It is that time of year- time for the Parade of Homes! This year Landmark Fine Homes has 8 Homes featured in the Parade.

Now is the perfect time to buy a new home. Overall, living in the right home can help your family feel comfortable, safe, and happy while providing opportunities for personal growth and connections with the community. It can be a place where your family can thrive and create lasting memories together.

Please stop by one of our Parade Homes this weekend, find the perfect completed home, or talk to us about custom home building. While you are there, be sure and ask about our Parade of Homes Incentives!

You have picked everything out so the fun can now begin! Meet our Construction Team.  It is time to turn over the floor plans and selections to this group.  Their job is to take all those ideas and selections you made and bring them to life.

Before we break ground on the project, you will have a Pre-Construction Meeting at our office where you will meet your Construction Superintendent.  This is a opportunity for them to be introduced to you as a homeowner as well as your floor plans and selections.  They will be briefed on all the details of the home so they have a clear vision of what you are wanting.  From this point on they will become part of your family!  They will be one of the main sources of contact throughout your build.  Their job is to schedule all the trades, get inspections and make sure everything is followed on the plans.  They are also the eyes of the company to make sure not only all your selections are fulfilled but everything behind the walls are built soundly and energy efficiently.

During the build of your home, Landmark Fine Homes will schedule several meeting on your jobsite.  This gives us the opportunity to educate you on what is behind the walls and get feedback from you on how you want certain areas of your home to look like.

• Ground Breaking - You will meet at your home site and have a quick review of how the home will be placed on the lot.

• Construction Begins!
• Post Frame Meeting - The builder and homeowner meet at the home to verify doors, windows, and wall locations, mark the walls for phone and cable and review the electrical plans.
• Pre Drywall Meeting - The builder and homeowner verify everything is installed in the walls and we are ready to begin sheetrock. This is also the time where you will meet with the Custom Cabinet Makers.  They will talk with you about what all you would like to see in your cabinets.  You will receive a computer generated 3D drawing of those details before the cabinets are made.
• Finishes Meeting - The builder and homeowner meet prior to trim, paint and flooring to review the selections you have made and make any adjustments. You will also design your closet layouts at this time.
• Flat Work Meeting - The builder and homeowner meet prior to flat work to review. What is flat work?  That is your concrete sidewalks and patios!

You are getting close to moving into your new home.  Only a few more steps and it will be complete.  Check back in next week to see what's next!

You have picked your community, floor plan and signed your contract, so now what?

Next up is picking out all the finishes you would like in your home as well as going over the floor plans to make sure all the details are there.  We love greeting new home owners when they walk into our design studio for the first time.  Honestly, we see a mix of emotions. Some can not wait to get started on this part.  They have been on Pinterest, Houzz or other websites collecting pictures and information of what all they want in their new home.  The other set of people walk in looking like a deer in head lights!!  The thought of having to pick everything out and making sure it all matches is overwhelming for some.  In comes our wonderful team to save the day!!

Landmark Fine Homes believes that we build your home not ours.  With that being said, we want to make sure we have all the details in place that you want in your home.  There are several meetings scheduled throughout the process of building your home.  In the beginning you will come in for a Plan Review Meeting.  This is where you will meet with our Estimating Department to make sure we have everything on your plans that you envisioned down to where the light switches are.  Then we transition you into meeting with our Design Team.  This is where you get to take all those ideas of finishes out of your head and bring them to life!  The team does a great job at taking those ideas and matching them to products. During your home building process you will have one designer that is committed to making your home something that you will be proud to show off. Landmark Fine Homes also works hard at not making the process overwhelming.  You will have several meetings with our design team where you can focus on certain areas of the home and not feel like you have to make decisions on every facet of the home in one visit.

Now, doesn't that sound easy and fun?  It really is!  Check out what this family had to say about the process!

Understanding Your New Hom

Landmark Fine Homes New Home Consultant Team

Once you have made the decision that choosing a Certified Professional Builder is crucial, the next area to look at is, "What am I getting for the price?".  This can lead to HORROR STORIES!   Budgets spinning out of control and promises that were made verbally and never kept is a typical comment we hear from people regarding their previous experiences or those of family and friends.  How horrible to start such a personal endeavor with those thoughts! But the reality is, you can do a great deal to avoid bad experiences simply through the way your choose your builder.  Like the foundation of your home it is crucial to have a good foundation of expectations with your builder.

