VIP is the Place to Be

When you become an Antares Community VIP member, access to the lowest pre-grand opening pricing is only the beginning. Antares VIP membership includes a wealth of benefits such as access to updates on the community while it’s still in construction, and a special invite to our pre-launch events.  We know that envisioning a neighborhood before it’s built can be hard to do. With multiple communities to preview and similar floorplans to explore, we’ll make sure the only thing hard to imagine will be leaving your dream home once it’s built!

At our VIP events, we make sure you feel special. We make sure each guest that presented with a personalized experience that has been thoughtfully put together by our #AntaresFamily!  Make sure you join our VIP list if you’re interested in one of our communities, so you can take advantage of all the Antares VIP benefits!

 

Until Next Time,

Rebekah R.

Let’s Take A Selfie

Take a selfieGreetings!  My name is Rebekah, and this is the blog post where you get introduced to the new blogger.  But first, let’s take a selfie.  How can you not?  There are too many pretty mirrors in our showroom, and two of them are right in front of my desk!  Now, there are a few things that you HAVE to know about me.  I am the oldest (read: bossiest) of four dramatically different children.  We grew up in Fort Worth, and I discovered my passion for Marketing in college at East Texas Baptist University.

The thing about marketing is that even the best marketers can’t change the product.  I’ve had the good fortune to work with some really exciting products in the past that made it easy to bring in customers. As a self-proclaimed home design expert (I’ve logged SO many hours of HGTV), I am happy to say that I am once again working with a product that I love.  As I am looking at pictures and samples, I already feel sorry for my poor boyfriend.  He’s going to have to deal with a long future of ‘Baaaaaabe!  Look at the pretty thing we’re building now!’

Getting to business, though, I am the newest member of the Antares Marketing team and I’m here to continue giving you inside looks into our crazy little family and my personal point of view on our lovely communities.  You’ll continue to see features on our teams and customers, along with highlights on what’s best to do in this great Metroplex!

Be sure to stop by our blog again next week.  I’ll be posting about the only thing I like more than houses: local food.

 

Until then,

Rebekah R

Featured Sales Consultant- Sonia Kinnard

Introducing the Sales Consultant in our Saginaw Springs community, Sonia Kinnard!

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Recently, our marketing team stopped by her model for a visit and a quick interview about the neighborhood. We talked about some of the new homes under construction, and we did a walk through of 737 Ravenwood Drive!

13340927_10156955851215481_1672916694_oScreen Shot 2016-05-31 at 9.25.02 AMScreen Shot 2016-05-31 at 9.18.04 AMIt’s safe to say, we couldn’t stop laughing once Sonia gave us the up close, and personal tour. She stepped into the shower and gave a little dance to show us how much room there was inside. Plus she shared everything she loves about this home and why she doesn’t see it staying on the market for long! Prepare to see this video on our website very soon!

Saginaw Springs has a wonderful school district called Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD. A month ago Sonia was invited to speak at their luncheon and tell everyone about the inventory homes we have in Saginaw, everybody loved her and enjoyed her enthusiasm!

Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD Realtor Luncheon 4.26.16_6196

Sonia’s love for people and dedication to her craft has brought her enormous success at Antares! She takes her work seriously, but knows how to be goofy and have fun as well. Sonia is an expert in the homebuilding process and can help her buyers with any questions they have. If you’re in the area, stop by our model at 937 Lost Heather Drive and say hello to miss Sonia at Saginaw Springs!

Realtors to Follow on Social Media

Realtors to Follow on Social Media

Looking for realtors to follow on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook who bring their A game when it comes to social networking? These people and companies have lots to say with today’s audience and they all have their special way of communicating. Whether it’s by sharing helpful articles, home listings, or tips of where to go in your local area, they’re here to serve! We want to share our list of Realtors that we think you should follow (if you’re not already) on social media!


facebook Realtor Pages to Follow on Facebook

#1 National Association of Realtors- Facebook page

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I feel like it wouldn’t make sense if I didn’t mention this Facebook page; this is a public domain for all of the Realtors out there and it celebrates them simply by posting articles, funny memes, and exciting throwbacks from the home industry! This is the place to “like” and “follow” if you’re a realtor because you can to relate and gather info from the articles they post that could help you in the home buyer business. The Realtors page has something for every Realtor!

