Heartland Homes has something for every market and price range in the South Hills

Kathy Cooper can give you a number of reasons why there is no better time than now to buy or build a new home. But, if pressed to choose only one of those reasons, she would point to interest rates, which are hovering around 5 percent. It’s been a long time, she said, since they’ve dropped to such lows.

As regional sales director for Heartland Homes, Cooper has responsibility for sales in southern Allegheny and Washington counties. Lately she has seen signs that savvy buyers are taking advantage of low interest rates to buy or build new homes within Heartland’s various communities. A case in point is Weavertown Village, in North Strabane Township, featuring carriage homes and luxury townhomes. Only minutes from Route 19 and I-79, which puts them near shopping and restaurants, residents here also enjoy a community clubhouse and pool.

Recently, said Cooper, the Roosevelt, a townhome, has generated a lot of buyer interest at Weavertown Village. Offered exclusively at Weavertown Village, the Roosevelt has three bedrooms, a one- or two-car garage, ranges from 1,288 to 1,366 square feet, and starts in the $140s.

“I’ve especially noticed younger buyers showing an interest in these townhomes,” said Cooper. They are all the more attractive because the down payment may be as little as $9,500, and the closing costs are very reasonable. Washington County’s low taxes are also appealing. In all, two buildings comprised of seven Roosevelt townhomes have sold out within the last few months.

At Weavertown Village and elsewhere Heartland Homes has kept its everyday incentives in place, but the design-builder has not made any drastic changes in pricing. It’s Cooper’s contention that this steady-as-she-goes approach to the new-home market has kept values intact. “As a buyer,” explained Cooper, “you can comfortably purchase a home in a Heartland Homes’ neighborhood knowing that the price is going to go up, not down. Your house will be worth more tomorrow than it is today.”

Family-owned Heartland Homes has designed and built custom homes and communities throughout the Pittsburgh area for more than two decades. A builder of townhomes, carriage homes, and single-family homes, Heartland Homes has something for every market and every price range.

The company offers more than 40 new-home designs, with varied design options and room configurations. But each design can be customized to suit the individual new-home buyer. “From day one we’ve allowed customers to customize their homes,” said Cooper. Heartland Homes continues to provide buyers with the opportunity to have a home built exactly the way they want it. As the builder likes to say, “If you can imagine it, we can build it.”

Although requirements for financing a new home have tightened somewhat, Cooper has not seen any significant impact on qualified buyers. In cases where qualified buyers have credit issues that need clarification, Heartland Homes allows for a 60-day period in which to get those issues resolved.

Heartland Homes’ buyers are free to place the financing of their new homes where they choose, but the builder has available the services of Princeton Financial LLC, its preferred lender. The mortgage banker can assist the buyer in arranging financing, which may include eliminating the need for a construction loan and the ensuing costs and fees for such a loan.

For Heartland Homes, sticking to its business-as-usual practices has proved to be a winning strategy. When the builder recently held a wine and cheese party for area realtors at Chadwick Estates in Peters Township, some 25 brokers showed up to have a first-hand look at the new community. Situated on minimum one-half acre home sites, the featured homes include full brick fronts and concrete driveways, as well as beautiful views. A fully decorated Pinehurst model is on site. The Pinehurst, offering from four to six bedrooms and 3,100-3,200 square feet of living space, comes with a two- or three-car garage. This month, Cooper plans to have a wine tasting for the community. Prices in Chadwick Estates start in the $360s.

But festivities don’t begin and end at Chadwick Estates. Recently Heartland Homes celebrated the grand opening of the clubhouse at Cameron Estates, in South Strabane Township. The clubhouse comprises a large party room, a full kitchen, and fireplace. Behind the clubhouse is a pool. With more than 45 acres of protected open space, Cameron Estates features single-family and carriage homes. The carriage home lots, said Cooper, “are the most spectacular I’ve seen in a long time.” Single-family home prices start in the $215 range. All of this is conveniently located near Route 19 and I-79.

Yet another Heartland Homes’ community of special note is Willowbrook, in South Fayette Township, with wooded single-family home sites and scenic views. A new phase opened recently, encompassing a quiet cul-de-sac enclosed by a wooded area. Willowbrook’s location near I-79, Route 19 and Route 50 provides outstanding convenience. While a number of designs are available, a new Craftsman model — the Augusta — was recently introduced. Available as a three- or four-bedroom, with from 1,944 to 2,042 square feet, the Augusta starts in the $250s.

Cooper remains optimistic about the Pittsburgh new-home market, and with reason. “We’re doing pretty well here,” she said, “especially when you compare Pittsburgh with what’s gone on in the national housing market.”

She also commends Heartland Homes for its commitment to excellence and its ability to adapt to changing situations, whether dealing with the housing market or building a new home. “Thanks to the people and the culture of our company,” she said, “we can change direction. We can take ideas from any number of people, and we can make decisions quickly.”

Which goes a long way in explaining how Heartland Homes manages to build new homes just the way people imagine them.