Only a few weeks ago I did a post and joked and bragged a little about Pittsburgh and the many titles that the Steel City has been named in the past year. (Pittsburgh: Title for the Most Titles)  This post was inspired by Pittsburgh being named one of the Best Places to Raise a Family. And here we are 17 days later being crowned The Most Affordable City to Buy a Home by Forbes.  Other than the titles already mentioned we have topped the lists for Best Places for Business and Careers, Best Cities for Commuters, America’s Safest Cities, Best Cities to Get Ahead, and many many more.

Knowing all of this information, why haven’t you built a new home in Pittsburgh yet? Or if you have, why haven’t you convinced your best friends and family to move in next door? Maybe you don’t have to tell your mother-in-law, but seriously if you know someone who is on the fence, or if YOU are on the fence, read this article from Forbes.com: Most Affordable Cities to Buy a Home   Pittsburgh truly is the best place to live, with affordable housing, and a great place to raise a family. If you are not making selections you are just making excuses.  Do not miss out on some of the lowest prices and rates in U.S history!!  Oh and make sure you build with Pittsburgh’s #1 Custom Home Builder, Heartland Homes.

Everyone has heard the saying that there’s no such thing as a FREE lunch – so to make sure everyone believes us we decided to offer a FREE breakfast instead!

Stop by our Hiddenbrook model home in Peters Township for a free breakfast!

This Sunday from 8:30 – 11am you can stop by our brand new model home in Hiddenbrook (off of Hidden Valley Rd) for a quick breakfast on your way to church or other activities. No strings, no catch, no sales pitches! Just stop in and say hello. You can get driving directions to Hiddenbrook here. We’ll see you on Sunday!

(Residents welcome!)

Chadwick Estates offers everything you could ever hope for in a community.  To say that you are close to all the best places in Peters Township is simply an understatement.  Minutes from the best elementary, middle, and high schools in Washington County. Minutes from not one, not two, not three, but seven parks.  Need to hit the grocery store on your way home from work? No problem, stop at one of the five major stores within blocks from each other.  Did your New Year’s resolution fall flat, but you are still determined to get in shape? How about Strive Fit, Bally Total Fitness, Alexander’s, or one of the many other fitness centers within workout distance from your next dream home at Chadwick Estates.

Ladies, how about a day of shopping, eating, and relaxing?  Well how about a week of shopping, eating , and relaxing because that’s how long it will take you to visit all of the retail stores, restaurants, spas, and salons that are so close to Chadwick Estates.  Guys, how about hitting the links at one of the local golf courses, and we are not talking easy par three’s either!  Couples, looking for a community that offers cute places to go on dates? How about starting with a coffee at Starbucks then heading to a movie, ballroom dancing lessons, ice skating, or a date night at the casino? All within a distance from home for an unforgettable night out.

So now that you have heard what is so great about the area around Chadwick Estates, you must see this must-see community.  Stunning panoramic views nestled behind the timeless Track’s Farm, a beautiful brick-front community.  Gorgeous home sites that are truly worth a visit.  Stop by our Pinehurst Model, open Monday-Thursday 10-5 and Saturday-Sunday 12-5, or anytime by appointment.

You know that there is something very magical about a community that sells 4 homes in 4 hours!!  Don’t believe us? We challenge you to park your car at the entrance to this community, take a walk, and not fall in LOVE. You will instantly become a part of the Brookfield Manor Family. At Brookfield Manor, you are only a stranger once!!

Brookfield Manor is definitely a community with Social Homeowners!  The homeowners collectively had a Cinco De Mayo party and are expecting more road side get togethers this summer!  A July 4th block party is already the next planned event!

Take our challenge and you will see the kids are having fun playing on their swing sets and sharing toys with other children in the community!  Hockey time is usually held after 3pm in the cul de sac on Brookfield Drive.  Now that it is summer, play time may start early!  In the evenings and weekends you will see the grown ups having fun socializing and planning upcoming neighborhood events, while enjoying a cold refreshment.  Some are enjoying a great book and feeling the breeze and warm sun while sitting on their front porch!  You will see other homeowners getting some exercise by taking a walk along our concrete sidewalks with their pets!  Some wait till the sun is down and the lamp posts are lit to take a stroll in the summer evening!  And one of our Brookfield owners is getting ready to meet up with some friends at the South Side works and waves as he passes the kids playing tag and adults chatting along the street.  He is running late but then realizes he is less than ten minutes away from meeting his friends at the Cheesecake Factory!