#2 Realtor.com- Facebook Page

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If you liked the previous Realtor page, this is a Facebook page that all Realtors should follow. First, because it’s a domain where you can see all of the news and updates in the Realtor universe. Second, this is a great place to network with other Realtors. Lastly, you should follow this page because they post terrific articles about how to speed up home sales, how to close,  DIY house decor, and economic stats in the housing market!

#3 Maria Zambrano- facebook Page

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Maria’s Facebook page has distinguished itself through some very interactive features. She consistently posts new home listings, adds comments, re-tweets, shares DIY crafts for your home, and posts relevant stats in the housing market. Plus she posts articles about the local cities activities and restaurants to visit for other Realtors and customers looking at her page.

#4 bob Hardie- FACEBOOK Page

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Good Ol’ Bob, his Facebook page covers every aspect of social media interaction from his helpful home repair articles, local places to travel, nearby spots to get some grub, and all around insightful posts. Bob knows what his audience wants to read, and he delivers with enthusiasm in every post! Plus he likes to travel and share his adventures with everyone, and we all know living vicariously through world travelers is always fun.

#5 danny Force- FACEBOOK Page

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May I say, Danny has the coolest name, it sounds like a super hero “Danny Force” so that’s pretty awesome! In my opinion, that is reason enough to follow this guy, he’s also pretty original and up-to-date with today’s audience. He made a video of the “Appraisal Process” where he goes step-by-step and discusses the process of getting a home appraisal. This is a terrific way to communicate with your followers and the video gets the message out there in a direct way. He’s also made some other videos discussing the home buying process, here’s the link to his Youtube Channel!


twitter Realtors to follow on Twitter 

#1 Jennifer Kuhlman- @jenkuhlman

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Jennifer’s twitter is a perfect example of somebody who stays in touch with her audience. She knows what homebuyers are looking for, and finds important articles to share that are helpful for mortgage owners and people looking in the market (like the ones she has already posted above)! She also posts stats every chance she gets because, as we know the home buying industry, it’s changing every day and Jennifer is helping us stay aware! Jennifer is currently a Realtor with Remax Synergy.

#2 Theo Holba– @theoholba

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Where do we begin with Theo’s twitter? First of all, he posts motivational quotes quite often, which are great in the competitive world of sales. Also, has makes it fun by sharing unique vacation photos!

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I believe in professionals working hard and playing hard and Theo is an excellent example of that. He knows real estate but likes to have fun and share it with his followers.

#3 Tony Deziel– @tony_deziel 

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Currently at 24.5k followers, Tony knows how to entertain on his online platform with lots of retweets of cooking recipes, interior design, distinguished home articles and more! Tony isn’t new to Twitter and definitely knows how to engage with his followers! To top it all off, he’s a musician as well as a successful Realtor with West View Properties! Here’s a link to his album on I-Tunes, https://itun.es/i6YH9h8 #iTunes

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#4 Jean Clark- @JEClarkRealtor

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Jean Clark owns her Twitter account by posting about her hardcore runs should be motivation enough to follow her. You can tell she’s goal oriented and working towards getting in shape! She’s also living a healthy lifestyle by clean eating so she posts pics of her garden and shares articles of healthy grocery stores to shop! Jean is currently a realtor at REMAX DFW Associates and is a major trend setter!

#5 Hannah Gigley- @HGigley

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When I stumbled across Hannah’s twitter I was immediately drawn in by her eye catching profile cover photo, her market statistics to keep Realtors updated, and the articles she shares with terrific design tips! She also points out unique ways to decorate your bathroom, closet, and more! Hannah is a realtor but has incredible taste of how a home could look and loves to share her ideas with her followers. Hannah is currently a realtor with Luxury Homes.


instagram Realtors to follow on Instagram 

#1 Brosda and Bentley Realtors- @Brosda and Bentley

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Wow! I have to say when I first looked at this account I didn’t know this was a Realty company! I was blown away by the artwork, colors and gorgeous floor plans! Many of their homes are off of the beach so you get to see beautiful landscapes outside the windows, plus they have completely luxurious and spacious kitchens! These are definitely dream homes, but it never hurts to dream!

