This goes out to all those renters who’ve never owned a home. Lowder New Homes has great news. Owning can be less expensive than renting. Hard to believe but true. In fact there are several reasons you can save a lot of money by buying a Lowder New Home.

Reason number one: When you buy a Lowder New Home, that money you’re paying for a mortgage is building up as equity in your home, month after month. For example, if you live in a home and make your mortgage payments on time for ten years, you’ll have thousands of dollars in equity in your home. Not so with renting.

Reason number two: If you qualify, our latest incentive program allows you to have a ZERO mortgage payment for an entire year—now that’s quite a lot of savings. In fact, that promise is so unbelievable, we should say it again, just to be clear. (If you qualify) Lowder will make your mortgage payment, in full, for an entire year. It’s probably safe to say that no apartment complex or home rental will ever promise to make your payments for a year.

Reason number three: No repairs for a really long time. Have you looked at the warranty package offered by Lowder New Homes? You should. Lowder New Homes features a siding product with a 30-year warranty and even the Scotchgard® on Lowder flooring has a 25-year warranty. But that’s just the beginning. We also build homes featuring products with impressive warranties including your roof, plumbing fixtures and more. Lowder even has a 24-hour Response Line to answer questions and service warranties.

Reason number four: Choose a Lowder New Home with a mortgage payment that’s lower than your rent and enjoy a surplus in your own budget every month, compared to paying rent.

As you can see, owning a Lowder New Home could possibly be less expensive month to month, and in the long run, than renting. If you’d like to learn more about what it takes to qualify for the incentive program Lowder offers that pays your mortgage for an entire year, and if you’d like to learn more about what you’ll need to purchase a Lowder New Home, contact a Lowder Builder Representative today. You might just be surprised how easy owning  a Lowder New Home and lowering your monthly payments can be.

Stop by a Model Home in any one of our gracious neighborhoods and speak with a Builder Representative today. They’ll give you ZERO excuses for renting one more month.

Lowder New Homes is proud to provide fully-sodded, landscaped yards with each and every home.  It’s part of the package.

If you’re already settled into a Lowder New Home, and you have a green thumb, you’re probably already thinking about what you’ll do when it warms up. Here are seven winter gardening tips while you wait for spring:

1.  Inspect your deciduous trees or shrubs now, while they are dormant. Now is the right time to see the branches that might become undesirable. Mark   the branches, but don’t cut them yet. Wait until the first week of spring and growth has begun. Then prune. While it’s still winter, now is also the right time to look for “suckers” (sprouts that growing from the trunk of a tree, shrub or bush that drain its energy) and get rid of them before growth spurts begin.

3 . Use clippers to remove dead foliage from your ornamental grasses. Tall grasses can be cut down to approximately six inches; shorter grasses should be reduced to about three inches.

4.  With this unusually warm winter, this is also a good time to do some early spring cleaning of your birdbaths and bird feeders. Make sure you allow plenty of time for your bird feeder to dry before refilling with seed.

5.  Get out your garden tools and clean them up. Shine those metallic parts and sharpen the points with a file to improve the efficiency of your efforts.

6.   Clean the blades of your pruners and loppers with Varsol or turpentine and add a drop of oil to the hinges. If you use a professional to sharpen your blades, get that done now, while there’s virtually no wait.

7.  Pick up some slow-release fertilizer for your lawn and go ahead and apply it to your yard. As spring begins to blossom, your lawn will start off with a healthy dose of grassy goodness.

We hope these tips will help you enjoy the visitation of spring even more and give your green thumb a reason to be extra excited.

Buying a second home is a fantastic retirement investment, especially when you consider the added benefits of choosing a Lowder New Home.

Buying a Lowder New Home with the confidence of a full-service Warranty Department and 24-hour Response Line makes for real peace of mind. In fact, all Lowder New Homes feature warranties for the roofing, flooring and siding that all exceed 20 years. Add to that the efficiency of Energy Star® appliances and other green elements like energy-efficient windows, doors and insulation, and you have a long-term investment you can live with—literally.

So many investments in life are things we can only hold on to and hope that one day they will simply be worth more than we paid for them. That is, of course, the most basic idea of any investment. But how many investments can you spend the weekend in, invite your best friends over to enjoy, or look forward to adding your own creative touch to—strictly for the sake of aesthetics.

An article for US News & World Report’s “Money” blog highlights the benefits of a second home in your retirement plan. Mark Patterson’s article, “5 Benefits of a Second Home in a Retirement Plan,” suggests that buying a second home within driving distance of your current home can offer the excitement of a weekend getaway.

