Hartland Homes’ 10th Annual Chili Feed

I just posted pictures from our Chili Feed.  We fed over 130 subs, suppliers and business partners!  This is an awesome Christmastime tradition.  To see the pictures click on the link!

Hartland Homes' Chili Feed

Don't wait until after the holidays....

 

There has never been a better time to buy a home!  I know it sounds cliché, but it is so true.  Allow me to explain...

1)  Prices will be going up! For the past couple of years demand has been pent up due to the negative media and concerns about the economy.  Because of this, prices have stayed low!  However, home sales have been increasing steadily and the prime home buying season is after January 1. The law of supply and demand tells us that as demand goes up, prices will too!  As the prime home buying season starts, demand increases, supply decreases and prices will go up!   Buying now ensures lowest price.

2)  Interest rates are at an all time low!  (NOW)  Rates change daily and they really only have one way to go - UP!  Did you know you can get a rate of 3.50% that is fixed for 5 years??? (APR 3.025%)  That is incredible!

3)  $8,000 or $6,500 tax credit. They won't be extending this. This is a once in a lifetime offer of FREE money!  If you can buy now, you should take advantage of this tax credit.  For more information on this see the link above on the Homebuyer Tax Credit.

4) Through December, Hartland Homes is offering $2,500 off of options and upgrades. This will end December 31, 2009.

5)  Do you really need another reason? Give us a call and we will help guide you through the home buying process.  Can you buy now?  How much home can you afford?  What are your options?  Hartland Homes can help make your home buying dreams come true!

25 Years Ago

A 25th Anniversary Memory

Here are some fun facts about 1984:

• Michael Jackson was at the top with his album “Thriller”
• Popular movies:  Terms of Endearment and Ghostbusters
• Popular TV shows:  Dynasty and Magnum PI
• Vanessa Williams wins then looses the title of Miss America
• Apple introduced the Macintosh
• The Soviets boycotted the Los Angeles Olympics
• The Space Shuttle Discovery had its maiden voyage
• $.20 was the price of a first class stamp

Our Beginning:  In 1984, Duane Hartman started Hartland Homes with just 3 employees, including himself.  Duane was the salesperson, Jim Kuper was in charge of construction and the 3rd employee was an administrative person. 

Our Employees:  Our construction and office staff have a combined 166 years working at Hartland Homes.  That is an average of 15 years per employee!   The experience and loyalty of our employees has made Hartland Homes successful.  Thank you employees!

Our Locations: The office for the company was in the model home on Briar Rosa Drive.  Eventually, Hartland Homes moved out of the model home and into an office.  This office was located at 10th and Van Dorn right next to Oak Creek flowers.  Both have been torn down and now that area is slated for commercial development.  Hartland Homes moved to its current location in May 1992.

Our improvements: 

• Central  Air, dishwashers and space saver microwaves weren’t always standard
• We switched to cement board siding around 1997 because of all the class action suits on the old siding.  We love the cement board siding.
• Started out with one framing crew and at our peak we had 9 framing crews!
• upgraded to 92% efficient furnaces  (from 80%) , saving our buyers money on utility bills! 
• Added the 20 year dry basement guarantee in the last 2 years.  This system works!! 
• Computerized
  • - blue prints  (we used to draw them ….it took a long time to make changes!
  • Sales contracts (used to write these by hand and some people’s handwriting made it difficult to interpret what the customer wanted!)
  • Scheduling and Warranty (our Builder Trend program makes it easy for customers to see what phase their home is scheduled for next, see current pictures of the home and also. after closing, allows the customer to input warranty requests and let us know when the work is done and if the work is satisfactory.
  • 15 years ago we started using oak woodwork standard in all our homes.  Prior to that we used a softer wood like pine and poplar.  The oak is beautiful and it holds up much better to kids, pets and other abuses.
  • We have updated all our fronts… the homes used to have vertical siding and trim boards.  See picture:

Here is the updated look:  Notice this one has lap siding and no trim boards giving it a cleaner more modern look.

Every year we add new designs and improve our homes, above is just a few of those ways.   We are constantly striving to improve our homes either by updating the plans, inventing new plans or upgrading  products that don’t meet our standards.  This is one of the many reasons we are Lincoln’s Largest Home Builder and plan to be around for another 25 years serving the Lincoln community.

Hartland Homes Raises Money for March of Dimes

25th Anniversary Series Memory

In  1997, Hartland Homes built and raffled off a home raising $100,000.00 for the March of Dimes, “Building for Babies” campaign.  The 3 bedroom home, located at  5641 S. 80th street, was valued at over $134,000.

The donated home had 1290 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 1 and 3/4 baths, a fireplace and underground sprinklers.   It was featured in the Fall Parade of Homes.  Each raffle ticket was $25.00.  On October 12, 1997 the drawing was held and Angela and Jeff Keogh were the lucky winners. 

“I agreed to donate the home because I wanted to give back to the community and I wanted to help out  March of Dimes,” said Duane Hartman, President of Hartland Homes.

Hartland Homes is grateful for the generosity of its suppliers and subcontractors, who made this donation possible.  The numerous donors are listed on the poster pictured below.

10th Annual Chili Feed

25th Anniversary Series Memory

December 22, 1999 Hartland Homes held its first Chili Feed, (pictured above).  According to Mark Reinke, Warranty Manager for Hartland Homes, it all started after the construction guys made chili for the rest of the employees one year.  It went so well, that they decided to expand the chili feed to include subcontractors and suppliers to show our appreciation.

