*Additional Restrictions Apply. See Sales Associate for complete details.

Taylor Morrison/Arizona, Inc., ROC # 179178B. October, 2012, TMHomes

of Arizona, Inc., AZ DRE # CO535669000. All rights reserved.

Help us spread some Holiday Cheer-ity!

Feel good about sprucing up your new home because, now through

the end of the year, Taylor Morrison is donating 5% of every dollar

spent on design options to Phoenix Childrens Hospital.

Explore all the options for your new home at ... DeckYourHallsTM.com

AR-0007866541-03

WHATS INSIDE:

A SPECIAL PUBLICATION CREATED BY REPUBLIC MEDIA CUSTOM PUBLISHING

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 07, 2012

Gorgeous gathering spaces

Great rooms, heart-of-the-home kitchens,

alfresco dining patios oh my!

BY ELISE RILEY

BY DOLORES TROPIANO

Gorgeous

gathering spaces

todays home designs are all

about making connections

with friends and loved ones.

Before you buy,

pre-qualify

Pre-qualifying puts home-

buying within reach and

shows youre a serious buyer.

Homebuilder

Q&A

with edward J. Robson,

president and Ceo of Robson

Communities, Inc.

Shady tricks

shade! In arizona, we all

crave it. learn the best kind

of trees to plant to save on

your energy bills.

Developments

of the Month

Check out new and growing

developments from each

section of the Valley.

New Home

Communities Map

Discover where new homes

are being built, whats

nearby and price ranges.

Homeowners

Associations

to Hoa or not to Hoa, that

is the question. the answer:

its a lifestyle preference.

PAGE 1 PAGE 1 PAGE 2 PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 4 PAGE 5

(continued on page NH5)

S

ay goodbye to those dont sit in

there formal rooms todays

homes are all about easy-flowing

gathering spaces where we can live the

way we want and just maybe, put our

feet on the furniture.

Lets get together

Gathering spaces come in a variety of

shapes and sizes, but most builders

incorporate them in kitchen-great room

combinations that serve as the heart

of a home. Its where you gather in the

morning, spend evenings and weekends,

and celebrate the holidays.

Maracay Homes redesigned all of its

floor plans in the past 18 months and

is introducing a concept they call new

American spaces. Gina Canzonetta, mar-

keting manager for Maracay Homes, said

that their buyers want to be connected

and want more casual living spaces.

Making connections

Canzonetta said that a perfect example

of connected spaces is a kitchen with a

study or den area nearby. Thats why the

great room concept is so important in

home design, she said. The kitchen is

the center of the home, but you want to

be connected with the rest of the family.

Indeed, having a gathering space

encourages families to spend time with

one another its less about retreating

to private quarters and more about stay-

ing with your loved ones.

People dont have the opportunity

to connect like they used to, said Julie

Hancock, managing director of Camelot

Homes. Thats whats great about these

spaces. They encourage you to make

time to spend with one another, whether

its having a meal or enjoying a few

moments together.

Great for entertaining

Gathering spaces are also ideal for enter-

taining. Great rooms keep people where

the food is that immense kitchen

island but give them a comfortable

place to sit and enjoy the festivities.

Thats the lifestyle people have now,

said Terry Lents, sales associate for

Blandford Homes. If you enjoy cooking

or entertaining, you want to be where

the people are. Its kind of fun with a

big screen, you can have a football party

Before you buy,

pre-qualify

Pre-qualifying for a loan

puts home-buying in reach

W

ith new home building beginning

to rebound, its easy for eager

buyers to dash out to the newest or

nearest model homes.

But experts advise anyone seriously

planning to purchase a new home should

begin the process by getting pre-qualified

for a loan.

What is pre-qualifying?

Pre-qualifying is the first step in purchasing

a home, said Mary Frances Coleman, a real

estate attorney and broker in Scottsdale.

You cant do anything before you take this

step, Coleman said, adding that its impor-

tant to understand that it doesnt guarantee

that the loan will be approved by the lender.

Once upon a time, getting pre-qualified

meant a quick call to a bank or lender and

being sent out with a blessing and ample

buying power. But times have changed, and

these days, being pre-qualified means prov-

ing you have the financial stability to take

on a specific-sized loan.

Documentation required

People getting ready to buy a home can

make a dangerous mistake by thinking

theyre pre-qualified after a five-minute

conversation with a mortgage company,

said Keith Teegardin, vice president of sales

for V.I.P. Mortgage Inc. in Scottsdale. But

its not pre-qualifying until you have shared

documentation with a loan officer.

That documentation may include tax

returns, paystubs, W-2 forms, bank state-

ments, down payment information and

more to ensure an individuals credit, assets,

income and job stability meet the require-

ments for the loan. It may also include

information about whether or not the pur-

chase is dependent on the sale of a home.

