Parade of Homes Fall Classic 2020
If you’re in the market for a new home or simply want to see this year’s hottest home designs, you get the chance to do both at the upcoming Parade of Homes Fall Classic 2020. Parade-goers can tour nearly 115 homes — including nine built by Landmark Fine Homes — when the nine-day event kicks off Sept. 19.
Hosted by the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association, the annual open house event (now in its 75th year) allows attendees to create personalized self-guided tours of homes in developing neighborhoods across central Oklahoma. Even those who aren’t house hunting get a kick out of the event, said Elisa McAlister, COHBA’s senior director of operations and events.
“Of course we have people who are out to buy a house, who are in the midst of the homebuying process or just starting it,” McAlister said. “Then you have home remodelers who may be revamping their own house and want to see new, up-to-date designs, whether it’s popular trends in paint colors or tile or outdoor living ideas. Then we have lots of people wanting to go out and look at the homes because that’s something they enjoy doing.”
How to Participate in the Parade of Homes Fall Classic 2020
First time attending? No problem. COHBA has made it easy to plan your parade route. Every OnCue gas station in the OKC metro area will carry free parade guidebooks starting in mid-September. Those guidebooks will walk you through all open house locations you can visit during the event, which runs 1-7 p.m. each day from Sept. 19 to 27. Click here to find an OnCue location near you.
In addition to perusing the guidebook, parade-goers can create their own login on the Parade of Homes website to assemble their self-guided parade route. Just navigate to the homepage, click “Login” in the upper righthand corner, then “Not a Member? Register.” Registering will enable you to sift through all the home listings, “favorite” those you’re interested in touring, and order homes in whatever sequence you want for a route that makes sense for you.
Rest assured organizers have kept COVID-19 precautions in mind. Because several homebuilders are involved in the parade, each is responsible for precautions at their own open houses. Safeguards might include wearing a face mask or covering inside each home, applying hand sanitizer upon entering homes, and minimizing the touching of any surfaces inside the homes. See the Parade of Homes’ FAQ page for more information about COVID-19 safety.
When you arrive at a home, you’ll see large real estate signs in front of each house to signify it’s a parade house. Many builders will have the house staffed to answer any questions or show attendees through the homes. Other builders open their homes for self-guided tours.
Benefits of Attending the Parade of Homes 2020
You can reap several benefits by attending the event. For starters, you’re able to tour homes of all price points, starting at around $200,000 and capping at about $900,000, which allows you to see what types of homes fall within your budget.
In addition, you get to discover this year’s top trends, giving you a good idea of what style of home you prefer or what design and decor elements (yes, some homes are staged) you can implement in your new home.
“The farmhouse trend is still pretty solid right now,” McAlister said. “I also think some people are bringing in more transitional styles to mix with the farmhouses. Everything used to be shiplap and all white, but now people are starting to bring in pops of color and mixing materials like wood and metals.”
McAlister added that home offices and recreational rooms are trending this year due to families quarantining at home, and working from home, to avoid exposure to COVID-19. Homebuilders have taken notice of that desire to be safe inside the home and enjoy the areas around the home since, for many, travel is limited.
“Because of that, a lot more people are wanting an area for their home office or for homeschooling or virtual schooling,” she said. “You’ll also see a focus on the outdoor living space because everyone is staying home and enjoying their patios, pergolas, etc. The popularity of swimming pools has just been unreal right now, too.”
Bear in mind, most, but not all, of the homes are for sale. Some might have sold just before the start of the parade, while others might be a model home that will give you an idea of what else the homebuilder can accomplish for you. No matter the status of a home, attendees are encouraged to connect with the homebuilders to learn more about their available options.
Parade-goers will also get the chance to tour the COHBA Project House, featuring donated and discounted products, in Waters Edge at Stone Mill in Yukon. Once sold, proceeds will help continue the work of the association within the new home construction industry and community, plus its advocacy work, for years to come. The association monitors code and regulation changes locally, always with the homebuyer in mind.
“If a city or municipality starts implementing more codes or regulations, those most likely increase the cost to the builder to build the house, which then increases the price the homeowner pays for the house,” McAlister said. “At COHBA, we keep a pulse on what’s going on at the city level to make sure the cost of living remains affordable for our community. ”
In addition to Landmark Fine Homes, the event is sponsored by Stone Mill, Timberland Creek, Metro Appliances & More, Samsung, OG&E, McCaleb Homes, SWM & Sons Custom Homes, and Silver Stone Homes.
Want to get a headstart on your Parade of Homes house hunt? Look through the available homes on our website to get an idea of what you’ll see in person come Sept. 19!
