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NEWHOME Spring 2016

Pittsburgh’s Housing Market

Economic Forecast Building On Your Own Lot Starting a New Home Search?

Highland Estates Pittsburgh Homebuilders

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what’s inside NEW HOME 05 SPRING 2016

Publisher’s Message

Project Profile Highland Estates

This Ryan Homes development sits on the old Highland Country Club golf course in Ross Township.

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NEW HOME’s 2016 Economic Forecast Changes in several key factors in housing that should influence the market for the next year or so.

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Building On Your Own Lot Those on a quest for perfection come to the conclusion that the only way to ensure that they get the home of their dreams is to start from the ground up!

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Finance: Starting a New Home Search?

Start Here.

Pre-qualification vs. pre-approval.

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Pittsburgh’s Homebuilders Looking to build a new home? Check this list of professional homebuilders for ideas and advice.

New Housing Developments

New housing communities throughout Greater Pittsburgh.

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NEWHOME Voices Mortgages for Mothers

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www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com

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Come Home

to EDGEWATER at Oakmont!

Call 412-877-1055 or email jcorna@kacin.com for information or to schedule your private tour.

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…In Oakmont. on the River. This is Edgewater! www.KACIN.com

Find us on facebook!

4 GREATER PITTSBURGH’S NEW HOME

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Publisher’s Message

PUBLISHER

Kevin J. Gordon kgordon@carsonpublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGN

Jaimee D. Greenawalt PRODUCTION

Carson Publishing, Inc. design@carsonpublishing.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jeff Burd Melissa McKrell Kristen Miles Linda Simon Sarah Tuthill

Spring

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Dan Chmill Costa Homebuilders Ryan Homes Schumacher Homes Carson Publishing, Inc. ADVERTISING SALES

Kevin J. Gordon 412-548-3823 X202 kgordon@carsonpublishing.com SPECIAL THANKS

Megan and Terry Piper, Mike Henry and Kristen Miles from Dollar Bank, Tom Sullivan from First Commonwealth Bank, Curt Taylor, Phil Molishus and Ryan Skuse from Ryan Homes, Bill Weaver from Weaver Homes, Mark Heinauer from Barrington Homes, Tricia Brennan from Brennan Builders, Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh, Coldwell Banker Real Estate, Dollar Bank, Heartland Homes, Howard “Hoddy” Hanna III from Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, Northwood Realty, and Scott Ludwick of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.

MORE INFORMATION

Greater Pittsburgh’s NEW HOME is published quarterly by Carson Publishing, Inc., 500 McKnight Park Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15237; www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com 412-548-3823 No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission by the Publisher. All rights reserved.

This information is carefully gathered and compiled in such a manner as to ensure maximum accuracy. We cannot, and do not, guarantee either the correctness of all information furnished nor the complete absence of errors and omissions. Hence, responsibility for same neither can be, nor is, assumed.

www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com About the cover: Megan and Terry Piper in front of their new home on their new lot purchased in Fox Chapel.

S

pring always arrives with a welcome smile. That’s because all things become possible again. We can see the promise in the smallest bud or hear it in the song of a lone robin. We can even hold onto it when the Pirates take the field on Opening Day and our visions of a World Series are renewed.

Pittsburgher’s agree, this is also the time of year for residential real estate sales. Not only do the number of home sales increase during the Spring months, but the average sale price for existing homes is also higher in the Spring as opposed to December.

For example, in 2015, 5,147 existing homes sold in the Pittsburgh region around December, while 9,233 existing homes sold around April. Also, the average sales price for existing homes in the region around December was $149,618, but around April the average price jumped 18%.

The housing market in the U.S. is seeing a shift in direction and that same shift is being seen in Pittsburgh. Read our Economic Forecast for 2016 and understand how several key factors in housing should influence our market for the next year or so. These factors include drivers of apartment development, demographics, lending conditions and the make-up of builders shaping new construction. We can see changes coming to our housing market... Having experienced tough economic conditions, Pittsburgh has now become one of the stars of the U.S. Economy. It is an affordable place to live and work. The housing prices here are reasonable and steady.

And, like many other facets of Pittsburgh life, the home market here is gaining a national reputation.

Starting a new home search? You’ll have many questions, such as “How much can we afford?” or “What kind of down payment will I need?” With thoughtful preparation, this process may not prove to be as daunting as initially imagined. Our finance feature will help you gather information on your quest for home ownership (and that all important home loan).

Remember, Spring is a time for transition. Get out and enjoy!

Kevin J. Gordon www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com

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Pittsburgh’s H

6 GREATER PITTSBURGH’S NEW HOME

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s Housing Market 2016 Economic Forecast

F

or decades prior to the Great Recession, the Pittsburgh housing market was fairly unremarkable. Trends in population growth, housing types or mortgage financing happened elsewhere. Pittsburgh was slow and steady. That’s a description that many locals take pride in espousing but it’s also a recipe for a stagnation of sorts; and the home prices in Pittsburgh reflected that. Unlike in other cities, home ownership in Pittsburgh had little risk but also little reward.

From almost any perspective, Pittsburgh’s housing market lagged or ran counter to the national trends. Little about the market was newsworthy. That all changed after 2008.

Slow and steady is an unattractive description for most investors. Consumers in other cities saw home price appreciation that was five or ten times higher than appreciation in Pittsburgh and homes sold like hot cakes.

In mid-2007 we began to understand why some of these hot markets were so overheated. The artificial growth in values that came from demand from investors, flippers and unqualified buyers fueled the housing bubble and the crisis that followed. None of those dynamics happened in Pittsburgh.

Neither did the chaos that followed.

www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com

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Through 2015, the story line in Pittsburgh was the same as that of the rest of the country. Prices continued to climb. Inventory of homes for sale continued to decline.

New construction didn’t pick up the slack (or even fully recover). Money was cheap to borrow but regulations kept lending conservative.

Younger people weren’t buying houses so construction of apartments surged. Slow and steady became the national mantra again.

Now in 2016, the housing market in the U.S. is seeing a shift in direction and that same shift is being seen in Pittsburgh. There are changes in several key factors in housing that should influence the market for the next year or so: The drivers of apartment development have changed; Demographics will shift housing demand; Lending conditions will influence housing again; and in Pittsburgh, the makeup of the builders shaping new construction. Like in 2007, we can see changes coming in the housing market. Unlike in 2007, change won’t hurt.

W

hile dozens of major U.S. cities began to see homes foreclosed by the thousands and prices declined as much as 50 percent, Pittsburgh saw the kinds of conditions that occurred during other slow business cycles. Property values edged down a little overall but many desirable communities still saw prices go up slightly. By 2010, property values in Pittsburgh resumed an upward trend.

With unemployment much lower in Pittsburgh, and growth in the kinds of jobs that would fuel the economy of the future, the housing market in Pittsburgh got healthier faster than almost any other city in America.

The conditions were perfect for a housing boom.

The Big Numbers

But that boom never happened. There was no rush to the market by existing homeowners to take advantage of the higher-than-normal appreciation. New construction didn’t even return to pre-recession levels, let alone take

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off as a relief valve for the lack of existing home inventory. What did happen in Pittsburgh was that the region’s housing market was very much in line with the national trend – even a step ahead.

Housing was a train that went off the rails in the mid2000s. It was only after the wreck that we discovered just how far off the rails the market went. At the time of the financial crisis, the worst pessimists predicted that it would take until 2014 before the overhanging inventory of homes would be absorbed and growth could begin again. That turned out to be an optimistic forecast but in 2016 we can now see more clearly what the numbers meant.

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Even a cursory glance at the housing start data over the past decade reveals that new construction of homes has remained at severely depressed levels compared to history. The overbuilding of the mid-2000s came from over-lending and the upshot was that credit problems created a huge number of renters that had previously been owners. As the Millennial generation entered the workforce, its members had more college debt and greater concern about borrowing money than older generations. As a result, demand for new households and new construction fell precipitously and remained low.

Those conditions also meant that demand for apartments and rental homes went through the roof. Commercial real estate investors flocked to back multi-family development. Lenders liked the returns on investment and the lower risk of apartment projects. Rents went up as vacancy went down. Apartment construction boomed all over the country and increased significantly in Pittsburgh as well. Like in other cities,

development of new apartment projects in Pittsburgh was also accompanied by new design trends, which included smaller units, more lifestyle amenities, more urban development and the creation of multiple public social spaces within the common area of the complex.

As 2015 wound down, there was growing evidence that demand for apartments was starting to wane. Lenders were becoming wary and less willing to finance new construction. In Pittsburgh, absorption remained high – more than 535 units for the third consecutive year – but lagged the amount of supply entering the market again by a similar margin.

The history of multi-family development is very cyclical. New construction has generally gone on a year or two after demand slows so that overbuilding occurs. Most observers seem to feel the apartment market is at the overbuilding point in 2016 but the numbers don’t necessarily support the feeling that the party is over for new

development. Nor does data show that the normal single-family demand cycle is about to take off.

For example, while the U.S. multi-family market has been booming since the beginning of the recovery in 2010, the volume of starts actually only rose above the 50-year average of 359,000 units in 2015. Moreover, the peak of two earlier boom cycles – in 1985 and 1972 – reached 576,000 units and 902,000 units respectively. Construction of multi-family units appears to be peaking in early 2016 at somewhere above 425,000 units, but a slowdown below the average is more likely for the full year.

Even more inexplicable is the protracted sluggishness in the U.S. single-family market. Starts in this category of housing peaked in 1972, 1978 and again in 2005, when 2.068 million units were started.

In the 48 years prior to 2005, the average number of single-family units started was above 1.546 million units. Construction dropped off dramatically from 2006

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to 2009, when only 554,000 single-family houses were started. The overextension of mortgages during the housing bubble created an excess inventory that had to be sold prior to the resurgence of new construction. By all measures, that overhanging inventory has been absorbed for two years or more, yet new construction only recovered to the one million-unit level in 2014 and the average number of starts in the intervening eight years has been 809,400.

At the local level, the numbers are even more inexplicable. New construction of single-family homes peaked in Pittsburgh in 2004, well before the housing bubble popped. Since the 2009 recession, the volume of new homes built has only topped 2,000 units once, in 2014. During that same economic recovery cycle, new job creation – which drives population growth and household formation – has well outstripped the amount of housing built of all types. The demographics and job growth

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But with the growth of jobs that is forecast for the next three years – some 36,000 jobs – demand for housing in Pittsburgh could be building rather than waning.

may explain why 500 more apartment units were absorbed each year since 2010.

But with the growth of jobs that is forecast for the next three years – some 36,000 jobs – demand for housing in Pittsburgh could be building rather than waning.

Why examine all these numbers? Well, the narrative about the housing market has been pretty consistent and persistent since 2009. The housing crisis created millions of renters and left millions of houses to be absorbed. But the data tells us that almost ten years later, all those new renters didn’t actually create a boom – at least not by historical standards. The numbers also suggest that demand for home ownership should be way ahead of supply by 2016, foretelling a dramatic increase in demand for homes to buy (or build). The latter is especially true if the huge Millennial generation is about to start having children. Yet construction and sales of existing homes is not booming.

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“In the Western PA resale market we haven’t seen an uptick in inventory for sale,” notes Howard “Hoddy” Hanna III, CEO of Pittsburgh-based Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, the nation’s fourthlargest realtor. “That is not true in our other markets and in other markets we look at.

The only place we’re seeing oversupply in the market is in the upper five percent of the price range.”

Perhaps the numbers aren’t telling the story. The housing market changed because of the bubble so the historic housing cycle hasn’t moved in the same way. There has been nothing in the past to suggest that a major cyclical change is occurring either.

Of course, the last time that the numbers suggested that the housing market wasn’t behaving as it should was 2006.

Keeping an Eye on the Demographics One of the more influential trends of the past decade has been the aging of the Baby

The dominant traits of the lifestyle being chosen by aging Boomers were having a sense of community with others of the same stage in life and having little or no maintenance responsibilities.

Boomers. Because Pittsburgh has an older population, the lifestyle choices of aging Boomers had a bigger impact in Western PA, including the impact on housing.

The dominant traits of the lifestyle being chosen by aging Boomers were having a sense of community with others of the same stage in life and having little or no maintenance responsibilities. These demands fueled new construction mostly, as little or no existing home product was in the market. In the late 1990s, that demand initially translated into a boom in independent living facilities and the continuum of care concept; but the more institutional style of living those facilities offered soon fell flat among residents. Around the turn of the century, a lifestyle option that was taking off in other markets came to Pittsburgh.

Bill Weaver, owner of Weaver Custom Homes, was one of the first builders in Western PA to shift his business towards meeting this untapped need. Weaver researched the options and chose to ally his business with Epcon Communities, which had developed a number of attached and detached home concepts for aging in place.

The formula has been a great success,

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as Weaver grew from building 10 or 15 homes each year to five times that number.

“The Epcon franchise, that’s been our core product and it always will be,” says Weaver.

The communities Weaver has developed have quad-plexes as the main housing option. He says that buyers are attracted to the no maintenance lifestyle that allows them to have a two or three bedroom home in a neighborhood with a pool and clubhouse that are frequented by people in the same stage in life. Weaver’s communities are nearby places that have strong single-family neighborhoods, like Cranberry and Adams Township or Zelienople.

“People don’t want to leave their churches.

They don’t want to leave their friends. As long as they can get in their cars and get to those things in ten minutes or so, that’s perfect,” he asserts, citing his success at Bellevue Park and a new community called the Glen at Woodside in Cranberry as examples. “At [the Glen at Woodside] we have two models under construction but we’ve sold five lot reservations and three contracts selling out of a trailer, which I hate to do.”

Another builder taking advantage of the over-55 market is Brennan Builders. One of the most active custom builders in the North Hills for decades, Brennan continues to have success in that market but has seen the shift in demographics as an opportunity for growth.

“Our success isn’t so much about location as it is about product,” notes Tricia Brennan, who runs Brennan Builders with her father Bob. “We’re doing very well with the multi-unit product for buyers who don’t want traditional homes.” Brennan is building duplexes, quads and townhomes in The Gables in Mars and the Hunt Club at Grandview in West Deer Township.

Time is the enemy of all trends, of course.

Boomers heading into retirement have been a great market changer for housing and should remain a significant influence upon development for a while longer. Says Weaver, “Epcon keeps a good handle on projections and we’re told to expect Boomers to have influence for another 10 or 15

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years.” But as that demographic group ages further, the future of the housing industry rests with the group of adults at the other end of the spectrum.

If one factor could be isolated as the key to a new boom in single-family housing it is the pent-up demand from first-time buyers. Whether at the national level or in Pittsburgh, the shift by Millennial generation adults from renting to buying - which is likely to coincide with that group beginning to raise children – will trigger a significant increase in demand for homes.

Determining that tipping point won’t be easy but if history is an indication, a shift will occur when the median age of the Millennials is 30. That should occur sometime in 2017-2018.

Time is the enemy of all trends, of course.

Boomers heading into retirement have been a great market changer for housing and should remain a significant influence upon development for a while longer.

One custom builder in Pittsburgh has seen a change in the mix of his customers already. Mark Heinauer, president of Barrington Homes, builds homes at the higher end of the price range but says that his clients aren’t necessarily the traditional middle-aged move-up type.

“We have quite a few customers who are younger, in their 30s, and building pretty big houses,” Heinauer notes. “Not all of them are over a million dollars but we’re

talking about $800,000 or more. One of the other things I see is people who moved away from Pittsburgh moving back. We see quite a few people doing that right now. They may have lived in New York or Chicago or North Carolina but they are choosing to move back home. That’s pretty cool.”

Heinauer is seeing the impact of what may be a very influential trend in Pittsburgh and throughout the U.S. For decades, the generation born between 1948 and 1963 – the Baby Boomers – have been the driving force of the U.S. economy and culture.

