Building a home in Oregon can be daunting because many moving parts are involved.  As home builders in Oregon and Washington, we get many questions from prospective buyers about the home buying process, customization options, and what to expect. So to help, we’ve put together answers to ten commonly-asked questions we get here at Pahlisch Homes. These will help you on your journey to finding the perfect space of your own.

#1: How Long Does Building a Home Take in Oregon? 

The current expected timeline for building a home in Oregon and Washington from foundation to closing is between seven and eight months. Of course, trade and material availability play a part in the timeline. Still, generally, seven to eight months is the expected timeframe. This is consistent for all of our regions.

#2: What Are Some Standard Features in My Home?

Many incredible features come standard in every home, including smart home integrations such as a Ring Pro doorbell, a Kwikset Halo Smart Lock, and other smart home integrations. We also include kitchen LED under-cabinet lighting, luxury vinyl flooring, front yard irrigation, and Low-E energy-efficient windows with a limited lifetime warranty. Please review our classic standards sheet for a complete list of our features, as these standards vary in each community.

#3: What Are My Home Personalization Options, If Any?

Suppose you purchase a Pahlisch home before the community’s roof sheathing cut off. In that case, you can personalize your hard surfaces from one of our designer collection packages. These hard surfaces include flooring, backsplash tile, countertops, and more. These packages are hand-picked by our designers to meet today’s latest trends and provide various color palettes and style options for you to choose from. Purchase your home after the community’s roof sheathing cut off and you won’t be able to customize your hard surface package. Our designers need to order these products during a specific part of the construction timeline to allow the home builders to meet the construction deadline. Once the roof sheathing cutoff has passed, our designers will pick the hard surfaces for the home and cannot change them.

#4: Can I Pick The Floor Plan I Want, On The Lot I Want?

We currently do not allow home buyers to pick the floor plan on the lot they want for a few reasons. First, our street scenes and color palettes are carefully designed before construction begins so that every home is unique and different from its next-door neighbor. This ensures that our communities do not have a “cookie-cutter” feel and keeps them visually appealing. The lots we build on aren’t consistently sized for specific floor plans. Our planning team spends a lot of time mapping out how many lots will be included in each community to meet a city’s housing density requirements. That being said, we pick our floor plans based on lot size so that every floor plan fits perfectly into each lot. Not every lot can fit the customer’s choice floor plan, so Pahlisch takes the pressure off by helping you find the floor plan you like on a Pahlisch-picked lot that works best for you.

#5: How Many Meetings Will I Attend While Building a Home?

You’ll need to attend three meetings throughout the 7 to 8-month construction timeframe. The first meeting is the “Package Selection”. This is when you will select your hard surface package if you’ve purchased your home before the roof sheathing cutoff. If necessary, this meeting can be held virtually. The second meeting is the “New Homeowner Demonstrations”. This meeting aims to introduce you to your new home and how to use it. A customer care representative will show walk you through the home and show you where all furnace controls, electrical breakers, and water shut-offs exist. This meeting is always done in person. The third and final meeting is the “New Home Demonstration Sign-Off”. At this meeting, you’ll sign off on your new home demonstration, one of the last steps before the home is yours! You must be physically present for this meeting.

#6: Are There Any Warranties Included with Building a Home?

The one year fit-and-finish warranty covers anything cosmetic including settling or material fractures like carpet, paint, drywall, cracks, nail-pops, doors, countertops, and more. The fit-and-finish warranty covers the entire home. Some products like windows, HVAC, roofing materials, and siding carry a manufacturer warranty. Suppose something happens to your home within the one year fit-and-finish warranty period. In that case, our team will help partner with the necessary trades to fix the problem fixed as quickly as possible.

#7: Do Your Communities Include Amenities and Added Features?

Amenities and shared spaces are a celebrated aspect of most Pahlisch communities. Not only is our vision of a community about the memories made inside the home, but it also expands outside the home. In some of our communities, proudly offer world-class, resort-style amenities to our homeowners, including pools, spas, splash pads, clubhouse and gym centers, paved trails, parks, playgrounds, and more. Our goal with our amenities is to create shared spaces that allow our residents to gather and thrive in our communities, living worry-free and at ease. For example, some of our communities with resort-style amenities include Petrosa, located in NE Bend, OR, Rosedale Parks in Hillsboro, OR, or Westcliffe Heights in Richland, WA.  

#8: Are HOAs Required?

Life in a Pahlisch community requires homeowners to pay HOA fees. Your HOA is operated and managed by Crystal Lake Community Management, which is a company under the Pahlisch Family of Companies. Established in 2001, Crystal Lake specializes in residential community management for homeowner associations throughout Oregon and Vancouver, Washington, as well as the Tri-Cities region. Being a part of an HOA with Crystal Lake Community Management ensures your neighborhood is maintained, managed, and remains in great shape for years to come. If you live in a community with any shared spaces, Crystal Lake Community Management manages these locations, so you can continue to enjoy a clean and beautifully maintained community. In addition, they also handle the accounting needs of the community, as well as architectural approvals, association meetings, and so much more. 

#9: Is Pahlisch Homes Headquartered in Oregon?

Yes! Pahlisch is headquartered in Bend, OR, with offices in Portland, OR, Vancouver, WA, and Kennewick, WA. The choice of being local and close to our builds is obvious. To us, it’s essential to build in the regions where we live, work, and play. The Pacific Northwest, and especially the beautiful state of Oregon, is our home, and we take great pride in being good stewards of this place.

#10: How Are Your Homes for Sale in Oregon Different from Your Competitors?

Pahlisch stands out from the competition in several ways. First is our careful involvement in every aspect of the land we build on. From the thoughtful street scenes and considerate under-cabinet windows in the kitchens to the miles of walking paths around our communities, the shared spaces allow our residents to gather together more intentionally and thoughtfully.

Our world-class amenities and designated green spaces center around the vision of bringing neighbors together into shared spaces and creating lasting memories for generations to come. This makes for convenience and ease of life, allowing our residents access to exclusive amenities and access to nature areas right outside their doorstep. There’s also a sense of community created when you purchase a Pahlisch home. In the physical community you live in, we aim to create spaces that reflect each resident in mind.

Pahlisch is intentional with our home designs, thinking of the customer every step of the way. This is why we prefer large windows for bringing maximum sunlight into the home and create flexible spaces that give homeowners freedom for whatever their lifestyle. We want our homes to be exactly what the customer needs, no matter how large or small the home. Purchasing a Pahlisch home means joining the Pahlisch family. Pahlisch is a family-run business, and the founders built the company with the heart of a family mind. Through many testimonials from employees, investors, trade partners, and homeowners, that foundation is felt deep down to the roots on which Pahlisch exists today.

Building a Home with the Right Information

Now that you’re equipped with the right information, please get in touch with our New Home Specialists to learn more about specific communities and purchasing a Pahlisch home. To stay up to date with everything regarding Pahlisch Homes, please sign up for our newsletter and like, follow, and share us on social media.