#2 Ebby Halliday Realtors- @ebbyhalliday_realtors

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I like it when you can look through a company’s social page and it tells a story. This Instagram account does just that by sharing throwback pictures of their owners. Not only does this present depth, but history is considered “vintage” by today’s market and it’s a sentimental and fun way to look at a company! I also like their “freshlistingfriday” videos, it’s a new home listing that the audience has come to expect and look forward to!

#3 Raleigh Realtors- @raleighrealtors

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I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again! I believe that the key to life and success is to work hard and play hard! Knowing how to lay back and have fun with your career is tough to do, and these Realtors know how to do just that. It looks like they sell their good share of homes, and they share it in a fun/creative way with the realtors holding a “SOLD” happy sign. Plus, you can tell that this group of people like to laugh by posting funny quotes and making “Anchor Man” references, which is great because Anchor Man rocks!

Dan Parrish, our Graduate Master Builder

Have you ever heard of a guy named, Dan Parrish? No, he’s not a celebrity or an athlete, but he is an unparalleled builder at Antares Homes, so this makes him pretty important! We used to have a saying that Antares Homes was really Dantares Homes!

Here at Antares we have a few diligent Master Builders who work around the clock to see our homes become a reality. Dan is one of two Graduate Master Builders currently building our homes and I want tell you a little bit more about him.

DanDan Parrish has been a part of the Antares family for 15 years, just a few short years after Antares was founded by Ron Formby in 1998.  He started his career in the warranty department and from there he moved to phase building which involved permitting, creating start memos, and pouring slabs.

After working behind the scenes, Dan became a builder for Antares.  After a few years of excellent perfomance he entered his training to become a Master Builder.  To receive his Graduate Master Builder certification, he had even more education from the NAHB.

Facts about Dan:

  • Dan is a fantastic Karaoke singer.
  • Dan loves to go on cruises.
  • Dan’s dog is named Murphy and he is the cutest mutt ever.
  • Dan loves to watch college baseball.

Today, Dan is currently building in our Meadow Creek Estates community in Glenn Heights, TX so feel free to stop by and say hello to him!

-Alexa Katchinska

 

Let’s start from the very beginning

Let’s start from the very beginning, which I’ve heard from Julie Andrews is a very good place to start.

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Antares Homes will be starting a new blog told by me, Alexa Katchinska, the new Marketing Assistant at Antares Homes. My background actually began in the film industry, which eventually jump started my interest in marketing after my college internship with the Dallas Film Society. At this internship I was responsible for managing the sponsors and adding new ones for our 2014 event. I learned so much from this experience. I became very fascinated with the way people market their brands and make things happen that I became eager to learn more. After my internship I graduated from Tarrant County College and got my first entry level job at Studios 121. At Studios 121 I was the go-to girl, which meant I literally dabbled in everything, so at many points I created mass emails, designed templates, organized events, ordered supplies, printed logos, and updated the social media. I learned so much from this experience that I knew I was ready to dive into the exciting world of marketing, and that’s where I was fortunate to meet Antares Homes.

First, let me say that I am very excited to be working for this company. I had heard so many amazing things from so many people that I didn’t believe companies like this existed. Now that I’m working here, I can honestly say that this is a great place to be. Let me use the bicycle analogy for a second; every single employee plays a vital role in making sure that the wheels keep spinning and without one person the bicycle can slow to a crawl, or completely stop and tumble over. Cheesy analogy, but it’s so true here at Antares Homes. Everybody supports one another and has an important position to play in the home building business.

I have to admit that before I started with Antares Homes, I didn’t know everything that went into building houses. I thought it was as simple as picking what you want, having someone build it, paying the expense, calling a moving company to move your stuff, then getting to watch Netflix on your couch. When I began working at Antares, I realized that there is lot more that goes into finding the perfect home. My perspective is, your home is where your heart is, meaning that you would want to decide every little thing that goes into it before making it yours. This blog will be told from a person diving into the housing industry herself, so as you read every week you will be learning with me on the “do’s” and “don’ts” of home building or moving into your quick move in home.