There is something for everyone at Brookfield Manor! It only takes one visit to fall in love with your next home. Become a part of this family and not just a neighbor in a community. Still think this is too good to be true? Hear it from one of the Brookfield Family Members:

The Pittsburgh Business Times released their latest Guide to Western Pennsylvania Schools which ranks the top School Districts in the State.  Sitting atop this coveted list is Upper St. Clair, and a few other Pittsburgh Area Schools.  Below are some of our area’s top ranked schools, for a full list of the state rankings click here, Pittsburgh Business Times Guide  

1)  Upper St. Clair School District

2)  North Allegheny School District

3)  Mt. Lebanon School District

4)  Hampton Township School District

5)  Peters Township School District

6)  Fox Chapel Area School District

7)  South Fayette Township School District

8)  Quaker Valley School District

9)  Franklin Regional School District

10)  Norwin School District

11)  Bethel Park School District

12)  Greater Latrobe School District

13)  Penn-Trafford School District

14)  Pine-Richland School District

15)  Avonworth School District

If you are relocating from another city, or born and raised in Pittsburgh, you can certainly appreciate the value of a Pittsburgh education. Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh offers top-notch education!! To find the best community in the best school district, Contact Sara, your online concierge.

June 14^th Americans celebrate Flag Day by paying respect to the best flag in the world, the people who fought for Old Glory, and the symbolism behind the 50 stars, the 13 stripes, and every inch of Red,White, and Blue that covers our Star-Spangled Banner.  Throughout the world it is used in public discourse to refer to the U.S., not only as a nation, state, government, and set of policies, but also as an ideology and set of ideals.

Since 1777, there have been different versions of the flag that have been adopted.  The flag has been changed 26 times since the new, 13-state union adopted it. The 48-star version went unchanged for 47 years, until the 49-star version became official on July 4, 1959 (the first July 4 following Alaska’s admission to the union on January 3, 1959). The 47-years of the 48-star version had been the longest time the flag went unmodified until 1960, when the 50-star version of the Flag of the United States broke the record.  And did you know that there are two possible designs for a 51-state flag? Just in case we admit Puerto Rico into the Union.

So if you have not already done so today, raise your flag, say the pledge of allegiance (if you remember it), and celebrate Flag Day by taking a moment what the Stars and Stripes mean to you.

Hey!! Welcome to another edition of Heartland Today and a special TGIF edition!!

There isn’t a whole lot to talk about on a specific topic this week, so I hope you enjoy this collection of random and delightful topics in spite of all the bad reports we have been hearing on the news lately. So sit back, kick your feet up, and try not to think about bills, shrills, or spills for the next couple of minutes.

July 4th

We have less than one month until Independence Day!!! Is time flying or what? So since you have been made aware of this holiday in advanced, it’s time to grab the kids, or the dogs, and plan your holiday!!  Western PA, Eastern Ohio, and Northern, WV all offer some great places to camp, explore, or relax.  You can learn more about what each state has to offer by visiting their official websites:  Pennsylvania  Ohio  West Virginia

Father’s Day

A little over two-weeks away is Dad’s Day!! Uh oh, you didn’t lose track of time did you?  Luckily, we have you covered.  Check out our previous blog post for some ideas that will bring a smile to your father’s face on his special day: Gifts for Dad

What to do this weekend?

Not really sure what to do this weekend? Again we got you covered!! Pittsburgh, Yes Pittsburgh!! Right in your back yard, there are an infinite amount of things to do. Want to know what’s going on this weekend?  How about the Three Rivers Arts Festival: June 4-13 in downtown Pittsburgh.  Enjoy live music, crafts, food, dancing, paintings, sculptures, drawings and photographs in a venue that suits the size and popularity of the festival itself: downtown Pittsburgh. OR Check out Hellopittsburgh.com for an up to date list of all things going on in the ‘burgh. OR Visit our previous post and check out some Pittsburgh Classics

Football Season

So we are a little more than two months out from Steelers Football, but if you still have that urge to grunt, yell, and scream at your television this weekend, may I suggest a new type of Football.  The World Cup Soccer Tournament (or Football to those who live outside the US) began this week and will continue over the next couple of weeks. So go out to a local pub and pretend you know whats going on, or relax at home and cheer on the USA.

Weekend Food for Thought: “A new broom sweeps clean, but the old brush knows the corners.”

