San Antonio, Texas is a vibrant and diverse city with a rich history and culture. Known as the "Alamo City," San Antonio is home to the famous Alamo mission, where in 1836 a small group of Texan soldiers held out against a much larger Mexican army. Today, the Alamo serves as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a museum that draws millions of visitors each year.

One of the things that makes San Antonio unique is its blend of cultures. The city has a strong Hispanic heritage and is home to several historic Spanish missions, including the Alamo. The city also has a strong German heritage, which is reflected in its famous River Walk, a network of walkways along the San Antonio River lined with shops, restaurants, and bars.

San Antonio is a big city but still gives a good dose of nature and recreational opportunities, The most popular attraction is the River Walk, which winds through the heart of downtown and offers a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Along the River Walk, you'll find the San Antonio Museum of Art, which boasts an impressive collection of Latin American art, as well as the McNay Art Museum, which focuses on American and European art.

For families or visitors who enjoy the outdoors, San Antonio has many options to explore. The city has more than 40 parks, including the famous Brackenridge Park, home to the San Antonio Zoo and the Japanese Tea Garden. The city also has a number of golf courses, hiking trails, and lakes for fishing and boating.

San Antonio is also known for its vibrant food scene, with a wide variety of dining options that reflect the city's diverse population. Tex-Mex cuisine is particularly popular, and you'll find many excellent Tex-Mex restaurants throughout the city. There's also a growing number of farm-to-table restaurants that focus on locally sourced ingredients. Some notable spots for Tex-Mex would be Mi Tierra, and Rosario's Mexican café y Cantina.

The city also offers a good job market and a relatively low cost of living compared to other major cities in Texas and across the country. San Antonio's economy is diverse and has a strong focus on healthcare, military, and tourism. Many large companies have their headquarters or a strong presence in the city, including USAA, H-E-B, and Valero Energy.

In conclusion, San Antonio is a city with a rich history, diverse culture, and a variety of attractions and recreational opportunities that appeal to visitors and residents alike. The city has a growing economy and a low cost of living, making it an attractive place to live, work, and raise a family. The Tex-Mex food is also definitely worth giving a try, as well as many other options that could delight foodies.

Currently in San Antonio in 2022 going into 2023 there are still a few down payment assistance and zero down payment options home buyers in San Antonio can take advantage of.  In this article we explain a few of the main programs that a home buyers can still take advantage of to buy a home with little to no down payment.  

San Antonio HIP Program: This program is for anything within the city of San Antonio limits.  In order to be eligible you must be a first time home buyer and you must be within the max allowable household income thresholds.  This program is actually a forgivable 0% interest second loan and must be couple with either a conventional, FHA, or VA loan.  You must still have a qualifying score.  The loan is good for a credit between $1K-$15K.  Here is a link with more details about this program.  

TSHAC Program: This program is another one for first time home buyers that meet the minimum income thresholds for the program.  With TSHAC your overall interest may be higher than with other local down payment assistance programs.  With this program home buyers are required to take a home owners education course.  You must also have the minimum credit score requirement to qualify.  If you would like to see if you can qualify, visit TSHAC's website and take the qualification quiz

USDA loan program: This program is for most homes outside of the city limits.  It allows for ZERO Down Payment on homes in designated rural areas.  In order to qualify for this loan, you must be within the eligible income requirments and they also want to make sure that you do not have assets or savings that can be used to put your own down payement.  In order to see if a home is in the eligible locations for USDA eligible financing visit the USDA eligibility site.  

Please check back frequently, as we discover more programs that are offering down payment assistance in San Antonio this page will be updated!

If you or anyone you know is in need of financial assistance to purchase a home, please contact us for a pre-approval with one of our preferred San Antonio loan officers that offers these programs!

