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Making Your Home a “Smart Home”

smart home technology
(Image via businessinsider.com)

Recent technological advancements have allowed us to make simple home improvements faster! By buying one or two gadgets, you can make life at home much easier. While making your home smart might sound like a daunting task, the technology has come a long way and it is now easier than ever. There are a lot of smart home goods like LED bulbs, locks, TVs and even robot vacuums that clean your home while keeping your pet intrigued. For those looking to step into the future of homes, here’s some information on smart home technology!

Your Personal Home Assistant

You have probably chatted with Siri, Alexa or Google on your phone or other device. Artificial intelligence is one of the many ways you can make your home smarter. Companies like Apple, Google and Amazon came up with their own home assistant technologies that execute some of the tasks you do at home like playing music, updating your calendar and even computing simple math problems as you dictate. If you paid attention to this year’s Apple WWDC (Apple Worldwide Developers Conference), then you might have noticed Apple’s new egg-shaped speaker called “HomePod”, which promises to innovate home speakers, but also act as a smart home assistant that lets you connect to the different devices inside your home. If you’re having trouble deciding which smart home technology assistant to purchase, see how they stack up to each other!

Wondering Where to Start?

With the number of brands and devices out on the market, choosing a smart home appliance can be overwhelming. The best starting point is your home TV. If you have bought your TV within the last few years, it probably has “smart features” that let you browse the web, stream videos and photos from your phone or even let you install third party apps like Skype, Netflix and Facebook for more productivity or entertainment.

Smart homes not only make your life easier, but are also good for the environment! If you’ve decided to buy one of our new homes in Kyle, TX, it’s a good investment to install a learning thermostat, LED bulbs or even a smart refrigerator. These devices are designed to conserve excessive electric usage and reduce your monthly cost. To learn more about our homes near Austin, contact Crosswinds today.

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Take a Look at Crosswinds’ Model Homes

If you’re looking for new homes in Kyle, TX, our master-planned community is a must-tour! We just had our Crosswinds grand opening in which we revealed four beautiful model homes from our three exceptional homebuilders. Here’s a little more information on our model homes.

Highland Homes

Crosswinds grand opening

Building on 50’ and 60’ homesites, Highland Homes is building some gorgeous homes in Crosswinds! Their model home is based on their Dorchester floor plan and is a one-story, 2,296 square foot, four bedroom and three bathroom paradise for any growing family. Highland Homes is currently the only homebuilder in Crosswinds to build on our 60’ homesites, and they will have a few move-in ready homes available in August.

Visit the Highland Homes model home:
272 Tailwind Drive
Kyle, TX 78640

Pacesetter Homes

Crosswinds grand opening

Constructing homes on our more economical lot sizes, Pacesetter Homes is building on our 40’ and 50’ homesites. While Pacesetter Homes has the Craftsman Collection and the Craftsman Plus Collection, their model home is from their Craftsman Collection. Pacesetter has a single and two-story model at Crosswinds, and the two-story model also serves as their sales center, so you can tour their beautiful model home and get all your questions answered right then and there!

Visit the Pacesetter Homes model home:
290 Tailwind Drive
Kyle, TX 78640

Meritage Homes

Crosswinds grand opening

Filling out the rest of our 50’ homesites, Meritage Homes has 10 different floor plans offered at Crosswinds, and their model home is absolutely breathtaking! If you’re ready to get into one of our new homes in Kyle, TX as soon as possible, then Meritage Homes is who you want to go with. They will offer several move in ready homes available by July!

Visit the Meritage Homes model home and sales center:
282 Tailwind Drive
Kyle, TX 78640

Just because you missed the Crosswinds grand opening doesn’t mean you have to miss out on touring all of our great model homes! Contact Crosswinds today to learn more about our master-planned community of new homes in Kyle, TX.

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Is Your Credit Ready for a Home Mortgage Loan?

home mortgage loan

When you’re a first-time homebuyer, there are a lot of things that you just don’t know. It isn’t your fault. You’ve just never needed to know all the ins and outs of homebuying and what goes into getting a home mortgage loan, such as your credit score. It’s best if both the credit scores of you and your partner are in tip top shape. Here are a few tips to make sure your credit is ready for a home mortgage loan.

