We have the Best Kept Secret In Fort Worth- An Exceptional First Time Home Buyer Program! Call us now to find out more 1-800-ANTARES 1800-268-2737
If you have never owned a home or have not owned a home in the last three years you’ve got to take advantage of this great First Time Home Buyer Program we are offering! Would you like help with Down Payment and Closing Costs? How about help that you don’t have to pay back? With interest rates so low and home prices on the verge of dramatic increases the time is now! Don’t miss out. Call one of our Fort Worth Neighborhoods for more details on how to qualify for this great program!
No stress. No worries. From extra inspections during construction to engineered steel rebar foundations to guaranteed heating & cooling costs, your Antares home will provide peace of mind.
Sometimes you just want that little bit more. Something extra. We get it. And we think that little bit more is peace of mind. With the hustle and bustle of life, you don’t need any more stress and worry than absolutely necessary. So we go out of our way to provide our customers with a worry-free experience. Let’s examine the ways:
Guaranteed Heating and Cooling. Seriously. Not Kidding. It’s a warranted item. Our 3098 square foot floor plan in Garden Heights is GUARANTEED to average 907.5 kWh/month to heat and cool. At a price of $0.084/kWh that’s $76.23 on average to run the HVAC. Incredible, and true.
Extra Inspections. We go above and beyond to get additional third party inspections on each home. We want to make sure that a second set of eyes has inspected our homes to catch mistakes we may have missed. The result? Fewer Warranty Requests from our Home Owners.
Rebar Foundation. Each foundation is tailored to the specific needs of each neighborhood. Did you know that Tarrant County soils can vary so much that a soils test in one neighborhood can yield completely different results when compared to another? We always take the most conservative approach with our foundations and it shows in our record with Bonded Builders — our Third Party Warranty Partner. We have been claims free on our foundations since the company was founded in 1998.
Graduate Master Builders. Astonishing as it may be, all of our Construction Managers that build our homes are Graduate Master Builders. Continuing education is vital for anyone who desires to be the best in their field. We are no different. Experience and education make a difference in the end product. We are very proud to have such a great team building our homes, and you will be too.
Top Notch Salespeople. Our Sales Team is the best in the business. Why? What’s different about them? They are highly trained in areas that make the most difference to our Customers. They are very knowledgeable about the latest loan programs for first time buyers, repeat buyers and credit challenged buyers. If there is a way to save you money and get you the Home of your Dreams, they can find it. They are most concerned with helping people, not selling people. And our Customer Service Surveys reflect their hard work.
And if you still want more, call one of our Sales Offices to find out what’s so special about their neighborhood!
Think you know how to repair your credit score? You’d be surprised at how easy it is to make it worse. Best advice: Talk to an expert before you take any action. There are plenty of dos and don’ts when it comes to credit repair.
Photo Credit: money-for-single-moms.com
Sorry for yelling STOP in all upper caps but this topic is way too important to let slide. A prospective home buyer–let’s call her “Melanie”–just stopped by one of our sales offices to share some exciting news. Turns out she’s been trying to repair her credit score on her own. (Insert big “oh, no” here.) Ms. Melanie said her credit score (pulled just two months ago) was only 20 points short of qualifying for a loan. She had taken on the challenge to boost her score and proudly announced, “I’ve been paying on some old stuff.” (Insert another “oh, no” and throw in a sigh.)
So what’s the big deal?
The problem is that credit repair is very tricky these days. Recent credit items are more important than old debt, and most lenders can overlook some dings to your credit if they occurred a long time ago. Believe it or not, paying on an old debt breathes new life into that carcass and makes it show up on your credit report as a recent item. This can cause your score to tank.
No one told Melanie to do this. Despite a consultation with Marcy Rutherford, a veteran sales counselors who is very knowledgeable in credit repair, Melanie didn’t take her advice. The result is that Melanie may very well have set herself back over 100 points! This will take a very long time to undo.