A second home can be the cornerstone of a family legacy and therefore a long-term investment in quality time with family. This idea includes the benefit of making plans to move into your new home for official retirement. Such a move for retirement can be difficult and uncomfortable, but doesn’t have to be if the destination is a familiar one, and planned ahead of time—as in the case of moving into a new home.

If you’re considering long-term investments that will benefit you, your family and add more freedom to your lifestyle, we hope you’ll consider Lowder New Homes. It’s sure to be a decision you and your family will grow to love.

Stop by a beautiful Model Home in any one of our gracious neighborhoods today and ask a knowledgeable Builder Representative about investing in a second home for your retirement today!

The beginning of a new year is a great time to think about all the changes you’d like to make in order to achieve the life you always dreamed of. Some people resolve to lose weight; others resolve to be nicer to the ones they love. Some plan to get healthy, quit smoking, keep the house cleaner—the list goes on and on.

So while you’re making those plans to change your life, why not change your living situation as well? Owning your dream home from Lowder New Homes is easier than ever with the ZERO payment plan*.

You can enjoy a mortgage payment that costs you ZERO dollars every month for an entire year! All of the financial burden is on Lowder, and ZERO on you. Lowder will make your mortgage payment for you every single month for the whole first year.

Stop by a beautiful Model Home in any one of our gracious neighborhoods today and ask a Builder Representative how you can make your dream home a reality in 2012!

*Certain restrictions apply. Homes and home sites currently under contract do not qualify. See a Lowder New Homes Builder Representative for complete terms and details.

We all can agree that being wasteful is never tasteful. So Lowder New Homes would like to take this opportunity to remind you to please participate in Montgomery’s upcoming Christmas tree recycling program, thoughtfully offered by Alabama Environmental Council. Our Santa hat goes off to them for implementing a statewide effort to take full advantage of Christmas tree disposal.

On Saturday, January 7th, 2012 from 7am to 9am, Montgomery-area residents are welcome to drop off their natural Christmas tree (MINUS the ornaments and decorations please) at your nearest Saturday Trash Collection Point. Trees will be recycled as mulch or will be used for fish hatcheries in local lakes. For more information, please contact the City of Montgomery at 334-241-2925.

Lowder New Homes is pleased to recommend such a green solution to this home décor situation. In fact, we are pleased to feature Energy Star® energy-efficient appliances in all of our new homes. Lowder New Homes is also a Certified Green Professional™ by the National Association of Home Builders and Green Energy Key® certified by Home Builders Association of Alabama. To learn more about how Lowder New Homes goes above and beyond to exceed building code and offer greener homes, visit www.lowdernewhomes.com/energy_efficient/.

No matter where you reside in the River Region area, Lowder New Homes will always be your partner for greener practices.

Happy New Year!

New-Home Production Rises 9.3 Percent in November originally posted by the Home Builders Association of Alabama on December 21, 2011:

Production of new single-family homes and apartments rose 9.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 685,000 units in November, according to figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department this week. This marks the fastest pace of housing starts since October of 2008.

“While we still have a long way to go back to normal, the latest numbers are one more indication that housing is slowly turning the corner,” said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev. “In scattered markets across the country, buyers who have long sat on the sidelines are starting to take advantage of today’s very attractive prices and interest rates, while others are making the move to a new apartment. This nascent trend would be stronger if not for the very restrictive lending environment that continues for both building and buying new homes.”

“Along with recent gains that have been registered in builder confidence and other economic measures, the improvement in new-home production and permitting shown in this latest report provides further evidence of the gradual strengthening that we expected to see in housing markets toward the end of the year,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. “We anticipate continued, slow improvement in housing starts and sales through 2012.”

The 9.3 percent gain in combined starts activity resulted from improvements in both the single- and multifamily sectors in November. Single-family starts posted a 2.3 percent gain to a 447,000-unit pace, which was their fastest rate since June of 2011. Meanwhile, the more volatile multifamily side surged 25.3 percent to a 238,000-unit pace – the fastest since September 2008.

Combined housing starts were up in three out of four regions in November, with the Northeast posting the biggest gain of 53.8 percent, the West posting a 22.6 percent increase and the South registering a 4.1 percent gain. The Midwest was the exception to the rule, with an 18.2 percent decline.

Permit issuance, which can be an indicator of future building activity, rose 5.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 681,000 units in November – the best pace since March of 2010. Single-family permits rose 1.6 percent to 435,000 units while multifamily permits rose 13.9 percent to 246,000 units, which was their strongest pace since October of 2008.

