Tag: construction

The Plan That Stole Our Hearts

We love all of our floorplans.  When they’re still under design, we post them on a white board for all employees to comment on.  Our company employs former chefs and interior designers amongst those with other specialties.  We squeeze every possible cool feature into the allotted space in every floorplan together.  Each plan is a work of the heart that involves every employee’s feedback.

View from the study!
View from the study!

As a parent, you try not to pick favorites, but we all know you do.  Home builders can have the same sort of struggle. Especially marketers who get to work with the plans a lot after they’re finished and then spend hours editing and posing pictures. We definitely have a favorite.  Don’t tell the other plans.  We cannot get enough of our 2092 layout!

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Kitchen Nook with Chandelier & 3-Sided Fireplace

The entertaining space is an ideal balance with a large open area and a closed-off formal dining.  As a native Texan, I love having people over to watch some football, but not everyone likes to actually watch the game.  These people (bless their hearts) can go into the formal dining and play games. The 3-sided fireplace is dramatic and elegant while providing separation for a third group to eat in the kitchen without interrupting the super serious football game!

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From the Nook to the Family Room

The really amazing thing is that the open-concept entertaining space only makes up half of the plan!  This host-friendly house becomes a warm home when you move into the private rooms.  The master suite is gorgeous and features a spacious master bathroom.  The walk-in closet could really be a whole room on its own.  The two other bedrooms are well-sized and share an ample bathroom.

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Master Bathroom

You can see why we have a special place in our hearts for the 2092, but at the end of the day we love all our floorplans.  Antares Homes builds other plans that are also gorgeous, and they all have their own special features.  We’d love to know what plans you love and why, so leave us a comment!

Until Next Time,

Rebekah

 

Feature Team Member- Becca Rogers

 

We sat down and had a chat with the fabulous Becca Rogers today.  She’s the newest member of our sales team and represents some exciting changes for us.  But we’ll get to that in a minute.

11892085_10204326523672809_245729406581719900_nThere are a few things you should know about Becca before we get to her position here.  She is an avid reader.  Any book will do, but cliché love stories and Harry Potter books are her niche.  When she’s not reading, you’ll likely find her coming to the rescue for some lucky pooch.  Like many in the office here, she has an open heart and loves her fur babies!  She’s a true DFW native who loves rooting for our Rangers, so Bark at the Park is basically the best thing ever for her (especially if she can swim there while reading the new Harry Potter book).  She shares these passions with her fiancé, Tyler, and stepson, Ryder.

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We love her for all of these things, but we chose her for a couple of other passions.  Specifically, her love for customer service and for home building.  At her last workplace, Becca got a taste of 24/7 customer service. She loved it. She really enjoyed being available to participate in the exciting process alongside clients. Her passion for home-building comes from her experience as a child.  Her father was a home-builder, and she loved to visit the model homes and find out how things were made.  These fit well into our needs for a New Home Specialist.  She’s the friendly voice on the phone when you call in asking about a new home. We are always striving to be better, and this position is one way we make sure you have the best home-buying experience with us.

Until Next Time,

-Rebekah

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

 

Land, Land Everywhere, But Not Enough Lots!

Did you know there’s a lot shortage? What does that mean for the Homebuyer? Rising New Home Prices!

Antares Homes has developed land ready for construction.

You don’t need reading glasses to find Texas on the map. It’s big all right. No land crisis here. Or is there? Talk to any builder these days and you might be surprised to hear all the talk about a shortage of land. Technically, we’re not running out of land; it’s the developed land that’s getting hard to find.

 

The issue: A home can’t be built until the raw land is developed. You need sewers, streets, and utilities. Cities need to approve plats and assign addresses. And all this development takes time—lots of it. That empty home site you pick from a plat map is the result of years of development work.

 

The problem today is that developers stopped developing when the mortgage crisis hit a few years ago. They didn’t want to incur the expense of preparing the land if they couldn’t sell it to a builder right away. Now that the economy is on the upswing and people want to buy new homes again, we need to get the land engine firing on all cylinders again.

 

The bad news: In addition to the lengthy lead time—it takes a couple years to prepare raw land for building new homes—we’re also going to experience sticker shock. According to Antares Homes president, Ron Formby, lot prices are 30 to 50 percent higher on land deals today versus what was paid just a few years ago. “Higher lot prices mean higher home prices,” explains Formby, a 40-year industry veteran. “But there’s good news. Some builders, like Antares, still have access to lower-priced lots because the contracts were negotiated at the right time. These lots are ready for new construction—today. Once these low-priced lots are gone, however, you’ll never again see home prices this low,” observes Formby. “Smart buyers are going to lock the favorable prices and historic low mortgage interest rates and build today.” For more information, visit www.AntaresHomes.com.

Why Do We Use Vinyl Windows Instead of Aluminum?

Most folks are very surprised that a small homebuilder like Antares installs vinyl windows in every home.  Usually, you won’t find that feature unless you are in the price range of $300,000 and up in our local market.  A few years back, we made the change after extensively researching the benefits.

In the North Texas area we don’t have very much of a Winter and we fight the blistering heat every Summer.   Just imagine that you are sitting outside on a scorching hot day inTexas.   You touch two objects that have been sitting in the sun.  One is metal, the other is vinyl.   Which do you think will burn your hand?   Simply put, metal absorbs, retains and transfers heat. With aluminum windows, that heat ends up in your home. Limiting the amount of ‘thermal transfer’ through the home’s exterior is important to maximizing energy efficiency.