That generation is still influencing the housing market but the Boomers’ most enduring legacy may be that they gave birth to an even bigger demographic group, the group we call Millennials.

The age group that is between 25 and 35 entered the workforce as a Black Swan event was blowing up the housing market. The financial crisis has had a similar influence upon Millennials as the Great Depression had on adults in the 1930s.

But now, as America’s young adults mature beyond single life, the onset of raising families seems to be driving their housing choices. Lifestyle choices and fear of home buying pushed Millennials into the cities and into apartments. Younger adults came into working life with higher levels of college debt. Saving and deleveraging were high priorities for Millennials. Now, some ten years later, Millennials are approaching home ownership with much more money in the bank than the Boomers did.

The early evidence shows that their frugality is giving them options the Boomers didn’t have.

“Not all first-time home buyers are looking at purchasing a $120,000 house and then moving up over time,” notes Mike Henry, senior vice president, residential mortgages for Dollar Bank. “We’re seeing first-time buyers who are skipping over the starter home, looking at homes that are $250,000 or much more. Today’s first-time buyers are definitely different. Millennials are looking for different things than before.”

Henry sites the Homebuyers Insights Report done by Bank of America this winter,

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which shows that 75 percent of first-time buyers plan to skip the starter home. After paying down debt, Millennials and GenXers are planning to buy a first home that meets their long-term needs. In fact, the Bank of America survey found that 49 percent expected to retire in the home they purchase.

Mortgage Market Conditions If the Millennial generation is about to burst into its child-rearing and home-buying years, its members will face conditions for mortgage borrowing that are different from those of older Americans – and conditions that aren’t all that different.

How much do national trends impact The buyers of homes – especially firstPittsburgh? Well, for a long time Pittstime buyers – who are between the ages burghers made the argument that what of 25 and 30 came of age and entered the happened here was different than in other workforce under the influence of the Great markets or happened 18 months later.

The truth is that all local markets tend to be influenced by the same factors that are observed on a national scale.

This particular trend, however, is especially relevant because Pittsburgh has become home to a greater share of Millennials than most cities. Unlike most American cities, Pittsburgh is getting younger. While the median age of the U.S. continues to climb, the median Allegheny County resident is slightly Housing starts have lagged the recovery in homebuilder sentiment for younger and the me- nearly four years. Sources: National Association of Homebuilders, U. S. dian age of a City of Dept. of Commerce, Wells Fargo Economics.

Pittsburgh resident has fallen dramatically over the past decade, now dropping Recession. As that age cohort was wrapping to around 33 years old. up its education and looking for first jobs, the daily headlines were of bank closings, Employers that are driving growth in foreclosures and massive layoffs. Many Pittsburgh are driving the future economy found it hard to find a good job. Many of the U.S. More important to demograduated with debt for their college edugraphics is the fact that these employers – cation that was equal to the cost of a starter ones engaged in new technology, healthhome. The emotional impact was similar care and energy – are attracting a much to the Great Depression’s impact on their younger workforce and paying much grandparents. The financial impact may higher-than-average wages. That will drive have been even greater. the kinds of buyers that Mark Heinauer is seeing.

Whether from fear or frugality, younger Americans put off buying a home for lon14 GREATER PITTSBURGH’S NEW HOME

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ger than normal after 2008. For those who wanted to buy a home, a different lending environment existed. Since loose lending created the crisis of 2008-2009, lenders tightened underwriting and credit conditions. The Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and consumer Protection Act of 2010 added regulations that made it tougher for banks to lend and for consumers to borrow. Many pundits have continued the narrative that mortgages are difficult to get, with borrowers having to save 20 percent for a down payment. According to bankers, that isn’t so and really never was.

“The perception is that you need 20 percent down and perfect credit but that’s not true. I think that may have discouraged some buyers,” says Henry.

“We’ve been doing five percent conventional mortgages since I started in 1987. You need documentation – pay stubs and a W-2. You need a good credit score. You need a down payment. It really hasn’t changed all that much.”

Henry points out that there are many mortgage options, including using government-backed programs from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or Pennsylvania Home Finance Agency (PHFA).

There are FHA loans requiring as little as 3.5 percent down and PHFA programs that provide home loan grants for buyers with qualifying incomes. The fallout from the financial crisis has actually been less about lending conditions and more about the hoops the lender must jump through.

Banks still want to make loans, however, and they have learned to adapt to the new conditions.

“Every situation presents an opportunity to learn and improve. The financial crisis nearly ten years ago was no excep-

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The housing prices in Pittsburgh are reasonable and steady.

And like many other facets of Pittsburgh life, the home market here is gaining a national reputation.

tion. Since then, new mortgage rules have been put in place to create a more transparent, easy-to-understand process and ensure that borrowers secure loans within their means,” explains Bill Tarpenning, senior vice president, mortgage banking for Northwest Savings Bank. “These rules help lenders better understand a borrower’s financial situation. For borrowers, they give clarity to the fees, rates and terms associated with their home loan.”

One rule, known as TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) or “Know Before You Owe”, took effect last October, creating two simplified disclosures that use a clear, easy-to-understand format and language. The first, known as the Loan Estimate, is given to borrowers shortly after application. The second is the Closing Disclosure, which is delivered at least three days before closing. These documents offer borrowers a better understanding of the terms and costs associated with their mortgage and provide them with enough time to ask questions and make informed and responsible decisions. Although this new rule can slow the process, it creates better transparency between the borrower and lender.

“In addition to TRID, Ability to Repay rules (part of the Dodd/Frank legislation), went into effect in 2014,” remarks Tarpenning “These rules placed strict guidelines on what could and couldn’t be considered qualifying income when underwriting residential mortgage loans. Controlled by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), these rules have made it more difficult to qualify applicants. There are many new rules that have gone into effect—far too many to discuss here. Needless to say, qualifying for a mortgage has not gotten easier.”

The aim of all the rules put in place is ultimately to keep buyers from borrowing more than they have the ability to repay.

As might be expected – and as Mike Henry pointed out – the borrower’s verifiable income is more of a focus for lenders than it was in the mid-2000s. Regulations make it harder for borrowers to take out a risky loan without knowing the risks. But the ultimate safeguard against buyers getting in over their head is common sense and homework. No amount of regulation is as effective as a buyer doing his or her research and planning for what the costs of borrowing – and owning a home – will be.

That’s especially true for first-time homeowners.

“First, it’s important for first-time homebuyers to enter the mortgage process understanding what they can afford,” explains Tarpenning. “The general rule has been that housing expenses, including expected monthly mortgage payments, homeowners insurance and property taxes shouldn’t exceed more than 28 percent of the borrower’s total gross monthly income. It’s important that borrowers take a good look at their financial profile to avoid getting a home and payment they regret after closing. Finally, it’s important that borrowers do their research.”

Pittsburgh Market Conditions

Having experienced a generation of tough economic conditions, Pittsburgh has become one of the darlings of the U.S. economy since the Great Recession. It is an affordable place to live and work. The housing prices in Pittsburgh are reasonable and steady. And like many other facets of Pittsburgh life, the home market here is gaining a national reputation.

www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com

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SmartAsset reported on March 21 that Pittsburgh was the fourth best market in the country for first-time buyers. The company based its rankings on several factors, listing price stability as a main ranking driver. Pittsburgh and Honolulu were the only two U.S. cities to have seen no price decline since 2010.

Nationwide’s 2016 first quarter Health of Housing Market report listed Pittsburgh at 19th out of the 40 largest markets (based on total number of households). The insurer and multi-family lender looks at demographics, employment growth, mortgage market and home prices, ranking markets from four down to negative four for the current conditions. Pittsburgh rated a two for the quarter (only two markets rated above a two). More telling is the fact that Nationwide’s rating for Pittsburgh has been a two going back through 2015, a sign that the growth of the market has been sustainable. That explains why prices keep rising steadily, if not spectacularly.

The reasoning behind these favorable ratings of Pittsburgh is sound enough – buyers need home values to hold while they adjust to all the expenses associated with home ownership – but stable home values don’t necessarily translate into one of the keys to a healthy buying environment: sufficient supply of modestly-priced homes.

When and if the housing market lifts off in Pittsburgh, there are some market conditions that will be head winds.

Development of new lots nearly stopped during the Great Recession. That’s a problem for a market that already had a dwindling supply of lots. Changes in the character of the builders also occurred during the downturn. The region’s top two builders, Ryan Homes and Heartland Custom Homes, merged and the market has seen a dramatic rise in the number of homes built by production-oriented builders.

Also, new production builders have entered the market. By 2015, nearly 60 percent of the single-family homes were built by six production-oriented builders.

Hoddy Hanna believes that a change in that trend may be starting. “On new construction, anecdotally it seems like there

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has been a small resurgence by the smallto-medium sized custom builder. There have been more custom communities opening up. Since the middle of last year, there has been more credit available for development,” he says. “The lack of choice has impaired those looking to buy new.

Whether it’s the location of the home, the size or the type of product being built, having more choices encourages buyers.”

The upshot of these market condition changes has been that new home buyers will have more similarity of choices than buyers did in the more custom home driven market 10 years ago. That could pose a problem for the first-time Millennial buyers, which have demonstrated a desire for customization in many of its lifestyle choices. Economic realities are likely to bend how new buyers view their options, however, as costs continue to rise for homes and first-time buyers have to evaluate the value of customization versus truly custom.

Concerns about the depth of the apartment market are beginning to push back on the wave of new development in 2016.

After three years of construction of more apartments than single-family homes, the tide will turn this year. There isn’t much evidence to suggest that a boom in singlefamily housing is going to start in 2016 but the economic conditions for pent-up demand to kick in are growing.

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services’ forecast for 2016 was for an increase in units sold of six-to-seven percent, with sales volume growing by eight or nine percent.

Through the first three months of the year, Hanna says that about three percent more homes sold compared to 2015 but volume was up six-to-seven percent. He expects that disparity between price and units to continue through the rest of the year.

What will ultimately drive the forecast for the housing market in Pittsburgh will be an increase in the number of jobs created.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics first report of employment growth in Pittsburgh for 2015 was at a 1.2 percent rate, or about 14,000 jobs. At even conservative household formation rates, that number of new

jobs should have driven more household formations that there were new homes or apartments. Recently, Moody’s Analytics predicted that job growth in Pittsburgh would add 36,000 to the workforce in the next two years. With much of those new jobs going to younger, better-paid workers, Pittsburgh’s housing inventory will be under even more pressure before 2020. That’s a recipe for higher home values and for new construction.

At the end of the first quarter it was clear that the prevailing trend in the housing market had changed. Some 433 permits had been issued for single-family detached homes, an increase of 8.5 percent over the first quarter of 2015. That number of new single-family homes, combined with 166 attached single-family homes represents new construction that is in line with the volume of new homes since 2010. The big departure from the trend was in the apartment market. During the first quarter there were no permits issued for new multi-family projects, which reflects the change in sentiment about apartments from lenders and developers in the region.

Pittsburgh Homebuilding Report had forecast a decline in apartment starts to 2,544 and an increase in single-family starts to 2,280 for 2016; however, after the first quarter that forecast for apartments looks optimistic. A deep dive into the development pipeline shows that around 3,000 of the proposed 4,800 units have slowed, with no schedule for starting at the moment.

Mark Heinauer sees continued success in that recipe and is excited about the prospect of new growth in a market that has earned a reputation for stability. He thinks that stability makes it harder to predict when trends are changing.

“The city has been through good spurts before but nothing like we’ve seen in the past few years,” he says. “Pittsburgh has staying power.” NH

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Megan and Terry Piper in front of their new home on their new lot purchased in Fox Chapel.

18 GREATER PITTSBURGH’S NEW HOME

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Building On Y

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S

hopping for a dream home is as exciting as it is stressful. After all, it’s likely the biggest investment one will make – so who wouldn’t want it to be perfect? To that end, many homebuyers begin the process armed with a list of wants and needs ranging from price and location down to a litany of details like spacious closets, large kitchen islands, vaulted ceilings, and a first floor master bedroom. In many cases, those on the quest for perfection come to the conclusion that the only way to ensure they get the home of their dreams is to start from the ground up.

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I

magine the satisfaction of stepping into a new home built to your exact specifications on the lot of your dreams. “There is a definite connection to this home that I didn’t have at our previous house,” says Megan Piper, who recently moved into a house on a lot she and her husband, Terry, purchased in Fox Chapel. “Every where I look, I think ‘I’ve had a hand in creating that.” Her husband, owner of home building company Terry Piper Homes, may have had a little something to do with it too.

Piper has extensive building expertise and product knowledge, but this was the first home he would build for his own family.

“As difficult as it was to be responsible for all of the little decisions that my clients usually have to make, to be able to walk in my house and have it exactly how we envisioned it is so satisfying.”

Even to those in the business, building a home can be daunting. Most simplify the process – and lower the price tag – by buying a lot within a master-planned community from a builder who offers land and home as a package. In these planned neighborhoods or subdivisions, lot preparation is already completed.

However, for those who have their eye on or already own a particular piece of land, want to build in an established rather than new neighborhood, or want a bigger hand in the building process, a custom on-yourown-lot home is the way to go.

In southern and western states, the production-builder model of construction accounts for most new homes built. In other areas, such as here in the Northeast, custom homes comprise a larger share of new homes. “Right now, about two out of 10 people are buying older houses and ripping them down to build new ones compared to one of 10 a few years ago,” says Jeff Costa of Costa Homebuilders in Pittsburgh.

This fourth generation builder says the rise in build-on-your-lot construction is due in part to a change in the banking industry which, beginning in 2008, has increasingly affected the financing of new developments and reduced the number of them in this region. “Increased regulations are slowing bigger developments too,” he adds. As a result, more people looking to build their dream home are doing so on a lot of their own,” he explains.

Love at First Site For those who haven’t already obtained a lot, site selection is a first and crucial step.

After all, location is one thing about a home that can’t be changed down the line.

And not all sites are what they seem, so experts suggest buyers do their homework before falling in love with a piece of land.

Ed Thaner, an engineer at GibsonThomas Engineering, says when it comes to purchasing a lot, buyer beware. “It’s important for people to know what they are getting into.” Firms like his help

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20 GREATER PITTSBURGH’S NEW HOME

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developers, builders and individuals with the ins and outs of lot preparation. “Purchasing land is only the beginning of the process, not to mention the beginning of your expenditures. Then you have to prepare that land,” he explains. Variables to consider include topography and sun exposure, well and septic tank location, water detention and erosion control, to name a few. “That’s why it is important to seek professional advice.”

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Ryan Smith, general manager at the Greensburg division of Schumacher Homes agrees that it’s not always apparent to a homebuyer how much additional site work may be required to make a lot buildable.

“When people are looking for a site, the two most important factors are the slope of the lot and the distance to the utilities.” A lot with a severe slope could mean additional costs to make a level pad to build upon, for example. And the further away access to power, water, sewer, gas and electric, the higher the price tag. “There are very few lots that can’t be build upon, but some of the lot-preparation costs can make some of these lots cost prohibitive for the clients,” Smith states.

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Choosing a Builder Whether someone obtained a lot independently or hired a builder to help find one, the key is to hire a builder who is equipped with local knowledge and strong build-on-your-lot expertise.

Something to consider is that some builders specialize in constructing homes on lots that already have the infrastructure in place while others are experts in building on remote lots that require more improvement.

What type of builder someone settles on also depends on whether they bring their own architect and plans

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to the process. If not, they would want a builder who offers a variety of existing floor plans that can be adapted to the clients needs and to the topography of the lot.

