be used as the catalyst in the start of our ministry.  The nurse ran an idea by the mother and she agreed, so the nurse asked if I would take the other woman’s baby home also.  Duke and I had had our baby boy, David—this baby was a boy also; therefore, we actually ended up bringing home a set of twins!

    “We returned him to the mother after about three months when she recovered.  But when our son was about five months old the woman called and said her brother had gone to jail, had a little girl named Frieda and asked if we would take her.  There were no courts involved back then and we had this little one for about a year when I found out I was pregnant again.

 

     “This baby girl was full term and shockingly our little Faith was stillborn  January 15^th of 1961.  Reeling from the tragedy of this, I really felt I was having a nervous breakdown as I was told I wouldn’t have anymore babies by birth.  I can remember desperately searching through that period of time.  I would sleep with my head on an open Bible, just begging God to reveal Himself to me.  And...I started asking for a blonde haired, blue-eyed baby girl.  I said, ‘Please Lord...please Lord send me one.’  And I didn’t know anything about adoption back then.  But when my nerves got so bad, Duke suggested that maybe I needed to do something I enjoyed.  So I enrolled in nursing at Bellevue Suburban Hospital.

   “Two weeks before graduation I was working with patients on the third floor of the hospital when the pay phone started ringing.  A cleaning lady answered it.  She turned around and yelled, ‘Is there an Opperman here?’  I answered, ‘I’m Opperman’ and she handed me the ‘phone.  When I answered a man’s voice came on the line.  His exact words were, ‘Would you be interested in a blonde haired, blue-eyed baby girl?’  The first thing I could think of was, Is this black market?  What’s going on?  Those were the precise words I’d said in my prayers!  He explained that his name was Albert Liddle and he was a lawyer.  He said we could pick the baby up at his home the following day.  She was just two days old.

   “Did he explain any of  the circumstances?” I asked Mona.

.

    “He told me nothing; however, I went to my supervisor and told her I had to quit.  She told me I couldn’t as it was two weeks before graduation, but I said, ‘I have to.  I’m getting a baby girl!’  Actually, that could have blown up in my face as I really didn’t know anything except that the attorney had used the exact words that had been in my prayer and basically I was trusting God.  So, the following day we went to the attorney’s house.  We named the precious baby girl Amy, which means ‘beloved’ and later we formally adopted her.”

    “But...did you ask him how he knew about you—how he got the number of the pay phone?” I asked.

    “Nope.  We never did.  We just figured it had to be God so we never questioned it.  When Amy was about a year old Duke and I began to go to Holy Family Institute, an orphanage.  We took our own children to socialize, baked cookies, played ball and were just strangely attracted to the orphans never dreaming we were in the beginning stages of what the Lord had planned for our own lives.  One of the nuns asked us if we’d be interested in 3 of the sibling children with the possibility of adoption.  Their mother was deceased and the father needed help with them.  We had the girl, age 10 and two boys ages 8 and 6 for a year until the father remarried so we had to return them to their own family.

.  “At the time we had no idea what the Lord had in store for us and it was heart-wrenching to give them up.  But as time went on and this situation presented itself time and again, we realized we were a haven of rest for children until their parents were willing and able to take them back.  But it was devastating to release them each time and I began to pray again—this time for a brown haired, brown-eyed boy.  I have to admit at that point in time I certainly knew God was real, but had never accepted Him personally as my savior.

   “About 2 months later I got a call again from the attorney, Mr. Liddle.  He said that there was a young girl expecting a baby and she wanted to become a nun, so therefore she couldn’t take care of the baby.  He said she would be due in 2 months.  Were we interested?  It looked like God was using him again so, of course, we told him ‘yes’.  At the end of 2 months he called again and told us, ‘You have a baby boy...and he has brown eyes and brown hair.’  We named him ‘Kevin’—our Kevin from heaven.”

