Welcome to the Heart & Home Podcast - A new home buyer’s guide to buying, designing and financing your brand new dream home, from the family of thoughtful leaders behind De Young Properties. Our goal is to help simplify the home buying process so you can rest assured once you’ve listened to these episodes, you’ll be prepared to embark on the journey of finding your brand new dream home!

EPISODE #1 - The New Homebuying Process - Homebuying 101, A Step-by-Step Guide! Click here for written transcription.

WE’RE LIVE: Tune-in to hear from Ryan, Brandon & Ashley, as they answer some of the most asked questions about the process of buying a house and help you begin the journey to find your brand new dream home. Have any questions? Ask them now & we’ll respond in the comments!

WRITTEN TRANSCRIPTION:

The New Homebuying Process - Episode #1 - audio only

[00:00:00] Welcome to the heart and home podcast, hosted by the thoughtful leaders and siblings from the third generation of De Young Properties. We'll discuss everything related to finding, designing, and financing your brand new dream home. We're a three generation family owned company with over 45 years of energy efficient home building experience.

[00:00:23] We'll feature special guests, including De Young homeowners, and we'll dive into what it's like to buy a brand new home. Our goal is to help simplify the home buying process. So you can rest assured once you've listened to these episodes, you'll be prepared to embark on the journey of finding your brand new dream home. To view the video portion of the presentation, visit the De Young Properties, Facebook or YouTube channels.

[00:00:48] Hi everyone. We are live. I am Ashley, De Young, vice president of marketing at De Young Properties and I'm Ryan De. Young president of De Young Properties and Brandon Deon executive vice [00:01:00] president of De Young Properties and president of De Young Mortgage. And we are the De Young family. So how are we related? Well, we represent the third generation of our family home building company.

[00:01:11] This is our grandfather, John Bonadelle. He was a pioneer in the home building industry and he began selling homes right after world war II. And now we work alongside our generation two, our parents. Paula and Jerry De Young. And like I mentioned, my brothers, Ryan, Brandon, and myself represent the third generation and we are all involved in the company today.

[00:01:33] We're located in the Central Valley of California and we build single family brand new homes currently in Clovis, California. So today we're going to be talking a little bit about the new home buying process. Building a home may seem daunting, but we have been building homes. For over 45 years and we've built over 7,000 homes in our area.

[00:01:55] So we definitely know how to build a quality home. Our goal today is to help [00:02:00] simplify the home buying process. So you'll be prepared to begin the journey of finding a brand new dream home when you're ready. So before we dive into today's topic, Ryan, why don't you give us a little bit of history and background on our family company?

[00:02:13] Sure I'd love to. As Ashley mentioned, our team has built over 7,000 quality crafted homes because we have a passion for building homes for families. Our hope is that they cherish grow and thrive in the new home that we built for them. Our passion is, is truly about building thoughtful neighborhoods.

[00:02:31] With a quality of place that speaks to your soul. We not only really enjoy what we do in building homes for families, but we are extremely thankful for the community that continues to support our business. We're always trying to find ways to give back our family business has a three generation history of giving back.

[00:02:48] We've supported many nonprofits. We've actually built 13 St. Jude Dream Homes, where we build a home and. And raffle tickets away and in hopes of raising a lot of money for [00:03:00] St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and we've done it 13 times has been a joy to be a part of the St. Jude Dream Home program.

[00:03:07] We've also built two Extreme Makeover: Home Edition homes for two local heroes. An amazing project where we built a home in less than a week. Uh, and we actually did it. There's no, there's no gimmicks. We actually built it in that timeframe and had an amazing time doing that, not only that we are a people's choice award winner.

[00:03:24] And what that means is the Fresno Bee is a, a local newspaper in town. And they put on an annual event where people vote for various companies and we have been lucky enough to win best new home builder over 10 times. Also De Young Mortgage has won it three times, and we've actually won best company to work for two times, an amazing achievement.

