Living Large

Stop the Madness Promo

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:46:00 +0000

Stop the Madness promo - this weekend only - starting today and ending Sunday, January 24th at midnight -CBH Homes is offering you this amazing promo. Check it out!

Spec Homes:

3% in closing costs
Full Backyard Landscaping to include front and rear sprinklers and sod

Build Jobs

Energy Star included

Contact your local Square One sales center for more information.

Is 2010 the Year a House Once Again Becomes a Home?

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:44:00 +0000

Dotloop.com posted an amazing story on January 13, 2010. We loved this article and wanted to share it with you.

They keep bringing little chocolates into the office.

This can’t be a good thing.

Every time I get up from my desk to get something I print off, I come back not only with a few sheets of paper, but a few miniature Krackels and Mr. Goodbars, too.

They’re delicious, but the holidays are over. I need to get back to the swing of things and start eating right again. I’ve had my months of gluttony—now it’s time to focus, to get back to the basics.

Likewise, the housing market needs to do the same thing. It had its years of gluttony, of record-breaking ROI, but the housing bubble–just like Christmas–is over. It’s 2010, not only a new year, but a new decade. Let’s get back to basics, starting with rule #1: a house should be a home first–not an investment.

Down the Drain?

Over the last few days, I’ve read many posts about people who purchased a home or a condo only to have lost a third or more of their equity. Obviously, losing equity in a home can be a hard pill to swallow, but unless you’re selling it tomorrow, you really haven’t “lost” anything.

Now, this is not in reference to the families who’ve lost their home, either through foreclosure due to job-loss or illness, but rather, folks who “lost” some imaginary notion of wealth based on the market value of their home.

After all, they still have a roof over their head, right? And if they’re lucky, their mortgage payment hasn’t changed.

The miniature Hershey bars are delicious. But if you told me that the “value” of Hershey miniatures went up to $400 an ounce, would they taste any better? Probably not. Likewise, if your house’s value goes up, it may make you feel better, but the house itself hasn’t changed.

More Than a Piggy Bank

Let’s get one thing straight: I don’t own my house. The bank owns my house; I’m just paying them off over the course of 30 years. I’m renting to own.

In the meantime, however, I have free reign to paint the hallway with orange stripes or add a deck made of cereal boxes in the back if I so choose. I can decorate it as I please and make the house reflect who I am. I don’t have to worry about noisy neighbors, jerky landlords, or weird smells emanating from someone else’s kitchen. If I have kids some day, I can raise them in the house. It’s my responsibility to keep it nice and not fall apart. It’s a lot of work, but anything worth having usually is.

My house is a place for me to live in, not a piggy bank. I don’t view my house as a source of income when I retire–that’s what my 401(k) and IRAs are for. My house is simply my haven from the world–a space that I can make my own and come “home” to.

The more we attach our worth and value as people to the things we own, the more stressed out we’ll be, and there’s already enough stress in being a home “ower”.

So, enjoy your house and make it a home. If it happens to go up in value, good for you; but if it happens to go down, don’t sweat it. After all, you have a roof over your head. A house should be about making a home, not about increasing your net worth. When it all comes down to it, a house is just a building. A home is something different entirely.

So, no more miniature candies for me. And no more stressing out whether or not my house is “worth” it. Because it’s worth it to me and, even if the world says it only has a value of $5.34, I can still walk into the front door and shut them out, in peace. Because I bought my house to live in, not as a barometer for success. The Joneses are more than welcome to pass me by if they like.

And hey, if it is only worth $5.34, think about how much money I’ll save in property taxes!

What a busy CBH December

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:44:00 +0000

December has been a busy month for CBH Homes.

We had a great time joining in the Kuna Night Light Parade on December 5th. We braved the cold and tossed out candy and showed our holiday spirit.

On December 8th we delivered mini Christmas cupcakes to preferred real estate offices around the Treasure Valley. Our sales team took Christmas tree cupcake stands filled with yummy goodies from Buttercup Happycakes to thank them.

December 16th we held a Red Key Club event for CBH homeowners at Macy's in the Boise Towne Square Mall. All of our homeowners were invited out to pick up their new red key and received one day only offers from participating stores in the mall. To learn more about Red Key Club please click HERE.

Friday, December 18th we held our annual holiday party and held a Best of CBH awards ceremony including Most Likely to Eat 12 Hotdogs in 60 Seconds, Most Likely to Succeed, Best CBH Spirit, Hottest Spouse, and Best Dressed.

Our Square One Centers will be open Saturday, December 26th and Sunday, December 27th from 9am to 8pm (closed Thursday and Friday).

Happy Holidays to you and your family.