    So the attorney, Albert Liddle, had been used a second time to fulfill Mona’s answer to prayer.  And by this time word had began to spread by mouth about the Opperman’s ministry to children.  Judges knew of them and referred children, people just called, sometimes from California and across the country.    I couldn’t fathom how she and Duke could have managed (not just financially when not accepting state funding for their endeavor, but in patience, love and all the other resources that would take.  I found out later that Duke worked 3 jobs).

   Mona continued, “Early on, Duke and I found a verse in the Bible that we felt was a calling for our life.  It was Leviticus 19:34 that says, ‘The stranger that dwells among you shall be one such as born to you and you shall love them as your own.’”

   I shook my head in dismay.  “So, did you have to keep moving to bigger and bigger houses?”

   She giggled like a small child herself, “No, we lived in a three bedroom house on Forest Avenue in Ben Avon and when the Lord told us we needed to expand, we first put three bedrooms in the attic, we divided a large bedroom on the second floor, and ended up making 6 bedrooms in the basement.  The final tally was 13 bedrooms.  At that time we had 12 boys and 12 girls—and 1 bathroom!”

   “How in the world did you manage that?”  I couldn’t imagine.

   “Organization!  It was very regimented and scheduled.  The boys went first because they were quicker and then the girls had their turn.  It was amazing how God always kept order.  However, I have to tell you that after the first six children I began having anxiety attacks.  I never left my home for 11 years.  I couldn’t answer the door; I could only interact with the kids because they weren’t my problem.  It was something within me.  One day a neighbor invited me to go to a Bible study, but I would always say, ‘No, I can’t.’  Finally she asked, ‘Would you be honest with me?  Is there a problem?’  She kept pressuring me and so I told her about the anxiety attacks.  She said, ‘We will never, ever judge you.  If you want to leave you can leave.’   And then I told her...I said, ‘But I can’t read.’  Sandy, I was 37 years old before I read my first book,” she told me.

   “Why, Mona?”  I could scarcely believe what she was saying.

    She looked out through the picture window of her home as though a movie screen of the past scrolled slowly by.  “I told you I was an extremely rebellious child.  One year I only attended 17 days of school.  So, I went to the Bible study that day and really liked what I was hearing. That day I knelt down and accepted the Lord, but I still continued with my anxiety.  I argued with God and bargained with Him about it.  I told Him, ‘I’ve got these children and a job to do, Lord, and then He loudly spoke to my heart saying, ‘No!  My power works best in weak people!’  It was that night that I declared, ‘Though He slay me, still will I serve Him.’  That’s when the determination set in.

    “The women at the Bible study told me about the Holy Spirit and so I started praying for that experience. One night it was as though an electricity surged through my body and the Lord assured me I had received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  I picked up the King James Bible and devoured it.  He taught me to read—right on the spot!  From that point forward everything dramatically changed—no more anxiety.  In fact, I spoke at Aglow, was on The 700 Club, I was on Channel 40, Channel 60 out of Ohio...it just went on and on.  And Sandy, there were probably only 10 or 12 children who came into our home out of the 250 that didn’t accept Christ as their savior.  Some that are now ministers and youth leaders.”  I remembered that for the Opperman’s 50^th wedding anniversary over 70 of those now scattered children had returned to watch them renew their wedding vows and celebrate.

  

    As I packed up my tape recorder, pens and pad preparing to leave, I was arrested by a striking thought.  Mona had confessed to not knowing the Lord personally, but prayed for a blonde haired, blue-eyed girl and miraculously got her; prayed for a brown haired, brown-eyed baby boy and miraculously had gotten him.  She had lost a precious stillborn child—but God had given her 250 more.  Even before she was able to read and know that the Bible states we should minister to orphans, before she had met Christ personally, He knew her and was working in her life.  As I walked to my car words echoed to the cadence of my feet, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew and approved of you and before you were born I separated and set you apart...” I looked it up when I got home—it was Jeremiah 1:5 and not only did it apply to Mona, but to every single child she and Duke had raised!

Story by Sandra Ghost

http://www.sandraghost.info/

Radiant Floor Heating

The best heating system a house can have is the one you don't realize is there. No radiators clanking in the night. No vents whooshing like a jet preparing for takeoff. No dust-spewing ductwork to run up your allergists' bills. Just an even blanket of heat, right where you want it.

