Lighting

I know to some it may be boring but I think that lighting fixtures are a major part of a home's decor. For many of our buyers, they have not decided on lighting for a whole house in many, many years (if ever). For that reason, I thought that I would show off our standard fixtures from each of our lines - and additionally point out some of the options that we offer that I particularly like.

First up is lighting from the Kichler which is available at The Courtyards at Brandywine and The Preserve at Lamplighter.

Many of our buyers find that the clean lines of our included options is exactly what they are looking for in their new home. And they come in three finishes to fully make it your own.

 

 

We also love the Lacey collection. It is a full line so you could do a whole home, or just pick and choose. We will actually be putting this entire line in the Shannon model at Brandywine to show it off. Here are a couple of pieces.

 

 

 



Some others that I like:

Circolo, Pottery Barn-look



Hayman Bay, an antique white finish in just a room or two would be beautiful

Maybe not that practical, but pretty fabulous!

Houzz

Hello Again!

One of my most favorite new websites is Houzz. Houzz is "a collaborative platform for home remodeling and design, bringing homeowners and home professionals together
in a uniquely visual community." I use the site in so many ways that it really has become a help and an inspiration both professionally and personally.

Here are some examples of how I use the site.

1) Picking a paint color

My husband and I remodeled a bathroom and a laundry room this summer. He requested a yellow for the laundry room and I wanted a light blue for the bathroom.

So I start off by googling things like "best bathroom paint colors" and "best yellow paint colors." Oftentimes, Houzz will have the perfect article like, How To Pick the Right Yellow. Once I find a color or two that I really like I use the search function in Houzz (Pinterest is good for this as well) to search for room samples. For example, I chose Sea Salt for the bathroom and Houzz gave me an excellent idea of what it would look like (except that most of these bathrooms are HUGE and mine is not). It was incredibly useful and saved me from a lot of wasted time and money from indecision.

2) Furniture Choices

My four year old is ready for a "big girl" room. I searched for kids rooms, mint green (her color of choice) and white furniture and got some great direction on where to go for furniture shopping and paint colors.

3) Remodeling

Houzz was essential when I remodeled by bathrooms. I set up an Idea Book and then shared it with the tile company. When I went for my first meeting, my consultant knew my style and had already pulled some samples of what she thought I might like to see! It made a very stressful situation much much easier. Times two bathrooms by the hundreds of decisions that our homeowners make when they build a McKee home and you can understand why it sometimes takes several visits and lots of snack breaks when they meet with our design consultants. Houzz can help you get organized, find your style and settle some awkward interactions with significant others BEFORE you get too STRESSED.

I also will use Houzz sometimes just because I am bored and want to look at nice things! -Jenni

Meet Laura!

Laura Ryan has recently started selling homes at The McKee Group's Spring Arbor community in Middletown, DE. She had been selling homes in our Foxfield community in Garnet Valley, PA for the past three years. Prior to joining the McKee Group, Laura worked in Middletown, DE for Craftmark Homes. Her first new home sales position was in Smyrna, DE for Brenford Homes.

Laura enjoys going to work each day, her favorite part of her job is when the new homeowner is able to reach the goal of moving into their new home. Oftentimes, our buyers have never purchased a brand new home or some have been in the same memory-filled home for 20 plus years. Laura understands that building a new home can be very exciting, but also can be stressful. Her goal is to minimize the stress and make every step fun for her buyers.
Laura married her high school sweetheart Fran in 1984. She is proud to say that she has been able to support all three of her children through college. "Jessica, Rocky and Taylor are great young adults that bring a smile to all they encounter," Laura beams.

Laura writes, "The Delaware beaches are a hot spot for our family! I haven't missed a summer on the beach since I was a kid. We love kayaking, crabbing, and surf fishing! We really enjoy just being with family and friends and a good book on the beach. I do have to say that winning a trip to Cancun from WOGL Oldies 98.1 was a highlight of my year last year! If you haven't entereted to win, you are missing out! I am also looking forward to cashing in on the hot air balloon trip for two that I purchased for my husband's recent birthday. We are usually a boring couple, and this has surprised even our kids!"

Meet Frank!

Frank McKee Jr is my brother and the Sales Counselor at the Villas at Foxfield. He has worked at The McKee Group in some capacity since he was old enough to sweep a floor. From construction labor to marina services, he has gained perspective on many aspects of the Company.

Frank started working full time at the Company in Business Development and Acquisitions immediately after receiving his bachelor's degree in Business from Drexel University. Once he obtained his Real Estate Sales license, he jumped into sales at Foxfield and The Courtyards at Brandywine.

Frank says his favorite part of his job is seeing the joy on his customers' faces when they make the decision to change their lifestyle, and their lives, by moving into a McKee community. As Frank says, "Once my buyers become residents, that joy turns to excitement and fulfillment of moving to a new stage in life. This is a truly unique job because my emotions are so affected by the journey of our customers. That is what I truly love about it, especially when they are so happy that I get a great big HUG. The connections I make with such wonderful people fuel my growth as a Sales Professional and individual."

Frank says his least liked part of sales is working on football Sundays. He also struggles with real estate professionals who might not work as hard for their clients as he wants them to.

His interests and hobbies include skiing, boating, flying and travelling. One of his more rewarding projects is serving as the Vice President of Board of Directors at the Delaware County SPCA. Frank recently shared the SPCA's wish list of donations with the very generous Villa residents and now receives donations every week to deliver to homeless pets at the shelter.

Get to know us!

This video says it all! http://youtu.be/0BpHrcJiU6s