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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