Tag: home owners

Third Party Home Inspections, Are They Worth it?

Our Certified Graduate Builders! Above and Beyond Home Inspections!

All my life I was always told when buying a car take it to the mechanic before you buy it or when buying a home always hire a professional home inspector before closing. I have found this advice to be very good and it has saved me many times.   Home inspectors are excellent at finding issues in older homes that sellers sometimes cover with paint or texture, that can be very helpful.  Sometimes the items they point out to you will be very costly to repair and you need to know that before proceeding with the purchase of your home.

The times when I DON’T use a mechanic to inspect my car is when it is new.  My new car will come with a warranty so if something breaks they will fix it or if a manufacturer’s defect is found it will be repaired by the manufacturer.  So, when I’m buying my new car what I want to do is look for cosmetic issues, things like door dings or scratches because I know that once I drive that car off the lot these items won’t be repaired for free.

It’s the same when you buy a New Home.  You don’t need an additional Inspection, because  the home is inspected over and over during the construction process.  If you remember a recent post, we even go above and beyond on our inspections.  We like to make sure we did it right the first time.  A new Home is also covered by a warranty, as are all of the major components used in the construction and finish, such as the foundation, the roof and the appliances.  

Before you close on your new Antares Home, you will meet the builder at your home and he will perform a “home orientation”.   A home orientation is when the builder walks you through your new home demonstrating how everything works, who to call if it doesn’t and all the little things you need to know to enjoy your new home.  You will also will spend all the time you want looking for those cosmetic issues like texture error, paint issues, any spots on the floor or anything else that needs a touch up.   You will return 7 days later and verify that ALL the corrections have been completed and then you will proceed to closing.  The builder will place an Owner’s Manual in your home and this booklet will give advice on maintaining your new home and several helpful tips to keeping it like new and giving you many years of enjoyment.

Since a Home Inspection can cost you about $500 dollars, it doesn’t seem worth the money on a New Home.  If you want to have one anyway, we can accomodate you.  Just ask your Salesperson!

It’s Snow Pretty!

Although I was born and raised right here in Fort Worth, Texas, I am no stranger to snowy cold weather.  I went to college in Iowa and followed that up with a job at a therapeutic wilderness camp in East Texas that was year ‘round.  It was par for the course to wake up in your tent to a few mornings below 20◦ during January and February.

After that I worked at a high ropes course in Maryland that ran from March through October.  More snow and cold.  So, I have cold weather gear to say the least. 

After several days of being snowed in I decided to hike over to Matador Ranch which is relatively close by to my home.  Bandit, my American Mutt came along.  My husband and I adopted him this summer to save him from a very bad situation.  We were delighted to find a couple of days ago that he loves the snow and ice.  We have taken him out and played every day and he loves it.  So I knew he’d be up for the trip.

It Was Beautiful!  Here are the pictures: 

North End of Matador
Looking South on Crowley Road

 

 

Me in my Expedition Gear and Bandit in his fur coat

 

Monique Tinsley, Fearless Salesperson at Matador Ranch
Happy Homeowner!

 

 

 

Frozen Park!

 

 

Lonely Park Bench
Bandit!
Here Comes the Sun

One of these home sites could be yours!

The only one of it's kind! A new floor plan completed.
Looking north on Crowley Road
Heading Home, re-tracing our tracks...

By the way I forgot that it is possible to suck a snowflake into your nostril.  Brain Freeze!

Top 10 Reasons Antares Homes Salespeople Are the Best!

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.

10)                       We have fun!

If you only knew…

Shall remain nameless...

OWNING INSTEAD OF RENTING

My last reflection was about this being the best time to purchase a new home.  When you combine that and Rent VS Owning, it even gets better.  Look at this site and it is all you need to make the best case that owning a new home is much better than renting. 

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/business/buy-rent-calculator.html

I have been saying owning is better than renting my entire working career, but now the New York Times has provided one of the best examples I have ever seen.  It is eye opening to see how much savings you can keep if you own instead of rent.  My favorite saying is “Renting is helping pay for someone else to Own what you are renting!”  Your apartment will never be paid off.  Why not take advantage of that today and start accumulating some savings and equity assets? 