Science and Technology have brought so much innovation to what we can offer. Homeowners’ concerns for increased comfort and performance, along with the rising cost of energy makes this issue even more important.  Dual paned windows allow for “insulation” between two panes of glass which minimizes heat transfer.   This type of window is now used in 95% of all new homes built in the United States.   However, Antares has taken it a step further by using vinyl windows that have Low-E glass instead of aluminum windows.   The window companies determine the efficiency of windows by the measurement of the rate of heat transfer through a product (U-factor).   The lower the U-factor, the better the glass is at insulating a building.  In general, window ratings are from .25 to 1.25.  Our dual paned vinyl windows feature a LOW-E coating on our glass which has a U-factor of .32.  That’s more than the minimum you’d expect from a new home!  The coating on the glass has a slightly reflective tint that lets in light, yet gives privacy.

We’ve always known that people like to see the natural light inside their home, yet they still want energy efficiency.   We’ve never designed plans around small standard size windows.   You can see by the front facades of all of our plans that we build a better looking home than our competition.   We don’t try to “economize it” on the outside.   We put the right size windows on the home.  It’s just not okay to cut costs at the expense of the look of a home.  But don’t worry, using these oversized windows is not at the expense of your home’s energy efficiency!

Now, let’s move on to some really cool things about these vinyl-frame windows.

  • You NEVER have to paint them.
  • You can clean them from the inside of your home.   The windows have a tilt sash feature that is awesome.   If you are living in a 2 story home, this is a priceless feature.  Some builders charge thousands for this feature.
  • Vinyl windows are resistant to corrosion, chipping and rusting.  They don’t require maintenance
  • Vinyl windows are much greener.  Vinyl windows emit less gas in production than aluminum.
  • They provide lower utility bills
  • They add resale value to the home.   Ask anyTexasRealtor.  You will love that at resale time.

By using vinyl windows, Antares Homes has chosen to go above and beyond…..For you, our customers.

 

-Nancy Scott

Graduate Master Builder

Bricks Are The Home’s Outerwear, And Yes, It’s Fashion-y

From Hanson's Online Brochure "Texas Collection"

Clay Bricks or Limestone Bricks or Cementious Limestone, which do you prefer?  Or have you ever given it much thought?  At Antares Homes we are very interested in Brick.  Bricks are used in the construction of a new home as sheathing.  Bricks are not a structural part of your home in the same way that the frame is.  Bricks prevent water seepage into the backup walls just like the roof shingles prevent water from seeping into your home from the top.  Bricks are breathable and do allow for moisture to penetrate and drain through the weep holes at the bottom of the veneer.  They also provide for some R-Factor on the exterior of your home as well.  But what most of us notice about bricks are how they look on your home!

A home with little to no brick detailing is very drab.  We try to include some architectural detailing on every home of ours even on the least expensive “A” elevations.  These details are called Row Locks, Soldiers, and Herringbone patterns.  Combined with different roof pitches and types, we allow for the creation of a very diverse look to our neighborhoods.  Who wants to live in a neighborhood where every home looks the same?  Not me either, but I have seen neighborhoods just like that!

We use three brands of Brick at Antares Homes and four types of Brick: Limestone Brick, Cementious Limestone and Clay.  Bilco Bricks are one of the options that we offer standard in most of our Neighborhoods.  They have a 110 year warranty and are made of a Limestone and Cement Mixture that is very durable.  Hanson Limestone Bricks are the other option that is standard in most of our neighborhoods.  It has a 101 year Warranty.   We also use Hanson Clay Brick and Acme Clay Brick.  Acme Bricks have a 100 Year Guarantee.  Wow!  Any item that has warranties that long is durable!  Did you know that bricks can be reused and recycled?  I watched a building being cladded with recycled brick.  Once they finished, they painted it.  Beautiful!

 

 

Watering Is All Washed Up

Yup, we are in a drought.

We are in a drought.  Yes, I know we just got drenched by record setting rains a couple of weeks ago, but we are still in a drought.  There is still the threat of more severe water restrictions hanging over our heads as we begin to think about our gardens for the Spring.  Yes, it can get worse!  Did you know that during warm weather, 40 to 60% of your water bill is spent on outdoor watering?  What do you do?

The first step in dealing will all of this is to know your restrictions.  Each City that we build in has a web page that lets you know what you are dealing with.

City of Fort Worth

City of Crowley

City of Burleson

City of Saginaw

City of Mansfield

Then you can find other ways to conserve water that don’t involve outdoor watering.  For example, did you know the City of Fort Worth is GIVING AWAY low flow toilets?  Antares Homes always installs them on our new homes, but if you don’t have one of our homes you can use one of these water saving thrones yourself!

You can also schedule a free irrigation audit with the City of Fort Worth to determine if your sprinkler system is operating at peak performance.

And then, there is your yard.  Did you know some grasses are more drought tolerant than others?  We install Bermuda Grass on our new homes and that grass can go 7-8 days without watering.  There are also native plants and flowers that require less water as well.  Using these plants at your home is called Xeriscaping.  North Central Texas Smartscape has a great website with loads of tools for Xeriscaping your home.  It can be as simple or complicated as you desire!

Selection Studio Unfettered

Too Many Choices???

Sometimes you appreciate being given a choice of two or three options.  For example, “Do you want to go see Horrible Bosses or Harry Potter this weekend?”  Someone else has already decided what they like and you get the final say. 

You know when this doesn’t really work?  When you are building your home.  You don’t really want to settle with pre-made packages that someone else thinks looks good, you want to live your OWN Dream.  

In our Selection Studio we don’t limit you to package options.  If you want to upgrade just the dishwasher in your kitchen, go ahead.  It’s not tied to upgrading the other appliances.    Want to put lipstick red grout with your dark slate colored tile?  Go for it!  Are you wondering if there is such a thing as too much freedom?  Nah, spread your wings and fly!