[00:03:47] It just really speaks to the wonderful team that we have created. And not only that we have actually won a benchmark award. And what's amazing about the benchmark award is that puts our company in the top 25% [00:04:00] of customer experiences in the entire nation that is voted on by actual customers who have purchased homes from our family, our company.

[00:04:08] And the past and it's, it's rated based off of their survey scores after they move into the home. So really high achievements in both our customer reviews and programs like the people's choice awards with the Fresno Bee. Yeah, and we don't just want you to do, take our word for it. We'd love for you to hear what our homeowners say.

[00:04:26] So, like I mentioned today, we're going to be discussing the home buying process. So maybe this is your first home buying experience, or maybe you've owned multiple homes in the past, but now you're looking at a brand new home, whatever your situation may be, we're here to help. So one of the first things you'll experience when visiting our two welcome centers is.

[00:04:47] You'll notice we have six brand new model homes. We also have a smart home experience center and an exclusive design studio, and you can visit our website for directions. So Ryan, what can customers [00:05:00] expect when they're visiting one of our De Young Welcome Centers? You know, truly a lot of inspiration. We have so much fun putting together these beautifully designed model homes.

[00:05:09] Our models are designed to help stimulate your imagination so you can picture your family enjoying life in your dream home. We have many touring options for our various customers. You can tour in person just like this beautiful home that I'm in right now, you can tour via virtual or video chat by appointment, or you can even schedule self guided home tours.

[00:05:29] We have, uh, an NterNow system which allow you to gain access to certain homes. Our new home specialists will be here in our welcome center or digitally. If that's the way you like to connect with our team to greet you, tour you through our beautifully designed model homes. And, and really help you imagine how each home lives, you know, every home is going to live with slightly different.

[00:05:48] And it's important is to, you know, what are the needs of your family and how you would like to see the home that you would want to purchase. And that, that future promise, what that amazing dream home would look like for you. [00:06:00] They can help you walk through our homes to get a feel for how each home is going to fit your family's needs.

[00:06:05] They're there to help narrow down your favorite floor plan. We offer a number of floor plans that can fit different lifestyles. So they're there to help kind of fit the, the actual floor plan that would be best for you and your family. You're able to walk a number of our homes are two welcome centers in Clovis, California, and what's really neat about our homes and our floor plans is you can actually flex the floor plans to fit your exact needs of a floor plan is very, really close, but not quite perfect. A number of our plans you can adjust the way the home is set up to add a garage or add a bedroom and do some structural changes to the home. So that fits your exact need. What's a great tool besides visiting our welcome center to see how that comes to life is actually our website.

[00:06:50] We have our interactive floor plans on our website, so you can digitally design and furnish your home online, whether it's things like a multi-generational suite, a formal [00:07:00] dining room, a super great room, a den that would be perfect for home office. There, there are so many ways that we can help acclimate you to not only the right home and layout, but also our team is here to help pick the right neighborhood, the right amenities that you're looking for and the features within the home and the community, just to help you find the right home and the right and perfect home site for you.

[00:07:22] Exactly. So the process after you visit our models is trying to narrow down what your favorite floorplan community and home site might be. So once you're during, during that process, you'll be looking at all of our communities, looking at our floor plans, and then you'll also be connected with our affiliate company De Young Mortgage to go over the financing side of the process.

[00:07:44] So Brandon, as the president of De Young Mortgage, why don't you tell us a little bit about what. Customers can expect during their financing process with De Young Mortgage. Yeah, absolutely. Well, as most people realize that buying a home is probably the largest purchase they'll make [00:08:00] financing that purchase is super crucial and we've realized that really early on.

[00:08:05] And so having our own mortgage company to help people finance the dream home that makes the most sense for their family is really important. And so with these two companies, affiliated De Young Mortgage and De Young Properties, It allows the process to be super streamlined and really easy for our homebuyers too, to make it through the whole process communication between these two companies is much better than what you'd have.

[00:08:26] Otherwise. We really pride ourselves on that easy streamlined process. And then obviously we pride ourselves on having it really a great set of programs for different loans, for different families. Every family's situation's gonna be different. And they're all, all kinds of loan programs out there, FHA conventional 15 year, 30 year, all kinds of stuff.

