Foster families make their home in brand new CBH homes. Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Earlier this year we were contacted by a local non-profit organization called The Bridge, which is a program of the Children’s Home Society of Idaho. The Bridge works hard to ensure that Idaho’s children in foster care find loving, lasting families matched to their background and needs.
The Bridge was looking to build two new homes that they could provide to two deserving foster families in Caldwell rent-free, thanks to a grant that they received from the Troxell Fund. Last year, we partnered with The Bridge and built two foster homes in Meridian. So, we were excited to have another chance to help build better lives for these children and families who are so deserving of a safe and comfortable home.
These two new homes in Caldwell were selected with the needs of foster families in mind. Both homes have spacious floorplans , that feature four bedrooms and two and half baths, a bonus room and a fully landscaped backyard, perfect for these young children.
To learn more about The Bridge program, and how you can help children in Idaho’s foster care system, visit The Bridge.
posted by Ronda Conger @ 6:18 PM
Makeover Update: Stockdale's One Year Later Tuesday, August 5, 2008
It was just over a year ago when we were contacted by ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to help build a home for the Stockdale’s, a very deserving family in Middleton.
After we learned a little bit about Ryan and Karia Stockdale and their four children, who all suffer from a rare blood disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis, we rallied our troops and decided to do the impossible – build a home in less than a week.
What we learned through last summer’s experience was an invaluable lesson on how fortunate we all are to live in such a great community. We will never forget the support that we received from friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and even complete strangers. The entire experience left all of us at CBH with priceless memories and we’re thankful that we had the opportunity.
We are so thankful for all of you who have inquired as to how the Stockdale’s were doing in their new home. We have received updates from the family who report that they are extremely happy in their home, and most importantly, that the children are doing well.
In fact, in an interview with KTVB-TV, Karia said, “It feels like we’ve lived in this house forever. It feels so comfortable.” Karia also mentioned that the new filtered air and water systems have made a huge difference with the health of their children.
Click here to view the entire ktvb interview
To view some of our photos of the many people who helped make the project possible, and to see some pictures of the Stockdale house, you can view them here.
posted by Ronda Conger @ 9:24 AM
CBH Homes maintains position on Builder 100 list Monday, July 7, 2008
When I heard that the Builder 100 list was going to be published online, I was nervous and excited all at once. Where would we land, I wondered? 2007 was a challenging year for the entire real estate industry nationwide. But I knew we had a good year considering, and that our economy in Idaho was in much better shape than in many parts of the United States.
I am proud to say CBH Homes ranked No. 67 among all home-building companies nationwide, with 833 home sales in 2007! Despite the testing market, we held strong and kept the same position from 2006. CBH also maintained its position as the No. 1 home builder in Idaho.
Here’s a link to the complete list
We were ranked just above Avata Holdings of Coral Gables, FL, No. 68, with 780 homes and just below Polygon Northwest Co. of Bellevue, WA who climbed up the list to No. 66, with 849 home sales.
Along the way we have tried a number of innovative techniques to keep home sales moving along, including selling homes on eBay last August and discounting prices from $30,000 to $70,000 per home in a single weekend campaign titled “Deal of a Lifetime” in October 2007. We’ve also redesigned our website to provide more information to the user and held a Guitar Hero tournament at our Square One center to attract young first-time buyers.
Flexibility is our key to success in a market that bends and sways in all directions. We are constantly listening to our customers and searching for new ways to improve and stay on top of the market.
posted by Ronda Conger @ 4:40 PM
Please Excuse Our Weeds... Thursday, June 19, 2008
It is every year about this time that our Sales and Marketing department starts to go crazy when we drive through our communities and see the weeds are thriving better than most lawns. It seems that even with constant mowing and weed management, the task is insurmountable and it isn't long before the weeds have grown taller than the fences in some cases!
No matter what we do, year after year, the weeds just take over for a few months. Now, with that being said I have often wondered why when I drive through other communities the weeds don't seem to be a problem. In some communities I cannot find a single weed on a lot of in the planter area of an available home. How is that possible? Do the weeds only love CBH Homes; our developments, homesites and the planter areas of our available homes?
It has recently come to my attention, although I had finally bought off on the idea that weeds only love CBH, this is not the case at all. It is with a huge budget and arsenal of chemicals that some communities are able to better manage their weeds. Now, I have decided not only do weeds love CBH, but CBH loves weeds! We would rather avoid the chemicals and instead live with a few frustrating months of trying to keep the weeds mowed down and to a minimum.