One such client, Dennis and Beverly DeDominicis, wanted to stay in their existing school district but couldn’t find a house that met even their basic

No matter how much design input a homeowner wishes to have in partnership with the builder during the home’s construction process, it’s crucial to choose one who will hold your hand throughout the intricate phases of the entire project.

While some people come to a builder with an existing custom floor plan, clients like the DeDominicis wanted to hire an on-your-lot builder who already has a selection of existing floor plans from which to choose. They chose Costa and altered existing plans for a semi-custom design.

With the nine-month process coming to an end, the family is looking forward to moving in.

“There were millions of choices, and upgrade options, but they walk you through every step in the process,” DeDominicis says.

To that end, Costa Homebuilders has streamlined that process and created a program called “New Life ®” to help clients navigate the stages of building. “The name of the process is exactly what it means,” says Costa. “Your new house is your retreat – your new life.”

Not only can a prospective homeowner browse through floor plans on paper and online, but builders often have model homes for people to physically – not just virtually – walk through.

“Actually stepping inside one of our model homes is where the fun really begins,” says Smith of the nearly 40 Schumacher models.

“People are able to see the latest architectural trends firsthand and different ways to style a unique space.”

From Floor Plans to Finances When it comes to the stages of building a home, the floor plan is arguably the most exciting for the homeowner. After all, this is when their dream home starts coming to life. The arrangement of rooms, the flow from one room to another, and the use of space all help determine the feel of the new home.

“This is what often drives people to decide to build a new home rather than purchase a new one,” says Costa. “It’s because they simply can’t find a floor plan that fits their wants and needs. Clients are paying for their home per square foot, so they want to make sure every inch is being used for exactly what they want.”

requirements. “We wanted things like vaulted ceilings, a fireplace, and an open floor plan,” says the father of two. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime home, so we wanted it to be perfect.”

“This is a oncein-a-lifetime home, so we wanted it to be perfect.”

Open floor plans are still popular but today’s plans balance that with private spaces like game rooms and dedicated workspaces. A popular desire is specialized storage and multiple “drop zones” for everything from mail and keys to coats and boots. More and more home designers have also embraced outside spaces as an extension of indoor living space. www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com

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It’s important to shop around and interview a lender and find one with whom you feel comfortable doing business.

If a homebuyer doesn’t have a particular relationship with a financial institution, many medium to large building companies have a list of approved vendors who can help their clients through this part of the build-on-yourown-lot process.

When Charlie and Beth Georgi looked to Costa to build a home on family-owned property in Vanderbilt, they knew it would be their forever home. “We were particular about our floor plan because this is where we are going to grow old,” says Georgi who with his wife, Beth, and two young children, moved into their home in October. “We not only wanted an open plan and an eat-in kitchen, but things like an attached garage, a first floor master, and laundry on first floor, too,” he says.

Shumacher Homes’ Models 24 GREATER PITTSBURGH’S NEW HOME

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If creating a floor plan is the most exciting part of home building, then the financial aspect is probably the most stressful. “The first thing most people do is hire a builder, but before they get too far into it, they’ll want to meet with someone like me,” says Ron Woomer of Home Savings & Loan Company. “Before they get to deep, they need to ask, ‘how much am I going to need to build this home’?” Woomer explains that financing for building a home is much like that for purchasing an existing one, but people should use a lender who is experienced with finding bridge loans and construction loans that save money and make the process as stress-free as possible.

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Woomer points out, for example, that with a construction loan, you don’t begin paying a mortgage until the construction is complete. “The first part of the loan is during the building of your house, and it works like a credit line. Once you are approved for a specific amount, you make interest-only payments during the construction phase based upon the outstanding balance,” he continues. “The second part of the loan is the permanent loan, which is put into place once construction is completed.”

It’s important to shop around and interview a lender and find one with whom you feel comfortable doing business. If a homebuyer doesn’t have a particular relationship with a financial institution, many medium to large building companies have a list of approved vendors who can help their clients through this part of the build-on-your-own-lot process.

A Fresh Start Parking a car in the sparkling and uncluttered garage or cooking dinner in a brand-new kitchen is part of the appeal of new construction. Indeed, one of the biggest advantages is that the home is immaculate and unblemished.

A new home is clean in the sense that it’s never been lived in, but also “clean” because it is more sustainable and efficient. “Building regulations have increased over the past decade and the result is a more energy efficient home,” Smith explains.

He points out that Schumacher builds cleaner, more energy efficient homes by using walls that allow for thicker insulation, providing a “caulk and seal package” that fills all of the gaps around windows and doors that would otherwise allow for air infiltration, and use high efficiency heating and cooling systems.

Add to that, the newest trends in “green” technology in everything from kitchen appliances to laundry to windows. “All of this means saving our homeowners every month when they get their utility bills,” Smith says.

Though the process is long – Smith says it takes about 230 days from the purchase to closing – move-in day is truly a fresh start. “After the home is completed we continue to address any concerns with the homeowner,” Smith adds. “We have been a part of the process before ground is even broken and we maintain relationships with clients long after construction is done. It’s a personal connection, having helped bring their vision, their dream home, to life,” he concludes. NH

Costa Homebuilders “Build On Your Own Lot” project for Charlie and Beth Georgi in Vanderbilt www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com

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26 GREATER PITTSBURGH’S NEW HOME

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FINANCE:

Starting a New Home Search?

START HERE For those ready to set sail on a home buying voyage, especially for the first time, the waves of preparation may be somewhat disconcerting. Questions swell, such as “How much can we afford?” or “What kind of down payment will I need?” to name a few. These, and many other unknowns may leave many in the choppy wake of home buying, but righting the ship in the quest for the satisfying shores of home ownership can be as easy as starting with gathering knowledge about what is needed to move through the waters of pre-qualification and pre-approval for that all important home loan. www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com

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Pre-Qualification vs. Pre-Approval Obtaining a home loan and subsequently purchasing a home can be one of life’s most exciting and anticipatory pleasures. So, with thoughtful preparation, the process may not prove to be as daunting as initially imagined, especially when you determine what will work best - obtaining a letter of pre-qualification or pre-approval. These names in and of themselves may add to whatever confusion one feels but generally speaking, pre-qualification offers a preliminary step in looking at an individual’s

financial information while pre-approval is a more in-depth review of that same information. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a government agency developed to protect consumers, while they note some “legal distinctions” between the two, they proffer that there is “not a lot of difference between a prequalification letter and a pre-approval letter” continuing that both refer to a letter that generally states a lender is willing to lend a given amount based on “certain assumptions.” Others take a more stern tack when it comes to those definitions.

An article titled “A Guide to Getting Your First Mortgage” (U.S. News and World 28 GREATER PITTSBURGH’S NEW HOME

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Report, Oct. 24, 2014), explained that with “good credit, a healthy income and money in the bank, you’ll be able to secure mortgage pre-approval quickly and proceed straight to the home buying process.” They continued by saying that with lesser attributes, the process may take longer, with emphasis on an individual’s credit report.

U.S. Bank considers a mortgage pre-qualification as an assessment of whether an individual’s debt-to income ratio syncs with their guidelines, giving a potential buyer an estimate of what can be borrowed. They

“I can start by telling people about a given home, but it doesn’t make any sense to start until they know a more [definitive} price. Prequalification just doesn’t carry any weight,”

also note that an individual’s credit history is not part and parcel of the pre-qualification process. On the other hand, they view a pre-approval as evidence that the person(s) has the necessary resources to make a home purchase, one that is ultimately more attractive to the seller. “Pre-qualification is a more informal process than a formal pre-approval,” explained Tom Sullivan, Pennsylvania Mortgage Market Managemer, First Commonwealth Bank. “A pre-qualification is not reviewed by an underwriter. It gives us an estimate of what the buyer can afford.” He continued that the pre-approval process is much stronger, one in which “we collect all documentation and connect the dots with paperwork.” Given that the pre-approval letter has a 30 to 45 day window, he advises that buyers may want to have some homes in mind, although the pre-approval information can be updated as the buyers continue their search. Similarly, Mike Henry, Senior Vice President, Dollar Bank, Residential Lending, noted that pre-qualification “is an approval without full verification and then is subject to verifying income, assets, and any other qualifying information. The primary difference between the two is that pre-approval provides a mortgage commitment. In the pre-approval process, we verify income, the funds you need for a down payment, and closing costs as if you were making a full mortgage application.” He added that for both pre-qualification and pre-approval, a credit report is run.

So, for those seeking to buy a home, how do these differences affect the search for the desired property? “Pre-approval is what we want to see and what the seller wants to see also, said Scott Ludwick, Associate Broker, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. With 35 years in the real estate industry, Ludwick believes it is important to be pre-approved as a buyer. “I can start by telling people about a given home, but it doesn’t make any sense to start until they know a more

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[definitive} price. Pre-qualification just doesn’t carry any weight,” he opined.

A Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices website article (Feb. 24, 2016) elaborates further that pre-qualification, while giving a lender some information to devise a mortgage loan amount, is not a guaranteed amount but merely a buyer’s expectation of what might be affordable.

Pre-approval, then, erases those uncertainties, demonstrating to sellers the seriousness of a buyer’s search.

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Of Credit Reports, Down Payment and Interest Rates Seeking pre-approval takes more effort on the buyer’s part - gathering documents such as tax returns, paycheck stubs, W-2 forms from previous years, any loans or debts, a credit report and/or any other significant financial information the buyer may have. This in-depth process and examination determines how much you are eligible to borrow and may help you lock in a particular interest rate. One key factor in determining what amount a lender is willing to extend is your credit score - a number that changes as you acquire new credit cards, pay off debt and other such credit activity. Naturally, the higher the credit score, the better your credit appears to be. But is there a magic number that gets you a better loan than not? “The 640 score is a threshold that some investors utilize, however, there are programs and situations that can make it a case by case decision,” said Sullivan. Mike Henry explained while “Dollar Bank does not have a minimum credit score, some agencies such as Fannie Mae or FHA do, which we follow but we do not have a definitive cut-off.” For many, the most commonly known credit score is the FICO score as well as the Trans Risk Score, developed by TransUnion, a prominent credit reporting agency, which may be lesser known to the masses. To learn more about credit scores and other information about credit reports, a site named Investopedia suggests a visit to www.credit.org and also offers the following guide to FICO scores and what it means in terms of obtaining a mortgage:

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Credit Score Number

Rating

What It Means for You

740 to 850

Excellent credit

Easy credit approvals and the best interest rates

680 to 740

Good credit interest rates

Borrowers are typically approved and offered good

thereby “getting the home sold.”

So, we’ve come to learn that interest rates are tied to mortgage 620 to 680 Acceptable credit Borrowers are typically approved at higher interest rates loans and credit ratings, but are Sub-prime credit Possible to get a mortgage, but not guaranteed.

550 to 620 the interest rates

Terms will probably be unfavorable favorable for home buyers Poor credit Little to no chance of getting a mortgage.

300 to 550 now? An April 2016 report

Borrowers will have to take steps to improve in Realtor

credit score before being approved.

Magazine titled www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance “Mortgage Rates Hit New Low in 2016” tells us Another consideration for mortgage lendthat “mortgage rates this week [the week of ing falls into the debt-to-credit ratio: your April 3], plunged to their lowest levels since monthly debt payments divided by your February 2015, unlocking more savings for gross monthly income. Some reports will home buyers and home owners who are tell you that if that ratio is more than 43 refinancing.” Freddie Mac Chief Econopercent, you may not get a loan. Accordmist Sean Becketti remarked “This rate ing to the Consumer Financial Protec(30-year mortgage rates of 3.59 percent) tion Bureau web report, the 43 percent marks a new low for 2016. Low mortgage debt-to-income ratio is important because, rates and a positive employment outlook in most cases, that is the highest ratio a should support a strong housing market in borrower can have and still get a Qualified the second quarter of 2016.” Freddie Mac Mortgage, simply put, a category of loans further reports that for the week ending with particular features that make it more April 7, 2016, 15-year fixed-rates were likely that a person can afford the loan. averaging 2.88 percent and five-year hybrid “This means, if the debt-to-income ratio adjustable rate mortgages were averaging is over 43 percent, the bank may not have 2.82 percent. Further, a May 2016 edition safe harbor; the borrower may sue in the of Money magazine is reporting more good case of default,” explained Mike Henry. news in terms of interest rates and credit “This, however, is not the case if you are scores. While acknowledging that the top able to receive an approval through Fannie rates still apply to those borrowers with top Mae’s automated underwriting system. Sulcredit scores (800+), the gaps between credlivan agrees that the 43 percent threshold is it scores are dropping. “ … the difference accurate. “The 43 percent debt-to-income between the rate you’ll get with an excellent ratio is a key number,” he added. “With an score of 800 and what you’ll get with a very automated underwriting approval, howaround 10 percent,” said Mike Henry. good score of 750 to 800 has narrowed ever, this number can vary. Also, different “With first time buyers, between 3.5 to 5 to almost zero,” according to Trulia Chief programs allow different capabilities. Each percent.” Sullivan concurs. “You can put Economist Ralph McLaughlin. Where a client has a specific scenario. Our goal is to as little as 3.5 percent with an FHA loan, gap does occur is between those with the provide them potential options that they but you look at everything for affordabil750 score and those in the low 700s to high will choose. ” ity.” In fact, Scott Ludwick reports that 600s … leading to a payment of nearly a he sees a variety of loan types including quarter of a point more. The recommendaWhich brings us to the down payment FHA, Veterans’ Administration (VA) loans, tion … shop around for rate quotes. dilemma. Many baby boomers and those (both popular in Westmoreland County), somewhat younger routinely learned that a USDA loans along with the conventional, So, where does this leave the potential 20 percent down payment was the “Golden fixed-rate loans. He added that he also has buyers with little or no down payment?

Rule” of house buying. Much has changed seen much more seller-assist, which helps And, should buyers fear mortgage insurin today’s market. “The actual average is pay some or all of the buyer’s closing costs

An April 2016 report in Realtor Magazine titled “Mortgage Rates Hit New Low in 2016” tells us that “mortgage rates this week [the week of April 3], plunged to their lowest levels since February 2015, unlocking more savings for home buyers and home owners who are refinancing.”

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ance? And while there are several types, a more commonly known mortgage insurance is called private mortgage insurance or PMI and is used with conventional loans to protect the lender in the event that a buyer defaults on the loan. Bankrate.com tells us that PMI fees vary, depending on the loan amount and your credit score, with you paying the premiums. And, the amount you pay can vary from about 0.3 to 1.5 percent of the original loan. At a certain point, the PMI may be cancelled when the loan balance reaches a certain level of satisfaction but there are several ways to handle the PMI. “Mortgage insurance has been the product to allow more consumers to be home owners than any other mortgage product so people should not be afraid of it,” said Mike Henry. “It is important to understand mortgage insurance and how it impacts your payments and what your options are.

Mortgage insurance can be removed over time and there are several options available to consumers to be aware of and monitor over the course of the loan.”

Perhaps of note is that where there is a will, there is a way toward home ownership. For some, looking beyond a conventional mortgage may be the answer. “We offer FHA, VA, and Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) loans, added Mike Henry.

Additionally, they offer a first-time buyer’s program called “Rent-No-More” that allows 100 percent financing as well as adjustable rate mortgages, jumbo mortgages, and construction and rehab mortgages. “Qualifying for different programs depend on many things,” he continued. Tom Sullivan, too, points out that they, as well, offer FHA, VA and other types of loans, but “it’s most important to get the whole story so we have a firm idea of what we can do.” He added that the buyer should be as transparent as possible in sharing information.

While overall pending home sales continued their rise in February, according to

the National Association of Realtors®, the Northeast did not realize the same increase as the rest of the country. But no worries.