John J Giacobbe, Realtor

Call or Text at 210.857.6942

John@thegiacobbegroup.com

All good things must come to an end.. Starting on December 16th, 2022 - CPS Energy is pulling the plug on it's residential solar rebate program! Since 2009, CPS Energy has been mailing San Antonio homeowners large cashier's checks shortly after a system is installed.  The amount of the rebate is $2500 after installing a solar PV System plus an additional $500 if the equipment is locally sourced.  In San Antonio, we have one main company that manufactures solar panels, the mission solar company.  

According to CPS Energy's FAQ on their website, they are ending the program because the solar rebate program has been supporting the adoption of solar in our community since 2009. As the cost of solar has declined over the 3 years, the rebate has become a smaller part (less than 10%) of the cost of installing a system. This signals to us that the solar rebate has served its purpose, and with the launch of our new energy efficiency and conservation program, we will re-direct the dollars to other, newer customer programs.

Moving forward, CPS Energy will continue to offer incentives but only to local small businesses to make room for other programs.

As a GREEN Designated Realtor, I have helped several clients including myself save money every month by going solar.  The main reason why homeowners should seriously consider getting a system installed is the immediate cost savings, low rates, and NO money required out of pocket.  

Paying your light bill is something that every single home owner needs to do every single month.  Instead of renting your electricity from the power company, why not invest in a system that you own, lock in your cost, and receive a hefty tax savings.  In 2022 the Federal Tax credit was increased again to 30%, this tax credit is given to you kind of like a "gift card" from the IRS, and for a couple more months you WILL also receive a $2500-$3,000 cashier's check from CPS Energy, all with ZERO money out of pocket.  The fastest way to start the process of getting your solar energy installed is visiting us on our link at Powur Solar at www.FreeSolarPanelEstimate.com - Simply fill in your address and attach a copy of your most recent light bill.

We look forward to answering your questions and helping as many San Antonio home owners save money and take advantage of this CPS Energy rebate before it's gone for good! 

The Giacobbe Group begins it's 5th year with eXp Realty and we were just honored with our 4th ICON Agent Production award by our company eXp Realty! Find out more about this prestigous award and what it takes to receive it!

So what does it take to become an ICON agent at eXp Realty? The Icon award is an annual production and stock award that is achieved when an agent or sales team pays off our company cap (Annual Broker's Dues) and then sells an additional 20 units beyond that.  Production cap can usually be reached once an agent selling 2.2 Million in volume.  this typically requires 40-50 completed transactions to reach ICON Agent status! That's 3+ homes a month on average! 

What do you get when you hit ICON status? Producing agents who reach ICON status earn their company cap back in the form of eXpi our publicly traded stock.  Stock awards have a vesting period of 3 years.  

What do you attribute your success to? Finding great mentors and learning from some of the top sales and marketers I could find throughout the years.  Education and mentorship is key whenever you have big goals.  Finding people who are already where you want to be and learning from them.  Also, becoming a mentor and helping others reach their goals too.  I always want to find ways to find ways to add value to others, that's the definition of leadership. 

What is one "Golden Nugget" you'd like to give? Darren Hardy one of my many mentors told a story one time that has always stuck with me throughout the years.  The pendulum of success swings both ways.  On the other side of every failure, you will always find your next big achievement.  If you are going through any kind of difficulty it's important to remember that if you just keep going your next achievement is likely just around the corner.  I am always surprised by what happens when I keep going despite set backs, it always leads to something great.  

Thank you for taking the time to read this, if you or anyone you know is in the market to buy or sell a home either now or in the near future.  Please remember, we love referrals! 

John Giacobbe, Realtor

210-857-6942

John@thegiacobbegroup.com

It's just crazy how expensive everything has gotten! From the rising cost of gas, electricity, food, and now mortgage interest rates! It can feel like a daunting task just trying to keep your head above water.  I wrote this blog article 6 practical tips to save money if you own a home or need to buy a home in the near future.  Enjoy!

