The home buying process involves a lot of decisions.  One of the biggest choices to make early in the process is whether to buy a new or a pre-owned home.  Take a look at some of the advantages of purchasing a brand new home:A pre-owned home was someone else’s dream, not yours.  Why settle for someone else’s design choices when you can select your own favorite cabinets, countertops, appliances, carpets and flooring?  Design your dream home exactly how you’ve always envisioned it! Create new memories in a new home designed by you with personal touches that make you happy.  Antares Homes has a Selection Studio specifically created to make your dream become reality!When buying your home, the home design and layout should reflect your lifestyle and personality.  Buying a new home allows you to do just that and Antares offers many flexible home designs and options.  Consider the functionality of a new home.  How does the home design work with the way you live your life?  If your current home doesn’t meet these criteria, you have probably already considered remodeling.  Renovation costs on an existing home are very expensive, time-consuming, and sometimes can expose hidden issues you were not expecting to find.New home warranties are in place for a Home Buyer’s peace of mind.  A 10-year structural warranty begins the day you close on your new Antares home.  We are very proud to be part of the StrucSure Home Warranty program, allowing us to build your home with confidence.One of the biggest advantages to new home ownership is the advancement in energy efficiency.  Typically, existing homes cannot compete in this category when compared to today’s new homes.  Antares Homes goes a step further by offering a 2-year guarantee on your heating and cooling energy usage.Compared to a pre-owned home, a new home generally requires less maintenance. It’s quite simple, everything is new! No need to have to worry about repair costs on aging items in a pre-owned home such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC components, or appliances. Keep your hard-earned dollars where they belong, in your pocket!

Are you thinking about entering the housing market? Right now, the market is in a strange place: Low mortgage rates are driving people to enter a market with a decreasing supply of available homes. For prospective home buyers, this can be daunting. On the other hand, home builders are surging. People are turning to building, the ideal home that better suits their family’s changing needs. Here are a few reasons why now is the time to ditch used-homes and instead build your new home.The National Existing Home Inventory is ShrinkingThere are fewer houses for sale in the U.S. right now, which means competition is fiercer. June housing data shows the inventory of newly listed properties has declined 19.3% over the last year. And this number continues to dwindle as the months go on.What this means for home buyers – or people deciding between buying or building – is that they should expect to pay more for existing homes right now. According to the same housing data, the median listing price in June was $342,000, which is 5.1% higher than the previous year. Housing prices continue to rise as inventory shrinks. But there’s another factor that makes building a home much more attractive right now… and that’s low mortgage rates enticing buyers to enter the market.Low Mortgage Rates Are Bringing More Buyers into the MarketIn July, according to the Mortgage Banker Association’s latest data, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate fell to a record low of 3.26%. And predictably, home loan applications surged in the first week of July. More people are able to secure low-rate mortgage loans and enter the market, which further exacerbates the dwindling house inventory and skyrocketing home prices.If you’re on the fence about building or buying a home right now, consider what the process of buying a house in this market might be like. If you’re not ready for the bidding wars or settling at the higher end of your budget, consider building. Buyers turning to new construction homes is happening more than you might think right now.Builds Are Increasing Across the U.S.More Americans are working from home right now than ever. Some companies are transitioning their workers to the office in shifts, with people working just a few days a week in the office. Others are scrapping in-office work entirely in favor of telecommuting for the foreseeable future. If you’ve found yourself thinking about your home as a place for your family AND your business, you’re not alone.Housing production is growing. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Commerce Department report that in June, housing starts increased by 8.3% nationwide. Single-family home builds increased by 6.3% -- its second-highest rate of the year. In addition to concerns about housing prices and smaller inventories, people are opting to build because they are investing in their future.There are a lot of reasons to choose to build rather than buy a used-house right now. If you’re looking to make the switch to a new home, take the time to figure out what your family needs. Building your house allows you to create spaces that are perfectly suited to your needs, whether it’s a floorplan made for entertaining, a walk-out basement, or a quiet home office. Whatever you need, your newly built home can provide. Historically low-interest rates may help your dream of building a new home be more attainable.