• Define Your Needs: What size, type and price range of home do you want? Landmark Fine Homes New Home Consultants work hard to find out what your needs are and come up with a plan and design features to fit those needs in your budget. We have communities throughout the OKC Metro area including Cascata Falls, The Reserve at Valencia, The Springs at Valencia, The Springs at Skyline Trails, The Preserve at Parkside, Carrington Lakes, The Springs at Greenleaf Trails, Little River Trails and Montoro Ridge.  The great option you have with Landmark Fine Homes is we can also build on your own lot!  Let us know if you have a lot somewhere and we will do a FREE lot inspection.
• Detailed Bid:  It is important to know exactly what is going inside your home when you sign a contract.

Landmark Fine Homes is a Custom Home Builder so we do not have a base price for each home. We want to give every potential homeowner the opportunity to make changes to our floor plans as well as pick out what amenities they would like in their home.  After building homes for over 18years we have found that what everyone thinks of as standard or base is different.

We have developed a wonderful process that is FREE of charge to the potential homeowner.  The first step to the bid process is finding out what floor plan you like as well as what lot you want to be on.   We will then go over the floor plan to see if there are any changes you would like to make such as:

• Are the room sizes good?
• Do you need to add or take out square footage anywhere?
• Do we need to change the layout of the home?
• Do you like the elevation?

There is a lot of flexibility you have in designing YOUR home!

The next step is to find out what amenities you would like in the home.

• Do you want carpet/tile?
• Granite or Quartz countertops?
• Types of doors?

Again- there is a lot of flexibility in the choices you can make.

Once that is complete, you will receive a VERY DETAILED bid on your home that will include the options you have chosen.   When you sign a contract with Landmark Fine Homes you can be confident that unless YOU make changes during the build process you will not pay anything additional for your home, you will not have to worry about “upgrades” or wonder how much the home will cost you when you are ready to close.

• Experience: Do you want this to be the first house your builder has ever done?  What about the 10th?  Landmark Fine Homes has been building homes for 18 years.  We have the experience in building homes of all sizes and can meet your needs.
• Are past buyers satisfied? : Repeat business is a big deal in the home building industry.  Landmark Fine Homes has several customers that have not only built one home but have built 2 and 1 customer has even owned 3 Landmark Fine Homes! Check out what one of our customers had to say about there experience.

Coming up next...... The Design Process and Color Sections!

If you are looking to make a change in your housing situation this year, knowledge is power.  We decided to do a series on "Quick Tips" that you need to know before making that decision.  It is important to not only look at the aesthetics of the home, but verify that the builder is trained and qualified to build the home.

Once you have decided the style of the home you are wanting (Farmhouse, Modern, Rustic, Mountain Lodge, Mid-Century Modern, Transitional, Urban, Tribal Chic, Traditional) you can create a list of potential builders who can meet those needs.

Be sure and contact your local home builder associations to verify that they are a member and in good standing.  It is also very important to make sure they are a Certified Professional Home Builder. In order to become a certified professional builder, the builder must meet the following requirements.

• They must be a member of Oklahoma State Home Builders Association in good standing for at least 2 years.
• The builder must obtain 9 hours of continuing education each year to ensure they are up to date on the industries best practices and new regulations.  3 of the 9 hours must be on insurance, safety or ethics.
• All builders in the program must comply with Oklahoma statutes concerning residential contractors.
• A Certified Professional Builder must meet the credit check requirements set by their local association.
• To be eligible for the program, all builders must carry a minimum premium insurance policy of workers compensation and a minimum $1 million in general liability.
• Certified Professional Builders must be a member of their local associations for at least 2 years.
• A warranty must be provided to every homeowner for no less than one year.
• Each member must adhere to the Oklahoma State Code of Ethics.  If you want to learn more about that you can find it here.
• Certified Professional Builders must build in compliance with the minimum construction standards.

Don't risk the biggest investment of your life with a builder that doesn't meet the Certified Professional Builder standard.

Fall is here and winter is right around the corner! Temperatures will begin to drop so now is a great time to take care of a few items.

• Be sure to disconnect all your outside hoses. If you forget, the outside water faucet can freeze and burst your pipes inside the walls. Drain your hoses and store them away for next season.
• If you have trees on your property now is the time to trim any dead parts out of them. Trees begin to go dormant this time of year and are less likely to get any disease.
• Be sure and clean out your gutters and downspouts. Clogged gutters during rainstorms can cause water to pool.
• Stock up on winter supplies. Make sure you have snow shovels, ice melt, and emergency kits.
  Check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Now is a great time to replace those batteries.
• The first time you turn on your heater you may experience a burning smell. This is due to some dust build up over the summer that is burning off and it is completely normal. This could set your smoke detectors off. Opening a door or window will usually help.
  

Landmark Fine Homes recommends getting your heat and air serviced at the change of seasons. Contact A-1 Heat and Air today to schedule an appointment.

