Category Archives: People

Essex Homes Announces “HomeBuilt Athlete of the Week” in Columbia

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HomeBuilt Athlete of the WeekEssex Homes is proud to partner with 107.5 The Game each week for the Essex Homes “HomeBuilt Student Athlete of the Week.” Every Tuesday, Tommy Moody will announce an outstanding athlete from a Columbia-area high school. Athletes will be nominated by Essex Homes’ customers, listeners, homeowners, teachers and coaches. The athlete must not only possess athletic prowess, but also demonstrate positive leadership in the classroom and amongst their peers and teammates.

The chosen athlete will be invited for an interview with Tommy Moody and will receive a sports pack from Essex Homes and 107.5 The Game. In addition, the school will receive special recognition on air, and Essex Homes will donate $107.50 to the school’s Booster Club.

Essex Homes is currently searching for athletes to be featured as the HomeBuilt Athlete of the Week. Nominees should excel in academics, exhibit team spirit, be a team player and possess positive leadership qualities. To nominate a student athlete that fits this description, visit www.EssexHomes.net/Athlete. Join Tommy Moody every Tuesday to hear his pick of the week!

John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods Recognized at 27th Annual PRISM Awards

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Nexton Model HomeJohn Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods is excited to announce that the Charleston division was recently recognized for its top-notch efforts in sales, marketing and promotion of new homes at the 27th PRISM Awards event on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015. Held annually by the Charleston Home Builders Association, the company received seven awards.

“These awards honor the best in Charleston real estate,” said James Huffman, president of the Charleston division. “We are so proud of the hard work put forth by our team, and we will continue our commitment to building gorgeous, quality homes throughout the area.” Continue reading →

Five Steps to Check Your Credit Situation Mid-Year

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Three generations of a family on holiday walking along the dock of a luxury marina.It can be easy to lose sight of your New Years financial resolutions by mid–year. When summer comes and all you want to do is relax, many people relax with their finances as well. If you’ve gotten off track or are not even sure where you stand, the finance experts at Equifax recommend that you do a mid-year evaluation of your credit situation.

To get back on track with your financial goals and eliminate wasteful spending, consider taking the following steps recommended in the recent Equifax blog, “Five Mid-year Credit Moves to Make Right Now.”

  • Step One: Check your credit report.

o   When you evaluate your credit report, check how much debt you have outstanding on your credit cards versus the total of your credit limits. This is what finance experts refer to as the credit utilization rate, or credit utilization ratio. It’s ideal that your credit utilization rate be between 30 and 35 percent or less, as this indicates you have not over-borrowed on your credit cards.

  • Step Two: Look for errors and address any issues with your report.

o   Once you get your credit reports, look over them carefully to make sure there is no inaccurate information or that you are not the victim of identity fraud. If you discover any errors, you can dispute them for free. If you need assistance to discover any errors, a credit monitoring service can help.

  • Step Three: Set up reminders to pay bills on time.

o   Once you evaluate your credit report, you can now focus on your credit score. Your payment history is the most heavily weighted factor in determining your credit score (typically about 35 percent), so paying all of your bills on time is crucial.  For some bills, you may be able to set up automatic payments. If you don’t like the idea of that, you can set up a reminder on your phone or computer calendar to remind you to pay your bills.

  • Step Four: Pay down debt.

o   Most debt can impact your credit score, both from a credit utilization and a credit utilization ratio perspective. And of course, debt typically costs money—you pay interest as long as the debt isn’t paid off at the end of the billing cycle. Many experts advise paying down debt with the highest interest rate first, as this typically saves the most money in the long run.

  • Step Five: Assess your accounts.

o   Lenders can positively impact your credit score, and having several active and current credit accounts shows them that you’re a responsible borrower. And if you’ve had a long-standing account, it can help demonstrate a longer credit history, which is why it is not a good idea to close every account once you have paid off your credit card balance.

Taking a break from the financial stress of everyday life can help you unwind, but don’t relax your vigilance regarding your credit. Making these five moves will help you stay on top of your credit situation.

John Wieland Homes Welcomes New Division President

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John Wieland HomesJohn Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods recently welcomed Terry Montgomery as the new Division President in Charlotte, North Carolina. With over 20 years of experience in management and home building, Terry will oversee general operations, land acquisition and homebuilding in the area.

“I am honored to join the John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods team and excited because we are poised for growth,” said Terry Montgomery. “We have several new neighborhoods that we’ll introduce in 2015 as well as major developments planned for our flagship BridgeMill, McCullough and Olmsted neighborhoods.”