Regionally, combined single- and multifamily permits gained 32.8 percent in the Northeast and 21.4 percent in the West, but declined 1.9 percent in the Midwest and 2.6 percent in the South in November.

Get it? LED vs led. Of course you do, and that’s exactly our point.
It seems the Joneses are all getting those brightly colored LED
(Light Emitting Diode) lights to decorate their home. Maybe
you’ve seen them and have wondered why these LED lights
seem to be everywhere. We have your answer.

There are several good reasons why more and more LED lights
will be lining the rooftops, bushes and trees of houses in your
neighborhood. Turns out, those bright beacons of multicolored
light are up to 90% more energy efficient (or “greener”) and
are therefore a much safer way to decorate for the holidays.
That’s because the more efficient a bulb is, the less heat it
produces, so a more efficient bulb is a safer bulb (fire safety).
Oddly enough, the more LED lights that go up near you, the fewer
sirens and flashing lights you’ll witness in your neighborhood
(due to electric Christmas décor fires). And while we’re on it,
you might notice that many of today’s police and other emergency
response vehicles are using the same LED lights because
LED lights are so incredibly bright.

While LED lights for Christmas decorations have only been out for a
few years, it’s only been recently that the price tag has been right for
the average American household. Having said that, the LED lights
are still a little pricier than the incumbent filament bulb style. But
the LED bulb not only outshines its competition, it far outlives
traditional filament bulbs too. The life of LED holiday lights seems
to be up for debate because they last so long; 20 years by some
estimations, if they’re only used once a year for a month.

So now you can start to see why Lowder New Homes would
encourage you to consider switching your bright-light stash over
to LED. It will make a difference on your energy bill if you’re one of
those families who uses thousands of lights for a month or two. And
even if you only plan on a few strands here and there, the fire safety
is well worth the investment.

So string up those lights however you like. We just hope you’ll
remember these facts if you feel LED to decorate your home.

Merry Christmas from Lowder New Homes

In the spirit of the 12 days of Christmas and similar good cheer, Lowder New Homes is happy to bring you more than a few suggestions that should help you and your family rest a little easier should you decide to leave your home in order to celebrate this holiday season elsewhere.

1. Take the time to walk around the exterior of your entire house, looking for open blinds or curtains that may offer a tempting view of items inside your house. If you do find some windows that present an unnecessary temptation to a would-be burglar and there are no blinds or curtains, consider putting something in the window to obstruct the view, such as cardboard or draping a sheet inside, over the window.

2. Take a walk around the interior of your house and double check each door and window making sure all locks are secure. An unlocked door handle (even if the deadbolt is locked) or a partially locked window can be seen as a weak point of entry to an burglar.

3. Remember to block pet doors. Thieves know to look for doggie doors and cat doors. Find a way to block that door with a heavy object. A piece of plywood placed flush against the pet door with a heavy chair or other sturdy object can be an effective deterrent.

4. Check your flood lights and other outdoor lights to make sure they are all working, and leave them on. While some people fear a light left on during the day is a giveaway, it is much more advantageous for a burglar to work under the cover of darkness at night.

5. If number four is bothering you, invest in a timer and put one on your TV to turn on at night and off during the day. Add one to a lamp here and there throughout your home too. The appearance of activity in a house is always a good strategy for preventing a break-in.

6. Ask your neighbor to collect your mail and newspaper deliveries, or ask the service to halt deliveries. This is an important preventative measure.

7. If it snows (it happens sometimes in Alabama), ask a neighbor to walk in the snow right up to your front door. Tracks in your yard can be a smart way to show activity at home.

8. Take a few minutes to collect your most important valuables like expensive jewelry and laptop computers and hide them somewhere in your home away from windows and heat. Placing such items in a box and putting them in a closet is a good way to protect them.

9. The big dog bluff. You might not own a big dog, but a stranger doesn’t know that. Find an extremely large bowl and write a scary name on it like “Fang” and leave it near a side or back door. Also effective are “Beware of the Dog” signs or large dog bones left in the yard.

10. Have a quick chat with your neighbors, letting them know when you’ll be home. Clarify that anyone going in and out of your house is not OK and a moving van is definitely wrong. Leave your neighbors a phone number to reach you, or an email, in case they need to contact you.

11. Some local police stations have a vacation notice program. Such programs allow citizens to call the police station and ask for routine drive-bys.