Despite its 0.2 percent decline in February, the Pending Home Sales Index is “still 12.6 percent above a year ago” in our northeastern corner of the world. Scott Ludwick points out that home inventory in the upper price ranges ($300,000 and higher) is good but the supply is a little lower in the $200,000 and under range. “The market is active right now,” he said. “The city (Pittsburgh) is hot, hot, hot and prices have gone up and properties are appreciating well. As a buyer, you want to be pre-approved.” Mike Henry shared that “pre-qualification is fast and if you have good credit, income and assets that are easy to document, that may

E M O NEWH Spring

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be all you need to do. If your situation is a little more complicated or there are some credit concerns, a pre-approval may be more appropriate.” He added that a pre-approval allows for a review of your income and funds so that there are few, if any, delays in the home buying process. And while we’ve all become familiar with the term “transparency”, it may be the watchword for all potential buyers. “Now, in today’s lending environment, it’s imperative for the borrower and lender to be transparent,” advised Tom Sullivan. “Have a thorough, up-front conversation with your loan officer so you can have a firm idea where you stand from the start.” NH

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PROJECT Profile

Homes in

Highland Estates: Going Fast!

No one predicted just how much demand there would be for Highland Estates, a Ryan Homes community in a coveted Ross Township location. Yet, since the development opened a year ago, 40 homes have sold, faster than anyone could have expected.

So why the rush? And why is Ryan Homes expecting a robust phase two, slated to offer an additional 37 homes beginning June 2016? It’s the unbeatable convenience. Highland Estates is so close to I-279 that Downtown Pittsburgh and the North Shore’s sports stadiums are only a 15-minute drive away. The premier shopping haven of McKnight Road, home to McCandless Crossing and the Ross Park Mall, is another 15 minutes to the northeast.

Not to mention that the community is within the North Hills School District, a high-performing district that has won numerous accolades. In 2015, it was ranked 48th out of 673 Pennsylvania public high schools by US News & World Report.

Locally, it was ranked 24th of 104 school districts in the Pittsburgh Business Times’ annual scorecard.

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PROJECT Profile

(L to R) Curt Taylor, Phil Molishus and Ryan Skuse, part of the Highland Estates community team (Missing, Ryan Powell). www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com

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PROJECT Profile

T

he community’s gorgeous topography is a major draw, according to Curt Taylor, sales manager for Ryan Homes.

“The community sits on the old Highland Country Club golf course, so the majority of the home sites look out onto rolling hills,” says Taylor. “In many cases, you have a private backyard, so if you want to sit outside and read your newspaper on your patio, or look out on your kids’ swingset, you don’t feel as though your neighbors are right on top of your space.”

As they were planning the development, the builders paid close attention to the distribution of the homes. They ditched the postage-stamp layout for a community with four cul-de-sacs and two entrances, evenly distributing the traffic flow.

“People driving through the community are here because they’re your neighbors,” says Taylor. “They’re not flying through on their way to the shopping center.”

Another nice touch are the parklets, smaller areas with trees where neighbors can get together beyond their backyards.

The parklets are a multipurpose space where you and your neighbors can have a picnic or throw around a frisbee with your dogs—the sort of nooks that foster a sense of community.

Making for a diverse group of neighbors, Highland Estates has two housing categories. The lifestyle category features 42 ranch-level homes whose combined home and lot price starts at $313,000. Within this category, four floor plans are available, from the Pisa model at 1,407 sq ft to the Winterbrook at 2,152 sq ft. The traditional section features 107 homes starting at $328,000. Traditional floor plans begin with the Florence at 1,953 sq ft and work up to the Genoa model, which tops out at a spacious 2,889 sq ft.

“We’ve put sidewalks on both sides of the streets,” adds Phil Molishus, sales and marketing representative for Ryan Homes. “In a lot of communities, that’s going away—they don’t have sidewalks, or they only have them on one side. But this is a family-oriented, walkable community that’s meant to get people out and about.”

Taylor says that depending on the upgrades that customers make, their home might be even larger—currently, some individuals are building homes at 3,500 sq ft. One of the most common additions is the morning room, an extra space adjacent to the kitchen, which some families use as a dining room.

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800.382.9967

412.621.4700

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SHADYSIDE, PA

SHoPAtfEAtHErS.com

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PROJECT Profile

“We want to give our customers the opportunity to customize their home as much or as little as they like, while staying within a price point that’s affordable to their families,” Taylor says.

Of course, the foundational package at Highland Estates will hit the sweet spot for most. The base package automatically includes a gourmet kitchen and upgraded elevations to the home facade, so that two adjacent homes can look completely different. Some facades are stone, others brick, and many have full front porches, which Molishus says are a particular favorite among customers.

“These are all options that you’d have to upgrade to in other communities,” he explains.

A high-value package with all the right additions was exactly what attracted Jay Schwartz, a controller at a Pittsburgh law firm. After his former home in Ross Township sold after two days on the market, he was anxious to find a new place to live as quickly as possible.

Schwartz didn’t have much time to search, but luckily, the Highland Estates presentation sold him quickly. He quickly moved into the construction phase, choosing to extend some of the rooms in the Carolina Place floor plan by five feet, creating a home that he believes is the perfect size for him.

Because of Ryan Homes’ rigorous homebuilding strategy—customizations are chosen upfront, so that the project stays on-schedule—Schwartz anticipates mov-

ing into his home just five months after his first meeting with the sales team. So far, he has been notably impressed with the build quality and the professionalism of the Highland Estates construction team.

“The project manager assigned to my build, Ryan Powell, has been first-class,” Schwartz says. “He’s kept his eye on everything, and has found small things I didn’t realize were wrong—not that there were many of them. I had lots of questions and he fully explained the technicalities of each, so that it all made sense.”

Once his home is completed, he’s ready to stay for the long haul.

“Some of the other people who were interested in the one-story homes were

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PROJECT Profile

“We try to be a onestop shop,” Molishus says. “As a former loan officer, I enjoy getting people started on their finances, and I also know the ins and outs of the construction process. But if I don’t know the answer, I surround myself with people who do.

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already retired. They didn’t want to run their laundry from the basement to the second floor anymore,” Schwartz recalls.

“At 57, I’m young enough where I can do all that myself, but I’m also very busy.

I like that it’s an option here to have your yard work maintained and your winter snow shoveled for you.”

Like Schwartz, Albert and Lisa Whale also moved from Ross Township. The Whale family was living just a mile and a half away in an older home that Albert says had a “galley kitchen.”

“There were things that I just couldn’t change,” he says. “I couldn’t add more space for my kids in their bedrooms. I just couldn’t make it any better—the house was the house. We were well overdue for an upgrade.”

Choosing to build their first-ever brandnew home proved to be the best decision. “We didn’t have to wait to get an upgrade, or work weekends to put addi-

tional touches on our home,” says Whale.

“We simply added whatever we wanted into our new home package and were on our way.”

At the top of the family’s wish list was a more open layout, so they chose the Naples floor plan, which gave them sightlines into the living room from the kitchen. Another big plus? The finished and relatively soundproof basement, Albert jokes.

“A couple weeks ago, our daughter invited 10 girls over,” he says, “We could hear them, but it was much more tolerable than it was before. At our old house, we’d have to look over at them and say ‘Excuse me, we’re trying to sleep here!’”

As the Whales selected their customizations, they were pleased with the nopressure sales approach of the Highland Estates staff. The dedicated marketing team of Phil Molishus and Brittany Manno is on-site seven days a week in

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PROJECT Profile the community’s fully decorated model home, the Venice floor plan, starting at 2,225 sq ft.

of which are 60, 70, even 80 or 90 years old.”

“The neighborhoods surrounding us are all mature communities,” he says. “There just isn’t any new construction. So Highland Estates is not a hard location to fall in love with, especially when you have nice rolling hills here instead of the giant slopes that you sometimes find in Pittsburgh. It really doesn’t get much better. ”

When they visit, prospective buyers can experience the look and feel of a typical home while pitching the sales team their burning questions. The team conducts a thorough needs analysis for every buyer, starting with the big questions: What do you dislike about your current home?

What do I need to know about pricing and taxes? Is the school district good?

Ross Township manager Douglas Sample agrees. With 149 houses planned for completion within the next three years, Highland Estates is rolling out a big welcome mat for the community.

Molishus says that the most common question the sales team gets is whether individuals have the ability to customize their home. Yes, they can. Among hundreds of choices, their selections include selecting their home site, finishing the basement, customizing the master bathroom, and opting for granite countertops.

“We try to be a one-stop shop,” Molishus says. “As a former loan officer, I enjoy getting people started on their finances, and I also know the ins and outs of the construction process. But if I don’t know the answer, I surround myself with people who do. If customers need a realtor referral to sell their home, we work with some of the best in Pittsburgh. If they need a deck or a patio built, we can also refer some choices.”

at Highland Estates

“We don’t have anything the size of Highland right now,” Sample says. “We have a few luxury apartments being built right by the mall and by the I-279/Perrysville entrance, as well as some townhouse developments. But this development really complements our need to keep the township a viable living destination for the next 20 years.”

Sample used to caddy at Highland Country Club, and even though he loved the job, he says he’s very pleased with the new use for the land. “It compliments the township much better than the golf course did,” he says.

A typical buyer is someone local who has been waiting a long time for a new home.

What’s more, the neighborhood neatly addresses the township’s recently completed comprehensive plan, which outlines the growing need for maintenancefree living and new construction.

“The majority of my buyers already live in the North Hills and wanted to stay here, perhaps because their children are already in the school district,” Molishus explains. “A lot of people are coming from older houses, some

Says Taylor: “Our customers are coming out of high-maintenance houses that have outlived their time, and they’re faced with the decision of whether to put money into things like kitchen upgrades, new carpet, the furnace

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or HVAC system. They’re thinking of spending thousands of dollars to revamp or remodel, but in the end, they will still have the same house.”

Taylor is amazed by the hundreds of dollars that Highland Estates buyers can save on utility bills, even if they’ve left homes that were built in the last five or 10 years.

He credits those savings to Ryan Homes’ BuildSmart program, which targets opportunities to increase efficiency at every phase of the build process.

There isn’t one strategy to lower cost, but many: making sure there is enough fiberglass insulation in the attic, filling openings with expansive foam, selecting ENERGY STAR appliances, installing argon-filled windows and high-efficiency water tanks and furnaces.

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The fair warranties at Highland Estates are another contribution to buyers’ peace of mind. Homebuilders can depend on a 10-year structural warranty on features like the bearing walls, roof trusses, and home foundation. There’s also a two-year mechanical warranty and a one-year workmanship and materials warranty. Extending beyond the Ryan Homes warranties are unit-specific guarantees on items like the Goodman furnaces or Plygel windows.

Taylor says that there are many quality control mechanisms set in place to ensure that customers can enjoy their homes for a lifetime.

“The people who work for us go through a rigorous two or three-year training process,” he explains. “You’re not put on your own as a new trainee until we know you’re

ready to build. The guys I work with have been building houses with Ryan Homes for 10 years, some of them for as many as 25 or 30 years. They understand how to do it, and they’re on-site every day.”

This quality comes at an affordable price because of the buying power wielded by Ryan Homes.

“Our company builds between 13,000– 14,000 homes a year in our national footprint,” says Taylor. “What does that mean to our customers? It means that we’re able to deliver them a great value. We’re not just going out and buying, say, four shower units. We’re out there buying thousands of shower units a year. We’re able to go to our suppliers and negotiate the price we want to pay.”

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The company’s size also gives it the ability to build exclusive communities that protect buyers’ equity. With exclusivity comes the power to control structural factors like the siting of homes inarelation This is proof only. All colors here may or may not match final printed copy exactly. This is an opp to the water and sewage during the creation of your advertisement. ABC Advertising shall not be held responsible for an error to as identify lines, as well aestheticchanges or to correct errors. choices like the architecShould the number of sets of changes requested exceed two, addition tural frontage.

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With years in the industry, Ryan Homes has also simplified the financial process of buying a home. With their in-house financial companies, NRV Mortgage and NRV Settlement Services, the company offers end loans, not construction loans. This allows customers the ability to bypass the hassle of multiple account draws.

Buyers simply have to prepare for a one-time transaction at the closing of their home.

“We don’t have variances,” says Taylor. “When we give you a price, that’s the price we deliver. We don’t come back to you and say, ‘We had some unexpected overages.’”

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Long after customers have settled into their new homes, the close-knit team at Highland Estates receives thank-you notes and invitations to dinner—a mark of the trust they’ve established.

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“The bond between our representatives and customers is very strong,” says Taylor.

“That’s because our customers are buying something different. They’re not buying a house, they’re buying a lifestyle.” NH

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2016 Pittsburgh Homebuilders How can you make your dream of owning a new home a realty? The following list of professional builders offer the newest technologies, amenities and creative home designs to help you make informed decisions.

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| Spring 2016

Bachman Builders Barrington Homes Brennan Builders Brooks & Blair Homes Costa Homebuilders Dan Ryan Builders Douglas Erdley Custom Homes Eddy Homes Executive Developers Graziani Homes Heartland Homes John Hobart Miller Infinity Custom Homes Kacin Kaclik Builders Keith Homes LAD Construction Company Millcraft Real Estate Services Paragon Homes Primrose Homes PWCampbell Richland Holdings Rossman Hensley Ryan Homes S&A Homes Schumacher Homes Signature Homes Spagnolo Custom Homes Stambrosky Homes Suncrest Homes T.D. Kelly Company Traditions of America Weaver Homes 4/26/16 4:28 PM

Brooks & Blair Homes, LLC

Bachman Builders, Inc 535 Carnot Road Moon Township, PA 15108 T. 412.264.4069 www.BachmanBuilders.com David Bachman, President Info@bachmanbuilders.com

Building with integrity since 1996 isn’t just a motto at Bachman Builders.

It’s a way of life. With a wealth of architectural knowledge and construction technique, Bachman Builders possesses a diverse portfolio of homes within a wide price range. Our clients bring their unique dreams, ideas and budgets to us and together, we develop a truly custom home. Bachman Builders has never built the same home twice. Call us today for your custom homebuilding experience.

Barrington Homes Incorporated 412-655-8999 www.BarringtonHomesPA.com BarringtonHomes@gmail.com

Barrington Homes is a leader of custom luxury homes in the North Hills of Pittsburgh (Allegheny and Butler County). The Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh awarded Barrington Homes first place in the $1M – $2M category and first place in the $650K-$850K category for the 2014 Housing Excellence Awards. Schedule a meeting today with our designers to discuss your wish list so that they can begin design work on your custom home.

Brennan Builders

800 S Washington St. Evans City, PA 16033 T: 724-865-2929 www.BrennanBuilders.com Tricia Brennan Sales@brennanbuilders.com

For over 55 years we’ve been building high quality custom homes in Northern Allegheny and Butler Counties. Building a new home doesn’t have to be scary, our process makes building fun and easy. In our state-ofthe-art Home Studio, we have brought everything together in one place.

We believe that your home is an expression of yourself and tells your story so we have equipped our Home Studio with everything you can possibly imagine.

310 Seven Fields Blvd.

Seven Fields, PA 16046 www.theriversedgeatoakmont.com T: 724-741-2300 Dan Mancosh dan@ARBuilding.com

Pittsburgh natives, Daniel J. Mancosh and John F. Thompson, Jr., make up the experienced team of Brooks and Blair Homes. Building beautiful homes at affordable prices without sacrificing quality is their expertise.

Daniel Mancosh is currently the President of A.R. Building Company, a large Shadyside firm that specializes in the management and building of hundreds of multi-family homes and commercial buildings. Mr. Mancosh is involved in all aspects of design, planning and management of financial operations of all construction. John Thompson is the Senior Vice President of Construction for A.R. Building Company. He has been in the construction industry for twenty-three years. Mr. Thompson is a hands-on builder who can often be found on the site. Mr. Thompson is responsible for land acquisition, land development and building construction. Brooks and Blair Homes is a perfect partnering of experience, providing affordable quality homes.

