One rainy Sunday afternoon this winter turned out to be the the day I found the best new design tool around, Pinterest.  As an interior  designer, I am always keeping my eye out for things that will inspire ideas for my next model home project.  In the past, I relied on magazines and design books.  I would also see great ideas while surfing the internet, but unless at a desktop with a printer, the opportunity to catalog it was lost. 

Pinterest is the answer to keeping a virtual record of all those great ideas, ready at a moments notice to be pulled to the forefront and used in a design project, like the new Winchester Homes model at Preserve at Rock Creek.  A preview of some of the Preserve at Rock Creek "pinspirations" are below. 

Take a trip out to the model at Rock Creek in Montgomery County  and  see if you can find the other things in the model that were inspired by Pinterest.  I hope you have a great time touring the model!

Check out Pinterest if you haven’t already.  It is a wonderful tool to organize ideas about your personal interests...be careful it can be very addicting!

Enjoy!
Laura Bendik

To view pictures of The Preserve at Rock Creek Model Home, click here

To view my Rock Creek board here:  http://pinterest.com/laura_bendik/rock-creek/

The Centennial Collection by Camberley Homes will be one of the first new luxury homes in the Washington DC metro to be part of the Building America Program. This Building America program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The National Association of Home Building Research Center leads the Building America Industry team that is made-up of energy consultant, Builders, manufacturers, trade associations and other partners. One major goal of the Building America program is to achieve a new home that has a net-zero annual energy use. Developing cost-effective solutions for energy-efficient new homes must rely on all the partners working together. 

One of the unique features the Centennial Collection will offer is an EnergySmart Home Scale℠ (E-Scale). Use the E-Scale Interactive tool to compare estimated costs and energy savings of your new home. 

A 70 on the E-Scale indicates that a home is approximately 30% more energy efficient than a typical new home built to code. A 60 on the E-Scale would be 40% more energy efficient. The ultimate goal of the Building America program is to get to 0 – a Net-Zero Energy Home.

The goal is to have every home in the Centennial Collection by Camberley Homes to have an E-Scale rating of 53 or lower so you know you are getting one of the most energy efficient new homes built in the Washington DC metro area today. These new homes are designed, engineered and built from the ground up with energy efficiency features baked right into them so they are part of every home. Careful planning and design goes into each new home so it exceeds the most current energy efficient criteria.

Learn more about the Centennial Collection by Camberley Homes and all the high performance energy efficient features that are part of energy new home at the GRAND OPENING event on Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5 at the Poplar Run Community in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The Stoney Springs community in Poolesville, Maryland gives residents the best of both worlds. They can have a relaxed lifestyle with green space and a-small-town-feel yet still have all the conveniences of living in Montgomery County with access to work, shopping and entertainment. Carol Eppard and her family have been Winchester Homes’ fans for years. “This is our second Winchester Home we have purchased and it is just amazing. We love it!” she said. “We worked with Ross Wilhelm, the sales manager for Stoney Springs, to design the home we needed for our family. The Winchester Homes “Your Home. Your Way.™” customized design process let us build a unique home just for us. We were one of the first homeowners to buy in this new community. Ross was so helpful. We happen to purchase the same homestyle as Ross and since there was no model yet. He took us to his home and showed us his layout to give us a good sense what options could be available. We would recommend Winchester Homes to our friends and definitely tell people to stop by the community and speak with Ross. Our entire experience was fantastic!” said Eppard

Belmont model kitchen

Belmont model kitchen Belmont model living room

The Stoney Springs community located in upper Montgomery County in Poolesville just south of Fisher Avenue and west of West Willard Road. The community features 98 single family homes situated on ½ acre homesites. Education is a key part of every community. Poolesville Elementary, John Poole Middle School and Poolesville High School are all very close by. PHS is the only whole school magnet school in Montgomery County. The magnet school focuses on four sections: 1.) Global House, 2.) Humanities House, 3.) Independent Studies Program and 4.) Science, Math, Computer Science House.

The Centennial Collection by Camberley Homes is one of the HOTTEST new energy saving homes in the metro DC area today. The Centennial Collection takes comfort and energy savings to the next level with state-of-the-art technology designed from the ground up in a luxury home. 