1.  Position Yourself to Purchase: When you are purchasing a home or refinancing your credit score will play a part in determining what sort of interest rate you will receive.  If you plan to purchase a home in the future start working on improving your credit scores far in advance.  A top tier credit score when purchasing a home is usually anything over 740.  Normally anything over 700 will earn you a much better monthly payment.  

2.  Mortgage Options To Consider: If you can't put 20% down, that's okay.  You can avoid mortgage insurance by paying an upfront mortgage insurance premium.  We have had clients purchase with as little as 5% down and still have no mortgage insurance! 

3.  Monthly In-Flow vs Outflow: Look at your total cost for ownership.  Owning a home is more than just the monthly mortgage payment.  Costs to consider should include maintenance, taxes, internet, water and electricity.  When purchasing a home look at the total picture and see where you will save the most money in total.  Sometimes paying more for the mortgage payment on a new might actually save you total costs when you factor in home efficiency and repairs.  

4.  Get cash-back: I recommend using cash-back cards for all of your home's needs including utility cost.  Personally, I have been using the free coinbase card, which pays 4% cash back in crypto on all of your home's expenses.  With the market being down.. 4% in crypto saved could potentially become 40% or greater if you accumulate and hold all of your free rewards! 

5.  Protest your Taxes: You should try to protest your property taxes every single year.  If you don't protest your taxes Bexar County Appraisal district will automatically raise your property taxes every single year, save money on taxes by protesting each and every year! 

6.  Save on Electricity: Consider ways to lower your energy consumption.  Options to help with this are installing heat reduction film on your windows, getting room occupancy switches, a garage door insulation kit, installing smart thermostats and finally consider going solar.  Not sure who to go through for solar? I am a certified "Green Designated Realtor" and Independent Powur Consultant! Get a quote with me at www.FreeSolarPanelEstimate.com

About the Author: Since 2011, John Giacobbe has helped hundreds of families throughout San Antonio buy and sell homes.  If you are interested in learning more about buying, selling or investing in a San Antonio area home give John Giacobbe a call or text at 210-857-6942

Here’s what I’m seeing today in real estate in 2021.  Coming out of last year’s pandemic where we saw interest rates drop to the lowest levels in history there has been a period of rapid consumer demand which has pushed up on home prices throughout the San Antonio market.

Now in 2021, the market is beginning to see a period of consolidation & rebalancing, the bulk of great resale home inventory has diminished under the buying demand of consumers leaving fewer resale homes for buyers at much higher prices.  New home inventory has increasingly become a more desirable option for home buyers because there are fewer options in the resale market, however, great resale properties are selling QUICK and at higher prices than ever before.

As mortgage interest rates begin to increase, home prices will correct.  I believe that we will soon see the beginning of a period where home values will go flat.

Here are a few ways you can really capitalize on the 2021 San Antonio real estate market. 

·      If you own a home and want to sell it, NOW is a great time to gain a solid net profit.  Lower supply & higher demand means more money in your pocket.

·      Locking in a higher mortgage amount NOW can help you maintain a manageable payment on a larger or newer home.

·      Consider buying a new construction home you may have an easier time finding and contracting on something new now vs resale. 

If you are in the market to buy, sell, or invest in 2021, remember The Giacobbe Group has your back.  We have over 10 years of experience and hundreds of 5-star home reviews.  We will give you an honest opinion on your home value and help you maximize your real estate investment. 

Sincerely,

John J Giacobbe, Realtor

210-857-6942

john@thegiacobbegroup.com

As a real estate agent there are hundreds of different activities that can occupy one’s day so I created this article to give new and experienced agent’s alike a winning formula for success.

By focusing on these 5 activities daily you will start to see your real estate business prosper, you will help more clients, and become the superstar real estate agent you strive to be.  Let's get started!

Goal Setting- Every day I start with a simple goal setting activity.  I write my life and business goals down on half a sheet of paper and on the bottom half I write everything that I need to work on that day to achieve my goals. 