Check Your Credit Reports

First and foremost, you need to check your credit reports to make sure there’s nothing damaging on there. There are three credit reports your lender could check – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Since you don’t know which credit score your lender will check, it’s best to take a thorough look through each of them. You can get a free copy of each of your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com. You can also keep a constant eye on your credit through mobile apps like Credit Karma.

Dispute Any Inaccuracies

Inaccurate information on your report can really hurt your credit and your chances of getting approved for a home mortgage loan. Regardless of whether you have physical proof of the mistake, you should dispute it with the credit bureau.

Pay Off Delinquent Accounts and Bury Them with Timely Payments

If you have any delinquent accounts including any late accounts, charge-offs, bills in collection and judgments, you need to get those sorted out. You then will need to re-establish a pattern of timely payments that will show to your lender that you will be a responsible borrower.

Reduce Your Debt-to-Income Ratio

You need to be able to show your lender that you will be able to pay your mortgage every month, and it’s hard to do that if you have a high level of debt relative to your income. Ideally, you want your monthly debt payments to be no more than 12% of your income.

Check Your FICO Score

Since your FICO  score is what’s used by 90% of lenders whether it’s for a car or home mortgage loan, you’ll want to know what it is before you start applying. You ideally want your FICO score to be at least 720 to get a good interest rate.

If you’re ready for a home mortgage loan and to buy one of our new homes in Kyle, TX, contact Crosswinds today! We can’t wait to tell you all about our master-planned community.

Image from Thinkstock by Getty Images. Item number: 627196720

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A Quick Guide to Austin Spring Events You Shouldn’t Miss

things to do in Austin

Spring is almost here! Crosswinds has many new homes in Kyle, TX which are just around the corner from of one of the most exciting cities – Austin. Crosswinds is sharing a list of some fun happenings and things to do in Austin this summer!

Derby in the City

Nothing says summer like a music festival! On May 6, Austin American Statesman will be hosting the 3rd annual Derby in the City Music Festival. Grab your favorite derby hat and dress to the nines while enjoying the most “exciting two minutes in sports” on the jumbotron and listening to fantastic live music. Artists performing include Citizen Cope, Sweet Spirit, Black Pistol Fire, The Watters and Los Coast.

Bubblepalooza

Grab the kids and prepare for a lot of bubbles! On Saturday, June 3, Long Center will be hosting the 6th Annual Bubblepalooza, a spectacular summer event for the whole family. Families can enjoy live music from artists such as Hey Lolly Band, Biscuit Brothers and Saddle Sores. Visitors can also chow down at the many food trucks or cool off with snow cones from Kona Ice. In addition to the good eats and beautiful music there will be various activities to take part in such as chalk art, face painting, ambulance tours with St. David’s Healthcare and of course, bubble-making foam pits!

Circus 1903 – The Golden Age of Circus

Another must-see this summer is Circus 1903 – The Golden Age of Circus. Visit Dell Hall June 6th-8th for an unforgettable experience. This event is the brainchild of the same production team that created the world’s largest magic show, The Illusionist and the award-winning puppeteers of the show War Horse. See Elephants take the ring in a way you have never seen before, as well as unique, dangerous circus acts never before seen!

17th Annual Soul to Sole Tap Festival

All you dancers, shuffle-step your way to the 17th Annual Soul to Sole Tap Festival at Rollins Studio Theatre on June 16th and 17th. This rhythmic festival will be hosted by Tapestry Dance Company, North America’s only full-time, professional, repertory tap dance company. Dancers and teachers from around the world will come together for master classes taught by a faculty of critically acclaimed artists.

Crosswinds is a community perfectly located for members to enjoy all the perks of suburban life but also to take advantage of nearby things to do in Austin. For more information on how to find a home in Kyle, TX, explore the Crosswinds website.

 

Image from Thinkstock by Getty Images. Item number: 537466648

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New Homes in Kyle, TX from the $200s

For those ready to point your compass in a new direction, the master-planned new home community of Crosswinds must be your first stop. Located just south of Austin, in the charming city of Kyle, lies a community that focuses on living. Here – Home, community and lifestyle are connected to create a relaxing place to dock.

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