One of the features designed into every Centennial Collection home is the Owens Corning EnergyComplete™ whole home insulation and air sealing system. This new high performance insulation system gives you immediate results by making your home more comfortable and providing savings on your energy bills from day one. The total home insulation and air sealing solution creates consistent room-to-room temperatures throughout the entire home. It can reduce drafts and protect from unwanted allergens, pollen, mold and pests. In addition, the system also reduces outside noise penetration by up to 40%. 

Some of the advantages you experience in the new Centennial Collection are comfort, energy efficiency and an overall healthier home. Energy savings could add-up quickly on heating and cooling bills. This can help reduce the costs of owning your home. Saving energy and money is something everyone wants today. Each of the new Centennial Collection homes are designed from the very beginning with energy savings as part of the core plan in every home.

Join us Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5 at the Poplar Run community in Silver Spring for the Grand Opening of the Centennial Collection by Camberley Homes.

Allen Rector, Director of Active Adult for Winchester Homes, will be a part of an industry-expert working group at the 8^th Annual International Council on Active Aging strategy session on May 10, 2011. The strategy sessions will be held at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda located at One Metro Center, Bethesda, Maryland. There will be a main session from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and then an informal networking session from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Allen will be presenting innovative ways to “Rebrand senior living and frame the new model of housing for active adults.” He will discuss strategies and layout a roadmap that will help an organization develop a solid strategic plan to be successful in the active adult market.    

Attendees at the conference work with older adults and help to shape senior housing and retirement communities. The Baby Boomer generation will have a powerful impact on the next generation of housing. Some of the agenda topics of the conference will include:

·         How Baby Boomers will impact the housing industry

·         Constructing the housing industry’s new brand identity

·         Business models that eliminate ageism

·         Marketing priorities and messages

Allen is CAASH certified through the NAHB and serves on the leadership committee for the Maryland National Capital Area 50+ Council. Since 2006, he has been focused on product development, land acquisition and brand management for Winchester Homes Artistry Collection. Before joining Winchester Homes, he was the Vice President of Construction for a national Active Adult homebuilding company.  

For more information on the ICAA Strategy Session, visit http://www.icaa.cc/.

Stratshire Crossing Single-Family Homes are almost “Sold Out”. There are only 7 single-family homes remaining in the beautiful community in Aldie, Virginia, one of Loudoun County’s most desirable areas. Winchester offers 11 extraordinary homestyles for home buyers to choose from and all of them include the exclusive Winchester Homes Your Home. Your Way.™ customized design process. The Your Home. Your Way™ design process let’s buyers work with a team of designers to make the vision of their new home come to life. This design process goes beyond just moving a wall or upgrading features. It involves designing a new home to fit the lifestyle you have today and the features you may need tomorrow.

In addition to beautiful architecture and outstanding designs, there is a very special Garrett homestyle ready for immediate delivery today. The Garrett 02GA94 at Stratshire Crossing gives you over 3,500 square feet of living space along with 4 bedrooms and 3 ½ baths. You can see this amazing home from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.

The Stratshire Crossing community features many great amenities and recreational opportunities including three swimming pools, tot lots, basketball courts, tennis courts, fenced dog run, trails and play fields. Conservation and tree save areas can be found throughout the neighborhood. See the complete Dulles Farms Community Association map here. Single Family Homes in the community are priced from $458,900.       

 Buy a single family home at Stratshire Crossing before April 30th and Winchester Homes will include $20,000 in options and $8,000 towards closing costs.

The Garrett Homestyle available at Stratshire Crossing

The Stratshire Crossing community is located at 25185 Great Berkhamsted Dr., Aldie, VA 20105. From I-495 take I-66 West to 50 West. Travel approximately 10 miles and make a left on Loudoun County Parkway. Then turn right on Braddock Road. Turn right onto Great Berkhamsted Drive. The sales center/model on the left.

Give Wendy Anderson a call 703-327-5326 or email Wendy.Anderson@WinchesterHomes.com to learn how to get one of the last single-family homes at Stratshire Crossing.

The Reserve at Stone Hill community is almost sold out. There are only 3 homes left. The Camberley Homes community located in the
heart of Fairfax County is a huge success. It’s located close to Reston, Herndon and Fairfax. The Oakton School pyramid is one of the finest in Fairfax County. Dulles International Airport is just minutes away. The community is located on West Ox Road, close to major commuter routes like the Dulles Toll Road, Fairfax County Parkway and Reston Parkway. Great shopping at the Reston Town Center, Fairfax Corner, Fair Oaks Mall and Tyson’s Corner Center is convenient by multiple routes. 

