Across the nation single women have emerged as top home buyers with more single women purchasing a new home than single men.  A 2012 report from the National Association of REALTORS® showed that two-thirds of female buyers purchased a single-family home. Buying a home with more than one bedroom provides the extra space needed for visiting family members or a future family, should that happen.

Women have emerged a more dominant home buyer due to their overwhelming desire to have a place to call their own, which surveys have shown is typically more important to women than men. They are also more willing to sacrifice additional spending on restaurants, shopping and entertainment or are willing to pick up a second job in order to pay a mortgage.

While married couples still make up the majority of home buyers, single women are not waiting on a ring to get the home of their dreams.

At Highland Homes our beautiful single-family homes and townhomes are perfect for single women looking for a space to call their own. We currently offer Orlando, Tampa, Winter Haven and Lakeland new homes in more than 25 communities throughout Central Florida. With more than 40 floor plans to choose from, we are sure to have the home that meets your needs and desires. Our homes are priced from the low-$100,000s and to make purchasing a new home even more affordable, qualified buyers can purchase their home for just $99 down.

For more information on our beautiful homes and how you can own a home of your own, visit the Highland Homes website today!

This Florida home builder has constructed townhomes for rent previously and is excited to offer townhomes for sale for the first time in more than a decade. Highland Homes has purchased sites for nine buildings at Oakwood Terrace for a total of 46 townhome units. Spacious interiors will feature approximately 1,590 to 1,715 square feet of living space with three to four bedrooms and a one-car garage for parking and storage. Homeowners can enjoy stunning nature views from their new townhome with some of the buildings located on water.

In addition, residents can enjoy the beautiful Florida weather and cool off during the warmer months at the community pool.

Located off of Highway 60 in Valrico, Oakwood Terrace provides convenient access to the fantastic shopping, dining, entertainment and recreation found in nearby Tampa and Brandon.

Interested buyers will have the opportunity to purchase one of these beautiful townhomes when we start selling onsite in early summer 2013. For more information, call 813-395-8977 or register for the community VIP list by visiting the Oakwood Terrace page on the Highland Homes website.

Why now you might ask? During the recession, many potential homebuyers were unable to purchase a home due to financial uncertainty, but now the economy is coming back and those buyers are ready to purchase. Referred to as “shadow demand,” it is estimated that as many as 2 million people who might have wanted to purchase a home between 2008 and 2010 did not due to the recession. Now those people, as well as the regular flow of new homebuyers, are out searching for their perfect home.

Buyer demand is good for the housing market, but inventory of existing homes has declined, meaning that there are fewer properties listed for sale. Builders, such as Highland Homes, have responded by starting construction on new homes to meet market needs. This increase in home starts, along with an increase in home sales, will lead to an increase in home prices, so buyers who are looking to take advantage of low prices should purchase as soon as possible.

At Highland Homes we offer stylish new homes in Lakeland, Tampa, Orlando and Winter Haven. With more than 40 floor plans available and homes affordably priced from the low-$100,000s, buyers are sure to find the home of their dreams. To make purchasing your new home even more affordable, qualified buyers can purchase their home for just $99 down.

Now is the perfect time to purchase a new home in Central Florida. For more information on all of our new home communities, floor plans, videos and more, visit the Highland Homes website today!

The model home at Winchester Estates is the Lindsey II, a popular three bedroom home with an open layout.

Tucked away on the fringes of the city, Winchester Estates is a community of north Lakeland new homes where residents enjoy a country-like setting with convenient access to US-98 and I-4. One thing that really stands out about this particular area is the presence of local “mom and pop”-type establishments that vary from the normal hustle and bustle of a city, and provide a unique local flavor.

When it comes to restaurants, North Lakeland has the typical chain locations to satisfy your cravings like any city. However, there are also a variety of small, family-owned establishments that hit the spot and give you something a little different to look to enjoy.  Eateries such as Granger & Sons Bar-B-Que, Sorrento Pizzeria & Restaurant, RJ Grady’s Burgers and Brew, Mamitas Diner and The End Zone Family Restaurant and Sports Bar all lie minutes away from Winchester Estates and have developed a local following for their great eats and drinks.

For Lakeland entertainment and leisure, you have easy convenience to downtown Lakeland via US 98 N and there are options right around the corner. A notable north Lakeland venue in the area is the Music Ranch—its 6 acres and over 4,500 sq ft of indoor space provide a perfect setting to hold your personal events and the Ranch hosts regularly scheduled musical acts of both local and national recognition.

