The Keller Homes Family celebrates the season.

From our family to yours...

Wishing you and your family safe travels, good adventures, pleasant memories and a joyous New Year.

It's All About Comfort

One of the pleasures of the Holiday season – and of winter in general – is the larger share of our lives we get to spend in our homes. My family and I greatly enjoy the time we get to spend outdoors during the Colorado summer, but we look forward to the joys of winter, too.

December 21st marks the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Ancient cultures celebrated the start of the sun’s journey to the sky overhead on this date, along with the beginning of the cold winter months.

Much of what we do as a Built Green and EnergyStar homebuilder is focused on the challenge posed by the Colorado winter. While milder than most (and a pleasant surprise to new arrivals), our winters feature frequent and dramatic weather variations. Our task as homebuilder, then, is to construct homes that are comfortable even during the worst winter weather. The “green” products and processes we use at Keller Homes are not an end unto themselves, and we do not choose them by accident. Instead, every product we install in our homes is considered in terms of its contribution to comfort, durability and efficiency. Everything we include in our homes – from the high-efficiency furnace, to the cellulose insulation, to a detail as seemingly minor as how we frame building corners – contributes to the home’s comfort and efficiency.

This is an important facet of Keller Homes’ philosophy about comfort. We don’t specify comfort and efficiency in the “Chinese menu” style – one from column A, one from column B, etc., until we arrive at a “green” home. When we build in the products and techniques that we know will produce a comfortable new home, EnergyStar and Built Green compliance will inevitably follow.

Have a Wonderful Holiday Season!

Mortgage rates lowest level in 38 years

According to Freddie Mac's weekly survey, mortgage rates fell again this week, with the average rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages reaching the lowest level in at least 38 years.

"Interest rates for 30-year and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages fell for the fifth consecutive week to an all-time low while the average rate on five-
year (adjustable-rate mortgages) hovered near its record set in the previous week," Frank Nothaft, Freddie's chief economist, said Thursday.

Pushed by weak housing demand and rising foreclosures, mortgage rates have been pushed lower. Mortgage rates tend to follow the yields and with treasury prices rising, indicating that investors and financial institutions are retreating from riskier bets, and sending yields lower.
The National Association of Realtors said that in October its forecasting gauge of housing-market activity climbed to its highest level in more than three years. In addition the association also indicated that buyers continued to take advantage of a first-time-home-buyer tax credit, low prices and low mortgage rates helping October sales of existing homes jumped 10%.
A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.71% for the week of December 4th, down .07% from last week's 4.78% average and .82% from a year ago.

Visit The Wall Street Journal | Real Estate to read the entire article at http://ow.ly/MkLe By Joan E Solsman

Get Your Tax Credit

We are all familiar with the $8000 Tax Credit, but we wanted to share a few points of change we think are important to our community of home buyers. The Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009 has extended the tax credit of up to $8000 for qualified first time home buyers purchasing a principal residence. New to the legislation is a tax credit of up to $6500 for qualified repeat home buyers. Below is an at-a-glance review of the important points of this legislation:

Who is Eligible
· First-time home buyers, defined as buyers who have not owned a principal residence during the three year period prior to the purchase.
· Existing homeowners who have been residing in their principal residence for five of the last eight years.
· U.S. citizens who file taxes.

Income Limits
· Homebuyers who file as single taxpayers can claim the full $8000(first time) and $6500(repeat) if their modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is less than $125,000.
· Married couples filing jointly, the combined income limit is $225,000.
· Single taxpayers who earn between $125,000 and $145,000, and married couples who earn between $225,000 and $245,000 are eligible to receive partial credit.

Effective Dates
· Eligibility period is November 6, 2009 and May 1, 2010. Binding sales agreements signed by April 30, 2010 and closing prior to July 31, 2010.

US Military special Dates
· Eligibility period extended for qualified members of the uniformed services of the U.S. military, members of the Foreign Service of the U.S. and employees of the intelligence community.


Types of Homes that Qualify
· All homes with a purchase price of less than $800,000 that will be used as a principal residence.

Tax Credit is Refundable
· Refundable credit means if the amount of income tax you owe is less than the credit amount you qualify for, the government will send you a check for the difference.
· Qualified home buyers can take the credit on their 2009 or 2010 income tax return.

Payback Provisions
· True credit. It does not have to be repaid unless the home owner sells within three years after the purchase.

Learn more about this tax credit by viewing the video or by visiting www.nahb.org.

Pumpkin Pie will Never Be the Same

Thanksgiving is here, and we are preparing to enjoy a week with family and friends. At Keller Homes, we are blessed with our own pastry chef who dazzles us with her culinary skills on a regular basis. Here is a recent favorite sweet treat enjoyed by us all –

Pumpkin Mousse Treats

1 - small can pumpkin
1 - 8oz. cream cheese, softened
1 - 16oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
40 vanilla or chocolate wafer cookies

In a large mixing bowl, blend cream cheese and pumpkin whipping until smooth. Add pumpkin pie spice and whipped topping and mix until blended. Place pumpkin mixture into a piping bag and pipe small mounds onto cookies. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (optional). Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 30-40 cookies.
Happy Thanksgiving.

Rhino verses Carpet

One rhino, one carpet, 14 days.  Ricko the Rhino at the Birmingham Zoo lived on SmartStrand with dirty hooves and almost a ton-and-a-half of pressure.  With built-in stain remover that never washes off, SmartStrand with Dupont Sorona renewably sourced polymer carpet stood up to this fierce animal and the mess it made.

Mohawk, a trusted name for more than 125 years, is the leading producer of flooring worldwide.  They're innovative - forward thinking in design and technology, setting trends in products and processes.  Mohawk has done it again with SmartStrand, combining permanent stain resistance, durability and style.  SmartStrand fibers provide permanently engineered-in protection throughout the entire core of the fiber.  The difference is on the inside, an important distinction to Keller Homes.  We invite our homeowners to look inside our walls, knowing that beauty is more than skin deep.  Materials and craftsmanship contribute to the comfort and livability of our homes.  We are proud to partner with a company that is proactive and progressive.

For those of you who haven't purchased 'new' in quite some time, you'll be amazed at all of the fun choices you get to make to personalize your home.  The Keller Homes Design Studio is the most comprehensive builder-owned design studio in the region.  We continuously search for the best products available to you for personalizing your home.  SmartStrand, a Mohawk carpet is the latest in interior technologies that Keller Homes is proud to offer.

Keller Homes Welcomes Lori and David Goebel to La Bellezza

What happens when you create small, intimate village of Italian-inspired courtyard villas?  Happy families!  Excitement was in the air on the morning of closing day for Lori and David Goebel.  The Goebel’s chose our Villa Modena, nestled against the foothills in La Bellezza at Peregrine.
It was evident from the first moment after their decision was made in early September; this was the perfect home for them. It is always a pleasure to finalize the small details when a new homeowner feels so confident in the choice they have made in a new home.You know you have been involved in something special when you hear, Villa Modena is “a dream come true” as stated by Lori several times.
The Goebel’s real estate team, Laurie and Kevin Stahle, quickly sold their curent home and helped with the smooth purchase of their brand new Keller Home. The experience was a great one for all involved. Kevin gave Keller Homes high marks when it came to working with the Goebel’s –
“Just wanted to let you guys know that the closing on Friday with the Goebels, and the entire “from contract to closing” experience with Keller Homes and Keller Mortgage, was SUPERB!” Back to you and Lauri ...Kevin!
And so, we welcome Lori and David to this beautiful setting, where nimble deer are neighbors and the sun setting behind the hills never fails to bring a sigh at the end of the day.  A whole new way of life for a select group of individuals…