Ultimate Open House

Annual Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland event is presented by
NW Natural and sponsored by Energy Trust of Oregon.

Lake Oswego, Ore. —April 18, 2011—The Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland’s fifth annual Ultimate Open House tour includes 43 new construction homes, townhomes and condos throughout the Portland-metro area. 25 local builders have entered homes that will be featured on the tour. The event takes place two consecutive weekends in May (May 13-15 and May 20-22) and is free to the public. There will be incentives and drawings for attendees and buyers throughout both weekends of the tour.

The initial list of builders participating in this year’s Ultimate Open House includes: Legend Homes, Polygon Homes, Gertz Fine Homes, Arbor Custom Homes, T.A. Liesy Homes NW, Renaissance Homes, Stone Bridge Homes NW, Pulte/Centex Homes, Palisade Homes, Urban Housing Development, Crestwood Homes LLC, Everett Custom Homes, Marnella Homes, Pahlisch Homes, 937 Condominiums, Fish Construction NW, Inc., West Coast Home Solutions, Hoffman Brothers, J.T. Smith Companies, Hymark Custom Homes, JDL Development, Inc., S&K Homes, Monza Homes, Normarco Inc. and D.R. Horton.

“This tour has homes for every buyer and budget – downsizers and boomers, growing families and multi-generational households,” said Brad Hosmar, Chief Operations Officer for Arbor Custom Homes. “People are being very careful to fit their house to their lifestyles and the homes on this year’s tour reflect that trend.”

Arbor Custom Homes, T.A. Liesy Homes NW, Legend Homes and Polygon Homes at Villebois and 937 Condominiums are this year’s Ultimate Open House host sites. The host sites serve as starting points for the tour, where attendees can pick up the Ultimate Open House Guidebook complete with maps of all the homes, driving directions and contact information.

Ultimate Open House Passports, new for 2011, are also available for pickup at the host sites. Attendees can bring their passports to any of the 43 homes on the tour and receive a unique passport stamp at each. The more stamps received, the better the odds to win one of seven weekend getaway packages at destinations including Bend, Newport, Cannon Beach, Lincoln City, and several others. Additionally, 10 home buyers can receive an $800 gas credit on new NW Natural accounts when an eligible home is purchased.

“In addition to our host sites, this year we’re excited to include two idea homes on the tour that will feature either a unique concept room or layout,” said Nancy Haskin, Vice President of Shows, Membership and Education for the HBA.

The first idea home, presented by Gertz Fine Homes, features a “Man Cave.” Many homeowners convert unused spare rooms or basements into Man Caves, but new homes can be built with these ultimate spaces men can call all their own right from the get-go, no remodeling required. Gertz Fine Homes’ Man Cave Idea Home features a sports bar theme with four wall-mounted big screen TVs, a pool table, a raised bar, comfy barstools, refrigerator, luxury leather seating, and ample storage for audio, video, and gaming equipment.

Gertz Fine Homes’ second idea home, called the Vireo Boomer High Performance Idea Home, is designed with Baby Boomers’ needs and expectations in mind. It features elements important to Boomers today, such as ease of mobility, security, and its location has convenient access to recreation, educational opportunities, and cultural events.  The single-floor plan is designed with easy-living in mind: wide door frames, minimal steps, ramp convertibility, abundant lever handles, comfort toilet heights, lower cabinet roll-outs, and a high-technology security system. The idea home is located in a community-oriented Tualatin neighborhood, situated close to public transportation, the local hospital, and country club.

Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland’s Ultimate Open House is a collaborative event that pushes high volumes of foot traffic through new Portland homes, helping to drive sales.

Lake Oswego, Ore. — March 21, 2011– The Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland’s fifth annual Ultimate Open House, presented by NW Natural and sponsored by the Energy Trust of Oregon, is set for two consecutive weekends, May 13 – 15 and May 20 – 22.

The event features new construction condos, town homes and custom-designed homes crafted by the area’s top builders. Tours are free to the public, and homes are scattered throughout the Portland-metro area.

Survey results from the last few years of the highly attended event prove it has been a valuable tool for generating leads and closing sales for participating builders of all sizes. The Ultimate Open House’s robust marketing campaign allows participating builders to gain greater visibility for fewer dollars, making efficient use of slim marketing budgets.

“The builders that have previously entered homes have been very pleased with the results,” said Nancy Haskin, Vice President of Shows, Membership and Education for the HBA. “Some sell homes on the spot, while others report gathering numerous leads for subsequent sales.”

Legend Homes, a participant in the show since the Ultimate Open House began five years ago, has three homes registered for 2011.

“In past years, The Ultimate Open House has doubled, if not tripled, the traffic we receive on a typical open house weekend. Working with the HBA and other builders gives us the ability to be a part of a greater marketing campaign than we could do on our own, allowing us to reach more potential prospects and homebuyers,” said Krista Boyd, Director of Marketing and Communications for Legend Homes.

Arbor Custom Homes will be a host site for the 2011 tour. Renaissance Homes, Legend Homes, Stone Bridge Homes NW, Pulte Homes, Palisade Homes, Urban Housing Development, Crestwood, Everett Custom Homes, Marnella Homes, Pahlisch Homes, 937 Condominiums and Fish Construction NW, Inc. have all entered condos or homes. All HBA members are encouraged to participate, and the deadline for entry is Friday, Mar. 25.