Also located nearby is Colt Creek State Park, an area of natural Florida wilderness that spans 5,067 acres. This provides habitats for many different species as well as a variety of recreational activities such as hiking, biking, nature study, freshwater fishing and camping. Winchester Estates is near multiple golf and country clubs as well as smaller recreational establishments such as Hunt Fountain Park and Simpson Park Community Center, with facilities to play all sorts of sports.

For an ideal balance between city and small-town living, Florida real estate in Winchester Estates provides relaxation as well as entertainment. Highland Homes offers more than 25 floor plans to choose from and countless features for you to design your dream home to perfectly match your needs and your lifestyle. With homes that start from the $130,000s, this north Lakeland neighborhood provides homebuyers with the perfect combination of quality, style and value in an unbeatable location.

For more information about Winchester Estates, call the model center at 863-859-1429 or visit the Highland Homes website.

In addition to the record breaking sales, March saw an increase in home prices according to the Tampa Bay Times and data from My Florida MLS. The average home price for March was $150,000 which is a 22 percent increase from March 2012.

Two-thirds of the Tampa home sales in March were traditional home sales, meaning they were not foreclosures, which is a great sign of economic improvement.  Resale homes are going under contract in about a month and low inventory is creating a demand for new homes.  Florida home builders, such as Highland Homes, have started new construction in order to keep up with that need.

Highland Homes currently builds affordable new homes in 6 communities throughout the Tampa Bay area including several brand new communities. With more than 40 floor plans available and prices from the low-$100,000s, buyers are sure to find the perfect home for their family. To make purchasing your dream home even more affordable, qualified buyers can purchase their home for only $99 down.

In addition to Tampa, we build beautiful homes in Orlando, Lakeland and Winter Haven. For more information on all of our Tampa and Central Florida communities, visit the Highland Homes website today!

While every Central Florida new home (or old home) has its own unique characteristics and needs when it comes to straightening things up, there are a few basics that anyone can fall back on when it comes to spring cleaning.

Dusting, sorting, replacing, washing… not sure where to start?  Here are a few handy tips we have gathered to make your spring cleaning easier than a summer breeze. (Hint:  make sure you have all the cleaning supplies you need beforehand so you won’t be tempted to put it off.)

Kitchen

• Clean inside and outside of refrigerator – this is a great opportunity to throw out expired food products, since you will be emptying the shelves to clean them.
• Wipe down microwave
• Clean stove and over
• Wipe down shelves in cupboards and inside drawers
• Clean garbage disposal blades by grinding ice and freshen it with baking soda and/or citrus rinds
• Clean or replace your range hood filter

Bathrooms

• Wipe down shower and tub and re-caulk if your caulking has cracks or is moldy
• Clean toilet, countertops and mirrors
• Sweep and mop the floor
• Wipe down shelves in cupboards and inside drawers
• Clean/launder bath mats, shower curtain, rugs, etc.

Living Areas

• Vacuum/sweep and mop floor
• Polish furniture
• Dust electronics/media centers
• Organize DVDs, remote controls, magazines, etc.
• Clean sofas and pillows

Bedrooms

• Wash all bedding including your mattress cover
• Wash pillows (or replace if necessary)
• Rotate and flip mattress
• Organize and clean out closet

Throughout the House

• Dust furniture surfaces and ceiling fans
• Vacuum, wash or dry clean all carpets, rugs and draperies
• Wipe down walls, baseboards and light switches
• Wash windows (inside and out) and windowsills
• Wipe down blinds
• Change air filters
• Apply a light coat of wax to wood cabinets and furniture

Seasonal Maintenance:

• Test all smoke detectors (this should actually be done monthly)
• Check caulking and weather stripping around windows and doors, inside and out – you want your home sealed tight for the warm months to come
• Check for cracks on the exterior of your home and seal them up with proper caulking
• Clean sliding door track and apply silicone lubricant if necessary
• Oil moving parts of garage door
• Visually inspect roof for broken shingles and clean rain gutters
• Check your attic for evidence of roof leaks, and ensure your attic soffit vents are not blocked with insulation – if they are, move the insulation back to its original location on the attic floor
• Pressure wash soffits, walkways, and roofing to rid of mildew

Now it’s time to enjoy your fresh and clean Orlando, Lakeland, Winter Haven or Tampa new home. For more home care tips, follow us on Pinterest or visit the Highland Homes blog.

Celebrate Earth Day near Central Florida new homes.

Monday, April 22, 2013, marks the 43^rd celebration of Earth Day and residents of Orlando, Tampa, Winter Haven and Lakeland new homes have plenty of opportunities to celebrate this environmentally-friendly holiday.