That's the appeal of radiant floor heating, says This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, who has long been a fan. "It's truly invisible," he says. But a radiant floor system has more than just aesthetics going for it. It's also a highly efficient way to heat a house, increasing comfort as it reduces energy costs.

In a radiant setup, the warmth is supplied by hot-water tubes or electric wires buried underneath the floor. As the invisible waves of thermal radiation rise from below, they warm up any objects they strike, which radiate that captured heat in turn. Though the air temperature remains relatively constant, you stay comfortable because the surrounding surfaces aren't stealing warmth from your body.

Contrast that with what happens in a conventional forced-air heating system, the kind found in most American homes. Air blows out of the registers at a well-baked 120 degrees, rises to the top of the room where it quickly sheds heat, then drops back down as it cools. The air in the room becomes uncomfortably stratified: Your head can be bathed in warmth while your toes lie in the frozen zone. Then there's the problem of cycling. "You turn on the furnace, it quickly takes you to 68 or 70, and then shuts off," says Richard. The result is a phenomenon he calls "the cold 70," which is what you feel right after the hot air stops pumping from the registers. Those jarring ups and downs are absent with radiant floors, which may reach 85 degrees, tops, on a frigid day. The warm air still rises, but it does so evenly over the entire floor, so the coolest air stays up at the ceiling. "You're heating where the people are," Richard says.

There are two basic ways to supply this gentle, even warmth: hot water or electricity. Electric radiant, which uses zigzagging loops of resistance wire, is ­generally retrofitted to a single room, such as a bathroom or kitchen. (See "The Floor Electric," above.) Hot-water "hydronic" systems—the most popular and cost effective way to heat an entire house—circulate water from a boiler or water heater through loops of 1/2-inch polyethylene tubing. The flexible tubes can be installed in a variety of ways: on top of the subfloor in grooved panels or snap-in grids; clipped ­into aluminum strips on the underside of the floor; or embedded in poured concrete. Once the system is in place, you can cover it with most types of finish flooring, including hardwood and tile. Carpet, however, can be tricky, especially if it has thick padding underneath. "If the floor is too well insulated, radiant heating really ­doesn't make sense," Richard says. "It's like putting a sweater over a radiator."
Hot-water radiant costs more to install than other types of heating systems—from $6 to $15 per square foot depending on the method, whether you're starting from scratch or retrofitting, and where you live. (New builds where the tubes are buried in concrete slab tend to be the least expensive). And you'll still need a separate air-conditioning system for cooling. But if the price tag puts you off, consider this: Once it's up and running, a radiant system can be up to 30 percent more efficient than forced-air heating, depending on how well insulated a house is. And there's no comparison when it comes to comfort. In that category, radiant always wins, feet down.

See for Yourself - Quality Stunning Homes by Commodore

What will the interior of my Commodore Home look like?            

How will my new home be constructed?

Feature: 2x10 floor joists-graded lumber, built 16" on center.

Benefit: Strong floor - 16" on center aligns floor joints and wall studs for increased strength. Graded lumber has lower moisture content and fewer knots. Lower moisture helps eliminate warping and fewer knots means stronger lumber.

Feature: 2x10's around each half of floor. (4) 2x10 at the center line.

Benefit: Greater strength and stability, which is important when installed over a basement or crawl space.

Feature: Sewer drains, water lines, and insulated heat ducts installed in the floor

Benefit: Insulated ducts are whisper quiet with no heat loss. Eliminates the cost of installing drains, water lines, and duct systems.

Feature: 3/4" tongue and groove floor

Benefit: A 3/4" tongue and groove floor is one the strongest, most durable decking materials available. It creates and even floor and helps eliminate floor squeaks.

Feature: Energy Star, 90% High Efficiency Furnace with water heater (Both installed)

Benefit: High efficiency furnace lowers heating costs and eliminates the furnace door grill. There is no cost to install a heating system or water heater & this speed completion time.