Clear financial picture

Pre-qualifying provides a buyer with a

clear financial picture of their purchasing

potential and clarity about the impact of

that purchase on their monthly budget.

Obviously the biggest advantage is

that you know exactly what you qualify for

before you go out and look for a house,

said Ron Duranti, vice president and loan

originator for Peoples Mortgage Company

in Chandler. You may think you can

purchase a $300,000 home when in reality

you only qualify for a $150,000 home. Also,

people look at what they qualify for and

what they are willing to pay and those are

usually two different numbers.

New Homes is a monthly

section dedicated to new

home communities

Look for New Homes on the

first Friday of each month!

each month, New Homes brings you the latest

news about new home communities so that we

can help you find a new home just-right for your

family, with the amenities youre looking for,

near whats important to you. Well arm you with

information to help you make smart decisions

and choices by discussing what types of homes

builders are building, design considerations, whats

the latest when it comes to financing, and more.

to suggest a topic, contact editor

Paula Hubbs Cohen at Paula.Cohen@cox.net.

Resources:

Peoples mortgage Company

peoplesmortgage.com

V.I.P. mortgage Inc.

vipmtginc.com

Being pre-qualified shows

the seller you are serious,

that youre not just out

on a Sunday afternoon

looking at homes for fun.

Jay Barbour, president of V.I.P. mortgage

maRaCaY Homes

maRaCaY Homes

TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND

ABOUT HOME DESIGN

1

ITS MORE THAN STATISTICS: Consider the

flow of a floor plan. sometimes, a 2,500-square-

foot home can live larger than one thats 3,000

square feet. Factors such as open spaces, ceiling

height and windows can affect how the spaces feel.

2

THINK AHEAD: If you have young children,

youll want spaces large enough to accom-

modate your future teenagers, but if your kids

are getting ready to leave the nest, that might

alter how you think about bedroom and bonus

room placement.

3

DONT FORGET ABOUT MOTHER

NATURE: Be sure to plan for outside

conversation areas, fire-pits, lighting and even

water features. think about how you want to

enjoy those beautiful arizona winters and

extend your living areas under the sun.

NH2 FR IDAY , DECEMBER 7 , 2012 THE AR IZONA REPUBL IC

CREATED BY REPUBL IC MED IA CUSTOM PUBL I SH ING

Make the

Smart Move.

Buy Ours and Smart Move Advantage will Rent Yours.

*Program offered through Smart Move Advantage (SMA), an independent broker. Customer must purchase a new Maracay home and meet

all SMA program eligibility requirements. Prices, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice and are current as of August

2012. Maracay Homes is not responsible for mortgage programs or rates. Additional conditions, restrictions and limitations may apply. Sales

by Maracay Realty, LC #538443000. Construction by Maracay Homes (ROC #172120 Residential).

SEE DETAILS AND FLEXDESIGN YOUR HOME AT MARACAYHOMES.COM

When you purchase a new home from Maracay Homes,

Smart Move Advantage will guarantee the rent on your

existing home for up to THREE years.

Take advantage of the best buyers market in decades, featuring

historically low interest rates! Receive a 3-year guaranteed lease.*

Let us introduce you to the resources available through

Smart Move Advantage and how it may fit your home needs.

Maracay Homes Offers More Choices for a Home thats Uniquely You.

Floor plans from 1,660 to 4,144 square feet

Priced from the $170s to mid $300s

FlexDesign options to customize your home with LivingSmart

and Energy Star features for efficiency and cost savings.

Visit our communities in the West Valley | East Valley | Tucson

Open Daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Fridays 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

AR-0007866475-03

Grand Opening of Courtlands Newest

Supergarage

Community!!!

Renaissance at Greer Ranch

Call today to take advantage of this

Grand Opening pricing!!

623-474-3125 or 623-236-9112

www.courtlandcommunities.com

Located just east of the 303 on Cactus Road, south on Greer Ranch Parkway

AR-0007894523-01

Featuring 5 Floor plans to choose from

including our

BRAND NEW

Single-Story

Supergarage

oor plan with

2,300 square feet.

Large home

sites available

(75x120), Home

prices starting at

$199,990

!%&

%&$

&

%&$

!:>

99

%?:/ !@/

" &$*

!:> +@

&

"298/

$ & $

!%&

%&$

&

%&$

$!!

%&$

' $*

$!!

(

(

$!!

!"&

$&$!!

&

B

!!

!:>

99

%/

99

38/8

" &$*

"298/

%'"$$

&

!:>

%?:/ !@/ '::/< +8.

9A/< +,38/>=

!:> +@

!:>

96/>

!:> +=>/< %29A/