It’s easy to get off track from what you are trying to achieve but by starting with this one activity daily you will set the stage for your success- with every item you check off from your task list you are moving one step closer towards your goal.

Training & Development- There are so many facets to creating success as a real estate agent so it’s important that you take time each and every day to sharpen your skills. 

There are numerous coaching and training programs available for every facet of your business.  Some areas that I recommend studying and becoming proficient in are Sales, Marketing, real estate specific, relationships, and leadership. 

After 8 years in the real estate business I am still learning something new every day.  Through a constant focus on training and development you are refining your skills and becoming better every single day.

Prospecting- One of the most important activities a real estate agent can do every day is telephone prospecting.  Making calls is the most effective way for an agent to create opportunities.  So who exactly should you be calling every day when you are doing your prospecting hour? And the answer to that is everyone you know!

When prospecting your focus should always be to get a meeting scheduled with a ready, willing, and able buyer or seller.  The main way that you will accomplish this is always through building relationships.  The best way to build a relationships is by showing genuine interest and using the FORD principle to find the right questions to ask.  Family, Occupation, Relationships, and Dreams.          

Client Meetings- Now is your time to shine! If you can get the meeting, you can get the sale.  Getting in front of ready, willing, and able home buyers and sellers should be the main focus every day within your business.

By getting belly to belly with your clients you are able to have the most influence and really help them find a solution to their real estate needs.  Always take a consultative approach and have a list of discovery questions ready to gather any critical information you need to help your client reach their goal. 

Business Development- This pillar can be very general to most real estate but a few activities that you can focus on for business development should include planning and creating content for social media, marketing activities, meeting with strategic business partners for coffee, or planning a community event and more. 

Also, this part of your day should include anything that will allows you to create organization and improvement of your client’s experience.  Take time each day to improve your workflow and build better relationships.  After all, real estate is a people business so always focus on putting people first and all else will fall into place!

About the Author: Since 2011, John Giacobbe has been named as one of San Antonio's TOP Realtors with EXP Realty he has helped hundreds of agents throughout San Antonio and the United States excel at selling more homes and creating freedom through real estate with his FREE AGENT SUCCESS PROGRAM.  If you are in interested in learning more about this topic or you are interested in partnering as a real estate agent within his eXp organization Call or Text John TODAY! 

1-210-857-6942

8 Steps to Sell Your Elderly Parents Home in San Antonio

Throughout my 8 year career selling homes in San Antonio I've helped several families going through a similar time of transition.  When you are dealing with a loved one in their senior years you need to insure that their most important assets including real estate are handled with the utmost care.  Here are 8 things to consider when it's transition time. 

1.  Decide where they will be moving- There are several options for senior living here in San Antonio.  Depending on the level of care your parent will require.  If their condition requires consistent attention then perhaps review different skilled nursing facilities.  If they are still in good health than a lower maintenance apartment or house nearby may be a great option for housing.  You want to make sure you assess their overall condition and seek out the best option depending on their individual need.  

2.  Discuss options with parent- This is usually the most difficult part of the process but also very necessary to make sure your loved one understand why they are needing to move.  Your parent may have a deep attachment to their current home so you want to make sure you approach this discussion with care but also be firm of your desire to help them.  When you discuss the game plan up front and explain the reason why they are needing to move you will have an easier time getting your parents to buy in to the idea.

3.  Contact a Realtor to determine market value- It is important to contact a licensed Realtor that you trust to help learn about what exactly you can sell your parents home for.  There are several investors out there that will try to take advantage of your parent's equity they have built into their real estate.  A Realtor is going to put your parent's needs before their own so you will get the very most money for their house.  In most cases the money you receive will help fund the many expenses that you are sure to incur later in the process.

4.  Create an action list to prepare home- Over the years your parent may have accumulated tons of stuff & if you are reading this article it is very likely that you are concerned about their current living situation.  Start by separating any items of sentimental value & important documents that your parent has.  Make sure to take inventory of different repair items needed with the house.  You will need to reference back to your list on the following step.

