Ahh, the fall. Pretty leaves, sweaters, PSL's. But do you know what we love the MOST about the fall? PARADE OF HOMES! As we put the finishing touches on our Hanover Parade of Homes entry in Glebe Hill, we can't help but be brimming with excitement at what's to come! We are thrilled to share that Parade of Homes will be in person this year! We will of course be taking extra sanitary precautions. Masks are required, and we are cleaning and sanitizing regularly. In the meantime, here is a sneak peak at just a few elements in this gorgeous 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath home located on 1.48 acres in the Hanover High School district. Join us for our Model Grand Opening - Saturday October 3rd - 12pm - 5pm. Come see us every Saturday/Sunday in October for Parade of Homes! And be sure to vote for us as your favorite entry! Interested in learning more about building in Glebe Hill or any of our other communities or on your own land? Contact sales@shurmhomes.com or call 804-929-4297.

Wow, what a start! With much anticipation surrounding our Grand Opening, we had a fantastic summer! After opening for sales in mid-June, Pennwood Estates Section 1 is almost sold out! We have been overjoyed with the response and are so happy that we have been able to help so many wonderful buyers achieve their dreams! We love hearing the stories, the dreams, the wishes for our buyers new homes. Our homeowners make up the fabric of the community, where strangers will become friends, meals will be shared, children will trick-or-treat, and memories will be made. We have limited opportunities for those who want to be in the first section of Pennwood Estates. In fact, since demand has been so great, we have released 2 more homesites for sale - 71 and 72. These are prime for a walk out basement, with nothing but privacy in your back yard! Only 4 homesites in Section 1 remain - all offering more space and privacy than other new home communities! We are proud to be able to offer our homeowners a quality built home at a price they can afford, with more chances to personalize their home and create the vision for themselves and their families that they've always wanted. To find out more about Pennwood Estates, or to sign up for our Section 2 VIP List, visit www.shurmhomes.com/pennwood, or call 804-251-3530.

As interest rates continue to decline, many people are thinking about buying a house. Maybe you're tired of renting and ready to call something your own. Maybe your current home just doesn't work for you anymore. Either way, there are a lot of $0 down or low $ down loan programs available, as well as grant programs that can help with down payment. We recently sat down with one of our preferred lenders, Russell Nash with George Mason Mortgage, to learn more about programs that are available to help people become a home owner with little to no money down. Click here to watch our video, or check out frequently asked questions answered by Russell below. Let’s start by talking about 0% down loan programs. Can you give me a breakdown of the 4 most popular 0% down loan programs, how they work, and who they are best suited for? USDA (available in Dispatch Station)- The USDA loan is available in rural areas. It typically has a low interest rate(depending on credit qualifications) with lower monthly mortgage insurance. VA- Available for all veterans with 100% financing. There is a VA funding fee required but has no monthly mortgage insurance. This loan program, like USDA loans, is available for 1st time homebuyers or on subsequent purchases. FHA+- This loan program has a 1st & 2nd mortgage that covers 100% of the purchase price. The 1st mortgage allows for a loan of 96.5% of the sales price while the 2nd loan allows for up to 3.5% of the sales price. Conventional +- This loan program is like the FHA plus loan where it has a 1st & 2nd mortgage to cover 100% of the sales price. The difference is the 1st mortgage allows for a loan amount up to 97% of the sales price and the 2nd loan allows for up to 3% of the sales price. What do you need to qualify for these loans from a credit, income, and debt standpoint? Typically the minimum credit score for the VA, FHA Plus & conventional loan programs is 620. The maximum debt to income ratios for these programs is 45%. This means for every $1000 of monthly income the maximum monthly debt cannot exceed $450. The maximum income for a 2 person or less household is $98,400 and the maximum for a 3 person household or greater is $114,900. The USDA loan program follows all the above requirements other than the minimum credit score. The minimum credit score requirement is 640 for all USDA loans Are there other grants that are available for first time homebuyers? Yes. We have the VHDA first time homebuyer grants where a borrower can get anywhere from 2-2.5% of the sales price in grant money. This is for all VHDA loan programs (VA, USDA, FHA & Conventional). There is also the H.O.M.E. grant available to first time homebuyers. These are done directly through HOME and the county website where you are looking at purchasing. What are the requirements for these loans, and how much can they help a borrower? The requirements are the same for the grant programs as the above guidelines with the exception of income requirements. The maximum income for a 2 person or less household is $78,700 and a 3 person or greater household the limit is $91,900. What if you aren’t a first time homebuyer? What options are out there for little to no money down on a mortgage? The USDA & VA loans are still available if you are not a 1st time homebuyer at the 100% financing level. The conventional loans require a minimum of 3% down and the FHA requires a minimum of 3.5% down payment if you are not a 1st time homebuyer. What advice would you offer someone who is looking to purchase a home? o Number 1 is to contact a lender to get pre-qualified. To verify that your credit scores are within the requirements to become qualified. With historic lows for interest rates, now is a fantastic time to become a homeowner as you can pre-qualify for more today than you could have qualified 6 months to a year ago. For more information on $0 or low money down loan programs, or to find out more about Shurm Homes, contact Jennifer at 804-929-4297, or sales@shurmhomes.com.