90 people joined us for that first chili feed.  Since then, it has grown to 180!!!  We invite our subs, suppliers, employees and their families, and our other business partners such as lenders, bankers and title insurance specialists. 

 

We fill our garage full of rented tables and chairs.  The construction crew does all the cooking!  They make 3 kinds of chili and brats.  In 2007 we added chicken noodle soup as an alternative for those who don’t like chili or chili doesn’t like them!  It was a big hit so we’ve kept it on the menu.

If you have been to the chili feed, we’d love your comments and memories on this!!

Everyone enjoys the socializing that accompanies the yearly chili feed!

2000th Closing on 20th Anniversary!

25th Anniversary Series Memory

On November 1, 2004, Hartland Homes  celebrated their 2000th closing on their 20th Anniversary.  The happy homebuyers, pictured above with their daughter, Nicholas and Jamie allowed us to host a small party in their brand new home. Members of the Home Builders Association of Lincoln, as well as, Wells Fargo, the lender, joined us in our celebration.

 

It was appropriate, that our 2000th home was our most affordable model, the Bold Beginning.  (Pictured below)

Hartland Homes pioneered the concept of creating home plans that were about 20 feet skinnier than the traditional home.  This plan could then be built on lots that were also one-third as wide. WHY??? 

According to Duane Hartman, President of Hartland Homes and creator of this concept, “ There were a number of potential customers who couldn’t afford our homes with the traditional larger lot price.  Instead of $30,000 for the traditional lot, we could offer the smaller lot for $20,000 enabling our customer to afford a new home or even get more home for their money.”

“I developed this concept so my customer who wanted to get into a starter home like I did, could afford a new home instead of an older one which requires repair and larger utility bills.” 

Today, the Bold Beginning can be built in Hartland Homes Southwest starting at $113,000 including the lot!!!

Fall of 2006- Lincoln’s 1st Fiber Optic Neighborhood

25th Anniversary Series Memory

In September 2006, Hartland’s Garden Valley was the first community in Lincoln to have “fully fiber optic to the home.”   All Hartland Homes in this area will be built with fiber optics to the home providing the means for blazing-fast internet connection without the need of a modem, crystal clear telephone audio and digital television.

Hartland Homes consulted with Windstream, the Fiber Optic provider, and Vianet, a telecom infrastructure company,  to ensure that all their homes in this area would be built  to take advantage of the new fiber optic technology. 

Representatives from Windstream and the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce joined Hartland Homes, Inc.  for a ribbon cutting celebrating the the first fiber optic neighborhood and the opening of  Hartland’s newest model home in Hartland's Garden Valley.

Garden Valley, located at North 13th Street and Humphrey Avenue, is one of Hartland Homes’ most desired communities.  We recently opened another addition, Hartland’s Garden Valley 1st, in which another 23 homes will be built.

$8,000 Tax Credit Extended

$6,500 Tax Credit Now Available for Repeat Buyers!

If you haven't bought a home yet, you are in luck! The $8,000 tax credit for first time home buyers has been extended. Along with the extension of the first time home buyer tax credit, a $6,500 tax credit is now available for repeat home buyers!

Here are some quick facts about these Tax Credits:

$8,000 Tax Credit
-You must be a first time home buyer or have not owned a home for the last three years.
-You must purchase your home between January 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010. However, if you sign a binding sales contract by April 30, 2010, you have until June 30, 2010 to complete the purchase.

$6,500 Tax Credit
- You must have owned and resided in your home for 5 of the last 8 years.
-The home you purchase does NOT have to be more expensive than the one you are currently in.
-You must purchase the home between November 6, 2009 and April 30, 2010. However, if you sign a binding sales contract by April 30, 2010, you have until June 30, 2010 to complete the purchase.
-The home purchase must be a principal residence. Translation: this home must be where you are going to live full time. No vacation homes or rentals!

For more details check out the National Association of Home Builder's FAQ page or talk to a Hartland Homes sales representative (402-477-6668).

Testimonial from our most famous customers!

Many of you may remember that Hartland Homes was the builder for the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition house in Lincoln, Ne in 2006.  Here is a letter from the recipients of that home:

“Rock solid from the foundation to the shingle at the highest peak; that’s what our Hartland home is, and remember, our home was built in just over 100 hours, not months, but hours. The key to this unbelievable build is the ability of Hartland Homes to assemble the finest contractors in the Lincoln and surrounding areas and coordinate all their responsibilities to complete this build under record time restrictions. Not to mention having to comply with the needs of the filming crew from ABC. Our home has all the quality construction of a home that would have taken months to build. We daily pause and reflect on what an incredible experience this was for us, Hartland Homes and the Lincoln community. We are the lucky ones and are grateful that we have met so many wonderful people along the way in this past year, many of which who are with Hartland Homes. Out of 91 homes built by Extreme Makeover Home Edition to date, our build had the 4th shortest "punch list". Hartland Homes responded quickly to complete our list. We know that our home is built with the highest of quality materials and labor both. We are proud to live in such a beautiful home. “

             Duane & Betty-Thank you so much for everything
             Kenny & Teresa Fullerton/Machacek family

Celebrating 25 years!

Hartland Homes announces their 25th Anniversary!

Help us celebrate by sharing your fun and happy memories. Please post a comment. Also know if you post a comment, it may be used other places like our website, facebook, etc. Thanks!!!!