Feature: 2x6 sidewalls w/ R-19 Insulation

Benefit: 2x6 walls are stronger and have more depth than a 2x4 wall and allow increased insulation. (R-19 instead of R-11

Feature: All exterior walls wrapped in O.S.B. sheathing and weather wrap.

Benefit: O.S.B. increases the structural strength of the home and weather wrap helps eliminate air infiltration.

Feature: 2x4 marriage wall & interior walls are built 16" on center (Exception is the Grandville-which has 2x4 studs, on 24" centers. The marriage wall has 2x4's built 16" on center.)

Benefit: Superior to 2x3 studs because 2x4 studs add an extra inch of support

Feature: 3 studs over all doors and widows. Note: The extra studs at side of window.

Benefit: Creates and very strong support header and an extra strong window opening.

Feature: Triple laminated LVL beams over all patio doors and large window openings.

Benefit: LVL beams are 2.5 times stronger than regular lumber. This creates a superior frame for patio door and larger openings.

Exciting Exteriors and Exceptional Curb Appeal

Homestead Oak is Going Green Irene!

In honor of St. Patrick's Day Homestead Oak is going

Green Irene!

Hello!  My name is Julie McClymonds, and I am the Local Eco-consultant for Meadville and surrounding areas.   Denise Peters of Homestead asked me to come on the blog to talk about Going Green in your home.   I am very excited to be here!

 Many of you are investing in your homes, and selecting your options for your dream home.  And wow are there a lot of options!    When you go to the paint store thinking; okay I’m going to get a gallon of white paint.   You quickly realize that there is no such thing as a gallon of white paint, and  you end up coming home with BeachFoam white with an eggshell finish.   That was paint for just one room!

I know that feeling happens with every decision we make in our homes and it can be overwhelming, but important.  As you have been looking and shopping around for your best options I bet you have seen another option; the word green,  eco-friendly, energy star.    What is with it? Is that for me? Will it really save me money?  Just another option to think about.

As I started in explore the  Environmental Movement and making choices for our own home in Meadville,  I found that just the smallest changes can make a big difference.   It can really make a big impact on your home environment, your wallet, and the planet.   It’s going back to the basics and making things smarter, easier and healthier.   I have made it my passion to share it with others.  When you are building your dream home that is what you want.   It’s your future.  And going green is about our future.

Many feel that going green is a life style change....donate everything, pile into a Hybrid and eat granola.  Which for some, that may be their shade of green but not for most.  I want to help you find your shade of green by showing you eco-friendly options, what is best for you and what will help you get the most out of your home and investment.   I will share products, information and support you so that we all can make a better future for all.    Thank you and I look forward to meeting you.  

www.greenirene.com/northwestpa

"Welcome Home" by Homestead Oak

It is  our pleasure to bring to you the story of James and Jean Martin current owner’s and Jean’s parents ; Jim and Janice Gwin who founded Homestead Oak, Inc. in 1989.  Fast forward 22 years later and even though Jim and Janice Gwin are no longer with us their spirit lives on through Jim and Jean Martin and their staff of caring Home Consultants at Homestead Oak.  They continue to help people in their community attain the American Dream – to own a home. 

Together they bring us a sense of community through various events held throughout the year such as the Easter Egg Hunt coming up on  April 23^rd at noon , a Craft Show featuring local artisan’s on May 21^st to be held on the sprawling lawn at Homestead Oak in Meadville, then followed by a Classic Car Cruise in on July 15^th then to top off the year with the 11^th Annual “Festival of Trees” showcasing and raising funds for more than 16 Charitable Organizations from November 25^th and runs through December 16^th. They are proud to say the Festival of Trees has raised over $70,000 in it’s previous 10 year history for these local charities and is the largest fundraising event in Crawford County.  So the folks at Homestead Oak are not shy in putting their best foot forward for the Community in hosting these wonderful heartfelt events.  We are also the proud sponsor of the Lake Erie Speedway race season for 2011.