Costa Homebuilders

600 Hayden Boulevard (Rt. 51) Jeff Costa Tony Ferrare 412-384-8170 www.CostaHomebuilders.com

Costa Homebuilders Build On Your Lot approach begins with a personal build-on-your-lot specialist who will assist you in locating a lot to build on. If you already own a lot, Costa will work with you to develop the best plan possible in building your dream home. Costa’s New Life Custom Home Building Process with reduce the stress in home building and help you save time and money.

Douglas Erdley, LLC Custom Homes

144 Breakneck Rd Ford City, PA 16226 T: 724-763-3692 www.erdleyhomes.com Douglas Erdley steadybull@windstream.net

We are a third generation home building company tailoring our services to meet our client’s specific needs! With Over 20 years of experience, we have a highly trained team of contractors to complete the building or renovation of your home, whatever the job may be. As general residential contractors, we can expand a kitchen into a dining area, build out an extra closet (or two) and make your home a more comfortable living space for you and your family. We give each project individual personalized service!

Working one on one with our clients to get the house that fits their budget, we offer: Administration and Supervision from Inspection to Completion, Cost Saving Recommendations, Project Scheduling and Quality Control.

Eddy Homes, Inc

242 Station Street Bridgeville, PA 15017 T: 412-221-0400 Eddyhomes.com Jon Moritz JMoritz@EddyHomes.com

Eddy Homes is Pittsburgh’s premier luxury custom home and estate home builder, building and developing custom home communities of the highest quality and value designed to meet your lifestyle and tastes. Our solid reputation is built on our unsurpassed standards for quality craftsmanship, personal service, and integrity. As a family-owned and operated business, we feel privileged to have a hand in the vibrant communities where families work, play, and grow together. Build with Eddy Homes if you want the ideal building experience.

Dan Ryan Builders

1370 Washington Pike Suite 204 Bridgeville, PA 15017 www.DanRyanBuilders.com T: 724.939.1013 Kathy Cooper kcooper@danryanbuilders.com

Pittsburgh’s new builder of choice, Dan Ryan Builders’ brand is built on solid core values of quality, service and price to deliver well built, well appointed, energy efficient homes. Our company ensures the balance between location, price, amenities, and quality of life. We offer single family homes, carriage homes and townhomes in desirable communities surrounding the I-79 corridor to provide you and your family easy living.

Everywhere You Want to Be. Better Value. Better Living.

Executive Developers, LLC 208 Crawford Court Mars, PA 16046 T: 724-935-3932 (EXEC) www.execdevelopers.com Chris Cinker Chris@execdevelopers.com

Executive Developers, LLC has been a custom home builder in the Pittsburgh area for 30 years. Whether you are building a custom home, adding an addition, or remodeling your existing home, we will be there from start to finish. Once you make the decision to work with Executive Developers, you will have the opportunity to work with an architect to custom design the home or addition of your dreams, then sit back and watch as Executive Developers brings those dreams to life.

www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com

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Infinity Custom Homes

401 Sparrow Court Cranberry Twp, PA 16066 T: 888-424-9424 www.buildinfinityhomes.com Amanda Druschel contactus@buildinfinityhomes.com

Graziani Homes

1028 Oak Ridge Rd. Canonsburg PA 15317 T: 724-745-0654 www.grazianihomes.com Bill Graziani wgraz@comcast.net

Founded in 1990, Graziani Homes is a true custom home builder. Bill Graziani is a second generation builder. He grew up in his father’s business Graziani Builders founded in 1965. During that time Bill learned quality and old world craftsmanship which soon set the gold standard in home building. Graziani Homes works hard to make the building process effortless for the customer from lot selection in our developments to picking finishes. Bill Graziani believes in doing things right the first time. Where good isn’t enough, and craftsmanship and quality are more than just words.

Graziani Homes builds Luxury Homes inspired by your dreams.

Infinity Custom Homes is the areas premier custom homebuilder. With over 20 years of homebuilding experience Scott Blodgett, Infinity’s owner is committed to building high quality custom homes at an affordable price, all while creating an enjoyable and seamless buying experience.

The Infinity team focuses on customizing each individual customers home based on their specific wants and needs. They are now building in various communities throughout Allegheny, Butler and Washington Counties as well as on your own lot.

3875 Old William Penn Highway Murrysville, PA 15668 T: 724-327-6694 www.KACIN.com Jason C. Corna jcorna@kacin.com

One Penn Center West Suite 300 Pittsburgh, PA 15276 T: 724-949-0079 www.HeartlandLuxuryHomes.com Jodie and Ann Marie Sales@HeartlandLuxuryHomes.com

For over 30 years, we’ve been passionately committed to building luxury homes of the highest quality and providing exceptional customer care.

Our goal is to exceed your expectations throughout every step of the homebuilding experience. Whether it’s the art and functionality of our single-family luxury homes, open floor plans and light-filled spaces of our townhomes or uncompromising luxury and innovative designs of our main-level owner’s suites, we always keep you, the owner in mind. We build homes and communities in Allegheny, Washington and Butler Counties – and Morgantown, WV – Monongalia County.

KACIN founder A. Richard Kacin has been building upscale residential homes, condominiums and communities in the Pittsburgh region since 1960. Headquartered in the Pittsburgh suburb of Murrysville, KACIN also manages the design and construction of an array of commercial and industrial facilities throughout western Pennsylvania through our sister company, KACIN General Contractors.

K

Kaclik Builders, LLC

From its beginning as a custom home builder in 1927, John Hobart Miller, Inc. has grown to become a well-recognized benchmark of quality in the Pittsburgh area. This tradition of home building excellence stems from a single-minded, company-wide dedication to quality and customer service.

Dedication to providing classic designs, fine materials and meticulous craftsmanship which has become the trademark of a John Hobart Miller home. Four times they have been awarded the designation of “Pittsburgh Builder of the Year” and received “Pennsylvania Builder of the Year” award.

The John Hobart Miller organization has excellent “in house” design capabilities to accommodate your specific design requirements and desires.

Christopher J. Kaclik, founder, owner and custom builder for Kaclik Builders, LLC, has been creating an impressive portfolio of premier custom homes in both Allegheny & Butler County since 1985. A Pittsburgh native, Chris, along with the experienced staff of Kaclik Builders, is one of the most successful custom home builders in the Pittsburgh area. Chris established Kaclik Builders’ reputation through his broad knowledge of the process, his hands-on approach, and his dedication to his customers. Whether a seasoned new home buyer, or a novice, Kaclik Builders’ team is committed to providing an experience that is both satisfying and pleasant. Kaclik Builders has earned its position in this industry by providing clients with the excellence, service and attention they desire, with results they are happy to live with.

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Consecutive Housing Excellence Award winning, LAD Construction Company, Inc., brings nearly three decades of quality construction to the industry. Leon A. Dwinga, Jr., Master Builder, works directly with the client to custom design a home according to their specifications, lot, and budget and is an on-site, hands on builder that insures every detail is met. “ Our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction has earned us the reputation that gives us the leading edge in new home construction ”

, LLC

1344 Freeport Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238 T: 412-963-8842 www.johnhobartmiller.com John Miller, III johnhobartmiller@comcast.net

42 GREATER PITTSBURGH’S NEW HOME

1125 Noblestown Road Oakdale, PA 15071 PA 007781 www.ladconstruction.com T: 412-279-0250 ladco@comcast.net

ILDE

ded 1985 Foun

John Hobart Miller, Inc.

Keith Homes, owned and operated by the Keith Family for more than 20 years, is a small-volume custom home builder committed to continual improvement and customer service while specializing in sustainable building techniques and quality craftsmanship. We concentrate on building a select number of energy efficient houses each year. Buyers who choose Keith Homes will be working directly with the principals of the company to turn their dreams and wishes into a fabulous new home.

RS

ACLIK

BU

2455 Park Avenue Washington, PA 15301 T: (724)223-0285 www.keithhomes.net Kim and Cherie info@keithhomes.net

LAD Construction Company, Inc.

KACIN

Heartland Homes

Keith Homes

1272 Mars Evans City Rd. Evans City, PA 16033 KaclikBuilders@zoominternet.net T: 724-432-3101 Christopher J. Kaclik, President

Millcraft Real Estate Services Pittsburgh PA 15222 T: 412-471-4900 www.MillcraftRealty.com Live@MillcraftRealty.com Mark Jennings & Racheallee Lacek

As real estate representatives, Millcraft Real Estate Services offers the flexibility to work with our diverse portfolio of home developers, including eco-friendly Terra Building Group, and modern developers R Kyndall Development Group and M Franko Properties. Our experienced team provides assistance throughout the course of choosing and buying new home construction. Alternatively, we have homes from our trusted developers ready for move-in. Our neighborhoods include Downtown, South Side, Lawrenceville and more.

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Paragon Homes

5949 Steubenville Pike Robinson Township, PA 15136 www.VisitParagonHomes.com Scott Lantz 412-787-8807 Scott@VisitParagonHomes.com

Since 1987 Paragon Homes has been building custom homes that are unmistakably yours. Each Paragon home is designed to uniquely fit the family that calls them home. Since we were founded almost 30 years ago by a home buyer who dreamt of a better way, we have been taking the time to handcraft homes the right way, keeping our focus on the home buyers, helping them create the home of their dreams with an easy, enjoyable process. When quality counts, you deserve a Paragon Home.

Primrose Homes Inc.

215 Executive Drive Suite 101 Cranberry Twp., PA 16066 T: 724-778-0010 www.PrimroseHomesInc.com Jeff Martin jeffmprimrose@gmail.com

Founded over a decade ago, Primrose Homes, Inc. continues to be at the forefront of luxury, custom home building and remodeling in the Pittsburgh area. Our merit is unsurpassed in our building excellence, our national recognition, and our professionalism. We believe value is not simply calculated by the price, but by craftsmanship, finishes, and service.

The Primrose team is second to none and our goal is to build you the home of your dreams.

Richland Holdings, L.L.C. 1426 Pittsburgh Road Valencia, PA 16059 T: 724-443-4800 F: 724-443-5666 builder.jeff@gmail.com

The owners of Richland Holdings, LLC have a combined work experience of over 75 years in the construction industry. Over the past 10 years, we have overseen the construction of hundreds of multi-family dwellings and single family building lots in the North Hills. We are proud to announce the development of SHOFF FARMS, a 48 unit carriage home community in West Deer Township. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for available lots, floor plans, and financing.

Rossman Hensley, Inc.

1426 Pittsburgh Road Valencia, PA 16059 T: 724-443-5353 F: 724-443-5666 Jmartin@rossmanhenlsey.com

At Rossman Hensley, our residential division services all of Western Pennsylvania. We have a team of craftsman that specializes in the high end residential market. From condominium build outs in downtown Pittsburgh to new home construction in the suburbs, our goal is to provide Western PA residents with a well built and luxurious home. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for a building experience that incorporates design, customer service, and craftsmanship.

S&A Homes

300 Bilmar Drive Suite 290 Pittsburgh, PA 15205 www.sahomebuilder.com T: 1-855-SAHOME1 Lorrie Crummie LCrummie@sahomebuilder.com

S&A Homes offers 40 years of experience delivering high-performance homes throughout the Pittsburgh area. The company has received national recognition for its E-Home™, a high-performance home offering energyefficiency and high-quality products to ensure S&A Homes’ construction standards consistently exceed code. Every home the company builds is an E-home that is, on average, 45% more energy efficient than a new home built to code standards. S&A Homes maintains a 98% customer referral rating, features a true custom home building experience and backs every home up with a comprehensive 10-Year Warranty.

Schumacher Homes

340 Greengate Centre Circle Greensburg, Pennsylvania 15601 T. 330-574-4884 www.schumacherhomes.com Mary Becker mbecker@schumacherhomes.com

Schumacher Homes, based in Canton, Ohio, is America’s largest custom homebuilder, with operations in 32 markets in 14 states across the country.

The National Housing Quality award winning company and recipient of the National Gold Winning Home of the Year has built over 12,000 homes since its founding by Paul Schumacher in 1992 – each one unique to the needs and lifestyle of the owners. Each Schumacher Homes location includes a one-stop design center that provides everything you need to complete your custom home.

PWCampbell

109 Zeta Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15238 T: 800.253.7430 www.pwcampbell.com Dante Fusaro dante.fusaro@pwcampbell.com

PWCampbell is a leading design/build firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA with over 100 years of commercial and custom residential experience within the construction industry. A third generation professional organization, we provide homeowners the valuable benefit of a Design/ Build team that seamlessly works together to ensure that your project is coordinated with excellent care and quality from start to finish. Our extensive experience and expert knowledge paves the way for creative solutions to take hold, costs to be minimized, schedules streamlined and efficiencies realized. PWCampbell puts the wants and needs of the homeowner first and works tirelessly to ensure the finished product exceeds your expectations.

Ryan Homes

One Penn Center West Suite 220 Pittsburgh, PA 15276 T: 724-249-6835 www.RyanHomes.com Kristen & Melissa ryanhomespittsburgh@nvrinc.com

Since 1948, we’ve grown from a small, family-run business to become one of the top five homebuilders in the country. While there are many reasons for our success, they all revolve around three key factors: our commitment to customers, our consistent quality, and our personalized approach. At Ryan Homes, building a better home means continuously raising the bar.

That’s why 98% of our buyers say they would recommend us to family and friends. With over 60 years of experience, trust us to make your dreams come true. Building new home communities in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington & Westmoreland Counties.

Signature Homes

20421 Route 19 Unit 105 Cranberry TWP, PA. 16066 T: 724-935-4453 www.signaturehomesadvantage.com Dan Sosso Danielsosso@yahoo.com Michael Kamon kamon888@mac.com

Do you want more time to enjoy life?

All our Carriage Homes and Villas at the Fields of Nicholson have first floor Master Bedrooms. Maintenance free exteriors as well as professionally managed landscaping and grounds means more time to enjoy life: whether it’s a round of golf at one of three nearby private or public courses, a swim in the private pool or entertaining friends in the community’s club house ... the choice is yours. The Fields of Nicholson is located in prestigious Franklin Park Township at the intersection of Route 79 and Route 910.

www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com

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T.D. Kelly Company, Inc. P.O. Box407 Zelienople, PA 16063 T: 724-530-9980 www.tdkelly.com Tim Kelly Info@tdkelly.com

Spagnolo Custom Homes, Inc. 109 Gateway Avenue Suite 202 Wexford, Pa 15090 T: 724-935-7010 Angelo Spagnolo Spagnolochi@zoominternet.net

The Spagnolo Family has proudly been in the quality home building/ land developing business since 1955. Originally started by Carl J. Spagnolo and now headed by sons Angelo and Frank, we continue to strive to make our clients experience in homebuilding a very memorable one. 60 YEARS and still going strong! You can find our fine communities in Allegheny, Butler & Westmoreland Counties.

T.D. Kelly Company, Inc. has a history of building luxury homes in the Pittsburgh area for over 35 years. Our employees have been with us from 10 to 30 years. Very few building companies can boast that longevity and experience. Quality and attention to detail are two overused terms in the home building industry, but come and look at a model home that we’ve built. Our work speaks for itself and our homes become sound investments for our customers.

