Clovis, CA is the perfect setting for building a custom home.  Top ranked schools, low cost of living, and a great community are just some of the reasons why Clovis is so popular.  If you’ve been dreaming of building your own Clovis custom home now is the time.  Prices of Clovis lots and Clovis construction have fallen dramatically.

One of the most popular areas in Clovis to build a custom home is at Quail Lake. Quail Lake lots range in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some lots are waterfront and others sit just off the lake. It’s not uncommon to see large waterfront Quail Lake lots over 10,000 sq. ft. However, Quail Lake land doesn’t come on the market very often. And when it does, vacant lots don’t last long.

If you would like to learn more about Quail Lake lots or receive a current list of all Quail Lake lots for sale, click here.

Clovis Real Estate

At Clovis Real Estate, we specialize in Clovis homes and vacant Clovis lots for sale. As Clovis Realtors, we can tell you just about everything there is to know about Clovis and the Clovis housing market.  Contact us today with any questions and discover how we can make building a Clovis home a reality.  For a FREE list of all Clovis lots currently on the market just fill out the form below.

FREE List of Clovis Lots For Sale

We specialize in:

Clovis Homes | Clovis Lots for Sale

About Clovis Real Estate

Clovis Real Estate is a Clovis, CA owned company, specializing in Clovis homes.  We’re Clovis Realtors who focus on one thing — Clovis properties and all of the services and assistance Clovis home buyers and sellers require to make their real estate transaction a success!  Because we’re a Clovis realty located right in Clovis, we provide unparalleled expertise to our Clients.

Clovis Real Estate – Services We Offer

Clovis Real Estate offers a number of services for Clovis home buyers and Clovis sellers, including:

• Clovis real estate advice

• Clovis home values (wondering what your Clovis home is worth?  Click here to find out)

• Clovis home searches (search EVERY Clovis home for sale on the MLS here)

• Clovis home searches from your cell phone (try our new cell phone app!)

• Looking for Clovis foreclosures? Get a FREE list here

• Search Clovis homes near any Clovis elementary, middle, or high school (click here)

• Clovis relocation services – moving to Clovis or relocating to Clovis – click here

• Clovis real estate news (see an example here)

• Clovis real estate market reports (click here to see an example)

• Automated searches – get new Clovis listings sent directly to your email box (sign-up here)

• Special Clovis home tours (click here to see an example)

• New Clovis homes and Clovis builders assistance

• Clovis land or Clovis lot searches (click here)

• Clovis neighborhood searches – just let us know what neighborhood you want to live in and we’ll let you know as soon as a new listing comes on the market in that area.

• Clovis first-time home buyer assistance (click here)

• Clovis mortgage / home financing referrals (click here)

• Much, much more!

Clovis Real Estate — Client Benefits

If you’re looking to sell or buy a Clovis home, you’ve come to the right place.  No one knows Clovis real estate like we do!  Click here to learn about all of the benefits of being a Clovis Real Estate client.

Have a real estate question?  We provide FREE Clovis real estate advice.  Whatever your question or need may be, we’re here to help.  All you have to do is ask.  We even make that easy.  You can email, call, or just send us a text message.

Email: info@ClovisExperts.com

Phone: 559-325-4545

Text Message: 559-325-4545

Click here to view the embedded video.

When you want to buy or sell Clovis property, go with the Clovis experts at ClovisExperts.com!

Clovis Builders Buying Up Vacant Lots Again

The Clovis real estate market is back on the front pages of the Fresno Bee.  This time, the Fresno Bee is reporting good news.  Clovis builders are buying up vacant lots, another sign the Clovis housing market is warming up.  We’ll tell you why Clovis builders buying new land is a sign the spring Clovis real estate market may be ready for a big comeback.

New Home Sales at Historical Lows

There rest of CA isn’t seeing positive signs in new home construction.  In fact, new home sales in CA are currently at historical lows.  According to the California Building Industry Association (CBIA), things could be a lot better in the building industry.  “While there are some encouraging signs in California housing markets, activity remains low,” said CBIA President and CEO Liz Snow. “These reports are evidence that housing markets remain depressed and continue to hamper a broader economic recovery in California.”  Read more here.  But Fresno and Clovis seem to be ahead of the curve and the rest of California.