8th Annual Cozy Kids Thank You

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:58:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who donated coats for our Cozy Kids coat drive the past couple weeks. We have been fortunate to be able to help kids in need receive winter coats for the past eight years. We received 500 coats, plus other warm clothing, hats and gloves to help 500 or more children in the Treasure Valley. We would not have been able to help so many kids without everyone who donated.

A big thanks to Pioneer Title who donated 50 brand new coats plus other clothing to the kids in need.

We delivered all our coats on December 17th to the schools throughout the Treasure Valley to a large group of happy kids who will be warm for the holidays.

8th Annual Cozy Kids

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:00:00 +0000

The 8th Annual CBH Homes Cozy Kids coat drive kicked off last week.

CBH Homes has been fortunate over the last seven years to be able to help kids in need receive warm winter clothing. We are asking for your help again this year, so we can dress even more Treasure Valley kids.

We are collecting clean, new or used coat donations in all sizes. Sales agents in all our Square One Sales Centers are collecting donations at their offices, but will also be picking up coat donations in our communities. We will be collecting coats through December 15th, then delivering them to the school counselors and children in need on December 16th.

Red Key Club Red Carpet Event

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:42:00 +0000

When: Wednesday, Dec. 16, 5-10 p.m.

Where: Macy’s, at the Boise Towne Square Mall

Who: New and existing CBH Homeowners

What: Pick up your CBH-branded red key and shop the sales

You are invited to join CBH during the Macy's One Day Sale at Boise Towne Square Mall. Go to the lower level Macy's mall entrance, look for the red carpet which will lead you to your Red Key. Full details click here.

Happy Holidays from CBH Homes

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:11:00 +0000

Happy Holidays. We hope you had a happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you to all the agents who joined us for our turkey giveaway luncheon a few weeks ago. We are thankful for all the Realtors who sold our homes this year. We had such a great time!

"Thank you and CBH Homes for the gift cards. It was really nice to feel appreciated in this market. I feel beat up most of the time with real estate in the current market and what you as a company did [November 20] was wonderful to be a part of. I really do love selling CBH homes. I know that my clients are going to be taken care of by CBH Homes long after they close. I don't always have that confidence with other builders. Thanks again for being part of something great!"
-Leslie Neil, Group One

New tax credit available for more than new homeowners

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:42:00 +0000

After being passed through the House and Senate, President Obama has signed the new bill extending and expanding the homebuyer tax credit today. The new bill extends the $8,000 tax credit to first-time homebuyers for seven months, but will also provide $6,500 for previous homeowners. In addition, single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for full tax credit.

According to Builder Online, the House voted 402-12 to approve the extension and expansion, while the Senate passed the measure 98-0 and as expected President Obama signed the bill today. In order to qualify homebuyers will have to purchase a home on or before by April 30, 2010 and close by June 30, 2010.

The IRS has reported than an estimated 1.4 million people have already applied for the homebuyer tax credit. There are high hopes that the extension and expansion will not only help boost the economy, but will create more jobs and generate even more home sales.

If you're looking for the perfect time to buy a home, you've hit the sweet spot. This is the time you've been waiting for. All the right reasons to buy have come together, but this great moment of opportunity won't last forever. With interest rates increasing, and the extension and expansion of the tax credit through June 2010, you might want to hit the sweet spot - while it's still, sweet.

CBH Homes has an extensive selection of affordable homes and new communities coming available soon throughout the Treasure Valley. Click here for a list of move-in ready homes.

Building a better community with the Meridian Food Bank

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Homes Staff) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Last month Corey Barton and our CBH Homes construction team joined forces with BMC West, Builder’s Interiors, Precision Design & Trim and DNI to lend a hand in our community.

The Meridian Food Bank had outgrown its headquarters and found a more spacious location at a time when demand for free food is growing every month. The building however, was in need of renovation and some tender loving care. CBH Homes jumped at the chance to help out and put our expertise to great use.

“With the help of our community partners, we had loads of fun sprucing up the place. We tore down old walls, built new walls, and installed new flooring, countertops and wall paneling,” said Casey Whittenborn, a superintendent for CBH Homes.

The Meridian Food Bank will officially open their new doors later this month and plans to hold a grand opening for the community in March. “Everything has worked out extremely well,” stated Dan Clark, chairman for the Meridian Food Bank. “It was a delight to work with Corey and his team.”

CBH Homes featured in Builder magazine

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:48:00 +0000

Corey and I have been anxiously awaiting the January issue of Builder magazine to hit the streets. CBH Homes is the No. 1 builder in Idaho and ranks No. 67 nationwide on the 2007 Builder 100 list, but our company had never been featured prominently in the magazine before. Penned by senior writer John Caufield, the article highlights some of the things we’ve done at CBH Homes to remain competitive in the Treasure Valley market.

