Isandeep,

I also purchased a home in Portello and went with the one-story. I preferred a 2-story, BUT my husband was adamant about having a one-story. His concerns were mostly once kids come into the picture and how stairs would make it more difficult to care for the infant (ie, making bottles in the middle of the night, assuring toddler doesn't fall from stairs, etc..). Blandford is offering a lot of square footage for a good price, and whatever you decide, you will get a GREAT price. We bought the first day they opened and thus far they have already sold 47 lots. As for deciding over one or two stories, this is some info you might want to consider. On our block, of the 7 homes purchased, ALL are one story. We were able to get a premium lot, so we still have a nice sized backyard, but if you want a pool sized yard and aren't able to get a bigger lot, I would go with a 2 story so that you can fit a decent sized pool. If the yard is not a selling point for you and you prefer to have a smaller, low maintenance yard, go with the one story.

Hope this helps!

"Jay - In your experience with your clients, do a lot of buyers tend to go for larger lot sizes and are they prepared to pay more for a larger lot assuming the same house on both lots."

Larger lot sizes are almost (almost, not always) more desirable. We've had several new home buyers more than willing to pay for "premium" lots in a new subdivision -- "premium" typically means larger, but can also mean things like a corner lot, a better view, location within the development, etc.

But, I don't think that premium is typically recovered in a resale, at least not dollar for dollar. An appraiser will do an adjustment for a larger lot, so it does add value to the home, but not usually the amount that was originally spent. It's really like any other "improvement". For example, someone may pay $20,000 for a kitchen remodel, but that doesn't mean the home is instantly worth $20K more.

What a larger lot (in comparison to other lots in the subdivision) will almost certainly do is separate your home from the others, and make it much more appealing to the general buyer population.

But can I tell you that if you pay $30,000 for a premium lot that you'll get $30,000 more when you sell your home? Nope. Maybe $5K, maybe $10K, *maybe* even $20K (it's VERY dependent on a multitude of other factors). But it's unlikely you'd recover the full premium price.

Make sense?

I can tell you I have a 2 story and wish I had not bought it. The upstairs is always warmer than the downstairs by a few degrees and in the summer that makes a big difference., Plus the stairs are a pain to keep clean. Also with kids it would have been more convenient just to do a 1 story but we did get a big house with a good size yard for the $$.

Isandeep~

I wrote a contract with a buyer today at Portello. I was amazed at how many homes have already been sold and how busy the sales office was. While we were trying to get the contract written, the sales agent had to constantly go out to help the constant flow of buyer traffic. The models are not yet completed but it's not stopping buyers from taking advantage of some very good pricing.

The yards in Portello are TINY but prices are very attractive for the Chandler location. The builder is offering some incentives but these will likely change due to the number of homes that have already been sold,

I was told that the base price of the homes will soon be increased so that the builder can keep up with the number of homes that have been "ordered". The anticipated build time was said to be about 5 months currently.

It's always best to be represented. Remember the Agent at the model home center represents the builder...not you.

Thanks for your comments/observations Patty.

Thanks for your responses Jay and Troy.
Out of the 87 lots, Blandford has supposedly sold over 30 lots.

Are you guys seeing an overall increase in buyer interest across the board i.e resale and new homes? Or is it more concentrated in areas like So. Chandler/Ocotillo & Ahwatukee and folks mostly trying to pick up REO properties?

Jay - In your experience with your clients, do a lot of buyers tend to go for larger lot sizes and are they prepared to pay more for a larger lot assuming the same house on both lots.

Isandeep,

A few other items to add to what's already been said below ...

1) Consider how much "yard" space you want to have. The lot sizes in the Portello community are pretty small so if you get a 1 story, you'll have very little yard area. If you got the same size home in a 2-story home on an equivalent lot size, then you'll have more yard area. If you're considering a place for a pet, spa/pool, area for outdoor living etc.. this could be very important as well.

2) Heat rises ... so in a 2 story home, the 2nd level will be warmer than the 1st level. Many builders help account for this by having dual air conditioning units (one downstairs and one upstairs) to help control the temperature more evenly. But typically bedrooms are upstairs and you may have more energy costs trying to keep bedrooms cool enough for sleeping.

3) Stairs sometimes mean that the laundry room is on a different level than where the majority of laundry is generated (e.g. if you're bedrooms are upstairs and laundry is down... there will be a lot of running up and down stairs to do laundry).

4) Stairs can also be difficult if someone gets a leg injury or medical issue with walking.

5) There is more roof area on a 1 story - so when it comes time to replace the roof (many years away), the costs can be higher.

6) If you decorate for Christmas ... hanging lights on a 2 story is more difficult than a 1 story.

7) Sometimes stairs create a create storage space under the stairs which may be beneficial to you.

8) Stairs are harder to maintain ... they tend to be dirty with foot traffic going up and down and they are harder to vacuum than a flat area. If you get stairs, you may want to consider whether you want carpet (which can need more shampooing and maintainence) or a material like wood which may be easier to keep clean. You can lessen this by taking off shoes in the house, etc... but requires discipline within the family.

I personally think the location is great - my office is just down the road from there. Lots of great shopping close-by and Hamilton High School district is in-demand by many clients. Many clients are only looking for homes if they are in the Hamilton High School District. The pricing on those homes is very good for new builds ... hopefully you've also checked out resales in the area for comparison so you get the best place for your family. Also, make sure you visit a "basic" home - many times the models are decorated and upgraded so nicely that folks get a little disappointed when they see what the "base model" includes. Finally, location is important within the development.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact me - you can find my info by clicking on my name in blue and selecting the "contact me" button.

Hope this has been helpful!

Isandeep -

A great question. *Typically* one story homes are more desirable, but as Troy & Mia said below, it really is a matter of personal choice. I can say that I've had several home buyer clients that ONLY wanted a one-story. I don't recall ever having a client that only wanted to look at two-story homes.

So it might be a little easier to re-sell a one-story vs. a two-story.

"Might" and "typically" being key words here. It's really tough to know.

Personally, I encourage my clients to buy what THEY like, and not get too focused on resale. After all, it's your home, you have to live in it. A nice home, in good condition and priced right will sell, whether it is one or two stories.

And I also concur with Troy & Mia - Get your own agent. The agent in the builder's model home work for and represent the builder, not you. Even with a new home, having YOUR own representation is important.

A lot of builders are struggling right now. Do your due diligence (and your agent can help here). While there are no guarantees, you should definitely investigate any builder/community you are considering buying in. A half built-out subdivision will impact potential resale FAR more than how many levels the home has.

And good luck! Buying a new home is exciting!

Isandeep,

The decision to purchase a two story or single story home is really a matter of preference. There are good and bad with both, and you need to decide what is important to you. As far as being more desirable, the two story home may not be as desirable to people who may have difficulty walking stairs.

There is some recent news regarding the Portello at Dobson Crossing, and you might want to take a look at this article http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/2009/05… and others like it. Even if you are interested in a new build, it would be beneficial for you to have representation, and it doesn't cost you anything.