5.  Contact home service vendors & contractors- By now you should have a list of necessary repairs to get the home ready for the market.  Your next task will be contacting different home service vendors or contractors to gather repair bids.  Depending on the condition of the home you may be able to sell it as-is or with a little money invested you may be able to get a much larger return from the sale.  Feel free to review our list of trusted local home service vendors in San Antonio that we refer and trust.

6.  Determine where sale proceeds will be held- Now the final step you'll need to take before starting the plan is determining where you will hold the money once the house has been sold.  You will want to contact a trusted financial adviser to make arrangements for holding the funds.  Since the proceeds of their home will likely be a large lump sum of money you want to make sure you select the right vehicle for storing the money post sale so it can be accessed as the need arises.

7.  Start the move-out process & make repairs- Okay the day has come to start moving! You'll want to get an early start because there is a lot of work ahead.  When possible it is always best to initiate the move-out process first so that the contractors can come in afterwards and make any necessary repairs to the property.  Take time to get rid of any unnecessary items and keep any valuables set aside for safe keeping.  Make sure that your parents are in good spirits about their new home and be there to provide encouragement as they go through this period of transition.

8.  List home for sale- The final step of the process is listing the home for sale.  Before listing the home make sure you recheck the current market conditions to see if anything has changed.  Team up with a licensed Realtor that you trust.  Make sure that the home is presented well when it goes onto the market and be careful about over pricing the house.  Once an offer is received review the offer and understand what the net proceeds will be before you accept an offer.  Congratulations, you did it! Your loved one is now in a more safe place and their home is sold! 

About the Author: Since 2011, John Giacobbe has been San Antonio's TOP Realtor with EXP Realty he has helped hundreds of families throughout San Antonio and their aging parents with the process of selling their homes.  If you or your loved one are in need of a licensed Realtor with a caring and thoughtful attitude contact John TODAY! 

1-210-857-6942

An Interview with Lennar in San Antonio, TX

In this exclusive Interview with Lennar.  Anessa explains more about the Smart Home Features and everything included way that Lennar is building their homes.

John: Hey everybody, John Giacobbe. I am out at Lennar Homes at Westpointe off of Wiseman and 1604. If you're interested in a brand-new Lennar Home, you're gonna wanna stick around and see what Anessa has to say. Hey everybody, John Giacobbe, I'm meeting with my friend, Anessa Meadows today at Lennar Homes at Westpointe. Anessa, if you could tell our audience out there today a little bit more about yourself, what did you do before getting into real estate?

Anessa: For 12 years, I was a firefighter-paramedic here in San Antonio, and now I sell homes for Lennar.

John: Awesome, so how long have you been with Lennar Homes?

Anessa: I've been with Lennar since September of this year, so I'm pretty new.

John: Awesome, very good. Now, we're over here today at Westpointe at Lennar, can you tell us a little bit about where this neighborhood is located?

Anessa: We're located off of 1604 and Wiseman, just out in Fronterra.

John: Very good, now with Lennar Homes, can you tell us a little bit more about what features makes a Lennar Home unique? What is the biggest thing that Lennar does differently?

Anessa: Well, Lennar is an Everything Included Home. We don't have any upgrades. What you see is what you get with us, so when you walk into our model homes, and our different series, everything you see is included, except for the automated blinds.

John: Very good, now technology is a huge thing with Lennar. Can you tell us a little bit more about the technology that goes into these Lennar Homes?

Anessa: Lennar is partnered with Amazon, so we have an agreement with them that our Alexa display, Echo Dot, and Sonos speaker all come included with Lennar. We're a Wi-Fi certified home, we have routers in the ceiling that make sure the home is Wi-Fi heat-mapped, so there's no Wi-Fi dead spots.

