RGV New Homes Guide Vol. 23 No. 4 (June 2015 - July 2015)

RGV NEW HOMES GUIDE

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Contents

JUNE/JULY 2015 VOLUME 23 ISSUE 4 06

SIX TIPS YOU SHOULD KNOW Make your new home shopping experience a happy one by following these six easy tips.

This may be the difference between a dream home and a nightmare experience.

S “ OW 06

It is l i ke go in g on a fi rst date. Sure , th e person look s good on th e outs id e, but w hat ab out in sid e?

ending a king into d houses k and feel move into

into a d new picturing look le here? Do he layout? me we for sale, orks for us

as well? at the time w home is f finding e will be years. It Sure, the tside, but oo quick to us just by attractive

dream ” home,” before about

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r Build

Before you even begin to seriously look, decide on a budget. What can you afford to buy? Nothing is more depressing than looking at a $500,000 home when you know you can only afford a $100,000 home. That just eats at the soul. Visit your bank.

Get to know your banker. Find out from him or her what you qualify for, and, if you can, get prequalified. That solves a lot of problems!

1

Pick a city and a neighborhood.

Remember, you will be living here for a long time. If your job is in Edinburg but you begin looking in the mid-Valley, there can be problems ahead. And if you like the North McAllen neighborhoods but look south of Highway 281, again you are defeating yourself.

2

Find a reputable builder. Any “Joe Schmo” can build a home. And there have been “builders” out there who were here one day and gone another. You want to find a builder who has been around a while and who has a great reputation, both with customers and with suppliers (lumber companies, building supply stores, etc.)—suppliers being just as important because you can tell a lot about a company by the way it treats its vendors. The RGV New Homes Guide magazine is a perfect place to start your search, as it features some of the area’s finest builders and suppliers.

3

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Go look at model homes and newly constructed homes to see what you really like. This past 2015 RGVBA Parade of Homes was a perfect venue for driving around and looking at 24 of the finest new and model homes in the Rio Grande Valley. If you missed the Parade this past April, you can still download the app, RGVBA Parade, and explore, or you can go online to rgvba.org to see photos and videos of the homes. Then, call the builder of a home you are interested in and ask for a viewing, or drive by the model home and visit. See winners on page 14.

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PUBLISHER VIELMAssociates, Ltd. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jose Vielma SENIOR EDITOR Barbara Zapffe ADVERTISING MANAGER Jose R. Vielma Ken Sabe

14 2015 RGVBA PARADE WINNERS Meet the winners of the 2015 Rio Grande Valley Builders Association’s Parade of Homes. See photos of homes and builders.

19 MATERIALES EL VALLE

This leading supplier of construction materials for builders and contractors has When you look at a builder’s new built a reputation among the area’s finest home for sale, remember that it may be only a model for you.award-winning For example, builders for the best in quality that builder’s new house you see in McAllen can be custom built for you in the area of your and prices. products choice. All the builders listed in our magazine

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Erika Sanchez GRAPHICS / PHOTOGRAPHY Laura Soria INFORMATION SYSTEMS MGR. Chris Bailey

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would be happy to work with you in choosing a neighborhood and lot, in assisting with design & layout, and in helping you select options that fit your budget and desires. You are not limited to what you see in a model home. You CAN design your home and have it built in an area of YOUR choosing!

25 GUZMAN CONSTRUCTION

Guzman Construction, a second generation family of builders, uses a thrid-party home Most important, ask if the builder constructs homes, or canenergy construct rater to certify its homes in the your dream home, certified under Built to Save High Performance Homes the Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR® program or under the new Built to Save® Program, a special program designed to program. Both of these programs guarantee, through third party testing, that your home will save homeowners money on utilities and have cleaner inside air, be more comfortable with stable temperatures, and help save on provide a more comfortable and durable home utility expenses—far better than a similar new built-to-standard-code home. With energy costs compared to similar homes built only to code. and global warming rising, your dream home

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needs to be energy efficient, and these programs guarantee your home will comply. Another excellent qualification is the GreenBuilt RGV Program, guaranteeing your home will be more environmentally friendly. All of these special programs will ensure your home will keep hardearned money in your pocket, and if you ever need to sell, will guarantee you a better resale price. See pages 25 & 29.

Hopefully, these 6 tips can get you started and on your way to your “Happy Ever After” new home.

Don’t choose just any house that is available.

With the right tools, the right choices, and the right attitude, building and buying a new home can be a wonderfully personalized and lifechanging experience.

THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AREA NEW HOMES GUIDE (NHG) is a bimonthly publication of VIELMAssociates, LTD. and is provided to its readers free of charge. Unless otherwise noted, all photography, artwork, and editorial content printed in NHG are copyrighted material and may not be duplicated or reprinted without express written permission. NHG and VIELMAssociates, LTD. are not responsible for typographical or production errors, or for the accuracy of information provided by the advertisers. Opinions expressed by writers and contributors do not necessarily represent the opinions of the publisher. NHG reserves the right to refuse any advertising which we deem unsuitable for our publication.