I hope you’ll keep reading along with me on my exciting journey of learning the home building business!

Until next time,

Alexa Katchinska

Spring Tour

WooHoo!

The Greater Fort Worth Spring Tour of New Homes is coming up in May and I am very excited!  We love the Spring Tour because it introduces us to lots of people who have never heard of Antares Homes before.  We really loved it last year because we won a lot of awards.  Those awards made us feel really special. 

What was so exciting about those awards last year is that our Model Home at 6836 Waterhill Lane was the Grand Award Runner Up!  Now, I know a lot of folks who would say Runner Up is just second place, but it is second place over 51 other homes, many of which are in a much higher price range!  That gives me warm fuzzies!  The Grand Award winner was Sean Knight Custom Homes’ 4709 Santa Cova Court, valued at over $2 million!  I’ll play second fiddle to that! 😉

This year the Tour has been completely re-vamped and there will be a lot of visitor interaction on the Tour website.  It’s not complete yet; we builders have to enter all of our information on our entries!  But, you will get to vote on your favorite homes and you will have access to customize your tour by choosing which homes you want to visit and printing out a map and route.  There are a few more surprises in store for tour visitors that I am not at liberty to speak of, but I can say that I can’t hardly wait until it’s all completed!!!

Tour Dates:

May  7 & 8

May 14 & 15

May 21 & 22

Built So Well, Our Employees Agree!

Monique's Kitchen

Our buyers are people who want to live in a neighborhood with other Home Owners who are invested in creating a community.  They are drawn to us because of our Quality, our Energy Guarantee and the fact that we don’t sell any of our homes to Investors.  All of our buyers live in their homes!  Also, we have a high percentage of our employees living in an Antares Home.  We believe in what we build, and Quality is our number one priority.

This is what one of our Salespeople told me about her experience buying an Antares Home:

“I have been selling new homes for 11 years. I was working for a different builder at the time we decided to start our new home search in the Burleson area.  We visited every home builder in the Burleson area and even viewed our options with a pre-owned home. I had never considered a pre-owned home before, as I have built 5 new homes in the last 11 years. 

We had to have a 5 bedroom home and of course needed it on a family of 6 budget….Needless to say, pre owned was ruled out pretty fast and onto the new home builders we went ! We visited so many builders and just could not find what we were looking for with both price and features. Believe it or not, Antares Homes was not even on my list!

We stumbled across the community of Hidden Creek in Burleson, right across form the golf course and in a perfect location off 35 addressing the rest of our needs for proximity to shopping, restaurants, etc… Into the sales office we went…here we go again…

“Hi my name is Monique and this is my husband Teddy”.  

There was Sharon White! She greeted us with a smile and total knowledge of her product. It was like Sharon and I had been friends for years! We spoke with ease and she really listened to what I was looking for. What I learned about Antares Homes that day, I only wished I had gone there first and did not waste my whole day on builders that did not meet my needs and budget.

If I was going to buy a home in Burleson, It was going to be an Antares Home. The perfect 5 bedroom home and a payment we could afford!! Well, if I am going to buy a home from this company, then who better to represent this company, but me! I believed so strongly in what they had to offer their customers, that this was a company that I wanted to represent!  Out went the resume the next day….

I have been working for Antares for almost 2 years now. I have a fantastic home and the kids and family are all happy…sometimes I have a hard time believing that anyone would want to buy a home anywhere else but Antares. We love our community and have made lots of friends. If you choose an Antares Home…no doubt about it…you will love your home too!

The Antares sales team is the best…I have worked for many builders in the last 11 years and I can say without hesitation, that they all believe in their product so strongly, are knowledgeable in every facet of the building industry and greet each customer with the anticipation of showing everyone what makes this company so unique in today’s market.”

          -Monique Tinsley

High Praise indeed!  Stephanie Gatica, one of our Sales Assistants told me this:

“I did not work for Antares when I bought my home, but I can tell you why I bought an Antares Home…it was the best house we looked at!!! 

My husband and I visited several area builders and did not get very excited.  Floor plans were bad, prices seemed high, and ran into a few “used car salesmen” types in the process.  These are not things you want to use to describe your home buying experience. 