John: Very cool. Now what are some of the things that Alexa does in the new Lennar Homes?

Anessa: Well we have some scenes that are programmed into Alexa, and since we have the Ring doorbell, I can say, "Alexa, show me who's at my front door.", and the Ring doorbell will show on the display who's at the front door, and you can ask Alexa to do any kind of recipe you want, she'll show it on the screen, and if you have our automated blinds, you can say, "Alexa, turn on party time," and she'll lower the blinds, lower the lights and turn on some really awesome music.

John: Very good, now can you tell us a little bit more about the efficiency that goes into a brand-new Lennar Home?

Anessa: Yeah, our Lennar Homes are very energy efficient, so we have an R15 rating in the walls, and an R30 in the ceilings, everything is Low-E in the windows. We use GE appliances, they're very energy efficient, and since it is Wi-Fi, you can control your anything from your phone.

John: And now, this community that we're at today, Lennar Westpointe, what would you say is one of the biggest draws that brings people out to this area, to this location here?

Anessa: We have the Northside ISD school district and is one of the most desirable school districts in San Antonio, also we have a great amenities center, and here, it's a real community kind of feel. There's lots of young children, young families here, and there's so much just to do in our community.

John: And now, if somebody were interested in building a house from the ground up with Lennar, what does that process look like with you?

Anessa: Well, you come meet with me in my sales office. We'll go out and pick a lot, we'll pick a floor plan, and then I show you a color board. There's no upgrades, and you pick the color board you want. You want white cabinets, you can get white cabinets. You want dark cabinets, you get dark cabinets, and then you pick the elevation of your home, and then from that point on, it can take six to eight months to build your home, and then it'll be all yours at the end of the process.

John: Okay, and now if somebody were trying to decide between maybe buying a preowned home versus new construction, what would you say to that buyer? Why should they go with a brand-new home?

Anessa: 'Cause it's brand new. So, we have warranties that come with our home. We have a one, two, 10 warranty, and the one year covers everything in the home except cosmetics, two's gonna be all your major, like your electrical, plumbing, and wiring, and then 10 on the foundation and the structure. So, and then we have an amazing Customer Care, so if there are any issues, they come and help you take care of it.

John: And if somebody were considering the thought of buying a brand-new house, when would you say is the best time to get started?

Anessa: Right now, we have amazing amount of inventory that can close pretty quickly, and also interest rates are on the rise, they're not super high, but they're not super low like we're used to, so locking it in now would be the best time.

John: Absolutely, I couldn't agree with you more on that one. Now, if somebody were interested in Lennar Homes, where are you guys located throughout San Antonio?

Anessa: We have over 50 communities throughout San Antonio, all the way up to New Braunfels and down to Mission Del Lago, so I have a home for everybody.

John: Wow, so you guys are located all over--

Anessa: All over.

John: All over San Antonio.

Anessa: Yep.

John: Very good. Now if somebody wanted more information about Lennar Homes, where would they go to learn a little bit more about the builder?

Anessa: You can go to Lennar.com and look all the information up there, or you can contact me directly.

John: Very good, now how would somebody get ahold of you if they were interested in working with you to buy their new Lennar Home?

Anessa: They can just reach out to my cell phone number, which is 234-2454.

John: Very good, well thank you so much for being part of John Giacobbe's Builder of the Week!

Interested in seeing what homes Lennar has available in San Antonio? 

Search Lennar Communities in San Antonio, TX

An Interview with Perry Homes in San Antonio, TX

In this exclusive interview you will learn about the Perry Homes difference with John Giacobbe - San Antonio's New Construction Realtor & Dennis Maldonado with Perry Homes.