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this magazine is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the Amendments Act of 1988 which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” This magazine will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this magazine are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD tollfree at 1-800-669-9777 or contact HUD’s regional office in Ft. Worth, Texas at (817) 885-5521. The telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

The Rio Grande Valley New Homes Guide is published bimonthly by: VIELMAssociates, LTD. 1601 N. 8th St. • McAllen, Tx 78501

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Volume 23.4 2015

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(956) 971-9700

FOR ADVERTISING RATES AND INFORMATION: (956) 971-9700 • www.rgvnewhomesguide.com

(956) 971-9700

www.rgvnewhomesguide.com

Volume 23.4 2015

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T IPS TO KNOW Before You Buy or Build

W

ho doesn’t love spending a lazy weekend peeking into newly constructed houses and getting a firsthand look and feel of what it would be like to move into that perfect home?

There is nothing like walking into a freshly painted and decorated new home that is up for sale, and picturing ourselves coming home. We look around: do we feel comfortable here? Do we like the style? Do we like the layout?

Do we like the décor? Every time we walk into another new home for sale, we emotionally decide if it works for us or not.

But are we judging logically as well?

What looks and feels perfect at the time that we walk through that new home is only scratching the surface of finding our dream home in which we will be living for 10, 20, 30 or more years. It is like going on a first date. Sure, the person looks good on the outside, but what about inside? Are we too quick to judge what is truly right for us just by a first glance at a seemingly attractive new home?

If you are shopping for your dream home—maybe your “forever” home,” here are six tips to consider before getting emotionally serious about building or buying.

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Volume 23.4 2015

www.rgvnewhomesguide.com

Before you even begin to seriously look, decide on a budget. What can you afford to buy? Nothing is more depressing than looking at a $500,000 home when you know you can only afford a $100,000 home. That just eats at the soul. Visit your bank.

Get to know your banker. Find out from him or her what you qualify for, and, if you can, get prequalified. That solves a lot of problems!

1

Pick a city and a neighborhood.

Remember, you will be living here for a long time. If your job is in Edinburg but you begin looking in the mid-Valley, there can be problems ahead. And if you like the North McAllen neighborhoods but look south of Highway 281, again you are defeating yourself.

2

Find a reputable builder. Any “Joe Schmo” can build a home. And there have been “builders” out there who were here one day and gone another. You want to find a builder who has been around a while and who has a great reputation, both with customers and with suppliers (lumber companies, building supply stores, etc.)—suppliers being just as important because you can tell a lot about a company by the way it treats its vendors. The RGV New Homes Guide magazine is a perfect place to start your search, as it features some of the area’s finest builders and suppliers.

3

Go look at model homes and newly constructed homes to see what you really like. This past 2015 RGVBA Parade of Homes was a perfect venue for driving around and looking at 24 of the finest new and model homes in the Rio Grande Valley. If you missed the Parade this past April, you can still download the app, RGVBA Parade, and explore, or you can go online to rgvba.org to see photos and videos of the homes. Then, call the builder of a home you are interested in and ask for a viewing, or drive by the model home and visit. See winners on page 14.

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(956) 971-9700

“

6

It is l i k e go in g on a f irst d at e. S ure , t h e p erson lo ok s goo d on t h e o uts id e , b ut w h at ab o ut in s id e?

When you look at a builder’s new home for sale, remember that it may be only a model for you. For example, that builder’s new house you see in McAllen can be custom built for you in the area of your choice. All the builders listed in our magazine would be happy to work with you in choosing a neighborhood and lot, in assisting with design & layout, and in helping you select options that fit your budget and desires. You are not limited to what you see in a model home. You CAN design your home and have it built in an area of YOUR choosing!

5

Most important, ask if the builder constructs homes, or can construct your dream home, certified under the Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR® program or under the new Built to Save® program. Both of these programs guarantee, through third party testing, that your home will have cleaner inside air, be more comfortable with stable temperatures, and help save on utility expenses—far better than a similar new built-to-standard-code home. With energy costs and global warming rising, your dream home needs to be energy efficient, and these programs guarantee your home will comply. Another excellent qualification is the GreenBuilt RGV Program, guaranteeing your home will be more environmentally friendly. All of these special programs will ensure your home will keep hardearned money in your pocket, and if you ever need to sell, will guarantee you a better resale price. See pages 25 & 29.

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Hopefully, these 6 tips can get you started and on your way to your “Happy Ever After” new home.

Don’t choose just any house that is available.

With the right tools, the right choices, and the right attitude, building and buying a new home can be a wonderfully personalized and lifechanging experience.

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www.rgvnewhomesguide.com

(956) 971-9700

(956) 971-9700

www.rgvnewhomesguide.com

Volume 23.4 2015

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Volume 23.4 2015

www.rgvnewhomesguide.com

(956) 971-9700

Find a participating homebuilder at SouthTXSaves.com

Better Energy Performance, Built In. High-Performance and ENERGY STAR® new homes have energy efficiency built right in, so they use 20%–30% less energy than typical new homes. That means you’ll save energy and money from day one.

These homes offer all the features you want, plus energy-efficient improvements that deliver more comfort, better performance and energy savings.

Benefits of High-Performance and ENERGY STAR homes: •

Lower energy costs

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Greater comfort

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Improved safety and indoor air quality

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Energy-efficient products and appliances

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High-efficiency heating and cooling equipment

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Independent testing and inspection

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Better for the environment

(956) 971-9700

www.rgvnewhomesguide.com

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www.rgvnewhomesguide.com

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