The Avington at the Reserve at Stone Hill

There is a very special home ready for immediate delivery. The Avington at the Reserve at Stone Hill is ready for move-in today. This new luxury home offers more than 4,000 square feet including 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, a 3-car front load garage along with a gourmet kitchen that has granite countertops and Kitchen Aid Stainless Steel Appliances. Outside, a 12 ft. by 22 ft. deck lets you entertain outdoors and flows perfectly back inside into the living space. This home is priced at $1,084,494. Stop by the sales center at the Reserve at Stone Hill and talk with Jane.Slusser@CamberleyHomes.com
 about how you can be part of this community before all the homes are gone.

Jack and Eve Cameron decided to make a visit to the Winchester Homes community, Shenandoah at Lake Frederick in Winchester, Virginia and just fell in love with the area. They liked to feel of the community and all the exciting activities that surrounded the active adult community. “I never thought I wanted to be in an active adult community until I met the people here” said Jack Cameron, Winchester Homes’ Artistry Collection homeowner. “We have children and grandchildren in the Northern Virginia area and I still do some work for my company so this place just worked for us” he added. 

The Cameron’s had a vision of what they wanted in their next home. They were looking to retire and begin the next stage in their life that involved smiles, fun and grandchildren, not miles of beltway and traffic. They move from the Woodbridge, Virginia area where they had a home for many years. The Cameron’s decided they liked the Shadwell floor plan, part of the Artistry Collection. As they began working with the Winchester Homes team, so many new design ideas started to come. Jack and Eve sat down with the Your Home. Your Way™ team at Winchester to begin making their new home vision come to life. The first thing they wanted to do was move the kitchen and the main staircase. Working with our design staff, they decided to flip the location of the stairs and the kitchen giving the kitchen space more open access to the family area as well as opening it up to the beautiful view of Lake Frederick just outside their windows. This wasn't just moving walls. There were multiple levels to take into consideration as to how it would all flow. This change opened up the lower level of the house and added another guest room. Making this change also added more space to the great room on the upper level. The Shadwell floor plan design was originally created as a single-level living homestyle. Through the Your Home. Your Way™ customized design process the Cameron’s were able to open up their living space and also give them more closet space. “We are so pleased with how our new home turned out. Winchester never said no to our vision, they said, let’s see how we can make this happen”, said Eve Cameron. The changes in the design of our Shadwell opened up the space so much on the upper level of the house that our grandchildren have their very own sleeping area. They think it’s like camping when they come here.” She added.

“We would recommend working with Winchester Homes to any of our friends. They stopped at nothing to make sure we could complete our vision and build the new home we wanted to design”, said Jack Cameron.    

Fight the urge to live and breathe by the HGTV diva decorating shows...get off the couch and head over the to the lower level of the Oxford II model at Poplar Run in Silver Spring, MD.  Take a look at this rec room and tell me that your family wouldn't virtually live down here.  Our amazing interior designers at Model Home Interiors hit this one out of the park.  The rest of this model home is just as amazing...check out the sitting area in the owner's suite. Then, walk over to the Poplar Run Danfield model next door....not going to give you a sneak peek of that  house...you need to earn it! (but it's equally cool!)

Written by Tim Donovan, Shenandoah at Lake Frederick resident  

             What does that mean? For Fun? When we started this group at Lakeside- Shenandoah almost three years ago, we wanted to learn more about the rich history that is all around us here in the Shenandoah Valley. What we didn’t want was another history class full of dates and things that happened elsewhere and was boring. What we wanted was a chance to learn about what happened exactly where we live, who was involved, why they were there, how and where they lived, and why the events and people were so important to the Shenandoah Valley, and America.

We wanted it to be fun, so there wouldn’t be any reading assignments, no research topics, no tests or quizzes, or a final exam. We know what the topic is ahead of time, so we can come or not; our choice. Our topics vary widely from how the Valley was formed by glacial movements and not volcanic activity, how the Native people lived and where, and their legend about how the spirits gave it the name Shenandoah and what it means. We talk about a 16 year old, who came here to the frontier to learn surveying, and learned military leadership and war fighting also, and became the Father of His country, George Washington. Of course, we learn about the Civil War, but here in Shenandoah, we point to a house across Lake Frederick and say, “that is where Major General Stonewall Jackson and his staff had breakfast at Dr. Mason’s house on the morning of May 23, 1862 during his Valley Campaign”. 