Festivals and events held throughout Central Florida include:

• 8^th Annual Central Florida Earth Day: Held at Lake Eola Park (east side) in Orlando, the 8^th annual Central Florida Earth Day is the largest and longest-running Earth Day festival in Central Florida. From music to speakers to kid’s activities, this one day event an opportunity for the entire family to have fun while learning about the importance of eco-friendly living. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, April 20, 2013 with activities expected to begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at 6:00 p.m. For more information and a schedule of activities, visit www.cfearthday.org.
• 43^rd Annual Earth Day Tampa Bay: Organized by the University of South Florida’s Patel College of Global Sustainability, Office of Sustainability and the Tampa Bay Sierra Club, this year’s Earth Day Tampa Bay will be held on Saturday, April 20, 2013 at the USF Botanical Gardens. With a theme of Fresh Food Revolution, the event promotes local food growers, producers, distributors, educators and supporters. The event will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and admission and parking is FREE, but attendees are encouraged to use alternative transportation. For more information, visit www.usfweb2.usf.edu/earthday.
• Free Green Celebration: In honor of the 43^rd anniversary of Earth Day, the City of Lakeland is hosting a FREE Green Celebration with a concert and showcase at the Lake Mirror Promenade. The event will be held tonight, April 19, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. with live music from the Sofa Kinds along with a variety of exhibits. For more information, visit www.lakelandgov.net.
• Bok Tower Gardens Earth Day Celebration: Local schools are invited to take a field trip to Bok Tower Gardens on May 2, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. to noon for their Earth Day Celebration. During the three-hour event, students will enjoy hands-on activities that teach them about protecting wildlife, water conservation, gardening and more. This event is $6 per person and school programs can make a reservation by calling 863-734-1222.

Each of these events offer a great opportunity for residents of our Central Florida homes to get out and learn more about the environment and living eco-friendly lifestyles.

At Highland Homes, we offer Central Florida homes priced from the low-$100,000s in more than 25 communities throughout Tampa, Orlando, Lakeland and Winter Haven.  Our homes are built with energy-saving and earth-friendly features such as Low-E double pane windows, R30 insulation, and Mohawk EverStrand carpet which is made of 100% recycled content.  For more information on our beautiful homes, visit the Highland Homes website today!

Our top selling sales agents and outstanding employees of 2012 were recently recognized at the annual Highland Homes sales awards banquet. The event, which took place on March 13th, was held at the Lakeland Yacht and Country Club and festivities included a fun Mardi Gras theme, motivating guest speaker, dinner, and socializing, in addition to the awards presentation.

Those honored for their 2012 accomplishments include:

• Gene Kucher, Community Sales Manager of Imperial Lakes in Mulberry, Fla.  Gene was our biggest winner of the evening and received three top honors: Highest Net Dollar Volume, Highest Net Sales and Highest Closing Volume.
• Jennifer Maul was awarded for her excellence in Lakeland new home sales at Stonewood and Blackwater Oaks.  Jennifer recently sold out both North Lakeland communities for Highland Homes and received three awards: 2^nd place for Net Dollar Volume, 3^rd place for Net Sales, and 4^th for Closing Volume.
• Cheryl Gonzalez, Community Sales Manager at Ten Oaks in Zephyrhills, Fla., was unable to attend the banquet but received awards for 3^rd highest Net Dollar Volume,2^nd highest Net Sales, and 3^rd highest Closing Volume.
• Doug Pike, Community Sales Manager at Wind Meadows in Bartow, Fla., received four awards for his 2012 performance: 4^th highest Net Dollar Volume, 4^th highest Net Sales, 2^nd place for Closing Volume, and a special award from Shelter Mortgage, Highland Homes’ preferred lender.
• Mary Finn, Community Sales Manager of Covered Bridge and the recently sold out South Oak in Ellenton, Fla., was honored for selling the 5^th highest Net Dollar Volume and 5^th highest Net Sales (tie).
• Roger Santos, Community Sales Manager at Highland Meadows in Davenport, Fla., received awards for 5^th highest Net Sales (tie), 5^th highest Closing Volume, and a special award from Shelter Mortgage.
• The Rookie of the Year award went to Katie Campbell-Barris, Community Sales Manager at Overlook Ridge in Winter Haven, Fla.  Katie took on a sales role after more than seven years in land development and HOA management and was immediately successful, becoming one of our top selling agents in Winter Haven.
• Heather Dodd received the honor of Sales Counselor of the Year. Heather worked at several Highland Homes communities in 2012 and successfully sold within each community, and now manages our Normandy Heights community in Winter Haven.  Keep up the great work, Heather!