Mr. Caufield singled out our transition to Square One centers as one of our most innovative ideas. The Square One centers are a one-stop shopping experience where customers can save themselves time and money by finding information on each of our communities in that city, touring model homes, viewing over 50 floorplans and meeting with a mortgage planner onsite.

We want to thank Builder and Mr. Caufield for the article. We had a nice interview with him in November, soon after Deal of a Lifetime II, and the thing he asked us at the conclusion of the interview was “Why haven’t I heard about you before?” We laughed and said we hadn’t tried to remain a secret at the national level, but we had been really busy in Idaho, focusing on providing our customers with quality homes at unbelievably affordable prices.

Cozy Kids 2008

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Homes Staff) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:54:00 +0000

In its seventh year, Cozy Kids 2008 was a great success! We changed things up this time around by making it a competition among CBH Homes Square One centers to see who could collect the most winter coats for kids in our area. The Square Ones had from December 1st – December 17th to garner as many donations as possible. All Square Ones had donation bins in their sales centers, and some went above and beyond by collecting donations from local businesses or driving door to door in certain communities. After everyone’s hard work… drum roll please…

Kuna Square One won the competition by a hair, collecting over 70 coats and bringing the CBH total to 254 coats! Thank you to everyone who helped us keep kids warm this winter!

The CBH Team delivered the donated coats to participating schools and very appreciative school counselors on December 19th.

“I'd like to send a thank you note to your Nampa branch for giving our school a box of coats. Several students were able to have warm coats over the Christmas break because of your generosity. We are so grateful!! Unsolicited generosity like yours in difficult economic times is the glue that holds communities together. Thank you so much, from all of the kids who excitedly received a lovely coat.”

Miranda Palmer
Roosevelt Elementary School Counselor

We would like to thank all of the people who helped make this possible: our homeowners, school counselors, friends and families of CBH Homes. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Jennifer Glauser,
Sales Concierge
Nampa Square One

Customize Your Home: CBH Design Studio

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Homes Staff) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:46:00 +0000

So you have found your dream home, congratulations! And guess what? The fun is just beginning. It’s time to customize and personalize your new home. From the color of your front door to the color of your doorknobs, you can let your creativity flow at the CBH Design Studio.

Do you need some design ideas and inspiration? Try looking around your current home. Find your favorite thing in the house: a pillow, a family vacation photo, a favorite shirt. Whatever it may be, it will have a color or theme that will get you pointed in the right direction. Looking through magazines can also inspire you to find the color or style you’ve always dreamed of. When you find it, make sure to bring it with you to the Design Studio. Your Design Consultant will be able to use it as a guide in helping you to choose the perfect color palette.

We are actually undergoing a transformation ourselves here at the Design Studio. We’re excited to announce that we are expanding our studio to bring you even more options, and new, charming vignettes to further inspire your creativity. Stay tuned for details on our Grand Opening. In the mean time, stop by Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm or Saturday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Amy Watson, CBH Homes Design Studio Consultant

Mountain Home is a new home for us

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Homes Staff) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:21:00 +0000

We've been building homes and communities in the Boise area since 1992. And have now expanded into Mountain Home, with four exciting new communities.

In fact, we've just broken ground on two of them: Silverstone and Colonial Estates. At CBH Homes, we're very excited about our arrival in the town that's home to the 366th Fighter Wing "Gunfighters" -- and we look forward to building great homes for the residents of Mountain Home.

Holly Haener, Director of Sales & Marketing

Buyers find a “Deal of a Lifetime”

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:33:00 +0000

It was an exciting weekend for all of us here at CBH Homes as we celebrated Deal of a Lifetime 2! We launched our sale last Friday morning and were thrilled to see hundreds of prospective buyers through the doors of each of our five Square One centers throughout the Treasure Valley. The number of visitors to our sites more than tripled and our website received thousands of hits.

In addition to selling homes this past weekend we made new friends and followers on Twitter and caught lots of attention with our guerilla marketing, Big Red Tag.

Make no mistake about it: there are buyers in the Treasure Valley looking to purchase new homes. For Deal of a Lifetime 2 we offered over 200 homes in Boise, Meridian, Star, Kuna, Nampa and Caldwell for up to $50,000 off. We sold 77 homes ranging in price from $88,000 to $275,000. We’re thrilled with the results and happy to be a part of helping over 70 families find and purchase their new home.