405-360-5545

This beautiful home is located in Montoro Ridge, one of Landmark Fine Homes newest communities.  If you are looking for country living with easy access to everything in Norman, this is the community for you!  It offers 1/2 acres lots with City Utilities and Great Views.  On a clear day you can see to the Devan Tower!

The Fall Parade of Homes will give you many options but none will have these features.  The rustic cedar beams will greet you on the front porch.  There is plenty of room to sit on the couch and enjoy a morning cup of coffee.  Once you enter you will notice the formal dining and study that flank both sides of the door.  The large living is anchored with a rock fireplace that extended to the cathedral ceiling.  Windows line the back of the home that give you great views of the outdoor living space that includes a fireplace and TV hookup.  Privacy is easy since this home backs up to the Green Space.  The kitchen is open to the Great room and offers 2 islands with lots of storage.  The Master Retreat not only is secluded but it also has great access to the laundry room.  Upstairs has both a media room as well as a flex space and 1/2 bath. 2 Secondary Bedrooms with a separate baths and a flex living space that is perfect for a "Kids Living Area".  This space comes with a closet so if you are needing a true 4 bedroom home it is a easy adjustment.  The 3 Car Garage is separated by a double and 1 single.  The Double Car Garage also comes with a peg board and cabinets to hold all those tools.

Montoro Ridge is serviced by Norman Public Schools- Norman North High School.  There are several private schools that are only minutes away as well.

Stop by the home this weekend any day from 1:00-7:00.  After the Parade of Homes is over the home will be open Thursday- Monday from 1:00-6:00, that is IF it is still available!

Michele and I recently built a house with Landmark Fine Homes, and we are really happy with what we consider our dream home.  When we thought about leaving our home of 23 years, we researched, toured and talked to many home owners about their builders and the process of building a new home.  We even toured older homes in other developments because we wanted to make sure that we would still be happy in 10-20 years after the "new house feeling" wears off.  We felt comfortable that the houses and developments of Landmark Fine Homes seem to have stood the test of time.  Our decision was easy, we decide on Landmark Fine Homes as our construction company.

After the initial meeting about floor plan availability, lot selection, and cost, the process began.  We were given the basic plans and many options to adjust the plans as to fit to our specific needs and desires.  We were surprised at the flexibility of the floor plans and the simple alteration that could be made.  As we went through the design stage, Donna, Brett and Jason walked us through the design and expectations during the building process.  Once everything was designed, we returned in a couple weeks to approve final design plans.  This process was made easy by the years experience that Landmark Fine Homes brought to the table.  This plan also provided us with the tentative dates and let us set our expectation for closing and moving.

As the actual construction took place, Landmark, specifically Brett and Donna, kept us informed of the progress and answered any questions that we had.  We met Brett at the house during each phase of the project.  We discussed electrical outlets, lighting, insulation, brick, heat/AC, cabinets: he was patient with us and answered all of our questions, even when I would think of something during the night and call him early in the morning.  He never seemed to busy or bothered to talk to me or Michele.

While I saw houses all around us being built, it seemed like we were receiving individual attention.  During the selection process, Michele never felt pressured to make decisions, and the process was made enjoyable by the Landmark Design Team.  Michele would receive calls from Donna or Kaitlin asking about personal preferences in cabinetry or paint color and explaining options along the way.  They even recommended that we go to some of Landmark Fine Homes other show homes, so we could see how a certain paint or tile would look before we actually chose anything.  They were patient and always available to talk to us or explain any questions we had.

With many construction companies, we would imagine that once you have moved in that you are on your own.  This is not the case with Landmark.  They have continually followed up with us, checking our sprinkler system, AC and just checking to make sure we are happy.  This type of service is rare in our world today.  Finally, I want to say "Thank You" for making us feel like we were special and building us a home we always wanted.

Sincerely,

Todd and Michele

It is that time of the year.  The Central Oklahoma Parade of Homes will run this Spring for two consecutive weekends- May 13-15 and May 10-22.  The Parade will be open from 1:00-7:00.  We are excited to have 7 homes in this years parade.  We will feature a new home everyday for the next week.

3408 Mount Mitchell- The Springs at Greenleaf Trails- Norman, OK

Lots of details in this home!  Brick arch, Beautiful kitchen that opens to living area.

One of the best things about this community is that it is gated with a community clubhouse, workout room, yards maintained, stocked pond and catch and release fishing.  This is a neighborhood that thrives in community gatherings.

If you want to see the rest of the house you will want to stop by and see it in person.  Our model homes are open Thursday- Monday from 1:00-6:00.  We will be open during the Parade weekends until 7:00.