12. If you can, leave a car in the driveway. A car is one of the best ways to suggest that someone is home.

Restoring Higher FHA Loan Limits Provides a Much-Needed Boost to the Mortgage Market originally posted by the Home Builders Association of Alabama on December 6, 2011:

In an important victory for NAHB, the housing industry and consumers, Congress last month approved a much-debated initiative to restore higher loan limits through 2013 for mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

“We commend congressional leaders in both parties and each chamber of Congress for taking this action to boost overall mortgage liquidity in the marketplace, create jobs, and provide home owners and home buyers with safe and affordable financing,” said NAHB Chairman Bob Nielsen.

“Restoring the higher FHA loan limits will help to stabilize home values, provide constancy while
private investors re-enter the market and enable millions of creditworthy consumers to get home loans
with the best mortgage rates and lowest fees and downpayment requirements,” he added.

President Obama signed the legislation into law on Nov. 18.

When Congress allowed conforming loan limits to revert to their lower levels at the end of October and reapplied a more restrictive formula for determining loan ceilings in local markets, thousands of potential home sales were put in jeopardy — and not just in high-cost areas.

NAHB and its industry allies fought vigorously for an extension of the higher limits, and achieved a preliminary victory in the Senate with bipartisan support.

However, the effort to restore the higher FHA loan limits faced intense opposition from conservative forces in the House of Representatives who refused to support any measure that could be perceived as increasing the federal government’s role in housing.

This left many industry insiders strongly doubting that any loan-limit measure could be passed.

The outcome of the uphill legislative battle in Congress was shaped by lobbying by NAHB and its grassroots members. The association also conducted a teleconference for the major news media on why the loan limits needed to be raised.

On Nov. 14, NAHB succeeded in pushing through an agreement among lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to restore higher limits for mortgage loans insured by the FHA through 2013.

Approved by the House on Nov. 17 and immediately taken up and passed by the Senate, the measure reestablished a national ceiling for FHA mortgages of $729,750, up from $625,500.

The measure also restored local FHA loan ceilings to 125% of the area median home price, up from 115%, which NAHB economists say will help put a floor under falling home values in markets nationwide.

Unfortunately, in the face of extreme opposition in the House, legislators were unable to restore the higher loan ceilings for government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which together provide funding for about half of all U.S. mortgages.

FHA mortgages are the only game in town for first-time home buyers who do not have the large downpayments required in today’s tighter lending environment.

The legislation addresses the 620 counties in the U.S. that were affected by the reduced FHA loan limits.

However, there are 204 counties that will continue to contend with lower limits for loans funded by the GSEs.

It is expected that many more home sales will be facilitated by the higher FHA ceilings, which will also be beneficial to buyers of new homes who must first sell an existing property.

The legislation also temporarily extended the National Flood Insurance Program through Dec. 16.

NAHB has been working with lawmakers to pass a five-year reauthorization of the program to bring stability to housing markets in the many parts of the country where flooding can occur and enable builders to provide safe, decent and affordable housing in those areas.

For more information, email Scott Meyer at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8144.

We know you have plenty of choices when it comes to selecting a builder. That’s why we work hard to offer all kinds of options for color and style. But you’re not the only one with choices. Lowder New Homes has been careful to choose high-quality products for everything from siding and cabinets to paint, flooring, roofing appliances and more.

The result is a dreamy new home with the details you choose along with the above-industry standards we choose to provide for you. That makes for a place you’re proud to call home, and a product we’re proud to warranty.

Here are just a few of the choices that come with a Lowder New Home:

Cabinets
You choose from a wide range of styles, colors, handles and knobs.
We choose to use only quality, solid wood construction and not particleboard sides.

Paint
You choose from an unlimited selection of color options.
We choose to use Glidden® Professional Paint which is recognized for its quality, durability and washability.

Appliances
You choose a Lowder New Home and get energy-efficient Energy Star® appliances.
We choose not to use the lower grade appliances selected by some other builders.

Carpeting
You choose the look and feel which best suits your needs.
We choose to use a minimum of 25-ounce face weight with a pad quality that’s no less than six pounds—better than the four-pound pad used by some other builders.

Siding
You choose a Lowder New Home and get siding with a 30-year warranty.
We choose to use JamesHardie® for its climate-specific substrate and primer, instead of using a treated pine that is subject to rot with time and moisture which is what some other builders use.

Roofing
You choose a Lowder New Home, and you’ve put a reliable roof over your head.
We choose to offer a roofing warranty, featuring one of the nation’s leading quality brands, CertainTeed®.

Throughout the River Region, Lowder New Homes offers these and more choices. In Montgomery, Millbrook and Prattville we’ve changed the face of real estate, holding to a higher standard. Come enjoy quality homes and quality of life with Lowder New Homes!

Stop by a Model Home in any of our gracious neighborhoods today, or call 270-6789 for more information.