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Hot Properties

By Cindy Hodnett
HomePlace Writer

Forget everything you've heard about a housing-market slump over the past few months. In the Triad, it's a great time to be a buyer, and local builders are putting their best foot forward at the 2008 Spring Festival of Homes.

Sponsored annually by the Home Builders Association of Winston-Salem, the Spring Festival of Homes is a two-weekend open-house event where potential buyers can tour dozens of properties over the course of four days. In 2008, 100 homes are entered in the Spring Festival, and every price point is represented, from entry-level townhomes to the HBA Association home built by Glory Builders in Clemmons' Barrington Oaks neighborhood.

"People with good credit can get a good rate on a loan right now," said HBA Executive Vice President Jerry Herman. "Many people use the first weekend of the Spring Festival to start looking at what is available, and the next weekend for second looks at the houses they like."

The Home Builders Association recently implemented a "Buy Smart. Buy Now" awareness program designed to showcase the benefits of homeownership. Spring Festival chairman Zack Rothrock said that the campaign reinforces the positive aspects of the current market.

"Homes are always a good investment," said Rothrock. "And many builders are working with their marketing agents to help potential buyers sell their existing homes."

Whether potential buyers are looking for a city address or a spacious country locale, there are many properties that can accommodate. Entries include homes in King, Winston-Salem, High Point, Advance, Kernersville and Clemmons.

"There are Spring Festival homes in both in-town and rural communities," Rothrock said. "Some neighborhoods have a rural feeling with larger lots and others feature low-maintenance townhomes."

Some of the popular trends in this year's Spring Festival include main-level master suites, second-floor bonus rooms and environmentally friendly home products like Energy Star heating and cooling systems and appliances.

"Green building is big, and a lot of builders are experimenting with green techniques and processes," Rothrock said. "With increasing utility costs, people are looking for energy efficiency,"

For the 2008 Spring Festival, the Home Builders Association is also adding an exciting new technology to the media mix. At springfestivalofhomes ws.com, the Spring Festival tab section becomes an interactive option, and visitors to the Web site will find links to builders, maps and additional photos of each home entered in the festival. In addition, people can drive by a property and obtain a mobile marketing code that will allow them to text message for more information about the house.

"People can make the most of their time with a builder by doing a little bit of homework beforehand," Rothrock said. "They should make a list of the things that are most important to them, and then they can discuss those with the builder. Folks can probably count on spending less than 15 minutes with the builder, so it's a good opportunity to get acquainted and plan any follow-up meetings."

The 2008 Spring Festival of Homes is April 12, 13, 19 and 20 from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information on the Spring Festival, call the Home Builders Association of Winston-Salem at 336-768-5942, or go to www.hbaws.org or www.springfestivalofhomesws.com. To see the 2008 HBA Association home in Barrington Oaks, take Highway 158 toward Clemmons and turn left on Hampton Road; continue to Barrington Oaks on the left and follow the signs to the Association Home. For more information on the Association House, call the Hutchins Team at Coldwell Banker Triad at 336-830-3011.