John: Hey everybody, John Giaccobe here. I am out today at Perry Homes meeting with my friend Dennis Maldonado. If you're looking for new construction, or if you're thinking about buying a new home you're gonna want to hear what Dennis has to say. Hey everybody, John Giacobbe here. I'm out at Perry Homes in Kallison Ranch with my friend Dennis Maldonado. Wanted to introduce you guys to Dennis and Perry Homes today. Dennis, if you could tell us a little bit about yourself and what did you do before real estate, and how long have you been working for Perry Homes?

Dennis: Well, before real estate I actually was in school for two years at UTSA studying cyber security. Before that I managed businesses, had a couple businesses.

John: Okay, and how long have you been working here at Perry Homes?

Dennis: Been for four months. Four fantastic months, mind you.

John: Awesome.

Dennis: I worked for another home builder prior to was a semi-custom builder, but then had the opportunity to join the Perry team which I am very proud of.

John: Very good. Now what would you say is the biggest standout feature, or unique value proposition that Perry Homes has to offer?

Dennis: How much time do we have? The one thing about Perry Homes is although we are a production builder, our homes are built more like a custom builder. From the ground up, from the soil testing to the foundation to the way we frame a house, which is we stick build everything, nothing's trucked in, to the selection, it's just a top tier builder. We are a top tier builder by all means.

John: And, Perry Homes is just beautiful product, and the amazing house that you guys have here, what would you say is we're out here at Kallison Ranch today, just a few miles outside of 1604, just past Alamo Ranch area, what would you say is the appeal of this area?

Dennis: This is one of the hottest zip codes in San Antonio, if not the United States. Some of the benefits are, we have some of the lowest property taxes out here. We're actually in the county, not in the city of San Antonio, so that reduces taxes significantly. We also have great schools though. We have, Harlan High School is one of the top schools in San Antonio. The middle school and elementary schools are also fantastic schools. We have Government Canyon Park, right adjacent to us, wide open space a little over 8000 acres. So that always provides us a breeze here. There is never a day that doesn't have a breeze here. It's an amazing feeling being here. You're in the country, but you're close to shopping. You're close to 1604. We have a lot of military, and so Lackland is not far away, so really it's location, location, location. Those are the three rules of real estate.

John: Absolutely. You know that's always something that is important whenever you're looking for a house is being in a great location, and you mentioned that the tax rate was lower out here, so that is certainly a benefit when you're making your mortgage payment every month.

Dennis: Yes it is.

John: So with Perry Homes, now why would somebody maybe consider buying a brand new home versus getting something pre-owned, maybe saving a couple

bucks? What would be the benefit in your mind to go in new construction?

Dennis: You eliminate some of the unknowns. When you're buying a pre-owned home, nothing against pre-owned homes, the values out there and good ones to be had, but you never know when the air conditioning is going to go out, the water heater's going to go out, if you're gonna have a roof leak, what's going on. You don't know because the history of the home is not quite there. You just don't know. With a brand new Perry Home, we offer the best warranty in the business. It's two years, material and craftsmanship, 10 years on anything structural, so you eliminate some of that. When you move into a new home John, you know that there's expenses. Typically you buy new furniture. You're doing things to make the home yours, and so you don't want to have to replace an AC unit at that time. I promise you, or a hot water heater. So that's really one of the biggest reasons to buy a new Perry Home.

John: Absolutely. That definitely makes sense. When you're trying to get new things for your new house, the last thing that you want is for your air conditioner to go out, so when you go with new construction, you're getting a new roof, you're getting a new AC, and everything is warranted.

Dennis: We're in Texas. You don't want your AC going out. I promise you.

John: Now for somebody that was looking to build a house from the ground up, what is that process look like with Perry Homes?