True Custom Home Building Since 1949

STAMBROSKY HOMES

PO Box 238 Presto, PA 15142 www.stambroskyhomes.com T: 412-257-3500 Danielle Stambrosky Mach 412-302-4184 daniellemach@howardhanna.com

Traditions of America at Sewickley Ridge

Stambrosky Homes was founded by George Stambrosky in 1949. When Stambrosky Homes was in its beginning stages, its focus was on great carpentry and craftsmanship. By 1972, Rick Stambrosky joined his father after graduation from the University of Dayton. From the mid to late 1970’s, father and son grew the company from building homes to neighborhoods. Nevillewood was one of their largest projects and Stambrosky Homes is still expanding themselves today. Current developments are in Peters Twp, South Fayette, and Collier Twp. The company has 12 key personnel that facilitate in the construction of new developments and construction of new homes as well as the original passion of their craftsmanship.

114 Union Court Sewickley, PA 15143 SewickleyLiving.com T: 412-534-4232 Monica Field info@traditionsofamerica.com

At Traditions of America at Sewickley Ridge, you can have it all - the home of your dreams, a luxurious Clubhouse and resort-style amenities - at a great value. What you won’t have? Yard work. Low-maintenance, awardwinning homes in this 55+ community give you the freedom to live bigger, Live Better at Sewickley Ridge.

Weaver Homes

PO Box 449 Mars, PA 16046 T: 724-814-9001 www.weaverhomes.com Kelly Dunn kdunn@WeaverHomes.com

Suncrest Homes, Inc.

3819 Old William Penn Highway Murrysville PA 15668 T: 724-327-1844 F: 724-325-7426 www.suncresthomespa.com J. Michael Ruefle, Jr., President Colleen Ruefle-Haley, Vice President

Suncrest Homes has been proudly building Custom and Semi-Custom Homes as well as room additions for 29 years. Suncrest has always been on the leading edge of new and innovative building concepts and designs. Whether open floor plans, Cottage Villas, Craftsman style homes or traditional living, you can be assured your dreams will be fulfilled by our team of experienced trend setting professionals. Six time Housing Excellence Award winner and members of NAHB, PBA and BAMP Suncrest Homes has homes and communities in Westmoreland and South Butler Counties.

44 GREATER PITTSBURGH’S NEW HOME

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With more than 25 years of design and building experience, Weaver Homes is the premier custom home builder in the Northern Pittsburgh region.

Our goal as a builder is to help make your dream home a reality through allowing you to tailor and expand upon our floor plans to suit your unique needs and desires. By working with only the best professional contractors, we offer the quality, integrity, service, attention to details, craftsmanship, and value you deserve in your forever home. Family-owned and operated, we take a very hands-on approach to our construction process. Building a custom home is one of the most emotional experiences you will ever have, and we take that to heart. We think of our homeowners as family; we believe it’s impossible to build someone their dream home without truly getting to know who they are as individuals, as a family member.

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RESIDENTIAL

NEW CONSTRUCTION

Custom single-family homes, carriage homes, townhomes or condominiums … new locations and new homesites.

45 �������������������City of Pittsburgh

NEWHOME

45 �������������������Allegheny County 48 ������������������������Beaver County

can help you discover a home to match your lifestyle.

48 ������������������������� Butler County 50 ��������������� Washington County 50 ����������� Westmoreland County

CITY OF PITTSBURGH CITY OF PITTSBURGH 43rd Street Lawrenceville Townhomes Priced from: $600,000’s School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 412-421-9120 howardhanna.com 151 First Side Downtown Pittsburgh Condominiums Priced from: $500,000 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: 151 First Side 412-586-5970 151firstside.com Angel’s Arms Southside Condominiums Priced from: $199,900 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: Northwood Realty Services 412-367-3200 Bedford Hill City of Pittsburgh, Homewood Single-family homes Priced from: $130,000 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: Northwood Realty 412-367-3200 northwood.com

Cobblehouse Lawrenceville Condos Priced from: Low $300,000’s School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 412-361-4000 howardhanna.com Columbus Square North Side Single family Priced from: $179,000 to $289,000 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: Fourth River Development LLC 412-231-4444 ColumbusSquarePittsburgh.com East Jefferson Central Northside Townhouses Priced from: $385,000 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 412-276-5000 howardhanna.com Hatfield + Home Lawrenceville Single-family homes Priced from: $300,000 to $420,000 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: RE/MAX Select Realty Christa Ross 724-779-1437 www.hatfieldandhome.com

ALLEGHENY COUNTY Hilltop Housing Initiative Beltzhoover Single-family homes Priced from: $89,900 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: Northwood Realty 412-367-3200 northwood.com Jailhouse Commons Southside Townhomes Priced from: $399,900 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 412-833-3600 howardhanna.com Kula Living East Liberty Contemporary single-family Priced from: $460,000 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: RE/MAX Select Realty 724-933-6300 x657 kulaliving.com Riverside Mews City of Pittsburgh/South Side Contemporary townhomes Priced from: $545,000 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: One80 Real Estate Services LLC 412-318-4139 one80res.com

Summerset at Frick Park City of Pittsburgh/ Squirrel Hill Traditional Neighborhood Development Single-family homes, duplexes, townhomes, condominiums, apartments Priced from: $300,000 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: Summerset Land Development Associates 412-420-0120 summersetatfrickpark.com Summerset at Frick Park Squirrel Hill Single-family homes, condos, and paired homes Priced from: $460,000 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: KACIN 724-327-6694 www.KACIN.com Sweetbriar Village City of Pittsburgh/Mt. Washington Townhomes Priced from: $240,000 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate 412-521-2222 liveatsweetbriarvillage.com Vista Grande City of Pittsburgh/Mt. Washington Condominiums Priced from: $525,000 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 412-481-0000 howardhanna.com

Washington’s Landing City of Pittsburgh Contemporary Townhouses Priced from: $345,000 School district: Pittsburgh Agency: RE/MAX Select Shadyside 724-933-6300 X110 The Woods at Bradley Street

Mt. Washington

Single-family homes Priced from: $425,000 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 412-521-2222 thewoodsatbradleystreet.com Wylie Ave. Homes East Allegheny /Hill District Single-family homes Priced from: $140,000 School district: City of Pittsburgh Agency: Northwood Realty 412-367-3200 northwood.com

ALLEGHENY COUNTY Alderwood Pine Township Colonial Priced from: $412,900 School district: North Allegheny Agency: Dan Ryan Builders 724-471-5580 www.danryanbuilders.com/pittsburgh

www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com

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ALLEGHENY COUNTY Altmyer Fields Marshall Township Courtyard single living with basements Priced from: $404,900 School district: North Allegheny Agency: Weaver Homes 724-496-5670 weaverhomes.com

Castletown Franklin Park Custom single-family homes Priced from: $650,000 School district: North Allegheny Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 412-776-3686 thepreferredrealty.com

Autumn Grove Marshall Township Luxury custom homes Priced from: $800,000 School district: North Allegheny Agency: Eddy Homes 412-221-0400 EddyHomes.com

Castletown Franklin Township Single-family estate homes Priced from: $650,000 School district: North Allegheny Agency: Brennan Builders Real Estate Services 724-865-2929 Brennanbuilders.com

Autumn Woods Moon Township Custom single-family homes Priced from: $360,000 School district: Moon Area Agency: S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com Avonworth Heights Ohio Township Custom single-family homes Priced from: $425,000 School district: Avonworth Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 412-367-8000 thepreferredrealty.com Bedner Estates Upper Saint Clair Single-family homes Priced from: $420,000 School district: Upper Saint Clair Agency: Heartland Homes 724-871-1712 HeartlandLuxuryHomes.com The Berkshires South Fayette Township Single-family homes and townhomes Priced from: $229,990 single-family, $189,990 townhomes School district: South Fayette Agency: Ryan Homes 412-914-2031 ryanhomes.com Briarwood Mt. Lebanon Single family homes Priced from: $400,000 and up School district: Mt. Lebanon Agency: Costa Homebuilders 412-384-8170 www.costahomebuilders.com Brookfield Estates Pine Township Luxury custom homes Priced from: $350,000 School district: Pine Richland Agency: Eddy Homes 412-221-0400 EddyHomes.com Camp Trees Pine Township Single-family homes Priced from: $410,000 School district: Pine Richland Agency: S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com

Castors’ Farm Jefferson Hills Single family homes Priced from: $365,000 and up School district: West Jefferson Hills Agency: Costa Homebuilders 412-384-8170 www.costahomebuilders.com Centennial Point Collier Township Townhomes and carriage homes Priced from: $250,000 townhomes, $300,000 carriage homes Chartiers Valley Agency: S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com Chapel Harbor Fox Chapel Carriage homes, townhomes and single-family homes Priced from: $249,900 School district: Fox Chapel Area Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 412-963-7655 liveinchapelharbor.com Chapel Hill Estates Marshall Township Single family homes Priced from: $850,000 School district: North Allegheny Agency: Achieve Realty Chapel Pointe Fox Chapel Condominiums Priced from: High $300’s School district: Fox Chapel Area Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate

Services

412-963-6085 howardhanna.com Chartiers Landing Robinson Township Single-family homes Priced from: $375,000 School district: Montour Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 412-262-4630 thepreferredrealty.com Cimarron Moon Township Single-family homes Priced from: $249,990 School district: Moon Area Agency: Ryan Homes 412-264-5029 ryanhomes.com

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Cobblestone Ohio Township Single-family homes Priced from: $290’s School district: Avonworth Agency: Ryan Homes 412-367-1927 ryanhomes.com Cobblestone Ohio Township Single-family homes Priced from: $330,000 School district: Avonworth Agency: S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com Copper Creek Marshall Township Luxury estate custom homes Priced from: $1,600,000 School district: North Allegheny Agency: Eddy Homes 412-221-0400 EddyHomes.com Courtyards at The Preserves North Fayette Township Detached carriage, patio homes Priced from: $258,900 School district: West Allegheny Agency: Scarmazzi Homes 724-223-1844 www.scarmazzihomes.com Deer Valley Estates Sewickley Priced from: $430,000 Custom single-family homes School district: Avonworth Agency: S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com Deerfield Ridge South Fayette Township Custom single-family homes Priced from: $405,000 Agency: Paragon Homes 412-787-8807 VisitParagonHomes.com Della Strada South Park Single-family homes Priced from: $210’s School district: South Park Agency: Ryan Homes 412-945-3641 ryanhomes.com Edgewater at Oakmont Oakmont Single-family homes, condos, townhomes, and paired homes Priced from: $359,900 School district: Riverview Agency: KACIN 412-877-1055 www.KACIN.com E lane @ Carnegie Carnegie Garden style condominiums Priced from: $194,900 School district: Carlton Agency: RE/MAX Select Realty 412-633-9300 ext. 214 724-309-1758 elane.biz

Emerald Fields Pine Township Single-family homes Priced from: $600,000 School district: Pine Richland Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-776-3686 thepreferredrealty.com

Field Brook Farms Richland Township Single-family homes Priced from: Low $600’s School district: Pine-Richland Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-772-8822 howardhanna.com

Emerald Fields Pine township Single-family homes Priced from: $480’s School district: Pine Richland Agency: Heartland Homes 724-871-1702 HeartlandLuxuryHomes.com

Fields of Nicholson Franklin Park Borough Custom carriage-homes and villas Starting at $519,400 School district: North Allegheny Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 412-367-8000 thepreferredrealty.com

The Enclave Fox Chapel Single-family homes Priced from: $950,000 School district: Fox Chapel Area Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 412-963-7655 coldwellbankerhomes.com/TheEnclave The Estates at Jefferson Jefferson Borough Single-family homes Priced from: $200’s Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 412-655-0400 coldwellbankerhomes.com/ JeffersonEstates Fair Acres Upper St. Clair Custom single-family homes Priced from: $600,000 School district: Upper St. Clair Agency: Prudential Preferred Reality 412- 833-7700 www.fairacresusc.com Fairmont Square Marshall Township Townhomes Priced from: $280’s School district: North Allegheny Agency: Heartland Homes 724-949-0079 HeartlandLuxuryHomes.com Falconhurst Forest Fox Chapel Single-family homes Priced from: $700,000 School district: Fox Chapel Area Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 412-963-6300 howardhanna.com Fayette Farms North Fayette Single-family homes Priced from: $280’s School district: West Allegheny Agency: Ryan Homes 724-218-1015 ryanhomes.com Fayette Farms Estates North Fayette Township Custom Homes Priced from: $400,000 School district: West Allegheny Agency: Keller Williams 412-787-0888

Forest Oaks at Wexford Wexford Single-family Priced from: $199,900 School district: North Allegheny Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 412-366-1600 forestoaksatwexford.com Forest View Indiana Township Single-family homes Priced from: $500,000 School district: Fox Chapel Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-772-8822 ricciuticonstruction.com howardhanna.com Georgetowne Pine Township Luxury townhomes Priced from: $789,000 School district: Pine-Richland Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 412-367-8000 thepreferredrealty.com Hampton Woodlands Hampton Township Single-family homes Priced from: $490,000 School district: Hampton Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 412-487-0500 coldwellbankerhomes.com/ HamptonWoodlands Hartman Farns Franklin Park Single-family homes Priced from: $480’s School district: North Allegheny Agency: Heartland Homes 724-949-0079 HeartlandLuxuryHomes.com The Heights of North Park Pine Township Custom single-family Priced from: $900,000 School district: Pine-Richland Agency: RE/MAX Select Realty 724-993-6300 x657 madiahomes.com

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ALLEGHENY COUNTY Highland Estates Ross Township Single-family homes School district: North Hills Agency: Ryan Homes 724-249-6835 ryanhomes.com Highpointe II Scott Township Luxury Townhouses Priced from: $274,900 School district: Chartiers Valley Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 412-833-3600 howardhanna.com The Hunt Club West Deer Township Carriage homes Priced from: $270’s School district: Deer Lakes Agency: Brennan Builders 724-432-3301 Brennanbuilders.com HyTyre Farms West Deer Township Carriage Homes Priced from: $224,000 School district: Deer Lakes Agency: Richland Holdings, LLC 724-443-4800 Jefferson Estates Jefferson Borough Carriage homes Priced from: $199,000 Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 412-655-0400 coldwellbankerhomes.com/ JeffersonEstates Kennedy Highlands Kennedy Township Colonial Priced from: $179,900 School district: Montour Agency: Dan Ryan Builders 412-275-6618 www.danryanbuilders.com/pittsburgh Lake MacLeod Pine Township Single-family homes Priced from: $1,000,000 School district: Pine-Richland Agency: Achieve Realty 412-720-9033 barringtonhomespa.com Lake MacLeod Pine Township Single-family homes Priced from: $750,000 School district: Pine-Richland Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 412-487-0500 or 412-366-1600 lakemacleod.com Langdon Farms Pine Township Single family homes Priced from: $850,000 School district: Pine-Richland Agency: Achieve Realty 412-720-9033 barringtonhomespa.com

Legacy at Nevilleside Collier Township Carriage homes Priced from: $270’s School district: Chartiers Valley Agency: Ryan Homes 724-693-8140 ryanhomes.com

Noble Woods Moon Township Townhomes Priced from: $210’s School district: Moon Area Agency: Ryan Homes 724-249-6835 ryanhomes.com

The Preserves North Fayette Township Colonial Priced from: $289,000 School district: West Allegheny Agency: Dan Ryan Builders 724-471-4906 www.danryanbuilders.com/pittsburgh

Lenox Place Finley Township Villas and townhomes Priced from: Mid $200’s School district: West Allegheny Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 412-262-4630 thepreferredrealty.com

Oakwood Heights West Deer Township Colonial Priced from: $249,900 School district: Deer Lakes Agency: Dan Ryan Builders 412-329-4966 www.danryanbuilders.com/pittsburgh

Prestley Heights Carnegie Single-family homes Priced from: $250,000 School district: Carlynton Agency: Ryan Homes 412-429-1490 ryanhomes.com

Oakwood Heights West Deer Township Single-family homes Priced from: $219,900 School district: Deer Lakes Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 724-776-2900 coldwellbankerhomes.com/ OakwoodHeights