[00:08:45] And so we really make sure that we have the best kinds of loan programs for our buyers and then we tailor them to offer the right programs for each individual buyer. And obviously affordable rates are super crucial and luckily these days, rates are doing great. And we're going to always make [00:09:00] sure that we get the best, lowest payment, best rates for our home buyers.

[00:09:03] And then obviously just walking you through that process our two amazing team members with De Young Mortgage, Doug and Liz , that you see there who will help you through this whole process from pre-qualification to submitting the loans to the lender, making sure all the paperwork is done right.

[00:09:17] Processing everything during the construction of the home. And then as we approach the completion of the home, the loan closing process. And as you can imagine, it can be pretty daunting and complicated, but we make it very easy for everyone because our team does this day in and day out and they'll walk you through it day in and day out. Keep you guys updated on it. Everything that's going on through the process. Yeah. So after becoming pre-qualified with De Young Mortgage, your next step would be to officially reserve your favorite home site and then complete your sales contract agreement. And we offer in-person and digital contract appointments so that you can sign digitally via DocuSign.

[00:09:52] So after that, The most exciting part probably is the next step, our exclusive De Young Design Studio [00:10:00] process. So once you've completed the contract it's design time, one of the most exciting moments during your purchase process of buying a new home is selecting all of the finishes and the products in your home during your design studio appointment.

[00:10:15] And we've carefully selected and curated finishes, materials, fixtures, and colors so that you can truly personalize the home to fit your lifestyle. So we will work together with you to create a home that reflects your own sense of style and fulfill your needs at the same time. With our design consultant, you will be guided through each step of the personalization experience.

[00:10:38] So you can truly enjoy this exciting part during your home buying process. So, what is the benefit of buying a brand new home with De Young? Well, it really is our exclusive design studio. You have one-stop shopping, so it's all there in one place. And you can look at everything together with our design consultant.

[00:10:58] So you will be, one-on-one [00:11:00] working with a professional interior designer, and it's easier to visualize all of the samples because you'll have actual samples in front of you in person versus shopping online. And then you'll also have assistance and guidance during selecting the colors and the styles, depending on what you prefer.

[00:11:18] So another exciting feature is our online design studio. We have on our website and unique digital tool that you can explore. It's our interactive online design studio that allows you to create and design a dream kitchen from the comfort of your own couch. So this digital tool will help you to visualize the finishes, fixtures hardware and color that make your kitchen unique and reflect your own lifestyle. So you can create this and design it and then you can print it and save it and bring it to your exclusive design studio appointment with you. So after selecting all of your structural flex your floor plan, selections, your finishes, then we will [00:12:00] begin starting the construction of your new home.

[00:12:03] So, Ryan, why don't you talk about some of the fun milestones and some of the parts of the building process right now. Sure. So also a fun part of the journey of purchasing a new home is watching the home, come together and come to life. We do that and keep you in the fold and up to speed on how we're constructing it and what that timeline looks like with our smart journey program.

[00:12:25] So throughout the build process, there are many touch points and we update you through that build process. So you. You're completely up to speed on, on, you know, what is completed and what's coming up next as well as we have a handful of on-site appointments at your home. So there'll be a pre drywall tour.

[00:12:39] So before the drywall goes on the walls in the home, we'll walk through the home with you, get you acclimated with various aspects within the home, behind the wall. So you can see the technology that we built in built into every home. And then also when the home is ready for delivery, we have a homeowner orientation to really get you into the home and, and, and understand how that functions and what are the [00:13:00] things to know about actually home ownership.

[00:13:02] And then of course, after the home order, homeowner orientation and you close escrow, the best part about the whole process. Is you get the keys to your dream home? That's an absolutely special moments. Uh, absolutely. Our customer experience team are there to guide you room by room, through your orientation, get you up to speed on how the operation of the various systems within the home, the various energy efficiency aspects.

