At Cedar Creek, we’re proud of all of the clients we serve and provide with beautiful new homes. Perhaps the group we’re most proud of serving, though, with no disrespect to anyone else, is our country’s veterans and active service members, people who protect our country and safety on a daily basis.

Because of this, veterans and their families are often eligible for home loans through the Department of Veterans Affairs. These loans come with very lenient credit and down payment requirements, but with guarantees from the VA that make them perfect for builders and sellers. Here are some tips we can offer our veteran buyers in terms of acquiring a VA loan, then using it to get a great home.

Start Early

Well before you begin looking for a home, look into various parts of the VA loan. Consider pre-qualification and pre-approval in the same way you would for a conventional loan. The further in advance you do this, the fewer issues you have when it comes time for more involved details.

Eligibility

One big part of the early process here is determining your eligibility for VA loans. Requirements are very lenient, as we noted – you just need to meet at least one of the following conditions to qualify:

• You served on active duty during wartime for at least 90 straight days
• You served during peacetime for at least 181 consecutive days
• You served at least six years in the National Guard or reserves
• You are a surviving spouse of a service member who died in the line of duty, or as a result of a service-related disability

Part of your early preparation will include obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility, which shows your lender you have qualified. You can obtain this online, via mail, or even directly through a lender.

Other Documentation

Along with your Certificate of Eligibility, you’ll also need to provide basic documentation of your finances. This may include your credit, your income basics, and others. Standards here are very generous, again.

Finding a Home

From here, it’s time to find a great home. Your loan qualifications will be in place, meaning you’ll know your price range and the limits on your budget. At this point, you can work with us to get the home of your dreams.

For more on how to acquire VA financing as a veteran, or to browse any of our new homes for sale, speak to the staff at Cedar Creek today.

As anyone who has recently searched for new homes for sale can tell you, the housing market in 2018 is a very competitive one. The spring period in particular is being billed as the most competitive season for buyers since the mortgage crisis in 2008, and this can have some major effects on your options as a buyer.

At Cedar Creek, we’re here to present an alternative option: Move into a new construction home like the beautiful homes we have available in our community. Our builders have years of experience, allowing you to customize numerous areas of the home – and perhaps more importantly, allowing you to avoid some of the hassles of this ridiculous housing market. Here are some specific benefits a new construction home brings in this area.

No Inventory Issues

Perhaps the single largest factor in the “tight” housing market we’re currently experiencing is a lack of inventory compared to demand. There simply aren’t as many existing homes on the market as there are individuals and families looking to buy these kinds of homes, and basic laws of supply and demand dictate that this will tighten the market and raise prices for buyers.

With a new construction home through a builder, however, you don’t worry about inventory levels. Your only limitation is available land, which is generally far easier to find than available homes.

Long Term Savings

In many cases, older existing homes will come with several major maintenance or upgrade requirements. You can do your best to narrow down the costs here, but this isn’t always possible in a detailed manner – you’ll often end up with much larger future expenses than you had considered. Again, though, a new construction home is free of these kinds of issues and also covered by a warranty.

More Control

With low selection on the market, you as a buyer have fewer options when it comes to features, amenities and your desired comfort areas. Many buyers are forced to take a sub-optimal deal just because it’s the best one available. With a new home, though, you have control over many of these decisions, with input on several of these vital areas to help you and your family get exactly what you want in the home.

For more on how a newly built home can help you avoid the crunch of a tight housing market, or to learn about any of our new homes for sale, contact the pros at Cedar Creek today.

If you’re considering a new home, there are numerous factors that might be part of your considerations. Items like location, price, amenities, nearby locations and many others will all play a role in the new homes you look into.

One that sometimes flies under the radar? Traffic. Crowding is becoming a larger and larger issue in many major metropolitan areas and even many suburbs, and heavy traffic can be a significant factor for some home buyers. With a master-planned community like Cedar Creek, however, you avoid major traffic and gridlock issues – how does this happen? Let’s take a look.

Gridlock on the Rise

There are over 250 million cars and trucks on the road in the United States alone, and by the year 2050, this number is expected to reach over 2.5 billion. The average American spends over 40 hours sitting in traffic or gridlock, and over $10 billion in fuel is lost per year just in this country from congestion. It’s abundantly clear that in many parts of the country, traffic and gridlock are major issues that cause losses of time, resources and money.

How Master-Planned Communities Help

Unlike urban cities that were often built centuries ago, master-planned communities have many more ways to limit traffic congestion. Established cities have streets and roads that have come into existence based on necessity over the years, but there’s no guarantee that this was done in a well-planned or organized manner – most big cities, in fact, are specifically unorganized.

A new home community, on the other hand, have carefully planned roadways and transportation. All transportation needs are considered in advance, and experts are included in the formation of a traffic system that allows for far more convenience and virtually no issues of gridlock.

For more on how a community like ours helps eliminate gridlock, or to learn about any of our new homes for sale, speak to the pros at Cedar Creek today.

At Cedar Creek, we’re proud to provide Kansas City with its largest master-planned community. Over 1,200 families have found a new home in Cedar Creek, and many more will do so in the coming year.

Within a master-planned community – defined as a mix of residential homes and business parks – homeowners and families see a number of specific benefits that they may not find in other areas. What are some of these benefits? Let’s take a look.

Variety

A big part of the emphasis that goes into a master-planned community is variety. This isn’t a rote, standardized community where every house is built in the same way and an overhead view makes it looks like a Sims game.

No, a master-planned community will often feature a dozen or more different homebuilders, all with distinct styles. There will be a wide variety of homes and prices available, with a specific eye on making sure different styles and desires are met.

Amenities

Master-planned communities will come with well-kept amenities that you often have to pay more for in other arrangements. These might include pools, athletic courts, fitness centers, club houses, or even the beautiful golf course that’s located in Cedar Creek.

Community

For families and people looking for a great sense of community, a master-planned neighborhood is a great option. These communities come with well-lit streets, wide sidewalks, community gathering areas and more. Homes generally have nice front porches and other inviting elements.

Accessibility

Roadways and other forms of transportation are planned in advance for a given master-planned community. This ensures good traffic flow and a general lack of congestion, plus safety for children who play near roads.

Natural Surroundings

A 2008 study found that the single most desired amenity in a community was nature trails, and these are a big part of a master-planned community. Areas like parks, sports fields, walking/hiking paths and many others are part of the planning that goes into a community.

For more on why a master-planned community might be right for you, or to find out about any of our new homes for sale, speak to the pros at Cedar Creek today.