The Williamsburg Collection

The Oxford is one of our most spacious floor plans at Heartland Homes. The Oxford is one of eleven immaculate floor plans in our Williamsburg Collection, inspired by Colonial Williamsburg.  These two-story Colonial designs offer a blend of practicality and spacious open floor plans for every home. Our signature collection offers plenty of space for work & play and life & lounging. All of the floor plans in Williamsburg Collection are adaptable to meet the needs of any lifestyle.

The Oxford

The Oxford is a fantastic open floor plan with old home charm. It features a two story foyer and family room, a huge eat-in kitchen, first floor laundry room, study, living and dining rooms. The master bedroom features two walk-in closets and a private bath with soaking tub, separate shower and two vanity sinks.

• -  Master Bedroom with two walk-in closets
• -  Large two story foyer and family room with cathedral ceiling
• -  First floor study and laundry room
• -  3rd floor option
• -  Large Open Floor Plan
• -  3,040-3,906 sq ft offering room for any lifestyle
• -  4-6 Bedrooms and 2.5-4.5 baths
• -  Spacious Bedroom Sizes
• -  Many Exterior Elevations to choose from, giving you ample Curb Appeal
• -  Must-see Master Suite w/ 2 Walk-In Closets
• -  Amazing Master Bath w/ His & Her sinks, Soaking tub and Separate shower
• -  Downloadable Brochure

To tour our Oxford floor plan, please feel free to visit our Providence Point model home every Saturday and Sunday from 12 pm to 5 pm, or anytime by appointment

Floor Plans:

First Floor Plan        Second Floor Plan        Optional Third Floor         

If you have any questions about the Williamsburg Collection or the Oxford Floorplan, Ask Sara, your online concierge!

“A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines” – Frank Lloyd Wright

The late, great architect, interior designer, writer, and educator Frank Lloyd Wright has inspired many with his buildings, designs and writings for many years beyond his passing.  Any tourist, enthusiast, and builder, no matter their background can appreciate Frank Lloyd Wright’s relationship with nature.  Building structures that fit in with nature instead of resting on nature.  Each building that Frank Lloyd Wright built was a piece of art, and not just a building.  More than 1,000 projects and over 500 completed works Frank Lloyd Wright’s work can be found all over the world. We are very fortunate to have two Frank Lloyd Wright designs right here in our backyard: Kentuck Knob in Chalk Hill and Falling Water in Bear Run, both near Ohiopyle State Park, east of Uniontown

Today, Frank Lloyd Wright would have been 143 yrs old. An impossible age to ever live but FLW has given us art, buildings and inspiration that will last an eternity.  Thank You Frank Lloyd Wright and Happy Birthday!!   

“The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.” -Frank Lloyd Wright

It seems like every two weeks we have the pleasure of announcing another “Top 10 Best of” something for the city of Pittsburgh. On top of what seems like hundreds and hundreds of titles that the Steel City holds we are adding just one more. Well one more for today, tomorrow is another story.

Forbes Magazine/Forbes.com ranks Pittsburgh as the #7 on the Best Places to Raise a Family list.  As if we didn’t know already!! That’s right, chalk another Top 10 up to da’ Burgh.  We understand Pittsburgh is safe, affordable, and offers great educational prospects and well deserving of this honor, but when are we going to get the title for most titles?

Seriously, I sifted through Forbes.com for an hour or so, and did some research through the archives of the last 365 days.  Do you know how nationally recognized Pittsburgh really is?

I would say that there were over 20 but some of them are NOT to be mentioned (like this past April’s: City with the Worst Hair Award or the record for consecutive losing seasons by a sports franchise) But let’s take a look back and look at some of our top National rankings over the last calendar year:

Best Places to Raise a Family

Most Livable City

Best Places for Business and Careers

Best Places for Unemployment Pay (A very reassuring title to have)

America’s Best Housing Market

Best Cities for Commuters

America’s Fastest Recovering Cities

America’s Safest Cities

America’s Hottest Sports Cities

America’s Recession-Proof Cities to Retire In

Cheapest Cities to Live In

Most Affordable Cities to Live In (Not making this one up, we basically got the same award twice)

Best Cities to Get Ahead

Besides the catchy titles and all of the publicity, there are so many more reasons to LOVE Pittsburgh: Great People, Great City, Great Growth, and Great History

Tell us why you Love Pittsburgh in the Comment Section Below!!