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.

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

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words You Say?

Why pay more each month on rent and electric bills than most of our Home Owners are paying for their mortgage and guaranteed energy?

I agree!  Rents are rising every six months, mortgage rates remain at their lowest in decades.  So why would you pay more every month for a cramped apartment than you would on your own home?  You don’t know?  Me either!

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!

It’s Easy!

Buying a New Home is Easy! We’ll show you how.

Did you know that buying a new home is a very simple process? You have one major choice to make before you begin the process: do you want to build your new home from the ground up or do you want to move into your new home in the next 30 days or less?

 

If you want to move quickly, let’s say your home has sold or your lease is up, or you have just re-located, an inventory home is the best option for you.    An inventory home is one that the builder chose to build knowing that it is a popular floor plan and anticipating that some people may need to move into their new home in 30 days or less. There are about five steps to buying a completed inventory home:

 

-Gathering Your Paperwork 

Now this is the first step no matter what type of home you are buying.  You will need to provide your lender with a copy of your last two year’s W2’s, the two most recent paycheck stubs, a copy of your driver’s license, a copy of your social security card and your most recent checking and savings account statements.  Getting this paperwork together before you begin looking will streamline the process when you are ready to make your decision.

 

-Loan Application

Most Home Builders will have their list of preferred or in house lenders.  At Antares we have a list of over six Lenders that we prefer to work with.  These people have earned their place on our list by providing great customer service to our Home Buyers and to our Sales Consultants.  They are Lenders we can depend on to answer our phone calls even on weekends and after hours and they take care of our Buyers.  You can submit a loan application at any of our Model Homes any day of the week.  You are also welcome to use your own Lender that has already pre-approved you.  Getting this part out of the way early on in the process helps you to determine what price range you want to stay in.  It can also help with planning a budget for after you close.  Having a realistic plan for your lifestyle is very important.  For example, if you love to travel, you may want to keep your mortgage payment way below the maximum you can qualify for.

 

-Choose Your Home

This is the fun part!  Visiting our Model Homes, looking at our completed inventory and imagining where you’ll place your furniture!  Not sure what exactly will be the best style home for you?  No problem.  Our Sales Consultants are very good listeners and they will ask you lots of questions to discover which home will best suit your needs.

 

-Go to your Home Owner Orientation

Meet with the Construction Manager and find out all about the unique construction of your New Home.  You’ll learn more about Water Heaters, Grout, Foundations and Insulation than you every wanted!

 

-Go to Closing

Signing on the dotted line and getting the keys to your future!  Congratulations!

 

Have you decided you would like to pick all of the colors for your new home?  Need a few months to save up your down payment?  Want a floor plan that we don’t have as a completed inventory home?  In love with that over sized Cul-De-Sac Home Site?  Build!  After the first two steps above, the next step is:

 

-Choose Your Floor Plan and Home Site

It can be overwhelming when we have so many different plans and locations to build.  But don’t worry we are here to help!  With plans ranging from three bedrooms to six bedrooms, we will have the perfect plan for you!

 

-Visit the Selection Studio

This is my favorite part!  Since we don’t limit our Buyers to pre-selected packages, every home can be customized in many different ways.  We will help you choose options that are beautiful and within any budget!

 

-Watch Your Home Emerge!

The construction process is very interesting if you ask me!  A lot of our buyers will visit their home weekly to take pictures and observe their dreams taking form.  You will meet with the Construction Manager during this time to get an overview of the construction process.  He will also be able to answer any questions you have about how your home is being built.  All of the Construction Managers at Antares Homes are Graduate Master Builders!  Where else can you find that?

 

-Save Your Down Payment Money

Most of our buyers are using FHA loans.  These loans require 3.5% of the mortgage value of the home as a down payment.  A lot of people don’t have that amount sitting around and have to budget to save it.  Since it takes us four months to build your new home, most of our buyers are able to save down payment money in that time period.  We also have various Zero Down loans available for qualified buyers.  If you want more information on those programs, please contact one of our Sales Offices.  Our Sales Consultants will be able to tell you very quickly if you qualify for one of those programs.

 

-Meet with the Construction Manager

You will meet with your Construction Manager at least three times during the building process.  He is a great educational resource for our buyers.  Every wonder why we do what we do?  He’ll be able to tell you!

 

-Go to closing!

The same last step: Signing on the dotted line and getting the keys to your future!  Congratulations!

 

Now Wasn’t That Easy?

A Little Something Extra

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:

 

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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!