These are the reasons why, at Shenandoah, we call it History For Fun. Come join in the “Fun” the third Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Welcome Center.  You must be a Shenandoah resident or guest of a resident to experience "History for Fun".

The Stoney Springs community provides the opportunity to have a new single family home in the charming town of Poolesville, Maryland. The community has 98 half-acre home sites with plenty of amenities for almost everyone. There are two recreation fields, a picnic area, tot lots for the kids and new fitness trails with 12 fitness stations. This upper Montgomery County community is near Routes 15, 28 and Interstate 270.  Every home at Stoney Springs comes with the exclusive "Your Homes. Your Way" customized design process that lets each home be as unique as the buyers lifestyle. 

Teaching the trades

Winchester Homes builds on a constructive alliance

This blog is Part 1 of 2 in a series on the Earhart homestyle

Winchester Homes unveils the new Earhart homestyle, part of the Inspiration Series in the Artistry Collection.  The Earhart is one of the most innovative new home designs created for the home buyer who is looking for a luxury single-level living homestyle. The exclusive Winchester Homes “Your Home. Your Way™.” design process lets you design your new home to fit the way you live. 

There are many different options for today’s single-level living homes.  It offers many unique options and ways to make the house a home. The Earhart design is simple with just over 1,500 square feet available. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two-car front-load garage. The front elevation of the house is classic and welcoming. 

We would like your input on this design and how you may use some of the space in the new Earhart homestyle. Tell us what you think? Would you make the kitchen bigger? Where would the space come from? Give us your ideas on how we could improve or change the design? 

DC Ranks as Hottest Job Market

 

If metro traffic congestion is any indicator, Monster.com’s list of hot job markets is right on target.

Washington, D.C., ranked No. 1 on the hottest market for job seekers list, confirming what we already suspect: There are jobs to jockey for in the area.

The rankings are based on job availability in relation to workforce. The higher a city falls on the list, the more job opportunities available.

Rounding out the top 5 are San Francisco, Calif., Boston, Mass., Baltimore, Md., and Seattle, Wash.

So what’s available? Monster ranked the hottest jobs with healthcare and IT coming in first.

“This is largely due to the economic recovery where communities across the nation are starting to spend more on things like IT infrastructure and other areas where they’d previously avoided spending on, for as long as possible,” said Jesse Harriott, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer for Monster Worldwide. “Meanwhile, healthcare has long been immune to the economic recession, especially given the skills shortage in that industry due to baby boomers’ retiring, taking those skills with them in the process.”

Generally, these positions enjoy an uptick in hiring across the board, but Monster’s findings indicated certain markets hire more heavily in specific fields. In Tampa, Fla., healthcare is the way to go. In the Washington area, IT is it.

 

Allen Rector, Director of Operations for the Winchester Homes Active Adult division – Artistry Collection, will be speaking at the 2011 NAHB International Builders Show in Orlando, Florida. The 2011 International Builders' Show showcases the home building industry's largest product display.   

Housing professionals from across the country and abroad will convene at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 12-15, for the 2011 International Builders’ Show (IBS), the housing industry’s largest annual trade show and exhibition. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) event, held in one of the largest convention centers in the country, will feature the most cutting-edge designs, technologies, and products for all segments of the industry.

Allen is CAASH certified through the NAHB and serves on the leadership committee for the Maryland National Capital Area 50+ Council. Since 2006, he has been focused on product development, land acquisition and brand management for Winchester Homes Artistry Collection. Before joining Winchester Homes, he was the Vice President of Construction for a national Active Adult homebuilding company.  

Rent vs. own ratio to flip in 2011?

 Friend = FREE Movie Tickets!  Friend us on the Boulevard at Brambleton Facebook page and the first six people who come into the sales center and register will receive one movie pass each to the Regal Fox 16 Cinemas in the Brambleton Town Center.  Hurry, they are going fast. 

Visit the Camberley Homes Boulevard at Brambleton community web site to experience our new Interactive site map and floor plans to see your new luxury townhome. This new feature lets you design and customize your new Camberley Home right on-screen. See how you can add space in the Ventura floor plan or increase the size of the master bedroom in the Arlington floor plan. Learn about the innovative loft option with the popular roof-top terrace living space. The Boulevard at Brambleton townhomes offer everything you want in a convenient location close to everything you need. Visit our sales center today in the Brambleton Town Center or email Mike.Nguyen@CamberleyHomes.com for more information on these contemporary luxury townhomes.