>Affordable homes for first-time buyers

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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.