Dennis:  It's a very easy process. The first thing we do is sit with you, and find out what your needs are. How many bedrooms, how many bathrooms, do you need a study, how many garages, that kind of thing. And then we'll select a floor plan that is something that you like, something that you can see yourself living in. The next function is the lot. You want to make sure the house will fit on the lot, because sometimes if you do something to a house, it doesn't fit on the lot, sometimes it does. And then the process of just making the selections to make that house your home. So, structural things like something as small as maybe having a gas line on your back patio so that you can hook up your grill to. And then from there, you would go to the selection process. The thing about Perry Homes, is that we have a lot of the things that you see in the model are standard. The cabinets, the tile selection. There's standard tiles. There's standard finishes on the cabinets, but we sit down and go through a few of those things with you, those items with you. And then you go to the design center, and you'll actually be able to see the finishes, and select them to make the house your home.

John: Awesome. Now that's one of the first things that I notice whenever I come into a Perry Home, is the amazing quality of the finishes. Do you guys have a designer that works with each home buyer, and help put it all together?

Dennis: We do. When you purchase a home, to build a home, you sit down with a designer at the design center, and it's an appointment that you make, and you go through anything from A to Z in terms of fixtures, whether they be plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, tile, paint, all that is picked out there.

John: So it's, and I think that's one of the most fun parts about building your own house, is getting to customize and select what you want to make it your own so that's definitely an exciting part of the process. So how long does it typically take, from start to finish, from the time they come in the door the first time, to the time they get their keys?

Dennis: The building process takes about five months, provided it doesn't rain for 30 days.

John: Yeah.

Dennis: Sometimes the weather will affect it, but on average five months will get you from start to finish on your home. You mentioned the design center. One thing that's very unique about us, I'm gonna go back a little bit, is that I call it the Chama Gaucha effect, If you've ever eaten at the Chama Gaucha Steakhouse.

John: Of course.

Dennis: You go there, you fill up on the salad, and then you get all the meats, and if you were to survey all the people leaving the Chama Gaucha restaurant, or the Brazilian steakhouse restaurant, nobody's happy, they ate too much. One thing at Perry that we do since a lot of the items are standard, you won't be spending 50 or 60 additional dollars on your home, 50 or 60 thousand additional dollars on your home. So that is something to look out for when you're building, because the price of the home is not always the price of the move-in home that you get.

John: Absolutely. Now if somebody was looking to get into a new house, when would be the best time for them to get started with that process?

Dennis: There's no time like the present, and waiting will cost you. Those are the two things I tell folks all the time. As soon as you're ready, as soon as you think you wanna do it, you investigate the process. You investigate. Come take a look at the Perry differences. There is a difference. But if you sit down, and you do a mock build for example, where we sit down and we say, "Okay, if I were to build," "what would it take?" So interest rates are rising. Lumber costs are going up. We had a hurricane not too long ago, and so understand that a lot of the lumber is going that way, a lot of the work is going that way, where they're driving costs up here, and so now is the time.

John: You have your product available all throughout San Antonio. What are some of the different locations that you guys are offering Perry Homes at?

Dennis: We have a number of neighborhoods, and new neighborhoods opening up all the time. The best way to find that out is to go to the Perry Homes website, PerryHomes.com. Click on San Antonio, because we do build in Houston often, and Dallas as well, and you will see a map, and it will show you all of the communities, and so if you're looking for something in New Braunfels, we have it, Seguin, we have it, San Antonio, we have it. So that's the best way to do it.

John: Okay, now if any of our viewers out there were interested in getting a hold of you to start the process, what's the best way for one of our viewers to get a hold of you if they're interested in learning more about Perry Homes or coming out to see you guys.

Dennis: Well they can always start with you. Bring them out, or they can call me on my cell phone, 210-279-9948, email me, dennis.maldanado@perryhomes.com, or they can go to our website, PerryHomes.com.

John: Awesome. Well thank you so much Dennis. I appreciate you being part of John Giacobbe's builder of the week. I'm really excited to be out here, showcasing Perry Homes to our audience, and again thanks so much, I appreciate your time today.

Dennis: John, it's been my pleasure. Just remember the Perry Homes value. Once you've had the Perry Homes value, once you see what we offer, the difference that Perry Homes makes, and how we build, you're gonna want one.

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