When you first start looking and you
seek advise you will find everyone is an expert. Be wary of advise from
those that are not in the business, or do not have a background in
financing. Home Buyers will review many Production Builder’s product to see
if they can find something that meets their family’s needs. They are forced
to select from a limited assortment of models that the builder has designed,
and must buy something as close as possible to what their goals are. Most
people do not have the foggiest notion what knowledge is required in order
to buy a NEW CUSTOM HOME. They do not know that a Custom Home
Designed By You can be bought at approximately the same price as a
Production Home; and you receive exactly what you want. Once you find
something that you like there are a million questions.
Here are a few:
1. Is the builder reputable and do they honor their contracts;
2. How do I finance the home I wish to buy;
3. How do I finance and sell my existing home, if applicable;
4. How long does it take to build a Custom Home;
5. Do I have to accept the Custom Builder’s plans, or can I be innovative?
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We will attempt to state the facts about ourselves and the programs offered
to you by Lenders with the intent to give you the knowledge so that you can
make an EDUCATED DECISION, BASED ON FACTS.
No. 1 – As to our company, INTERSTATE VENTURES, INC., a full
service organization The principals and their associates have been in the
construction industry since 1960, and this company has been in existence
since 1975. We have produced 20 Custom Communities and have knowledge in
Development, Design, Financing and Construction of Custom Homes. We can give
you references as to how we live up to the terms of our contracts, both
during construction and service after sale.
No.2 – Understanding Financing is the hardest part of the process.
Following are some facts and figures about some of the programs that
institutional lenders are offering as of this date. (8/10/07). We will
assume a $400,000 mortgage. We always use a Construction/Permanent Loan
which saves you transfer taxes, estimated at about $8,000. The general
knowledge imparted below will vary over the years, but the process remains
the same.
Programs Available:
A. 5/1 Mortgage- means that you pay the same rate for five years,
then refinance
The rate is the same during and after construction today’s rate is 6.0%; Your monthly principle and interest is $2,400 before
tax savings, less approximately 40% for State and Federal tax deductions, or
$1,440. The family income required to buy is $82,000.
B. 30 Year Fixed Mortgage- means that you pay the same interest rate
for the entire 30 years. the rate is slightly higher during construction, and becomes a permanent
fixed rate when it is determined at Occupancy.
Today’s rate is 6.25%; Your monthly principle and interest is $2,460 before
tax savings, less approximately 40% for State and Federal tax deductions, or
$1,480. The family income required to buy is $84,400.
C. Interest Only- means that you pay interest only for the period of
the loan. Principle curtailments can be made at any time during the loan and
is ideal for those whose income stream is irregular, but whose income is
more than sufficient to qualify.
If today’s rate is 5.0%; Your monthly interest payment would be $1,670
before tax savings, less approximately 40% for State and Federal tax
deductions, or $1,000. The family income required to buy is $57,200. We only
recommend this program if your income is much higher, but wish relief in
monthly debt service due to other family needs. Using this program with the
low income stated can be hazardous.
D. Interest Rate Buy-Down- In order to reduce your debt or possibly
let you purchase more features in your new Custom Home, you can Buy Down the
Interest Rate on Your Mortgage. This means that you can pay the lender 2.0%
of the mortgage amount at the time of origination of the permanent rate
which will benefit you as follows;
5/1 Program- The current rate of 6.0% would be reduced to 5.0%, a
reduction of approximately $250/month.
30 Year Fixed- The current ratio of 6.25% would be reduced to 5.75%, a
reduction of approximately $130/month.
No. 3 – The above programs are available to you to recommend to your
existing home buyer. Those that own a home can use the equity
that has been accumulated to act as collateral for the down payment on your
new Custom Home. We do not recommend putting your home on the market until
we are breaking ground.
No. 4 -It takes us from six to nine months to build a Custom Home,
depending on its complexity; plus the Planning Period. In today’s market you
will need that amount of time to sell your existing home. The hardest part
of selling an existing home is the transition to determine when your buyer
can move in, and when we can have the Custom Home ready for occupancy. There
are many factors that can interrupt a building schedule, so that wording
your existing home contract is critical to an easy transition. Ask our
Housing Representative.
No. 5.- When you buy a Production Home it is very hard to have a
large Production Builder make a lot of changes. They cannot maintain their
pricing structure if they are constantly telling their tradesmen that the
blueprints are not what they are going to build. As a Custom Builder we have
several sayings - When we build “NO TWO HOMES SHOULD LOOK ALIKE”, and we
like to instill in you the thought that “YOU ARE NOT BUYING OUR HOME, WE ARE
BUILDING YOURS”. Each home we build has its own set of plans containing your
ideas which you must approve. Our architect will make any reasonable changes
and create something that is individual to your family’s lifestyle. It is
most unusual if we use the same set of blueprints twice.
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We have two custom communities starting at $350,000 or we have over 30 plans
that can be built on your lot, ranging from $200,000 to $1,000,000. Take a
few minutes of our time to let us educate you call our sales center. |
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