[00:13:25] And once you get the keys, you actually get to realize all of those things that you've not only you've been shown along the way. But that you've been looking forward to that promise of the future. You get to actually realize that that is absolutely the best part after you move in, it doesn't stop there. You become a part of the De Young Properties family and will continue to be here for you because we truly do take our warranty seriously. If you ever have any questions or thoughts or feedback, you can share them with us through our website, not only our customer experience team, our management team is also notified through text messages. [00:14:00] And emails are all real time so that we're here and able to help you at any moment in time.

[00:14:05] We love hearing feedback because we're always looking for ways to improve. It's our goal to always one up ourselves so that we can deliver the best possible customer experience. Amazing. So that in a nutshell is basically the home buying process. So we have a few ask a De Young questions that we'd like to go through.

[00:14:24] And Ryan, why don't you answer these first two? So the first question is what would you say differentiates the home buying process with De Young Properties compared to maybe other local home builders? Well, if you've watched the video up to now, you can probably pick up on the fact that, you know, we're a family company, we're a local company and we truly have a passion for what it is that we do.

[00:14:46] It really does set us apart in that we're a local family owned and operated company. We live here. So we understand and appreciate the nuances of building in our community. Not only that, but we get to show you how our smart homes are [00:15:00] so technologically advanced. So something that we've spent a lot of time over many years, over a decade and developing many of our technologically advanced features, whether it's home automation, IOT, internet of things, energy efficiency.

[00:15:13] We've got you covered. We have all these things built into our homes and we spend, we, we truly do spend more time at home nowadays. So we're trying to help save money for our homeowners, with energy efficiency built into every home. It's extremely important now, not only that, but we have an industry leading warranty, as well as what we feel are our unmatched features that are included with all of our homes.

[00:15:38] Exactly. And then the process, how long does the process take from start to finish? That was another question that we had. So from when we actually pour the foundation of a home to when we actually deliver the keys it'll range from about five to seven months, there is that period of time that you need to go through the design studio and select everything. So the faster you get to [00:16:00] actually packaging up all of your selections and sign off on it, that's the soonest we can get it out to our construction team and get the foundation poured. But that's kind of a general timeframe from when you actually sign a contract and going through the design studio. Usually it takes less than a month and it can go as fast as just a few days.

[00:16:16] Perfect. So Brandon, this question is probably best for you. What would you, what would be needed for the loan processing to close? Like I said before, the financing world can be really complicated. And then also, as I mentioned before, we try really hard to make it as simple and easy as possible.

[00:16:34] Our experts are here day in and day out to make sure that it's easy and well understood by every single home buyer going through the process. There's a long list of documents and paperwork that's needed, like list a few of them here: last two years worth of tax returns with the W2's, at least two months worth of bank statements that are most current, as you get closer to the closing of the home last paycheck stubs covering a 30 day [00:17:00] period.

[00:17:00] So it can get kind of technical, but, you know, like I said, our team walks every buyer through the process makes it really easy, so they know exactly what's needed and when. Perfect. And you guys can find more information about De Young Mortgage, our affiliate company, by visiting DeYoungMortgage.com. And you can connect with Doug and Liz and they can help you become pre-qualified.

[00:17:20] So you can see what is best for you and your family when you're searching for your new home. So that kind of about wraps it up at the end of the journey of buying a new home. You'll be the proud owner of a De Young home, and it's always built with care and consideration. From three generations of expertise.

[00:17:37] And we just, we just wanted to thank you guys for listening and we will be doing more of these videos coming up. So we're excited to chat with you guys more. Ryan, Brandon, do you have anything else you want to add? No, just thank you for tuning in. And we so appreciate your support and consideration of our family company.

[00:17:55] Yup. See you guys again soon. See you guys. [00:18:00] Thanks for listening. We look forward to helping you find your dream home for more episodes. Visit our blog at deyoungproperties.com.

Any topics you’d like for us to discuss in the future? Let us know! We look forward to serving you & helping you find your DREAM home! #NewHomes #ClovisHomes #DeYoungProperties #NewHome