Then we pulled into Matador Ranch!!!  We did not look any further…in fact we picked our home that day from the inventory on the ground!!!  Not only that, but Jaimie (our sales person) was fantastic!!!  She really cared about our needs and happiness and worked tirelessly to get us exactly what we wanted. 

With that being said…I tell this to every person I run into who says “I’m looking to buy a house”.  I tell them they will never have a better experience all the way around, as they will be buying an Antares Home!” 

Three of our Certified Graduate Builders and another Salesperson also live in Antares Homes.    Remember my quest to find out what makes an Antares Home Owner tick?  We just found out about two more.  So six of my Celebrities are co-workers of mine.  I think that’s pretty great, don’t you?

Living Below Your Means

small house, BIG HOUSE

Before the recession hit the nation, home buying trends were toward buying the biggest and most expensive home you can buy with the goal of short term appreciation leading to a huge windfall on the re-sale of your home.  Well, we all know what happened to that trend.  Nevertheless Antares Homes was pretty quick to begin downsizing our plans to meet the market where it currently is.  People are still buying larger homes, but instead of just a few people living in them, multigenerational families are living together.  Another trend we are seeing is our customers buying a lot less home than they are qualified for.  I hear my customers tell me over and over again that they want to live life and not be strapped and chained by their home.  Now, I’ll tell you, lending is tight.  No bank is going to lend more money than they think they will be able to re-coup and so when someone is qualified for our largest floor plan in a neighborhood and they want to buy one of the smaller ones, I have to ask: Why?  I mean, there is a difference between living in the smallest floor plan and living in the largest floor plan.  When you can buy a $160,000 home and you are telling me you want a $115,000 home, I do worry that I’ll have an unhappy homeowner on my hands at some point.  Surprisingly, that has not been the case.  What our homeowners are looking for is a little freedom and a lot of peace of mind.  They seem to be content to live in a little smaller home, enjoy the benefits of our energy efficiency and bank on a steady appreciation rate.  They are spending their money on vacations, hobbies and improving their properties.  They are prepared in case a spouse loses a job or a child gets sick or a family member needs their help.  These are all very current concerns for everyone today and the person who decides to have a smaller mortgage has choices in life that others don’t.  I’ll be interviewing a lovely couple named April and Terrence and we’ll get a closer look at living below your means.

Recipes for Bryan and Nikole

Bandit wants to know why he didn't get any leftovers.

Appetizer:

French bread, pre-sliced

Brie

Honey

Walnuts

Non-stick cooking spray

Coat a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and place French bread slices on the cookie sheet.  Lightly coat bread slices with non-stick spray and put into an oven pre-heated to 350.  At the same time place Brie in a shallow baking dish and put into the oven at the same time as the bread.  Remove bread when it starts to brown.  Remove Brie as it gets melty and starts to pour out of the rind.  Scoop some Brie onto the toasted bread, top with a few walnuts and drizzle honey over the top and eat.  MMMMmmmmmm.

Salad:

Hearts of Romaine

Matchstick Carrots

Roma Tomatoes

Cucumber

White Onion

Mushrooms

Crumbled Goat Cheese

Avocado

Chop, slice and dice into a pleasing arrangement and serve with your favorite dressing.

Pasta Sauce:

3 Italian Sausages

1 Can tomato paste

1 *oz can garlic tomato sauce

1 *oz can Roasted Tomato and Garlic tomato sauce

1/2 tablespoon sucralose

Italian Seasoning to taste

Onion powder to taste

Couple of tablespoons of white wine

A little water or chicken broth to adjust thickness to taste

Brown sausages and then slice.  Add sausages to the remaining ingredients and let bubble for an hour or so.  Serve over pasta.  We had whole wheat Rotini.

Dessert:  Thaw and Eat Key Lime Pie.  Bryan says he will eat a whole one while he participates in an online gaming binge on his X-Box.  I would love to be able to stomach a whole Key Lime Pie, but I just can’t.  I had trouble serving myself in the first place and dropped it on the table both times.  Yes, I ate two slices.  Can you blame me?  It was Marie Callender’s.