Private Acreage South Fayette Single-family homes Priced from: $300,000 School district: South Fayette Agency: Paragon Homes 412-787-8807 VisitParagonHomes.com

Madison Woods Moon/Crescent Township Custom single-family homes Priced from: $350,000 School district: Moon Area Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 412-262-4630 thepreferredrealty.com Marion Estates Findlay Township Single-family homes Priced from: $320,000 School district: West Allegheny Agency: S & A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com The Manor McCandless Custom single-family Priced from: $750,000 School district: North Allegheny Agency: RE/MAX Select Realty 724-779-7072 madiahomes.com

Paragon Place Robinson Township Custom estate homes Priced from: $500,000 School district: Montour Agency: Paragon Homes 412-787-8807 VisitParagonHomes.com Park Place Indiana Township Single-family homes Priced from: $750,000 School district: Fox Chapel Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 412-963-6300 howardhanna.com

The Meadows at Hampton Hampton Township Custom single-family and ranches Priced from: $575,000 School district: Hampton Agency: RE/MAX Select Realty 724-933-6300 x657 madiahomes.com

Parkridge

Millennium Woods Bethel Park Priced from: $290’s School district: Bethel Park Agency: Ryan Homes 724-249-6835 ryanhomes.com

Parkview Estates Richland Township Single-family homes Priced from: $290’s School district: Pine-Richland Agency: Ryan Homes 724-443-0190 ryanhomes.com

Newbury South Fayette Single-family homes and townhomes Priced from: $400,000 townhomes, $310,000 School district: South Fayette Agency: S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com

Pinewood Manor Pine Township Luxury custom homes Priced from: $500,000 School district: Pine Richland Agency: Eddy Homes 412-221-0400 EddyHomes.com

Newbury South Fayette Single family estate homes Priced from: $629,000 School district: South Fayette Agency: KACIN 724-327-6694 www.KACIN.com

McCandless Custom single-family Priced from: $750,000 School district: North Allegheny Agency: RE/MAX Select Realty 724-933-6300 x657 madiahomes.com

Pleasant Ridge Pine Township Single-family homes Priced from: $460’s School district: Pine-Richland Agency: Heartland Homes 724-871-1702 HeartlandLuxuryHomes.com

Raintree Manor Hampton Township Townhomes Priced from: $225,000 School district: Hampton Agency: Minnock Construction Company 412-366-4770 The Reserve at Fox Chase Fox Chapel Area Patio and carriage homes Priced from: $299,900 School district: Allegheny Valley Agency: Dennis Associates 412-828-7606 The Ridge at Manor Pine Township Single-family Homes Priced from: $900,000 School district: Pine Richland Agency: Achieve Realty 412-720-9033 barringtonhomespa.com The Ridge at Manor Pine Township Single-family homes Priced from: $850,000 School district: Pine-Richland Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-772-8822 howardhanna.com Ridge Forest Franklin Park Single-family homes and townhomes Priced from: $353,990 single-family, $247,990 townhomes School district: North Allegheny Agency: Ryan Homes 724-933-3162 singles 724-934-5822 townhouses ryanhomes.com Ridgeview Estates Monroeville Single-family homes Lots start at: $35,000 School district: Gateway Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices thepreferredrealty.com

The Rivers Edge at Oakmont Oakmont Single-family, duplexes, condominiums and apartments Priced from: $329,000 School district: Riverview Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 412-427-0654 howardhanna.com Sangree Farms Ross Township Custom single-family homes Priced from: $500,000 School district: North Hills Agency: Minnock Real Estate Services 412-369-7253 Scarlett Ridge Franklin Park Borough Luxury estate custom homes Priced from: $600,000 School district: North Allegheny Agency: Eddy Homes 412-221-0400 EddyHomes.com Settlers Pointe Collier Township Single-family homes Priced from: High $475,000 School district: Chartiers Valley Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate

Services

724-941-8800 howardhanna.com Sewickley Heights Manor Aleppo Township Custom single-family homes Priced from: $300,000 School district: Quaker Valley Agency: Minnock Construction Company 412-366-4770 Silver Pines Pine Richland Townships Single-family homes Priced from: $850,000 School district: Pine Richland Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 412-934-3400 Steeplechase Whitehall Townhomes and carriage homes Priced from: $190’s School district: Baldwin Whitehall Agency: Ryan Homes 724-249-6835 ryanhomes.com Summerfield at North Park Pine Township Single-family homes Priced from: $950,000 School district: Pine-Richland Agency: Achieve Realty, Inc. 724-933-1980 X667 The Summit Marshall Township Single-family homes Priced from: $800,000 School district: North Allegheny Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 412-366-1600 coldwellbankerhomes.com/TheSummit

www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com

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ALLEGHENY COUNTY Traditions of America at Sewickley Ridge Ohio Township Single-family homes, 55+ Priced from: mid $200,000 School district: Avonworth Agency: Traditions of America 412-534-4232 SewickleyLiving.com Venango Trails Marshall Township Townhomes and single-family homes Priced from: $290’s School district: North Allegheny Agency: Heartland Homes 724-871-1720 HeartlandLuxuryHomes.com Venango Trails Marshall Township Single-family homes Priced from: $400,000 School district: North Allegheny Agency: S & A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com Venango Trails Marshall Township Single-family homes Priced from: $450’s School district: North Allegheny Agency: Brennan Builders 724-865-2929 Brennanbuilders.com The Village at Camp Trees

Pine Township Single family homes Priced from: $419,000 School district: Pine Richland Agency: Weaver Homes 412-525-9409 weaverhomes.com

Village At Marshall Ridge Marshall Township Townhomes Priced from: $230’s School district: North Allegheny Agency: Ryan Homes 724-933-4030 ryanhomes.com Village at Pine Pine Township Single-family homes and townhomes Priced from: $332,990 single family, $250,990 townhomes School district: Pine-Richland Agency: Ryan Homes 724-940-4052 ryanhomes.com Walkers Ridge Collier Township Single-family homes Priced from: $350,000 School district: Chartiers Valley Agency: Paragon Homes 412-787-8807 VisitParagonHomes.com Walnut Ridge South Fayette Single-family homes Priced from: $360’s School district: South Fayette Agency: Heartland Homes 724-949-0079 HeartlandLuxuryHomes.com

Washington Square Jefferson Hills Borough Single-family homes Priced from: $250’s School district: West Jefferson Hills Agency: Ryan Homes 412-945-3641 ryanhomes.com Willow Farms Fox Chapel Borough Single-family homes Priced from:$1,200,000 School district: Fox Chapel Area Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 412-963-7655 coldwellbankerhomes.com/ WillowFarms Woodcreek Manor Findlay Township Colonial Priced from: $199,900 School district: West Allegheny Agency: Dan Ryan Builders 412-616-9921 www.danryanbuilders.com/pittsburgh Woodwind of Hampton Allison Park Single family homes Priced from $600,000 School District: Hampton Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 412-487-0500 or 412-366-1600 coldwellbankerhomes.com/Woodwind

BEAVER COUNTY Clairmont Manor Hopewell Township Colonial Priced from: $244,900 School district: Hopewell Agency: Dan Ryan Builders 412-616-9921 www.danryanbuilders.com/pittsburgh Goldenrod Meadows North Sewickley Township Single-family homes Priced from: $250,000 School district: Riverside Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 7224-775-5700 howardhanna.com Hickory Woods Chippewa Township Single-family homes Priced from: $270,000 School district: Blackhawk Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 724-776-2900 www.pittsburghmoves.com/ HickoryWoods John Quincy Adams

Adams Township Start at: $550,000 School district: Mars Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-776-3686 thepreferredrealty.com

48 GREATER PITTSBURGH’S NEW HOME

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BEAVER COUNTY Sarver Mills Buffalo Township Carriage Homes Priced from: Low $300’s School district: Freeport Area Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-327-5161 howardhanna.com Seven Oaks Brighton Township Golf-course community with single-family custom homes and carriage homes Priced from: High $300’s School district: Beaver Area Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-776-3686 thepreferredrealty.com Traditions of America at Liberty Hills New Sewickley Township/ Economy Borough 55+ Lifestyle Living/ Single-family and garden homes/ Maintenance Free Priced from: $200,000s Agency: Traditions of America 724-869-5595 TraditionsofAmerica.com The Village at Timberwood Trace Chippewa Township Carriage Homes Priced from: $168,000 School district: Blackhawk Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-775-5700 howardhanna.com The Village at Heritage Estate Murrysville Patio Homes Priced from: $264,900 School district: Franklin Regional Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-327-5161 howardhanna.com Weather Vane Hill Slippery Rock Single-family homes Priced from: $3000,000 School district: Slippery Rock Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-282-7903 howardhanna.com

BUTLER COUNTY Amherst Village Adams Township Single-family homes Priced from: $290’s School district: Mars Area Agency: Ryan Homes 724-625-4050 ryanhomes.com

BUTLER COUNTY BelleVue Park Cranberry Township

Single family homes Priced from: $299,900 School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Weaver Homes 412-525-9409 weaverhomes.com

Blackthorn Penn Township Single-family home sites/Singlefamily homes Priced from: $66,000/$379,900 School district: South Butler Agency: Northwood Realty 724-282-1313 northwood.com Blossom Ridge Butler Township Single-family homes Priced from: $300,000 School district: Butler Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 724-776-2900 www.pittsburghmoves.com/ BlossomRidge

Dutch Creek Estates

Jackson Township Colonial Priced from: $274,900 School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Dan Ryan Builders 412-275-6623 www.danryanbuilders.com/pittsburgh Ehrman Farms Cranberry Township Single-family homes Priced from: $600,000 School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-452-1150 howardhanna.com Foxmoor Cranberry Township Carriage homes Priced from: $310,000 carriage homes School district: Seneca Valley Agency: S & A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com

Camp Trees Adams Township Single-family homes Priced from: $410,000 School district: Mars Area Agency: S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com

Foxwood Estates Cranberry Township Single-family homes Priced from: $850,000 School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 412-366-1600 foxwoodnewhomes.com

Carriage Manor Cranberry Township Single-family homes Priced from: $700,000 School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 724-776-2900 coldwellbankerhomes.com/ carriagemanor

Fulton Crossing Adams Township Single-family homes Priced from: $430’s School district: Mars Area Agency: Heartland Homes 724-949-0079 HeartlandLuxuryHomes.com

Chatham Court Adams Township Luxury paired villas Priced from: Mid $700’s School district: Mars Area Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-776-3686 thepreferredrealty.com Cherrywood Springs Center Township Single-family log homes .5 to 10 acre lots School district: Butler Area Agency: Northwood Realty 724-282-1313 northwood.com The Courtyards at Creekside Adams Township Courtyard single level homes Priced from: $319,900 School district: Mars Agency: Weaver Homes 724-496-5670 weaverhomes.com

The Gables Adams Township Carriage Homes Priced from: $370,000 School district: Mars Area Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-934-3400 howardhanna.com The Glen at Woodside Cranberry Township Courtyards single level homes Priced from: $320,000 School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Weaver Homes 412-525-9499 weaverhomes.com Jackson Crossing Jackson Township Single-family homes Priced from: $270’s School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Ryan Homes 724-249-6835 ryanhomes.com John Quincy Adams Adams Township Single family homes Priced from: $550,000 School district: Mars Area Agency; Berkshire Hathaway 724-776-3686 thepreferredrealty.com

| Spring 2016

4/26/16 4:28 PM

BUTLER COUNTY John Quincy Adams Estates Adams Township Single family homes Priced from: $649,000 School district: Mars Area Agency; Achieve Realty Kingsridge Adams Township Single-family homes Priced from: $320’s Agency: Ryan Homes 724-432-3989 ryanhomes.com Kingsridge Adams Township Custom single-family homes Priced from: $330,000 School district: Mars Area Agency: S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com Lakeview Adams Township Townhomes Priced from: $245,000 School district: Mars Area Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-934-3400 howardhanna.com

Leslie Farms Connoquenessing Borough Single-family Priced from $200,000 School District: Butler Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 724-776-2900 coldwellbankerhomes.com/lesliefarms Links of Cranberry Cranberry Township Single-family homes Priced from: $324,900 Townhomes Priced from: $219,900 School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Dan Ryan Builders 724-471-4964 www.danryanbuilders.com/pittsburgh Meadow Ridge Connoquenessing Township Colonial Priced from: $279,900 School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Dan Ryan Builders 412-275-6623 www.danryanbuilders.com/pittsburgh

Meadow Ridge Forward Township Single-family homes Priced from: $250,000 School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 724-776-2900 coldwellbankerhomes.com/meadowridge Meredith Glen Estates Adams Township Custom single-family homes Priced from: $850,000 School district: Mars Area Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-776-3686 thepreferredrealty.com Oak Trace Penn and Butler Townships Single-family homes Priced from: $350,000 School district: South Butler Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 724-776-2900 www.pittsburghmoves.com/OakTrace

The Oaks Buffalo Township Single-family homes Priced from: $350,000 Agency: Northwood Realty northwood.com The Oaks Buffalo Township Single-family homes Priced from: $299,900 School district: Freeport Area Agency: Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 412-366-1600 homesattheoaks.com Park Place Cranberry Township Single-family-homes and townhomes Priced from: $220’s townhomes School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Ryan Homes 724-778-9946 Park Place Cranberry Township Traditional neighborhood development single-family homes, townhomes, condos, rentals, retail Priced from: $350,000 School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Northwood Realty 724-776-1863

Peachmont Farms Forward Township Single-family homes Priced from: $300,000 School district: Seneca Valley S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com Plantation at Saxonburg Clinton Township Carriage homes Priced from $240,000 School district: South Butler Agency: S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com Plantations Lancaster Township Single-family homes Priced from: $410,000 School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Brennan Realty 724-687-9097 www.brennanbuilders.com The Pointe At Adams Ridge Adams Township Townhomes Priced from: $220’s School district: Mars Area Agency: Ryan Homes 724-776-5610 ryanhomes.com

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BUTLER COUNTY Poplar Forest Slippery Rock Borough Single-family homes Priced from: $250,000 25 lots from.6 to 5 acres Agency: Northwood Realty northwood.com Sarver Mills Buffalo Township Carriage homes Priced from: Low $300,000 School district: Freeport Area Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-327-5161 howardhanna.com Sarvers Mill Buffalo Township Single-family homes Priced from: $250,000 School district: Freeport Area Agency: S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com

WASHINGTON COUNTY

WESTMORELAND COUNTY

Vista Ridge Adams Township Custom Single-family homes Priced from: $340,000 School district: Mars Area Agency: S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com

Anthony Farms Peters Township Single-family homes Priced from: $650,000 Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 412-276-5000 howardhanna.com

Indian Ridge North Strabane Township L uxury homes Priced from: $400,792 School district: Canon-McMillan Agency: Eddy Homes 412-221-0400 EddyHomes.com

Vista Ridge Adams Township Single family homes Priced from: $379,000 School district: Mars Area Agency: Weaver Homes 412-525-9409 weaverhomes.com

Arden Farms Chartiers Township Colonial Priced from: $189,900 School district: Chartiers Houston Agency: Dan Ryan Builders 724-706-3934 www.danryanbuilders.com/pittsburgh

Ironwood II Cecil Township Single-family homes Priced from: $440’s School district: Canon McMillan Agency: Heartland Homes 724-871-1738 HeartlandLuxuryHomes.com

Wakefield Estates Cranberry Township Custom single-family homes Priced from: $750,000 School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-776-3686 thepreferredrealty.com

Arden Farms Chartiers Township Attached carriage homes Priced from: $259,900 School district: Chartiers Houston Agency: Scarmazzi Homes 724-223-1844 www.scarmazzihomes.com