Clovis Home Builders

Despite CA’s new home construction woes, Clovis home builders are much more optimistic.  According to Sanford Nax of the Fresno Bee, several of the largest Clovis builders are buying up vacant Clovis land because “they’re seeing early signs of a recovery: Prices are stabilizing, and the supply of homes for sale is shrinking.”  That means Clovis developers are looking toward the very near future.  For example, there’s now 10 applications for projects totaling 761 Clovis homes this year.  Compare that to 2008 when Clovis home builders submitted half that many, said David Fey, deputy city planner.

In order to meet what they believe will be surging demand, Clovis builders are snatching up vacant lots.  “We’re trying to time it so it is ready the minute we run out of lots,” said John Bonadelle, president of the Building Industry Association of the San Joaquin Valley.   Bonadelle isn’t the only Clovis home builder buying vacant Clovis lots.  “We think the worst is over, but you have to have the right product, priced correctly with the right amenities in the right community,” said Darius Assemi, vice president of Granville Homes.  Wilson Homes, Lennar, and Wathen-Castanos are other Clovis builders who are now buying lots and preparing to build.

Spring and Summer Surge?

Why is this potentially good news for the Clovis real estate market?  Traditionally, new home builders are about 6 months ahead of the rest of the Clovis real estate market.  In other words, new home construction is a sign of what’s to come in the rest of the Clovis housing market.  When new homes aren’t selling, traditional Clovis homes for sale follow the same pattern 6 months or so later.  And the reverse is typically true.  When Clovis new home construction is taking off, the rest of the Clovis housing market follows 6 months later.

If the Clovis new home construction indicator holds true like it has in the past, the Clovis real estate market may be primed for a big spring and summer.  Don’t wait too long (home prices are expected to increase in 2010) and miss out on what some experts are calling the best time to buy a Clovis home in the past 20 years.

Clovis Real Estate

If you’re considering building your dream home, let us know.  We’ll take you to meet the best tract, custom, or semi-custom  builders in Clovis.  Looking at Clovis lots for sale to build on?  We can take care of that, too.  Click here to search all current Clovis land for sale.

Whether you’re thinking about building from scratch, buying a bargain-priced Clovis foreclosure, or traditional sale, we’re here to help.  We specialize in Clovis homes for sale and will help you get the best value for your money.  Give us a call today and lets go land or house hunting!

Every Clovis home buyer wants to buy a bargain home these day.  Who can blame them?  But keep in mind that like most purchases, in real estate you really get what you pay for.  Foreclosures may be cheap, but often times they come with numerous drawbacks and need thousands of dollars of work.

Compare that to a Clovis model home.  While these homes may not have a bargain basement price tag, they exude pure luxury and usually are priced very competitively (you can buy some model homes for under $285,000), especially when you consider what you’re getting.  Model homes typically have between $100,000 – $250,000 dollars in upgrades and are move-in-ready.  Plus, they usually come furnished!   All of that beautiful furniture and fixtures are yours to keep.  In fact, most model homes have features you can’t even get if you built the same home from the builder (such as outdoor fireplaces, pools, decorative room finishes, etc).

If you’ve ever visited model homes, you already know model homes easily are superior when compared to most foreclosures, short sales, and traditional sale Clovis homes.  Clovis builders invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to make their homes stand out.  Because of this, these model homes don’t last long.  They generally sell within a few days.  So if you’re interested in buying a Clovis model home, HURRY!  Let us know ASAP and we’ll take you to the local Clovis builders selling their model homes and make sure you get the best deal possible.

Clovis Real Estate — “You’ll Love It Here!”

According to the California Association of Realtors (CAR), California’s median price for an existing single-family house increased 4.2% in May the largest monthly increase on record for the month of May.  It’s the 3rd straight month for price increases in California.  With the inventory of unsold houses continuing to drop rapidly, what does this mean for Clovis home buyers and sellers? 

An increase in home prices is good news for both buyers and sellers as it’s a sign the housing market is stabilizing.  Even a buyers don’t want to buy a home and then watch it’s value plummet.  California’s real-estate market, the nation’s largest, is seen as a barometer of the U.S. economy. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Housing prices soared during the boom, and their plummet during the market’s collapse resulted in massive foreclosures and fueled the recession. Economists say the state’s housing market will lag behind the nation’s in recovering, so any indication of improvement in California bodes well for the rest of the U.S.”

Any good news in the housing sector is welcomed.  However, Clovis buyers and sellers should proceed with caution.  CA’s 11.5% unemployment rate could result in more foreclosures and drive down real-estate prices again, as lawmakers’ wrestle with ways to close a $24 billion deficit.

CAR’s report also indicates that 556,590 California houses were sold in May, up 35.2% from a year earlier.  Another positive sign.