In addition we have launched the CBH Homebuyer’s Club as a resolution for buyers who have obstacles to overcome prior to qualifying for a loan and being able to purchase a new home. With the help of our CBH Home Loans loan specialists and the Homebuyer’s Club, our buyers will receive guidance to help them plan, save, and potentially repair their credit in order to purchase.

If you missed out on Deal of a Lifetime 2, there are always great deals to take advantage of. Visit one of our five Square One centers today.

Most of all, congratulations to our 77 new Deal of a Lifetime 2 homebuyers!

Deal of a Lifetime 2

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:36:00 +0000

Here at CBH Homes, we pride ourselves on staying ahead of the curve. We know that a company that doesn't take chances and try unique approaches won't survive in today's crazy market. That's why we are so excited to announce we are hosting the epic CBH Homes Deal of a Lifetime Sale again! We are slashing prices on nearly 200 homes by up to $50,000. You're reading that right - from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday Oct. 24, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 25 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday Oct. 26, you can save up to $50,000 on your new dream home.

We've been telling people for a while that it's an excellent time to be a new homebuyer, with uncharacteristically low interest rates and a $7,500 tax credit offered to first-time homebuyers. Couple that with our massive sale, and you could get yourself into a brand new home for a jaw-dropping price.

The best way to shop for your Deal of a Lifetime is to visit one of our five Square One centers:

From there, potential homebuyers can search for homes that contain the features they want, head out to tour the properties at your leisure and talk to a CBH Home Loans Specialist about getting pre-qualified.

During last years Deal of a Lifetime sale, over 100 people who came out to a CBH Homes Square One center seeking their dream home found and purchased one... the deals are simply unbeatable. If you're even considering shopping for a new home, you absolutely can't miss the Deal of a Lifetime! We can't wait to help you find your new home!

After 4 years at Boise State, CBH's Touchdown Lounge has graduated.

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:56:00 +0000

Lot's of Bronco fans have been asking, "Where's the CBH Touchdown Lounge?

It's not on the field in Bronco Stadium any more."

Actually, there's a good reason.

After four years, CBH Homes has retired as a Team Bronco partner, and we've donated the house for Camp River Run, a camp for kids with cancer, to auction off. Camp River Run's charity auction and fundraising efforts were a huge success and we were proud to have played a part.

Though the Touchdown Lounge has graduated from campus, our support of Bronco football - and all Boise State sports - is stronger than ever. We're really excited about this years season and the big win over the Oregon Ducks! Go Broncos!

CBH building homes for giraffes?

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:37:00 +0000

We’re always looking for new and fun ways to put our building expertise to the test. But we never thought of building a home for giraffes before! That is until one young man recently brought the idea to our attention! Read more here.

Thanks for thinking of us and we’ll see what Corey can do!

Foster families make their home in brand new CBH homes.

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:18:00 +0000

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.

Makeover Update: Stockdale's One Year Later

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:24:00 +0000

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.

CBH Homes maintains position on Builder 100 list

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:40:00 +0000

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.

Please Excuse Our Weeds...

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Homes Staff) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:39:00 +0000

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

It’s fun to live in a city that’s a shining star

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:43:00 +0000

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.

Affordable homes for first-time buyers

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Wed, 28 May 2008 23:13:00 +0000

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.”

By paying attention to these details, we’ve been able to cut 10 percent to 15 percent from the cost of building and passing on a 10 percent to 20 percent cost cut to home buyers. For example, a 916-square-foot home from CBH’s older collection is priced at $112,490, while the 900-square-foot Advantage version costs just $98,990.

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.

FIVE STARS

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Tue, 20 May 2008 20:00:00 +0000

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

Rock the House

noreply@blogger.com (CBH Sales & Marketing) — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:36:00 +0000

If there's one thing we love at CBH, it's music! (We even have our own Playlist.) Combine our love of music with our fearless drive to develop innovative ideas and you get one crazy Guitar Hero tournament!

In the process of organizing the grand opening of our new Meridian Square One location, we took advantage of the opportunity to be creative with how we could, 1) provide entertainment at the grand opening, and 2) grab people's attention in a world where different messages and offers are being thrown at them everywhere they look. It's a struggle sometimes to stand out from the crowd, and in today's real estate market it is even more important to do so. With that, we simply couldn't resist holding the first-ever CBH Guitar Hero tourney.

We had 75 contestants throughout the weekend that jammed to everything from Alice Cooper to Led Zeppelin. And in between the contest and rock music we managed to tour customers and Realtors around our new Square One location to see all the fun new tools we've added to the home shopping experience. Check out some photos here.

Our proud Guitar Hero winner was Kyle Randolph from Kuna. Kyle is now the proud owner of a brand new Wii system! Congrats Kyle! Keep on rockin' on!

Stay tuned... We just might do it again!!