Please take a lesson from our unfortunate friend and stop working on your own credit. We can help! Just call one of our Sales Offices and make an appointment to find out more about our Credit Watchers Program. Call toll free: 1-800-Antares (800-268-2737) or choose your favorite neighborhood and phone number from this list.
To qualify for the $878/mo payment on this home, you only need to bring home $3000/mo Before Taxes!
After all of the gloomy predictions about what a downgraded credit rating will do to our economy I was shocked to learn today that many of our recommended lenders are offering a 30 year fixed rate loan at 3.75%. Crazy! Just a few weeks ago rates were hovering around 5%. What does that mean to you? On a 30 year fixed rate FHA loan for $120,000 your payment at a 5% rate including Taxes, Insurance, Mortgage Insurance and Interest is around $1065/month. At 3.75% that number drops below $1000/month to a shocking $979/month!If you buy our least expensive home, priced at $99,490, your payment becomes $812/month. Why would you not buy today? With prices and rates so low, you can’t miss this opportunity to invest in your future!
Whether you have just put in your loan application at the sales office, or if you currently have a contract on a home OR if you are just thinking of buying a home very soon, there are a few guidelines that can help you accomplish your goal of Home Ownership!
Do not change jobs or become self-employed or quit your job. Job stability is key and most lenders are going to verify that you have had the same income for the last two years by looking at your tax returns.
Do not buy a car, truck or van (or you may be living in it!) Taking on an increased debt load can count against your buying power.
Do not use credit cards excessively or let you current accounts fall behind. You do need to have a good payment history on all of your debts. If you increase your balances owed on your credit cards after you have been approved for a loan, you may find that loan has vanished!
Do not omit debts or liabilities from your loan application. We’ll see it anyway and it is better to have a good idea what to expect when submitting your loan application. It will make a difference as to which lenders and programs we need to consider for you. We want to help and all information is crucial!
Do not spend money that you have set aside for closing. You need it for closing on your New Home!
Do not buy furniture. Or any other high ticket items. See number 2 and 3.
Do not originate any inquiries into your credit. That means no new store accounts, book-of-the-month clubs, credit cards or visits to the car lot!
Do not make large deposits without checking with your loan officer. Christmas gift money and cash savings can cause huge problems when deposited into your bank account. Call your lender for advice first.
Do not change bank accounts. So Bank of Everywhere has made you really mad with their crazy charges? Suck it up until after you have closed. Changing banks at the last minute can keep you from closing as bank statements are necessary for underwriters.
Do not co-sign for a loan for anyone. Sorry that Grandma needs a new car. Someone else needs to help her besides you. See numbers 6, 2 and 3.
If you can manage these 10 rules, you might just find that you are a Home Owner sooner than you think!
Contender for Salesperson of the Year: Monique Tinsley!
1) We are present at our sales offices during operating hours:
We have heard from our customers that Builder A is never open, or Builder B never has a salesperson at the office even though it is open. We are in the business of selling homes and that can’t be done without a salesperson to meet with you!
2) We are excited to see you when you walk in our door:
All of our salespeople will give you a hearty welcome when you come to our offices. We know that there are many other builders to choose from and we are glad to have the opportunity to serve you!
3) We want to know what your needs are:
Don’t be taken off guard when you are in one of our sales offices and our salespeople are asking you endless amounts of questions! It is important for us to make sure we match you to the right home or floor plan. We are focused on building neighborhoods that are occupied by happy Home Owners just like you!
4) We know a lot about financing:
In the current financial landscape, lending regulations change very often. We do our best to prepare for upcoming changes and understand what all the options are. Each Home Owner has a unique set of circumstances and we need to be able to problem solve on the fly.
5) We can help you with your credit:
As lending regulations change, so do credit requirements. We have experienced several increases to the bottom line credit score requirements and have figured out several ways we can help our customers to increase their scores without enrolling in pricey credit repair programs.