If you’re buying or selling a Clovis home, sign up (subscribe) to our website.  We’ll keep you updated on the Clovis housing market.

Clovis Real Estate — “You’ll Love It Here!”

Tract Housing

Commonly referred to as cookie-cutter developments, tract homes are a style of new construction in which nearly-identical homes are built in the same neighborhood.  Tract housing developments form “mini” communities or subdivisions and are very popular in Clovis and most cities in the U.S. because of the amenities offered at a reasonably affordable price.

Tract Housing Development

Many builders use the tract housing concept because it’s cheaper and faster to build tract homes.  By replicating the designs over and over again, developers save money.  Material costs are reduced because builders can buy in bulk as well as build homes quickly since construction workers only need to learn the skills of constructing a few home designs.

To offset the cookie-cutter image, most tract developers today offer 4+ exterior designs with multiple paint color options.  For the most part, all of the homes still look alike on the exterior, but modern tract developments are for more advanced than the early tract developments.

There are 12 primary tract home builders in Clovis.  Each offers their own designs, floor plans, amenities, and pricing.  We’ll be writing about each of these builders so stay tuned for more information on these Clovis builders.

Custom Clovis Homes

Custom homes offer the most flexibility in building, but they’re also the most expensive.  The primary advantages of building a custom home is that you can personalize your home beyond the basics.  Want an entirely “green or solar” home?  How about a home with a 6 car garage, or one that resembles the homes you saw in Tuscany when you toured through Italy last summer?  If you can dream it, a custom home builder likely can build it for you.  With a custom home you can control virtually every aspect of the home, including layout, lot size, and design style.

To build a custom home you first need to locate and secure a lot.  Then the custom home builder will help you design your home, or you can hire an architect to provide an even more custom and personal feel.  Once financing is complete, home construction can begin.  It takes a little longer to build a custom home, anywhere from 6 – 18 months, with about 12 months being fairly common.

At least 2 Clovis tract home builders also build custom homes:  Wilson-Homes and Wathen-Costanos.  However, most Clovis custom home builders specialize in custom homes, such as G.J. Gardner or Benart Homes.

Semi-Custom Clovis Homes.

Semi-custom homes are a cross between tract housing and custom homes.  Usually they’re build in a tract development but the builder allows you to modify some features of the home plan to fit your needs.  Your home will look like the other homes, except for your slight modifications.  See our recent article, Best Clovis Home Builder – Part 1, and opinion on the best semi-custom builder in Clovis.

Summary

If you’re considering building your dream home, let us know.  We’ll take you to meet the best tract, custom, or semi-custom  builders in Clovis.  Need a lot to build on?  We can take care of that, too.

Clovis Real Estate — “You’ll Love It Here”

If the American dream for most people is to own their own home, then building one from scratch is utopia.  If you’re ever walked through any of the Clovis builders’ model homes, you’ve likely been lured by their by their savvy-marketing tactics.  Their homes are beautiful and initially the price tag looks about the same as the other homes on the market.  So why wouldn’t you build new?  In this short series of New Home Construction Secrets, we’ll share with you 5 things builders don’t tell you about their price tag.

Upgrades. It’s no secret that builders wow customers with their home staging and upgrades.  Who doesn’t enjoy walking through a model home on a lazy Sunday afternoon.  Unfortunately, some builder’s model homes resemble “bait and switch” schemes if you’re not careful.  In other words, the model home you walked through is NOT the home you’ll be receiving.  In fact, it’s not even close.  Builders typically add $200,000 – $300,000 in upgrades to their model homes.  That means if you want the home you just saw – the one you fell in love with – then just add that much to the price tag sheet they handed you.  How’s that for “honest”  marketing?

I’ve always thought there should be a law that requires builders to prominently post  specifically what’s been upgraded, what those upgrades cost, and then lists the total cost of the model home.  They do that with new cars, why not with new homes?

Wrap Up. To be fair, there are two Clovis builders who are upfront about their model homes.  Lennar Homes is a “what you see is what you get” builder.  When you walk through their model homes, everything is included (except the furniture).  Wathen-Constanos homes have a sheet inside their model homes which lists the upgraded features.  However, Wathen doesn’t list the cost of the upgrades so it’s hard to know how much more the features you see actually cost.  But it’s a start.

Before you visit any home builder, contact us.  We’ll go with you and point out what is and isn’t included to make sure you get the best deal in new home construction.

Clovis Real Estate – “You’ll Love It Here!”