REAL ESTATE: Meritage opens walls for shoppers

Meritage Homes has come up with an innovative way to show off the energy efficiency features built into its homes.

At its Woodlands at Sycamore Creek development south of Corona, the home builder left unfinished most of the upstairs of one of its models and then covered the open walls and ceiling with Plexiglas. That way, prospective buyers can take a peek behind the drywall.

Among the features left within view and highlighted with descriptive captions are foam insulation in the walls and attic, the air filtration system and water piping that has been specially engineered to retain heat.

An item by the Building Industry Association of California said a salesman at Sycamore Creek finds that some buyers are far more interested in how the homes look than in inspecting the homes innards, but he added that for many others the display is a compelling selling point.

D. R. Horton buys lots to build homes in Fontana

Finished lots for 74 single-family homes in Fontana were purchased by D. R. Horton, who plans to start building the homes soon enough to deliver them to buyers later this year, according to the brokers on the deal. The price was undisclosed.

The lots were the only ones available for purchase in Fontana that were ready for home construction, said Winn Galloway, a broker with Land Advisors Organization, which represented both the seller and buyer. The seller was Young Homes of Rancho Cucamonga who had owned the land for about a decade and developed the lots, Galloway said.

“It is a rare thing to have finished lots sold by a professional builder rather than by a bank in a distressed deal” in the current economy, said Galloway. There were several offers for the 20-acre subdivision that is called Walnut III and located at the northeast corner of Cypress and Walnut Avenues, he said.

Standard Pacific opens new move-up community in Menifee

Standard Pacific last weekend launched sales at its new community in Menifee called Southport at Heritage Lake. The company, which specializes in move-up housing, said the development consists of all new home designs offering flexible living spaces and the option of a covered patio area that extends the livable square footage of a home.

Ranging from 2,320 to 3,122 square feet, the single-family homes have up to six bedrooms and four bathrooms and are priced starting in the mid $200,000s. Each home has a large great room that blends the family room kitchen and dining area.

The Heritage Lake master-planned community of which Southport is part provides homeowners with access to a 25-acre lake for fishing and paddle boating. There is also a club house offering a splash park, tot lot and waterfront pool.

The sales center is at 29548 Dry Creek Drive.

Source: http://www.pe.com/business/business-columns/residential-real-estate-headlines/20120321-real-estate-meritage-opens-walls-for-shoppers.ece