Imagine a big white van filled with eager Sales Managers who work in new home sales.  Now imagine a motivational General Sales Manager (the guy in charge) driving these maniacs around for eight hours. Are you thinking…nightmare? Of course you are – who wouldn’t? Now, you are probably wondering why these people are in the van to begin with. Well, it just so happens that this particular van was filled with the best New Home Sales Team any builder could dream of, and this team was on a mission – a mission to visit all the market homes within the Jones Company Communities.  Some were at drywall stage, some needed flooring, touch ups, and so forth, and then there were the completed homes – pristine! Soft carpet that no one had ever stepped barefoot on, smooth hardwood flooring that did not have a scratch on it, bright white crown molding, bonus rooms ready and waiting for a big screen tv, kid zones that haven’t been cluttered with building blocks yet, and bedrooms that no one had slept in. Each home was different. Different, because they were designed for the way you live. It did not matter if a home was priced in the low $200’s or the upper $400’s, you could instantly see that the same amount of perfectionism was instilled in each and every home.

The goal of the tour was to allow Sales Managers from one community see first hand what was available in our other communities. It was remarkable to learn WHY a home was designed in a particular manner and the reasoning behind having a jack and jill bath in one home rather than another, or why some windows were transom and some had standard sizes.  The best part – if one community did not have what a potential homeowner was looking for in one Jones community, then that Sales Manager can tell them about another Jones community which has exactly what they are looking for. Team effort! The amount of effort and pride that goes into each Jones home astonishes me!

Here are a few examples of why, dollar for dollar, homeownership is a solid stepping stone to a future of financial security and the single largest creator of wealth for many Americans.

Over the long-term real estate has consistently appreciated, even through periodic adjustments in local markets in response to economic conditions. On a national level, home appreciation has historically increased 5-6 percent annually, report economists at the National Association of Home Builders.

Five percent may not meem much at first, but here’s an example that will put it in perspective: Say you put 10 percent down on a $200,000 house, for an investment of $20,000. At a 5 percent annual appreciation rate, that $200,000 home would increase in value $10,000 on an investment of $20,000 is an extraordinary 50 percent annual return. In contrast, putting that $20,000 down payment into the stock market and getting a 5 percent gain would only yield a $1,000 profit.

The soure of the above information is from the NAHB website.

Enter to Win an Apple iPad at any JONES Community just in time for Christmas!

 Click here for more details!  

As promised, I am giving you some more examples of the possible objections/roadblocks you might be facing right now to buying a new home, and then showing you how we have a corresponding program to help with that problem! 

PROBLEM:  Say you REALLY want to BUILD your home – so you think that to do that, you’ll need to wait for a long time while it’s being built. And, with the all the negative press out there, you think…I’ll just wait until things settle down to build because I am not in any hurry anyway…right?  WRONG!  There are so many reasons NOT TO WAIT…including the fact that interest rates are actually beginning to show an uptick. Plus it seems that many markets are showing signs of improvement (including Nashville) which means that if you are waiting for the bottom…it may have been and gone!   

SOLUTION:  The Jones Company’s FAST START TM PROGRAM – If you want to build, but want to move in quickly to take advantage of the tax credit – Give us your deposits, selections, and your signed start order, and we’ll start your home within 30 days, and we’ll guarantee your move in within 120 days! (Just ask us!)

PROBLEM/OBJECTION:  I would really like to have a GREEN, or simply a MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT home to save on my energy bills…but I cannot afford that!  I read somewhere that it can add up to 10% to the cost of the home…?

SOLUTION:  While GREEN Certification and ENERGY STAR Rated features can be costly when you price other builders…JONES builds EVERY HOME with these certifications – meaning that you could see a substantial savings on your energy bills – and you don’t have to pay ONE CENT MORE FOR IT because it comes STANDARD on every Jones home!

Quote heard from a Realtor just the other day:  “With all the great programs Jones offers – if we can’t sell a JONES home – we just can’t sell!” Wow…what a testimonial!

Learn more about how happy our homeowners are…see our channel on YouTube – www.youtube.com/livejonesdotcom and go to “Favorites”…you’ll find our homeowners’ OWN VIDEOS about their Jones home and the great experience of building with us!