There are many other Rent VS Own calculators on the internet and they all show the same results.  It has never been better to own than rent today.  At Antares Homes we have the best Sales Consultants in the market that can help you make the right choice for a new home and provide a lender that can help you obtain the financing needed to start saving instead of renting.

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.

Winterizing Your Home

Weep Holes-NEVER seal these up!

It’s that time of year again!  The heat has been turned down outside and your dog’s coat starts to thicken up and all of a sudden you can sleep with your windows open.  Most people start to think about winterizing their homes as the weather stops being brutal for a minute.  Since this is Central Texas and not the Midwest or any other clime which has snow for ages, winterizing here is a little less intensive.  The main areas to worry about are the places that cold air and rain can cause problems. 

  • You want to check around your doors and replace any weather stripping that is worn or has come loose. 
  • Check around your windows and caulk in spots where your caulking is damaged.  In a newer home, you may not need to do this for several years, but it is a good idea to check this every season. 
  • If you have a fireplace and it hasn’t been used since January, it is a good idea to call a chimney sweep in to inspect your chimney and remove any bird nests or other pests such as bees or wasps that may have decided your chimney is a great place to live. 
  • Be careful not to stack firewood against your home.  This can cause a couple of problems, one of which is giving termites access to your home and the other is excessive moisture against the slab and siding.  Also, rake and clear away any debris that has accumulated against the slab and siding over the summer months. 
  • Another thing to plan for is having an HVAC professional come to your home to inspect your unit and clean the ducts if necessary.  If you burn candles often or have pets living in the home you should change the filters every month even if you buy the three month filters.
  • Buy some rock salt and keep it in the garage for those surprise ice days.
  • Cut away tree branches that have grown up against your home.
  • Make sure your rain gutters are clear and downspouts have splash blocks positioned so that water is siphoned away from your slab.
  • Disconnect water hoses and, even though we have the frost proof hose bibs, I suggest installing an inexpensive insulated cover once the weather is threatening to freeze.

 

As you are inspecting the exterior of your home for things to seal up, make sure to NEVER seal up the weep holes in your brick.  Those spaces at the bottom of your brick area on top of the slab are there on purpose for drainage and you can void your brick warranty and other warranties on your new home if you seal them.  Any moisture that gets behind the brick needs a way out and that is provided by those weep holes.  Happy Winterizing and enjoy the cooler weather!

Halloween Costume Contest

Win this!

Announcing the Antares Homes Halloween Costume Contest!  To participate in our Halloween Costume Contest, you must post a photo of people in Halloween costumes in front of your Antares Home on our Facebook page.  www.Facebook.com/AntaresHomes  The deadline is October 30th, 2010 at noon.  We are giving away three goody baskets for the winners who will be announced on our Facebook page on the 30th of October.  No home yet?  No Problem!  If your home is currently under construction or pre-construction, just pose in front of your unfinished home or with your Antares Homes SOLD sign!  You must either be under contract or closed on your Antares Home to participate.  If you do not have a Facebook page, you can e-mail your photos to me at [email protected] and I will post them for you!

When is it a good time to make an investment in your future?

So, I have made an appointment to meet with Bryan and Nikole on Sunday evening.  Thankfully they aren’t picky eaters like my husband since I am cooking dinner for them.  I hope they like food with some spice in it!  I have been deprived of onions and garlic for the longest time (my husband hates even the smell of them) and I can’t wait to cook something with those ingredients in it.  Anyway, they live in our Ashford Park neighborhood which we just closed out a couple of months ago.  They just might be the youngest buyers we have ever had.  Both of them were under 21 when they went on contract in April of this year.  The burning question that makes them interesting as buyers to me is “when is it a good time to make an investment in your future?”  These two are waaaaayyyy ahead of the curve.  I told them this as they sat in my sales office.  I thought of myself and wondered how my life would be different today if I had bought a home earlier in my life.  I often meet people who have ridiculously low mortgage payments or have paid off their homes because they bought 15 years ago.  Since I am well over 15 years older than them, that secure home owner could be me…if I had just bought a home when I was their age.  So, I guess even though it is never too late to become a home owner, the reverse is also true:  It is never too early to become a home owner.