The Heartland Healthy Home: Sure to be a hit with homebuyers

There is one thing economists can seem to agree on: Low interest rates translate into greater buying power for the consumer. And because rates today have burrowed down to historic lows, said Kevin Oakley, director of marketing for Heartland Homes, you will get you more for your money when you buy or build a new home. A 30-year, 5 or 5 ½ percent fixed mortgage, after all, gives the typical buyer a little breathing room.

If the buyer happens to buy or build that home in the Pittsburgh region, it will very likely remain a stalwart value, which is something that often can’t be said of other markets. As recently as October of 2008, housing values in the Pittsburgh region were up 2.2 percent for a one-year period, compared to a 4.4 percent decline nationally.

Pittsburgh has, in fact, shown remarkably good economic health when measured against other metropolitan areas. Last October, for example, the region could boast that it had 7,600 more jobs than a year earlier, while most other metropolitan areas were chalking up negative employment numbers. And it was only two years ago—in 2007—that Places Rated Almanac named Pittsburgh America’s No. 1 “Most Livable City”.

Like the city where it first began building homes in 1984, Heartland Homes has shown that it has what it takes to succeed. The custom homebuilder has more than 30 communities to its credit in the three-county area. Despite the much-publicized recent challenges in the housing market, the design-builder of communities and homes has enjoyed a string of successful back-to-back years. Heartland Homes’ market share in southwest Pennsylvania increased by 14 percent from 2007 to 2008, when it had a record-breaking year, selling 500 homes. In the first quarter of 2009, said Oakley, market share increased to more than 22 percent. These quarterly figures put the company on pace to build another 500 homes in 2009.

Heartland Homes, however, has not made such headway by resting on its past success. Although it enjoys an excellent reputation as a custom builder, the company continues to do its marketing homework. “It’s important to take the pulse of the market,” said Oakley. “We need to know what people are talking about and what they want in the way of a new home.” Among recent findings: The day of the “bigger is better McMansion” is largely a thing of the past. “Buyers aren’t looking for a seven-bedroom show home. They want a home that is great to live in, and fits their family,” explained Oakley.

The most recent market study, conducted for Heartland Homes by a third party, surveyed some 450 individuals in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area. The focus of the survey was to learn what benefits people most wanted in a “green” home. While resale value, eco-friendliness, and environmental issues were considerations, savings on monthly utility bills was far and away the most important benefit. What evolved as the result of the survey was Heartland Homes’ introduction of the Heartland Healthy Home.

The newly introduced “green” home combines the findings of the survey into an enhanced set of standard features for every Heartland Healthy Home built. The sum total of the features lowers utility bills, improves indoor air quality, and uses earth-friendly materials in construction of the home. Among the standard features found in a Heartland Healthy Home is a Lennox Air Cleaner, which provides whole-home air filtration at the same level as a typical hospital laboratory. Yet another standard feature is a protective covering of DuPont’s Tyvek, which allows a home to breathe while keeping wind and water out of wall cavities. Still other standard features include a Tuff-N-Dri waterproofing membrane applied to the exterior of the foundation, a Lennox high-efficiency furnace and Whirlpool ENERGY STAR appliances. In addition to the many other “green” benefits of these standard features, the Heartland Healthy Home, according to Oakley, can save a homeowner up $2,500 annually in utility costs, or $208.33 per month.

A premier custom builder, Heartland Homes offers more than 40 different designs. More than that, the company prides itself on customizing a home to suit the buyer. “We’ll do whatever is wanted, whether it involves starting from scratch with a blank sheet of paper or simply moving a wall on an existing design,” said Oakley.

To make it easier for buyers to explore the long list of options available, the builder recently opened two convenient Design Studios. The studios are located in the lower levels of model homes, one at Chadwick Estates, in Peters Township, and the other at Sonoma Ridge, in Moon Township. “It makes for easy one-stop shopping,” explained Oakley. A concierge guides clients through the studios, where options for lighting, windows, storm doors, cabinets, plasma TVs and all else are on display. A third Design Studio, in the planning stages, will be opened later this year.

Having established a long and notable track record in southwest Pennsylvania, Heartland Homes recently made its initial foray outside the Keystone state into Morgantown, W. Va. “The move into Morgantown says a lot about the stability and strength of our company,” said Oakley, “especially at a time when many builders are putting plans on hold.”

If anything, The Summit at Cheat Lake community is an ambitious undertaking. The development, comprised of 47 estate and single-family villa home sites, includes new-home and lot packages ranging from the mid-$260s to, in some instances, $1 million and more. Features include a limited number of lakefront lots, docking facilities, oversized home sites, sidewalks, bike trails and a soon-to-be-built clubhouse and pool.

The Summit at Cheat Lake brings the know-how of Pittsburgh’s highly regarded Heartland Homes to a brand-new market. No doubt the builder-designer’s way of doing things—and its newly introduced Healthy Home—will bring success in this new endeavor.