Should I buy an existing home, a new home, or a foreclosure?

If you are looking for a new home the process can be daunting.  There are so many variables one must take into consideration.  Among other considerations you might be wondering whether or not you should buy a new home or a resale.  You  might be asking yourself if you can afford a new home, how you will obtain financing, whether you should consider a foreclosure, if you should narrow your search by school district, and if you should be thinking about buying an energy efficient home.

As a home builder who has been in business since 1975, we know "they don't build them like they used to."  Guess what?  That's a GOOD thing.  New homes are far superior in terms of energy efficiency, engineering, materials, performance, construction methods and reliability.  Remember, your home should be built to perform as a system.  Building codes are continually revised to concur with recent advancements in building materials and construction methods to ensure that new homes are safer, more reliable and exceed the quality of new homes built under previous codes.

That foreclosure might look like a good deal, but what do you really know about the home?  What do you know about the appliances (if they haven't been stripped from the home)?  Do you have enough money saved up to replace the furnace if it stops working tomorrow?  How old is the hot water heater?  Were the walls and attic properly insulated?  Under what electrical code was the home built?  Was the grading engineered and certified?  Was the soil properly tested and compacted?

Many of the same unknowns exist when buying a resale.  Of course, you will have the home or townhome inspected, but any inspector will admit that in a single 2 or 3 hour visit it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find all problems a home may have.  Reputable home builders typically include a 2 - 10 warranty with the purchase of a new home, which leaves them holding the bag (or the bucket) if there is a performance or structural issue, not you.

We believe in sustainable building practices, so we choose to build under the Energy Star program, which allows our homes to outperform other home built under the current building code.  Our new homes in Thornton and Aurora, Colorado far exceed current building code requirements and are as much as 40% more efficient than a new home built as recently as 2006!  Our Aurora, CO townhome community, The Villas at Wheatlands, even offers PV solar systems at no additional cost to our new home buyers.  This program guarantees lower energy costs from the day you move in to your new home.  Additionally, our Thornton, CO new townhome community, The Villas at Thorncreek, includes unique energy efficient appliances such as tankless water heaters at no extra cost.  Find another new home builder offering these environmentally responsible features at no additional cost and I'll give you a dollar.  We also believe our subcontractors deliver better quality work because they know their work will be tested and inspected by our third party energy rater for Energy Logic.  What might pass as compliant with current building code does not necessarily pass inspection by an Energy Star energy rater.

For reasons including safety, performance, energy efficiency, reliability, long term cost savings and a better return on your investment, we believe that there is no better value than a new home.

Sage Creek Townhomes - Thornton, CO

If you are looking for a townhome in the North Metro area of Denver, there is no better value than Sage Creek Townhomes.  Starting in the $150's, these townhomes feature 3 flowing floorplans, fenced backyards, and are close to shopping and dining.  Conveniently located just 20 minutes to downtown Denver and 20 minutes to DIA our Thornton townhomes are close to everything.  Other highlights include a community pool, beautiful stone and stucco exteriors, close by schools, maintained landscaping and plenty of trails and parks.  Visit us!

Why We Are an Energy Star Builder

There are many reasons we now build only Energy Star qualified new homes.  As homebuilders, we have a responsibility to minimize our impact on the environment.  Although current building codes ensure that homes built today are more efficient than homes built only a few years ago, our Energy Star qualified new homes are at least 20% more efficient than a home built to the 2006 code.  In fact, some of our new homes have achieved the 5 Star Plus Energy Star rating, which is Energy Star's highest rating.  Many of our home buyers have chosen to have a solar system installed on their home (which we can do at no additional cost).  Combined with our tight construction methods, 2"x6" walls, blown cellulose insulation, high efficiency furnaces, low-E windows, and Energy Star appliances, our new homes consume up to 40% less energy than a new home built in 2006!

We believe that an Energy Star rated home is simply a better home.  It is built better, and it performs better than non Energy Star homes.  Our subcontractors know that their work will be tested by our third party energy rater, Energy Logic.  If their work does not pass Energy Logic's tests such as the insulation inspection, blower door test or HVAC duct leakage test they must come back to repair their work.  Knowing that their work will be subjected to calibrated testing, our subcontractors stay focused on getting it right the first time so they don't have to come back.

Click here to learn more about our Energy Star homes.

Xcel Halts Solar Rebates

Solar integrators could be in limbo for a few months now that Xcel Energy has suspended accepting applications for its Solar* Rewards program.  Xcel has also announced that it will reduce its rebate from $2.35/kWh to $2.01/kWh.  Additionally, Xcel is requesting that the PUC reduce the minimum mandated rebate from $2.00/kWh to $0.25/kWh.  We hope the PUC denies Xcel's request.  It's not as if the program is causing Xcel to struggle.  Xcel's net income during the last quarter alone was $136.6 million.

Luckily our locally owned solar integrator, Namaste Solar, encouraged us to apply for rebate applications sooner than later, therefore, we still have homes at The Villas at Wheatlands with PV Solar systems included as a standard feature!