Do you love the thought of something new, but don't love the thought of going through the process of building? Maybe your house sold faster than you thought, and you need something now. Maybe you want to take advantage of the RECORD LOW interest rates in todays market. Maybe you just can't stand the thought of being stuck in your home that is no longer working for you and your family for one more day. We've got you covered! We have move-in ready spec homes throughout the Richmond area. Why buy a move-in ready NEW home, versus a used home? New homes are built with the latest building codes and safety regulations. They are built with industry standards in energy efficiency, technology, and building practices. Even a 5-10 year old home will cost more each month in energy bills, than a new home built with today's standards. Outdated home appliances, HVAC units, and water heaters may require replacement or repairs, costing thousands of dollars. Buying a move-in ready NEW home means you have a home warranty and peace of mind. Your move-in ready Shurm Home is a chance for you to start fresh with a home that works for you, not a home that didn't work for somebody else. Interest rates are at RECORD LOWS! Buying a move-in ready home allows you to lock in your rate with one of our Preferred Lenders and save big time! Want to learn more about any of our move-in ready homes, or about building in one of our communities? Fill out your information below, or contact Jennifer at sales@shurmhomes.com.

Have you, like millions of Americans, found yourself suddenly home-schooling your kids while attempting to work from home? Are you desperately trying to keep your kids entertained, stimulated, and fed (WHY ARE YOU SO HUNGRY?!) while suddenly juggling conference calls from home? If you’re anything like me, “teaching” subjects that you haven’t taken in 25+ years that have drastically changed while balancing work seems impossible. While we as moms (and dads) can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be the best, putting pressure on ourselves to do EVERYTHING perfectly – work, homeschooling, cooking, cleaning, “socially distancing…” – well, something has to give. 1. Give yourself – and your kids – time to adjust: Being in the house, 24/7, around each other ALL THE TIME, is new for most of us. Our kids normally spend more time away from us that with us, with very structured schedules. It’s ok to give yourselves a break for a bit. Give them input into their day, what they want to learn, and be patient with them, and yourself. All of our worlds have been turned upside down. 2. Create an dedicated office space: If you don’t have a dedicated office already, take inspiration from one of models, and turn that spare bedroom, unused dining room, nook off the kitchen, or extra walk in closet into your own devoted office space. After all, you need space to be able to dial in to that Zoom meeting without your kids fighting in the background 3. Go outside! Good for the body and the soul, take this time to unwind and reconnect with nature. Explore the woods, throw the ball around (but keep the Lysol handy!), and bask in the sunlight. Many of our spacious homesites are well over an acre, giving you plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the outdoors without touching your neighbor. 4. Cook together: What better way to teach your kids fractions than to cook or bake together? ½ a teaspoon of this, ¼ cup of that… plus if you make a mess, your kids can take vacuuming and mopping 101. 5. Make some time for yourself: As working parents, this can be one of the hardest things to squeeze in, but extra time at home can make it easier to set aside an hour or so to focus on what you need. Maybe it’s a work out in that extra room that you’ve turned into your very own exercise room. Maybe it’s soaking in your freestanding tub while enjoying a glass of wine. Whatever it is, we can’t forget ourselves if we are going to make it out of this. Our families, friends (remotely) and work teammates need us to keep our sanity so that we can be ready to roll when this Coronavirus thing ends, which it will, because like all things, this too, shall pass. Fed up with your current set up and ready to start the conversation on building a home that works better for your wants and needs? Contact us to set up a FaceTime or Skype appointment with one of our fabulous site agents!