The level of homebuyers' satisfaction has gone up. (Photo: iStockphoto)

The J.D. Power and Associates customer satisfaction survey numbers for home builders are out for this year, as recently reported here on Cyberhomes.com. Overall, customer satisfaction and quality went up in 2008 over the previous year. Paula Sonkin, who runs the real estate and construction industries practice for J.D. Power, was quoted as saying that the results are great news for new-home buyers, and especially first-time buyers, because only the strongest companies have survived in the current market, and they’re offering "unprecedented high levels of quality, value and service at relatively low prices." …Full Story

A minor hole, or a money pit? (Photo: Fulton Homes)

I ran across a tweet the other day about Fulton Homes, a builder in Phoenix, Ariz., that appears to be successfully competing against the foreclosures that are prevalent in its market.

Part of its marketing strategy is a foreclosure cost calculator, which gives prospective home buyers who are considering buying either a foreclosure or a new house a list of the potential costs associated with each, so that they can make a realistic comparison. You can adjust the calculator for the condition of the house – good, fair, poor or wrecked. I questioned some of the numbers in their estimate – I thought the price for exterior painting, windows, and HVAC sounded low and I’ve done replacement cabinets and flooring for a whole lot less – but it’s a good starting point for doing some math …Full Story

New homes often lack amenities like mature landscaping.

Earlier, I blogged about how my husband and I chose to purchase a new home, thinking we'd save on maintenance costs and avoid having to pay for redecorating to undo previous homeowners' design decisions …Full Story

When my husband and I went house hunting eight years ago, I wanted a new home. I liked the idea of having everything brand new and not having to deal with dated décor, like old shag carpeting and wallpaper from the 1970s. I also thought that since my husband and I aren't skilled do-it-yourselfers, buying new would present fewer problems and less maintenance. (I may have been wrong about that. See post, "Faulty Flashing.")

Pros of a new home

When we found a new subdivision of 10 homes being built in the center of an established town (the site was once a nursery), we jumped on it. (Or, rather I went for it and convinced my husband to go for it, too.) …Full Story

Earlier, I blogged about the trend toward smaller homes, and wondered whether the trend would last longer than our current recession -- thinking that once Americans are feeling more flush again, we'll renew our fascination with large, luxurious homes.

Signs of the trend are evident, with USA Today reporting that in the first time in a decade, the average size of a newly built single-family home has dropped: from 2,629 square feet in the second quarter of 2008 to 2,343 square feet in the fourth quarter, according to Census data …Full Story

In an earlier post, Ohan Antebian, Cyberhomes regional vice president of sales, wrote about possibly jumping back into the housing market this year and buying his family a new home, now that they've relocated from the Philadelphia area to California. Since moving in 2006, he and his family have been living in a small apartment and could use a bigger space. But before thinking about buying, he'd like "to be able to confirm the bottom of the real estate market," he says.

It seems a lot of buyers are waiting for a housing-market bottom before dipping their toes back into the market. To encourage these "fence sitters" that now may be a good time to buy, the National Association of Realtors has launched a new 2009 public awareness campaign to convince potential buyers that conditions are now favorable for buyers -- what with relatively low interest rates, improved affordability (thanks to lower home prices) and the availability of homes for sale. The new campaigns include TV ads, radio spots and print advertisements. (Check out one of NAR's TV spots at the end of this post.) …Full Story

The housing market has received another unexpected boost, according to data released yesterday by the U.S. Commerce Department. In September, sales of new homes rose 2.7 percent from August to a seasonally adjusted rate of 464,000 homes, Commerce said.

The median price of a new home fell 9.1 percent in September from a year ago to $218,400, which the Associated Press reports is the lowest price level since September 2004.

The rise in new-home sales would be good news, except that the 2.7 gain in new-home sales is still 33.1 percent below September 2007's sales level, and because the inventory of new homes -- at 10.4 months at September's sales pace -- is substantial. This is coupled with a 9.9-month supply of existing homes currently on the market, according to the National Association of Realtors …Full Story

Earlier this week, the International Code Council (ICC), approved a residential fire sprinkler requirement for all new one- and two-family homes and townhomes, reports the International Residential Code Fire Sprinkler Coalition, an association of more than 100 fire service, building code official and safety organizations in 45 states.

That means many homes will be required to have the fire sprinklers -- the new regulation will first appear in the 2009 International Residential Code, and the code change will affect local and state building codes nationwide. As of January 1, 2011, an approved automatic fire sprinkler system is required in new single- and two-family dwellings and townhouses …Full Story