Nan Jester

In my 25 years as a Real Estate Agent, I have worked both sides of the fence. Most of my career has been spent in a model home with many different types of builders, many many price ranges, In addition, I have worked in General Real Estate for about 5 years, definitely not for the feint of heart. Currently I work for Maronda Homes in Callahan, FL- beautiful Nassau County.

Selling features are a huge benefit of new construction sales. These days the requirements for new construction are drastically different from even 5 years ago. Here in Florida they require energy efficient HVAC 14 SEER which is great. They are quieter, more durable and much more efficient. Used homes of even 2-3 years ago less efficient.

Our windows are all Low-E, which for those of you who do not know that that means, let me try to define.There are two types of Low-E, hard and soft. I would estimate that most production builders use the soft Low-E. This manufacturing process involves the glass being coated with metal on the inside of a double pane, and usually sealed with argon gas, (further insulating the window). R Values of single-pane regular glass coming in at 0.85 and Soft Low-E insulated glass with argon coming inat 4.35 R Value. BIG difference!

At Maronda Homes, the whole houes is energy star compliant.

Ceilings are usually a bit higher thus creating a more uplifting feeling, kitchens are newer designs, including energy-star appliances, smells in the house are not a result of a previous owner or their pets but of fresh paint, lawns are new, toilets more efficient, more contemporary designs, known contents of interior walls, no wood rot, no mold, no termite damage. KNOWN or verifiable contents, period.

When I was in General Real Estate I was always a bit concerned about what exactly I was selling. Once I worked for a company that did apartment conversions to condos. I could tell you stories that you wouldn't want to hear about what were in the interiors of those condos.

In Florida another huge issue is potential hurricane damage. Older homes are not reinforced and braced for up to 120 MPH winds as new homes are. Here in the Jacksonville, FL area the fear is of both Tornados and Hurricanes. I have seen some unbelievable storms when the rain was horizontal, not vertical. Very scary. Hurricane clips and extra secure building practices are very welcome, trust me.

Another matter of comfort to the buyer in new construction is the warranty. Most used homes do not come with a home protection warranty so when things go wrong, you are totally liable for whatever the older home decides to dish out. My home is 58 years old, four blocks from the ocean, survived a huge hurricane in 64, Dora and still thrives but in the 15 years I have owned it, the wear and tear and need to replace or repair is always lurking. Anyway thanks for viewing my post. As you can tell, I am a huge proponent of new construction when it is possible and am a huge porponent of energy efficiency. We all must aim in that direction, sooner than later