The driving force, along with providing quality affordable housing, and an affordable construction alternative, are the basis of which the company was formed, and still stands as the company’s mission statement today. 

What is new at Homestead Oak you might ask?  Well how about “8” new lot model manufactured and modular homes between our Fairview and Meadville locations for 2011 which continue to arrive as quickly as they are being built inside the state of the art factories right here in Pennsylvania.  We are proud to offer homes that are built locally.  We showcase Pennwest and Commodore homes bringing you a value that is second to none in these homes. 

While modular homes are built in a factory setting; they are built to the same exact code to which a contractor would build.  The only difference is that the homes are built in sections in a controlled environment and brought to your property and put together in sections.  You can see a portion of a set on You Tube.  Search for “Homestead Oak” then find the “Bergin Set” to watch the crane in action. 

You can find out more information about the various quality affordable homes being offered by Homestead Oak at www.homesteadoak.com or visit us on Facebook.

Are You Ready to Begin Planning for a New Home?

See Yourself as a Lender Will

When dealing with lenders, you have to be organized. You can save yourself a lot of wasted time and energy if you learn to look at yourself as a lender would.

Lenders will look at two basic numbers in deciding how much you can afford to borrow. Keep in mind: Once you know how much you can borrow you'll also know the price range of houses to look at.

What a lender inspects
This is where the paper pile begins! Your monthly housing costs, which include mortgage payment, taxes, and insurance; and, your total debt, which includes monthly housing costs - plus any long-term debts like a student loan, car loan, credit cards or other installment debt.

Understand basic borrower guidelines
They aren't too difficult... The lending guideline is that you should spend no more than 28% of your monthly gross income (before taxes) on housing expense. That can include business income, disability or retirement benefits, alimony, child support, etc.

Also, your total monthly debt payment, including housing and other long-term debts, should be no higher than 36% of your monthly gross income.

Check your credit rating
This is essential! A good credit report is an important part of your financial profile. Before you begin the process of applying for a mortgage loan be sure that you review your most recent credit report.

Be certain all of the information included in it is accurate.

Errors or misinformation in your credit history could have a negative impact on your chances for the best loan and interest rate.

The bottom line about lenders?
Lenders know that every borrower is different, and no lender expects you to be perfect. Their job is to lend money, so if they can make a home mortgage loan work for you, they will.

When NOT to buy
There are times when you should just walk away. If you've had some past financial problems, it's not the end of the road; you just need to fix them before you try to purchase a home. Even if you've gone through bankruptcy, all you need is time to handle your debts and repair your credit history. It may take a year or two to fine-tune your financial profile, but it's well worth it.

Perhaps your credit picture is not as black as the bankruptcy scenario but not picture perfect, either.

How much can you qualify for? With stable employment and income, you should be able to qualify for a mortgage loan worth almost twice your annual income. By taking time to improve your credit rating, you could raise that figure substantially.

More Single Women Buy Homes Than Ever Before - What Do Single Women Want?

·         More than one in five home buyers is a single woman.

·         Twice as many unmarried women are buying homes than single men.

·         Single women make up more than one-third of the growth in real estate ownership since 1994.

Top Three Reasons Unmarried / Single Women Buy a Home

1.    Strong desire to own her own home.

2.    Need more space or want smaller home.

3.    Relocate closer to job, school or family.

Real Women Who Buy Real Homes

Women home buyers come in all sizes, shapes and ages. They are divorced, never married, separated, widowed; some have children, others live with friends or partners and many live alone.

Trends for Single Women Home Buyers

·         3 out of 4 women spend less than $200,000.

·         Prefer 2 bedrooms or more.

·         Less likely to choose new construction.

·         Buy in city over suburban areas.

·         Will compromise size & cost to get other amenities.

·         Will not compromise on location or quality of neighborhood.

·         Prefer condominiums with well run homeowner association over single family homes.

·         Smaller spaces are acceptable.

·         Desire security and / or gated access.

·         Like to engage in social interaction with neighbors.

·         Want close proximity to stores, shopping and fitness centers.