Martha's brand is a good thing for KB Homes.Could Martha Stewart <noinclude></noinclude> Martha Stewart (born Martha Helen Kostyra on August 3, 1941) is an American business magnate, author, editor and homemaking advocate. She is also a former stockbroker and fashion model. help buffer KB Home from a decline in the housing market? KB Chief Executive Bruce Karatz thinks so. The L.A.-based homebuilder's first Martha Stewart-branded community was unveiled last week in North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. to a strong response--and already the company is scouting scouting: see Boy Scouts; Girl Scouts. scouting Activities of various national and worldwide organizations for youth aimed at developing character, citizenship, and individual skills. Scouting began when Robert S. several locations for the line in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . The company's 650-home community in Cary, a Raleigh suburb, has drawn interest from some 3,800 families. "With that kind of response (in Raleigh), we now want to extend it to many other cities," said Karatz, who expects to announce in 30 days a Martha Stewart location in Southern California. KB Home announced in February that it plans to build 1,800 of the Martha Stewart-designed homes in Southern California; Atlanta; Houston; Charlotte, N.C.; Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. ; Orlando, Fla., and Daytona Beach Daytona Beach (dātō`nə), city (1990 pop. 61,921), Volusia co., NE Fla., on the Atlantic coast and Halifax River (a lagoon); inc. 1876. Center of a rapidly urbanizing area, in a region settled by Spanish Franciscans in the 17th cent. , Fla. Stewart was said to be intricately involved in designing the residences, which are modeled after her own East Coast homes in Maine; Westchester, N.Y.; the Hamptons and Connecticut. Stewart influenced everything from the design of windows and the angle of breakfast nooks Noun 1. breakfast nook - a place for light meals (usually near a kitchen); "the breakfast nook had a built in table and seats" breakfast area area - a part of a structure having some specific characteristic or function; "the spacious cooking area provided , to the tile and fixtures used in the kitchens. "She has been hands-on, sleeves rolled-up and really has put her thumb print on the design and look of these homes," Karatz said. The homes range in size from 1,400 to 4,000 square feet, and for the North Carolina market have been priced at $200,000 to $400,000. Building the specialized Martha Stewart homes is more expensive, Karatz said, but the added components help separate the residences from others. "While there are many added costs, it was money very well spent," Karatz said. "There's nothing frivolous about the design elements she added. These are quality additions that enhance lifestyle." Karatz acknowledged that adding the Martha Stewart brand to its line-up of homes has been an advantage in a housing market that is slowly cooling off amid climbing interest rates. "While that wasn't our primary motivation, there's no question that these Martha Stewart communities create excitement in a marketplace than is less buoyant than it was," he said. |
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