Homearama highlights surge in residential development

This year’s Dayton Homearama will feature some of the newest and elite homes being built in the area — mirroring a rebound of housing development in the Miami Valley.

The home tour, hosted by the Home Builders Association of Dayton and Vectren, has 10 homes that have the trendiest amenities and designs available to homeowners, organizers said. Prices for the homes range from $129,000 to more than $1.5 million.

“There’s really something for every lifestyle,” said Kathleen Unger, executive director of the HBA.

Builders say they’ve seen a rise in residents who believe the time to build is now. Residential building development in the region has increased this year, mimicking national trends.

Following the recession, area home builder Brentwood Builders started to see a gradual increase in business around 2012. Now, Chad Coe, business development director for Brentwood, said the “floodgates have opened.” The builder has seen a considerable increase this year in people who are interested in building, remodeling and adding on house additions.

“Our pipeline is so full,” he said. “It’s about as full as it’s been in a long time. As we’ve been saying in the office, it feels like 1995 again.”

Most area counties saw an uptick in the amount of permits obtained for development, which bodes well for residential building. According to the National Association of Home Builders, new home sales in the Midwest rose 12.9 percent in May from the previous month.

Brentwood Builders built one of the homes that will be showcased in the event at 2503 Chicory Trail South in the Meadows of Cedarville development.

Coe said the house sold for around $400,000. Coe said Homearama isn’t just about exposing people to their business, but allowing people to see different neighborhoods in the Miami Valley.

“Cedarville is a great place to live. It gets people out of the rat race of life,” he said. “We want this to be a community event that shows people more aspects of Greene County.”

Despite the recent surge, the Miami Valley housing market has yet to recover fully from the recession’s impact. In 2005, more than 1,200 single-family unit building permits were obtained, according to data from the HBA of Dayton. It hit an all-time low in 2011 with just 363 permits for single-family units.

Unger said the scattered touring format has helped Homearama properties sell and the overall uptick is encouraging.

“I’d have to say it’s a really positive trend,” she said. “The economy is picking up.”

The tour includes properties that boast city living while others highlight the calm of a home situated on country land.

Other builders participating in the event include Catalyst Homes, Charles Simms Development, County Corp, Custom Concepts Construction Company, Daniel DeVol Customer Builder, G.A. White Homes, Generations Construction, M/M Construction, Peebles Homes, and R.M. Clemens Company.

While the Dayton Homearma goes back 38 years, this is the second year of the “touring edition.” The houses are located in different communities at “scattered sites” rather than one centralized neighborhood.

Homearama tickets are $12 and available for purchase online or at local Kroger stores. The tour opens July 22 and closes Aug. 7.

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