OK, so I promised to provide you with more objections and SOLUTIONS to those objections today!  I wasn’t kidding when I said that we really have thought of just about every possible objection one could make if they are in the situation to WANT a home – but don’t think now is the right time (for whatever reason)…

Objection:  I am afraid I won’t be able to sell my current home.

SOLUTION:  The Jones Company’s Secured SaleTM Program.  Jones will help you pay taxes, interest, and insurance on your old home, until it sells – for up to 6 months…for a max of $5,000! (ask for details)

Objection:  I need to rent somewhere while my home is being built – but I can’t afford to pay for rent and a mortgage!

SOLUTION:  The Jones Company’s Secured Sale TRANSITION(tm) Program.  Jones will ease the transition from leasing to closing on your Jones home, by paying your remaining lease – up to $5,000! (ask for details!)

Objection:  When it comes to financing – I don’t even know where to start!  And – I don’t know how I will pay closing costs!

SOLUTION:  JONES’ Preferred Lender & Closing Cost Assistance Programs – Our Preferred Lender makes the financing of your new home easy and in many situations – we will assist with your closing costs! (ask for details)

More objections & SOLUTIONS…tomorrow!  Stay tuned. 

By now, in this market…we’ve heard just about every objection you can imagine…just as most homebuilders, I am certain.  However, we’ve tried to take away every road block, every concern, every objection that could possibly stand in the way of our potential clients and their new Jones home!  We’ve packaged all these great programs into one big one – and called it the “BUY NOW with CONFIDENCE” PlanTM. 

Some of the objections we’ve encountered: 

OBJECTION: My current home needs work before I try to sell it, but I don’t know how to get that done, or how I will ever afford it!

ANSWER:  We’ve developed a program called “Set the Stage” where we will arrange for you to have a Professional Stager and Home Repair Specialist come to your current home, and advise you on ways to get your home sold. We’ve even arranged our repair techs to give you OUR COST pricing!

OBJECTION: I am afraid that the value of the home I buy will decline right after I sign the dotted line!

ANSWER:  The Jones Company’s PURCHASE PRICE GUARANTEE PROGRAM - We’ll actually guarantee, that if after 5 years of home ownership, your home has declined in value from its original sales price – we’ll pay you the difference – up to 10% of your home’s value! WOW.

MORE OBJECTIONS & ANSWERS TOMORROW…Stay Tuned!

Click here for directions to your favorite community.

Visit www.LiveJones.com to find your perfect home today!

Email onlinesales@livejones.com for more information.

Hurry! Offer Ends October 15th!

Avoid hassles of unexpected repairs that may come up in older homes

By Bill Lewis | FOR THE TENNESSEAN • September 19, 2010

Some home buyers dream of purchasing a foreclosure for pennies on the dollar. Others crave the charm and character of an older house. But if you want a blank slate; a place where nobody else has lived before and a decreased risk of unexpected expenses, a newly built home is your best bet.

“Even if the price may be a little higher on the front end, you’ll save money in the long run,” said Bridget Wright Thompson, with the Jones Company.

A previously lived-in house might need unexpected repairs that may not be covered by a warranty. Roofs can develop leaks. Heating and air-conditioning systems don’t last forever. And while foreclosures can be amazing bargains, they’re also a big gamble.

“There are so many nightmares when you go down (the foreclosure) path,” said Thompson. “The people may have taken everything, including the toilets.”

When you buy a newly built house, you don’t face those issues. The roof, the floors and everything in between are all brand-new. And if anything does go wrong, most builders provide a long-term warranty that can cover the cost of repairs for years, said Geoff Hart with Beazer Homes.

“(Our warranty) is almost like thinking of an insurance policy,” Hart said. “It’s just the peace of mind. For the first two years, all major systems are covered. All the way to the 10th year, all structural or foundation issues” are covered.

There are tradeoffs, of course. There are far more existing homes on the market than new homes, so if you’re buying new you don’t have as great a selection. And most new homes are in new developments, which means you’re giving up the advantages and attractions of a more established neighborhood with mature trees, unique character and where property values have risen over the years.

Bill Lewis covers real estate for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 615-262-5862 or wlewis77229@comcast.net.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100919/FEATURES0303/9190313/New+homes+are+a+safer+bet