In his new position as Division President, Terry Montgomery will supervise the entire Charlotte team overseeing land acquisition and homebuilding, as well as directing general operations. He began his career in business after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance.

During the past two decades, Terry has acquired extensive experience in homebuilding, serving as President of Jimmy Jacobs Homes in Central Texas and Division President for Pulte Homes in Austin. In addition to his homebuilding experience, Terry has succeeded in a range of leadership roles culminating in his positionas Director of Sales for the four-state Ohio Valley Region of Frito Lay/PepsiCo.

Terry Montgomery will oversee a diverse portfolio of John Wieland neighborhoods in Charlotte offering new homes and townhomes from the $200s to $800s and known for masterfully planned settings, landmark amenities and exceptional architecture and design. To learn more about John Wieland homes in Charlotte, visit jwhomes.com/charlotte.

About John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods

With a legacy dating back to 1970, John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods is currently building in 40 neighborhoods in Atlanta, GA; Charleston, SC; Charlotte and Raleigh, NC and Nashville, TN. In its four-decade history, the John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods brand has won more than 600 awards for excellence, including National Builder of the Year, the National Housing Quality Award and the industry’s top award in 2005, America’s Best Builder.  Widely recognized for excellence in the move-up market for its award-winning home design, quality and neighborhood planning, the John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods portfolio offers homes and townhomes from $200,000 to over $1 million. The John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods brand is owned and operated by JW Homes, LLC, which is a partnership between the John Wieland family and Wheelock Street Capital, a real estate investment fund based in Greenwich, CT. For more information, visit jwhomes.com.

StrucSure Home Warranty Presents Platinum Builder Award to O’Dwyer Homes

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Cindy Huber and Dan O'Dwyer

Cindy Huber and Dan O'Dwyer

StrucSure Home Warranty is proud to announce it has presented Dan O’Dwyer, President of O’Dwyer Homes, with its Platinum Builder Award. This award represents a mark of excellence and designates O’Dwyer Homes among the top builder members in the country. Obtaining a Platinum Builder designation with StrucSure Home Warranty is an accolade that is presented to builders who have maintained a high level of customer satisfaction and have shown exemplary building practices and strong industry involvement.

Dan O’Dwyer is a licensed home builder in the state of Georgia, is a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association (GAHBA) and is a member of the prestigious Certified Professional Home Builders Program (CPHB). In 2006, O’Dwyer Homes was recognized by its peers with a Builder of the Year award from the GAHBA at the annual OBIE Awards. Dan O’Dwyer gives back to his community by maintaining an active roll with HomeAid Atlanta, a non-profit organization that provides shelter to homeless women and their children.

Over the past 20-plus years, O’Dwyer Homes has built more than 1,000 homes in the Atlanta metro area. Each home has been constructed with careful attention to detail, quality construction and the latest trends in building practices. As a builder who is focused on energy efficiency, every home built by O’Dwyer Homes is Energy Star certified by a third-party. O’Dwyer Homes’ customer satisfaction program represents the epitome of excellence recognized by the StrucSure Home Warranty Platinum Builder program.

O’Dwyer Homes goes above and beyond in ensuring their customers are satisfied and protected with third-party, insurance-backed structural warranty coverage from StrucSure Home Warranty. “In a competitive housing market, this is a must have to attract buyers and close the sale,” said Donna Steakley, Director of Marketing for O’Dwyer Homes.  “The entire O’Dwyer Homes team always focuses on putting the customer first while demonstrating the highest level of integrity and providing exceptional customer service from the beginning to end of the buying process,” commented Steakley.

“Our relationship with StrucSure is very important in today’s home buying environment,” commented Dan O’Dwyer. “The additional comfort in having warranty protection from StrucSure Home Warranty when buying a home is an added benefit to our homebuyers.”

“Having O’Dwyer Homes as one of our select Platinum home builders is an honor. Dan has weathered the downturn in the market by applying smart business and risk management practices. We work closely with him to ensure that each new homeowner has a positive customer experience,” said Cindy Huber, V.P. of Sales for the Eastern Division of StrucSure Home Warranty.

About StrucSure Home Warranty

For more than 16 years, StrucSure Home Warranty has been providing builders, remodelers and contractors with warranty products that deliver peace of mind. Our warranties protect our clients from expensive claims, liabilities and legal fees, and offers their clients peace of mind through third-party, insurance- backed warranty protection. Just like any risk management product, the hope is that you’ll never need it, but when a problem emerges, you’ll be glad you’re covered!

For more information, call Cindy Huber, Vice President of Sales, Eastern Division, at 770-363-7823, email chuber@strucsure.com or visit www.strucsure.com.