6) We are knowledgeable about construction:
We have the luxury of working with Certified Graduate Builders who teach us about why we build homes the way we do. If we don’t know an answer off the top of our heads, an expert is a phone call away!
7) We are dedicated to customer service:
We want to make sure you have the best home buying experience possible and that starts with good follow up. We make sure to keep in touch with you even before you buy a home with us.
8) We are honest:
We offer the best value at the best price. No bait and switch here!
9) We are constantly striving to improve:
Our sales people attend weekly training. We rely on each other for feedback and help. We have a spirit of service to each other as co-workers that benefits our customers.
In my 37 years of selling and building new homes, the answer to the question is absolutely now is the best time to buy.
Why? Let’s look at the reasons:
1. Lowest interest rates in history. Never have interest rates for homes ever been this low. They may never be this low again in our life time.
2. Lot prices are the lowest in 5 years. After an 18 year increase in lot and home prices, now the prices for lots have come down below the cost to produce the lot. When the market returns to normal, the price of lots will be twice the current cost. Also, there are no new developments for lots due to lender not loaning money for development. When the lots we have now are gone, it will increase the price of home dramatically if there are any lots to purchase.
3. Profit margins on new homes are the lowest in 20 years. Due to lower demand for housing since the tax credit expired, builders are offering homes at the lowest profit margins in 20 years. It is a buyers market so take advantage of it.
4. Energy features in new homes are the highest ever. This makes the total payments to own your new home the lowest ever. Adding green energy features to our homes have made it easy to guarantee heating and cooling cost.
I have never seen the new home market this great for the buyer. My advice would be to take advantage of this time and purchase a new home.
Another reason that people who want to buy a home can’t is that while they were working on their credit themselves, they closed all of their credit accounts. One thing that can make a big difference to your credit score is to not have any revolving credit. Lenders want to see that you can charge it up and pay it off. Or at least, make your minimum monthly payment. So, even if you have worked tirelessly to get your credit above 620, you might not be approved if you don’t have any open credit lines. So what do you do if you have closed all of your credit lines? Open a secured card. You can search for these on line and they require a deposit up front. Whatever the deposit requirement is, that’s your credit limit. Don’t go all crazy and charge it up to the limit. There is no point in opening a new trade line and maxing it out. Keep your balance to 30% of the maximum. On a $500 secured card that is a balance of no more than $150. Buy some gas, put the gym membership on it and pay it off every month. The good thing about secured cards is that they start reporting to the credit bureaus pretty quickly and will help to raise your score when you need it done in a jiffy. Need more help with this? Call one of our sales offices and we might just surprise you with how we can help! 1-800-ANTARES
I’ve heard it quoted all over the internets that Housing is what brought us out of The Great Depression and other Recessions, but why is it that Housing is so sluggish? Well, it’s not housing that’s sluggish, it’s lending. The potential buyers that walk through my model home doors today are facing the strictest lending laws I’ve seen since I got into home sales. I see several people a week who desperately want to buy a home and take advantage of all the benefits available to home owners, but they can’t get approved. Why can’t they you ask? Well, it’s not all “Bad Credit” as you might think. I hear one of our salespeople every week mention someone with 780 credit score, who makes 90,000 a year who can’t get a loan on a $120,000 home. WHAT? Yes. Commissioned Salespeople and Self-Employed with good credit are pretty stuck. FHA guidelines were written with a very specific box in mind. And when they were written the lending market was very wary of self employed and 100% commissioned folks. All of those people with potentially variable incomes are some of the people with good credit who can’t get a loan these days. What’s ironic about all of this is that with the economic weirdness that has been happening, a lot of smart people who find themselves out of a job decide that they have a lot to offer and go into business for themselves. Entrepreneurship always increases in times of economic instability and that gives rise to the next strong economy. Well, we might not have that very soon until lending laws loosen up a bit.
UPDATE 12/13/10
I said it weeks ago and the Wall Street Journal is chiming in!