So with that being said, please excuse our weeds and LIVE (for being green)
Holly Haener
CBH Homes
Director of Sales & Marketing
posted by CBH Homes Staff @ 1:39 PM
It’s fun to live in a city that’s a shining star Friday, June 6, 2008
Those of us who live in Boise and the Treasure Valley know it’s a great place to live. That’s why we’re here.
Lately, Boise has been getting positive, national recognition for being one of the best places to live and work. Sometimes local residents cringe when Boise gets singled out like this because they want it to remain a secret, but when economic times are tough, it sure is nice to be a shining star.
Last week, Boise ranked No. 4 in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s annual list of the Top 10 Best Cities to Live, Work and Play. They called Boise "Rocky Mountain High Tech."
“How do folks get any work done around here? The skiing, snowboarding, fishing, biking and kayaking in and around Boise are an almost irresistible temptation to desert your desk,” wrote Amy Bickers of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.
In March, Forbes magazine selected Boise as the second-best place in the country for business and careers, and it ranked Boise seventh among the top 10 Up-and-Coming Tech Cities. Boise also ranked No. 2 on MSNBC's Top 10 Places To Live In America largely because of housing prices.
There must be some truth to Boise being a great place for business and careers because Forbes keeps ranking the city in the top 5. This was the fourth year in a row when Boise was in the top 5. Last year, we were ranked third, and we ranked first in 2005.
Boise owes its high ranking to a low cost of doing business (rent is reasonable, power costs are among the lowest in the nation, regulation is minimal compared to bigger states, the cost of labor also is reasonable, and Boise has a well-educated work force).
So if you’re already in Boise, enjoy it. If you’re not, and you’re thinking about coming here, then these new reports might give you even more incentive.
Labels: Treasure Valley
posted by Ronda Conger @ 9:43 AM
Affordable homes for first-time buyers Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Give me an “A” for Affordable. It was gratifying to read in the Idaho Business Review recently that home buyers are finding homes that fit their budget and preference. Not surprisingly, first-time home buyers are looking for new homes priced at affordable levels. In the Treasure Valley market, the article said, it is possible for couples to find their dream home.
“We’ve really tried to design more efficiently, and of course we’re building houses that are more suitable to what the buyers can afford to pay for,” CBH President Corey Barton told the Business Review. “We’ve designed some smaller square-footage plans that are very appealing as well as some larger homes that are more efficient, more cost-effective to build.”
To keep the price down, we have introduced a new line of homes that start out with just the bare essentials at a baseline price. If a buyer wants more and can afford more, then he or she can add upgrades, from soaker tubs to three-car garages. The new Advantage Line homes, for example, come in models ranging from 900 to 3,500 square feet per unit.
We’ve also taken steps to streamline the efficiency of the construction process. “We’re paying especially close attention to time, efficiency and communication so we’re not doing things over and over again,” Corey told the Business Review. “We’re being very careful not to waste materials, and we’re looking for better materials that are less expensive.”
That’s the kind of swift action we’re taking at CBH Homes to make our homes more accessible to buyers. Check out our home search for a model and a price that fits your budget.
Labels: CBH Company Info, Price, Sales
posted by Ronda Conger @ 5:13 PM
FIVE STARS Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Having worked for two national homebuilders before working for CBH Homes, my list of must haves in our first home were long and all equally important. Top of our list were affordability, great location, superior quality, livable floorplan design, and unique exterior and interior style enhancements. In today’s market, it wasn’t hard for us to find a home with one out of our five “must-haves”…the tricky part was finding a homebuilder that saw the importance in providing all five.
Lucky for us, CBH Homes knocked it out of the park and offered all we were looking for in a home. The cherry on top of our delightful, affordable homebuying sundae is the comment we keep hearing over and over. “This is your first home? Wow! It doesn’t look anything like the typical first-time home.”
And that is the key. Buyers in today’s market don’t have to settle for less. Your dream home does exist at a price you can afford. Believe me, I speak whole heartedly from experience. Our first home far surpasses any image or idea of what we thought we could afford to own. All I can recommend is to make a list of what is important to you in a home and go out and search for it. We did and couldn’t be happier!
Michelle Budell
CBH Marketing Manager
posted by Ronda Conger @ 2:00 PM
|
|