Justabout Farms Venetia Luxury custom villa homes Priced from: $600,000 School district: Peters Township Agency: Eddy Homes 412-221-0400 EddyHomes.com

Bradford Run South Strabane Township Townhomes and carriage homes Priced from: Townhomes from $220,000 carriage homes from $270,000 School district: Trinity Area Agency: S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com

Legacy at Sunset Pointe North Strabane Township 1st floor living, single-family homes and carriage homes Priced from: $330’s School district: Canon-McMillan Agency: Ryan Homes 724-745-3120 ryanhomes.com

Seaton Crest Adams Township Single-family homes Priced from: $370,000 School district: Mars Area Agency: S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com

Walkers Ridge Worth Township Farmlettes Priced from: $74,900 School district: Slippery Rock Agency: Northwood Realty 724-458-8800 northwood.com

Sonoma Valley Connoqenessing Township Patio homes Priced from: $249,900 School district: Butler Agency: Weaver Homes 877-836-9177 weaverhomes.com

Weatherburn Heights Middlesex Township Single-family homes Priced from: $320’s School district: Mars Area Agency: Ryan Homes 724-249-6835 ryanhomes.com

Bridgeview North Strabane Township Townhomes Priced from: $224,900 School district: Canon-McMillan Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 412-748-9470 howardhanna.com

Majestic Hills North Strabane Township Single-family homes Priced from: $270’s School district: Canon-McMillan Agency: Ryan Homes 724-745-6410 ryanhomes.com

Timber Ridge Lancaster Township Single-family-homes Priced from: $450’s School district: Seneca Valley Agency: Brennan Realty 724-687-9097 www.brennanbuilders.com

Weather Vane Hill Slippery Rock Single-family homes Priced from: $300,000 School district: Slippery Rock Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-282-7903 howardhanna.com

Brookview Peters Township Carriage homes Priced from: $349,900 School district: Peters Township Agency: Keller Williams 412-831-3800

Meadow Ridge Peters Township Single-family homes Priced from: $655,900 School district: Peters Township Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 412-833-7700 thepreferredrealty.com

Timberlee Farms Connoquenessing Township Single-family-homes Priced from: $300,000 School district: Butler Area Agency: Brennan Realty 724-687-9097 www.brennanbuilders.com The Village at Camp Trees

Adams Township Single family homes Priced from: $419,000 School district: Mars Agency: Weaver Homes 412-525-9409 weaverhomes.com

The Vineyards Connoqenessing Township Courtyard single level homes Priced from: $264,900 School district: Butler Agency: Weaver Homes 877-279-1043 weaverhomes.com

Winterwood Butler Southwest Single-family homes Priced from: $300,000 Six wooded lots available Agency: Northwood Realty northwood.com Wyncrest Estates Butler Township Single-family homes Priced from: $250,000 School district: Butler Area Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services 412-366-1600 coldwellbankerhomes.com/wyncrestestates

WASHINGTON COUNTY

50 GREATER PITTSBURGH’S NEW HOME

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Cherry Valley Estates McDonald Luxury custom homes Priced from: $254,900 School district: Fort Cherry Agency: Eddy Homes 412-221-0400 EddyHomes.com

Oakbrooke Estates Cecil Township Single-family homes Priced from: $250’s School district: Canon-McMillan Agency: Ryan Homes 724-873-3595 ryanhomes.com

The Crossings McMurray Luxury custom villa homes Priced from: $348,700 School district: Peters Township Agency: Eddy Homes 412-221-0400 EddyHomes.com

Orchard Hill Peters Township Single-family homes Priced from: $320’s School district: Peters Township Agency: Ryan Homes 724-873-3595 ryanhomes.com

Fair Acres Upper St. Clair Custom single-family homes Priced from: Lots, $650,000 School district: Upper St Clair Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-833-7700 thepreferredrealty.com

The Overlook at Peters Peters Township Single-family homes Priced from: $450,000 School district: Peters Township Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-941-8800 howardhanna.com

The Overlook/Legacy Village At Southpointe Cecil Township Single-family homes and carriage homes COMING SOON! School district: Canon-McMillan Agency: Ryan Homes 724-745-5083 ryanhomes.com Overlook at Southpointe Cecil Township Single-family homes Priced from: $380’s School district: Canon McMillan Agency: Heartland Homes 724-949-0079 HeartlandLuxuryHomes.com Piatt Estates Chartiers Township Single-family homes Priced from: $290,000 School district: Chartiers/ Houston Agency: S&A Realty 1-855-SAHOME1 sahomebuilder.com Strabane Manor North Strabane Township Colonial Priced from: $202,900 School district: Trinity Agency: Dan Ryan Builders 724-908-4638 www.danryanbuilders.com/pittsburgh Weavertown Woodlands North Strabane Township Carriage homes Priced from: $300,000 School district: Canon-McMillan Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-222-6040 howardhanna.com Whispering Pines Peters Township Single family homes Priced from: $600,000 and up School district: Peters Township Agency: Costa Homebuilders 412-384-8170 www.costahomebuilders.com

WESTMORELAND COUNTY Acropolis Heights Unity Township Custom single-family homes Priced from: $500,000 School district: Greater Latrobe Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-838-3660 thepreferredrealty.com Allegheny Woodlands Allegheny Township Custom single-family and cottage villas Priced from: low $290,000 single-family and Low $200’s cottage villas School district: Kiski Area Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-339-4000 howardhanna.com

| Spring 2016

4/26/16 4:28 PM

WESTMORELAND COUNTY Augusta Penn Township Single-family homes Priced from: Lots, $53,900 School district: Penn-Trafford Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-327-0444 thepreferredrealty.com Blackthorne Estates Penn Township Single-family homes Priced from: $410’s School district: Penn Trafford Agency: Ryan Homes 724-863-2542 ryanhomes.com Cedar Hills Rostraver Township Condominiums and villas Priced from: $265,500 School district: Belle Vernon Area Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-929-7228 thepreferredrealty.com Cherry Knoll Delmont Single-family homes Priced from: $225.000 School district: Greensburg Salem Agency: RE/MAX Select Realty 412-856-2000 rasnoznik.net Cherry Wood Estates Mt. Pleasant Township Custom single-family homes Priced from: Low $300’s School district: Mount Pleasant Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-838-3660 thepreferredrealty.com Everview Estates Ligonier Township Single-family homes Priced from: $299,900 School district: Ligonier Valley Angency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-832-2300 Feightner Estates Hempfield Township Single-family homes lots Priced from: $64,500 - $74,500 School district: Hempfield Area Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices thepreferredrealty.com Foxtail Court at Rolling Ridge Murrysville Single-family homes Priced from: $600,000 School district: Franklin Regional Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-327-5161 howardhanna.com Glenn Aire Unity Township Custom single-family homes Priced from: $375,000 School district: Greater Latrobe Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-838-3660 thepreferredrealty.com

Greenfield Estates Unity Township Custom single-family homes Priced from: $250,000 School district: Greater Latrobe Agency: Scalise Real Estate 724-539-3525 Hampton Heights (Formerly Carradam Golf Course) North Huntingdon Township One acre homesites Priced from: $400,000 School district: Norwin Agency: RWS Custom Homes 724-861-0571 rwscustomhomes.com Harrington Way at Wendover Hempfield Township Single-family homes Priced from: $249,900 School district: Hempfield Area Agency: Northwood Realty 724-327-5600 northwood.com Legacy at Sunset Pointe Canonsburg Single-family-homes Coming soon Laurel View Place Derry Township Single-family lots Priced from: $49,900 School district: Derry Area Agency: Northwood Realty Services 724-537-0110 northwood.com Lincoln Hills North Huntington Township Single-family homes, townhomes and grand villas Priced from: mid-$300,000 Single-family, $239,900 townhomes and $289,900 grand villas School district: Norwin Agency: RWS Custom Homes 724-861-0571 rwscustomhomes.com Lindwood Crest Hempfield Township Over 55 Single-family homes Start at: $239,900 School district: Hempfield Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices thepreferredrealty.com Mallard Landing Murrysville Single-family homes Priced from: $470,000 School district: Franklin Regional Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-327-5161 howardhanna.com Meadowlane Farm Estates Hempfield Township Single-family homes Priced from: $240’s School district: Hempfield Area Agency: Ryan Homes 724-216-5737 ryanhomes.com

Northpointe Hempfield Township Custom single-family homes Priced from: $330,000 School district: Hempfield Area Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-838-3660 thepreferredrealty.com

The Village at Palmer Place Unity Township Custom villas Priced from: $349,000 School district: Greater Latrobe Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-832-2300 howardhanna.com

Westmoreland Community Action Jeannette Single-family homes Priced from: $75,000 School district: Jeannette City Agency: Northwood Realty 724-838-9643 northwood.com

Palmer Place Unity Township Custom single-family Priced from: $700,000 School district: Greater Latrobe Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-838-3660 thepreferredrealty.com

The Village at Stonegate Penn Township Villas Priced from: $391,400 School district: Penn-Trafford Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-838-3660 or 724-327-0444 thepreferredrealty.com

Westmoreland Human Opportunities Monessan Single-family homes Priced from: $70,000 School district: Monessen Agency: Northwood Realty 724-838-9643 northwood.com

Serenity Pointe Murrysville Single-family homes Priced from: $500,000 School district: Franklin Regional Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-417-1772 howardhanna.com Siena Ridge Murrysville Single-family homes Priced from : $600,000 School district: Franklin Regional Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-327-5161 howardhanna.com Victoria Highlands Unity Township Single-family homes Priced from: $290,000 School district: Latrobe Agency: Bob Shuster Realty 724-864-8884 rwscustomhomes.com Villas at Heritage Estates Murrysville Patio homes Priced from: Low $264,900 School district: Franklin Regional Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-327-5161 howardhanna.com

• • • •

Villages at Totteridge Greensburg Villas and manor homes Priced from: Villas, $349,000 and manors, $259,000 School district: Greensburg/Salem Agency: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services 724-327-5161 howardhanna.com The Villas at Grayhawk Unity Township Villa style condominiums Priced from: $219,850 School district: Greater Latrobe Agency: Cedar Ridge Realty 724-832-3501 thevillasatgrayhawk.com

The Woods of Brandywine Penn Township Single-family homes Priced from: $260’s School district: Penn Trafford Agency: Ryan Homes 724-863-2542 ryanhomes.com Yok Wood Ridge Unity Township Single-family homes Priced from: $200,000 School district: Greater Latrobe Agency: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 724-838-3660 thepreferredrealty.com

The Villas of Willow Estates North Huntington Townhomes and grand villas Priced from: $239,900 and $289,900 School district: Norwin Agency: RWS Custom Homes 724-861-0571 rwscustomhomes.com Weatherton Farm Estates Unity Township Single-family haomes Priced from: $250,000 School district: Greater Latrobe Agency: RE/MAX Select Realty 412-856-2000 rasnoznik.net

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NEWHOMEVOICES Making Home Ownership a Reality for Everyone

By Kristen Miles

D

ollar Bank has been recognized as a leader in Community Reinvestment and Economic Development since 1994. Federal government regulators have consistently ranked Dollar Bank “Best in Class” in the area of Community Reinvestment. Whether we are working with individuals, small businesses, corporations or non-profit groups, every relationship is approached as neighbor to neighbor.

Our success is founded in a dedicated staff that is knowledgeable of current marketplace issues affecting low and moderate income communities. From the start, our experienced counselors will work with individuals, one-on-one, to provide the resources needed to make obtaining a mortgage easier and to help select the best mortgage option.

Now in its seventeenth consecutive year, Dollar Bank’s annual Mortgages For Mothers Home Buying Workshop will take place at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on Saturday, May 7, 2016. Women, men, mothers, fathers, grandparents and singles are welcome to attend free of charge and take the first step toward owning their own home.

“Buying a home can be a frightening and overwhelming experience for anyone. Our Mortgages for Mothers Workshop is the perfect place to start,” explained Carol Neyland, Senior Vice President of Community Development at Dollar Bank. “Rent expenses have continued to spiral out of control, leading to a lack of affordable housing op-

tions, especially for low income individuals. Many people are forced to move because they can’t afford their rent. One solution to this problem is home ownership. Our workshop motivates and empowers people to take matters in to their own hands and stop being at the mercy of greedy landlords.”

Mortgages For Mothers is one of the free seminars offered by Dollar Bank to provide an introduction to additional programs assisting with home ownership. Individuals learn about the benefits and responsibilities of home ownership and the importance of good credit.

A variety of low cost mortgage options are available to help meet individual needs. Dollar Bank programs provide special interest rates for first-time homebuyers, home purchase and rehabilitation loans, or mortgages using qualified Section 8 housing voucher income options.

Dollar Bank is the only financial institution in southwestern Pennsylvania and northeast Ohio offering comprehensive in-house credit counseling and homebuyer education. Participants are provided with the support needed to purchase a home. Whether they have had difficulty qualifying for a mortgage due to income, insufficient savings for a down payment or past and present credit difficulties, Dollar Bank’s Home Ownership Program can be a beneficial resource.

The Home Ownership Program starts with a confidential one-on-one session

with a Dollar Bank Credit Consultant.

Together, we will review the participant’s employment history, credit profile and available funds to determine which areas could be strengthened through the program.

Next, we offer Home Buyer Education Classes. These Informational sessions are available to prepare individuals for the home-buying process and include finding the best mortgage payment to fit their finances, how to shop for a home, work with a real estate broker and apply for and close on a mortgage.

Finally, Dollar Bank’s 3-2-1 Home Savings Plan can assist qualified families participating in the Home Ownership Program with down payment and closing costs associated with purchasing a home. For every $1 put into a Dollar Bank savings account (up to a maximum of $1,000) Dollar Bank gives participants $3 providing $4,000 to use toward purchasing a home. This savings account can be used for hand money, mortgage application fees and other expenses due at closing. These funds can be used in addition to grants and gifts from other sources.

The Mortgages For Mothers Home Buying Workshop will begin at 9:00 AM on Saturday, May 7, 2016 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-345-3655 or online at MortgagesForMothers.com.

Kristen Miles, Vice President of Communications, Dollar Bank

www.greaterpittsburghnewhome.com

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Mar Branding NewHome_Summer 8-375x10-875 v01_Layout 1 6/26/2012 1:55 PM Page 1

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NH_spring_2016.indd 53

Maronda Pittsburgh

@MarondaPGH

4/26/16 4:28 PM

At Dollar Bank, we’ve made it our business to be the mortgage experts. It’s our priority that we get you the mortgage that’s right for you. Our Mortgage Experts are not paid a commission, unlike brokers or other financial institutions, so their focus is solely on your financing needs. Dollar Bank also keeps the servicing of our conventional mortgages and will be there for you long after closing.

• • • • •

Free pre-qualification $500 off of closing costs with a qualifying checking account* Fixed Rate, Adjustable Rate and FHA Mortgages Low rates and fees 60-day rate lock with no charge

Whether you’re purchasing a home or refinancing, talk to a Mortgage Expert today about getting you the right mortgage for your needs.

Call 1-800-242-BANK(2265) or visit any office or dollarbank.com.

View 11 short mortgage video tips on the Dollar Bank

Channel.

Equal Housing Lender. Member FDIC. Copyright © 2016, Dollar Bank, Federal Savings Bank. *The $500 credit towards closing costs applies to Dollar Bank Residential Lending Department loan applications for a single family, first lien owner occupied residential purchase or refinance mortgage loans and requires Everything Checking to remain in place for three years. Everything Checking is subject to terms and conditions that may change after account opening. Ask for the Account Information Schedule for details. Offer valid for new applications dated on or after 3/2/15 and excludes no closing cost products and government sponsored loan programs including VA and Government Bond Loans. All applications are subject to approval under Dollar Bank’s underwriting guidelines. Property securing the loan must be in Dollar Bank’s market areas. Subject to change without notice.

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