Additionally, Community Sales Managers David Morales of Sunset Hills in Dade City, Tracie Baldwin of Winchester Estates in Lakeland, and Carmen Arbizu of Deer Creek in St. Cloud, were also recognized for their efforts in their individual communities. Finally, Randi Golemme, our online sales manager, was applauded for her hard work in responding to the many online inquiries that Highland Homes receives every day.

We would once again like to send huge congratulations to all of our award winners!  Thank you for all that you do.  Our home buyer’s dreams become a reality because of the time and care you put into your work on a daily basis.  We truly appreciate all your hard work and are looking forward to an even better 2013!

Highland Homes, based in Lakeland, has been building value priced and quality constructed homes in Central Florida since 1996.  Connect with us online at www.HighlandHomes.ORG, www.facebook.com/highlandhomes and www.twitter.com/highlandhomesfl.

Our Normandy Heights model home in Winter Haven, which was built in 2006, has been updated with a fresh, new look.

The home showcases Highland Homes’ popular Remington II floor plan, which features 1,841 square feet with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two-car garage.

Stacey Antonakos-Perez, manager of the Highland Homes Personal Selection Studio, worked to bring new life to the home and put her decorating skills to the test while working within a small budget. Successfully coming in well under her budget of $6,000 (she only spent $4,800); Stacey came up with a plan of action to bring a new feel to the entire home.

After selling old furniture to a local consignment shop to earn a little extra money for the project, it was time to banish the white walls and repaint them with stimulating color. Some walls were chosen as accent walls while other details, such as chair rails and shadow boxes, were added throughout the home.

In some rooms, such as the dining room and master suite, the furniture was in pristine condition so it was left in place. Little details, such as replacing towels and pillows with new ones, or simply changing accessories throughout the rooms, created a whole new look for the rooms.

The overall look of the model home became more inviting with the help of a lighter and brighter color palate. Adding light colored fabrics and furnishings throughout the entire home helped to create a more open feel and visually enlarged the space.

Stacey designed the home for the average, all-American family—mom, dad, daughter and son. Envisioning a family living in the home made it easier to imagine what their home might look like and gave some authenticity to each of the rooms. In order to transform the rooms and stay within her budget, Stacey shopped at various discount stores such as Ross, Target, TJ Maxx, Hobby Lobby and HomeGoods. Any new furniture that was purchased came from Ashley Furniture.

The new décor provides a welcoming ambience to buyers looking for a Winter Haven home.  Stop by to see the new model décor for yourself!

Located in Southwest Winter Haven, Normandy Heights is conveniently near downtown Winter Haven and the Polk Parkway, which makes travel to Lakeland, Tampa and Orlando a breeze. The neighborhood offers more than 30 floor plans that can be customized with hundreds of design features, providing stylish Winter Haven homes in a variety of sizes and layouts.

For more information about Normandy Heights, call 863-293-1726.

In addition to Winter Haven, this Florida home builder offers beautiful homes in Orlando, Tampa and Lakeland. For more information, visit the Highland Homes website.

As a nation, home prices rose seven percent in the last year, but falling mortgage rates have kept buying affordable when compared to renting. To compare the costs of owning and renting, Trulia assumed that people will get a 3.5 percent mortgage rate (the national average), reside in the 25 percent tax bracket and itemize their federal tax deductions, stay in their home for seven years, get a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and put 20 percent. Based on these assumptions, Trulia calculates that buying is 51 percent cheaper than renting in Orlando and 55 percent cheaper in Tampa and Lakeland-Winter Haven. Talk about big savings!

To determine these percentages, Trulia does the following:

1. Calculate the average rent and for-sale prices for an identical set of properties. For this particular report, they looked at all homes listed for sale and for rent on Trulia from December 2012 to February 2013. They estimated prices and rent for the similar homes in similar neighborhoods in order to get a direct apples-to-apples.  This is NOT just a comparison of average rent and sales pricing, which is not a good comparison since for sale homes are usually larger than rentals.
2. Calculate initial total monthly costs or owning and renting, including maintenance insurance and taxes.
3. Calculate future total monthly costs of owning and renting, taking into account price and rent appreciation as well as inflation.
4. Factor in one-time costs and proceeds, like closing costs, down payments, sales proceeds and security deposits.
5. Calculate net present value to account for opportunity cost of money.

While it is still cheaper to buy than rent in Central Florida, home prices are rising faster than rents and buyers need to act fast to take advantage of today’s affordable buying climate. At Highland Homes, we build Tampa, Orlando, Lakeland and Winter Haven homes priced from the low-$100,000s in more than 25 communities. To make purchasing your dream home even more affordable, qualified buyers can purchase their home for only $99 down.

For more information on our beautiful new home communities, visit the Highland Homes website.