Homes on the market are abundant and prices have never been more attractive…are you debating between buying a new home or used one?

New homes builder Shea Homes has 10 excellent reasons why buying a new home is a better value than purchasing a used home.

1. Purchasing Power
When you compare the competitive pricing for a new Shea home and prices of existing used houses of similar size, you’ll see your home buying dollar has greater power when buying a new home. Shea Homes offers excellent incentives and financing options to increase your home purchasing power. A home owner selling a used home can’t provide these incentives to the extent Shea Homes can.

2. Better Home Value
A new home generally appraises at a higher value than an existing used home. The typical home needs remodeling after 15 to 20 years. So, if you purchase a used home, you’re likely to have to remodel sooner to maintain and increase the homes value. If you buy a new home, you won’t need to remodel, and the home retains and even increases in value faster.

3. Your Home, Not Someone Else’s
With a new Shea home, you can be sure that no one else has ever cooked in your kitchen, and no one else has ever bathed in your tub. And being your home’s first and only occupant means you won’t be inheriting a previous owner’s problems. In fact, when you buy a new Shea home, you’re virtually assured of low maintenance living for several years.

There are 7 other reasons to consider buying a new home in lieu of a used one:

• Better home location
• Stress-free financing
• Peace of mind
• Better home design
• Save energy and money
• Better design choices
• Modern appliances

For more detail on the above comparison between new and used homes visit http://www.sheahomes.com/top-10-reasons-to-buy-new-shea-home.cfm.

Head to a New Home Filled With Sunshine

Florida, a.k.a. the Sunshine State, is quickly becoming one of the newest international resort destinations. From shopping bags to hiking backpacks, magic kingdoms to nature’s magic, your new home in the greater Orlando area has so much to offer that you won’t know where to begin.

Not far from your new home is downtown DeLand, a traditional southern town with lots of charm. A bit further out you will find Orlando’s burgeoning "Cultural Corridor” complete with the Grand Bohemian Gallery, the Orlando Museum of Art, the Harry P. Leu Gardens, Lake Eola Park, and more.

You’re also just a hop, skip and a jump from the fabulous shopping, sports, and culinary scene that is Orlando, where you can get a taste of everything from charming boutiques to a meal prepared by a celebrity chef.

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If it’s grabbing a show, you’ll always find just about anything to thrill or stretch you—rock concerts, theater, symphony and ballet. If you prefer an arena, there’s no shortage of sports in the home of the Orlando Magic and The Orlando Predators. And when it comes to family-friendly things to do with visiting kids and grandkids, you can’t beat Disney World, Sea World, Discovery Cove and CityWalk’s themed restaurants.

New Homes at Victoria Gardens by Shea Homes are divided into four collections: Garden (1,409-1,670 sf), Trellis (1,430-1,928 sf), Vineyard (1,820-2,496 sf) and Vineyard Estate (2,618-3,326 sf). The Garden and Trellis collections are modestly sized (and modestly priced) homes perfect for those looking for a cozy retreat for themselves, friends, and family. The Vineyard collection is slightly larger and ideal for those looking for the feel of a bigger space without the need for a 2,500+ sf home. Finally, the Vineyards Estate collection provides ample space combined with unique design targeted at those who require a larger floor plan.

Lastly, be sure to take advantage of a SPECIAL OFFER - For a limited time, get $25,000 in FREE options. Learn more by calling 866-342-2168.

New Homes Builder Supports Read With Your Child Program

Shea Homes builds homes, neighborhoods and communities and nothing is more important to these communities than the future success of today’s children. That’s why Shea Homes supports the Read With Your Child program... because it is helping to build a strong foundation for our entire nation’s future.

With forty million US adults unable to read a simple story to a child, Illiteracy is a nationwide crisis.

Experts have found that reading to your pre-schooler for just 15 minutes a day is the most important thing you can do to prepare your child for a positive future and help him/her succeed in life.

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Helping your pre-schooler learn to read at home can be an important first step in solving this national problem. Reading stimulates language development and encourages original thinking. It also fosters a positive self-image for your child and provides them with the resources they will need to succeed in life.

More and more, health experts are discovering that a healthy body and a healthy mind are closely interrelated. Shea Homes is dedicated to the well-being of your family, and believes a simple thing like reading to your child a few minutes a day can make a big, positive difference in his or her quality of life.

To learn more about Shea Home communities visit http://www.sheahomes.com/.

View Your New Home Virtually with Shea Homes

Technology is amazing...Imagine buying your next new home from the comfort of your current home!

Today's struggling economy is driving the use of innovative technologies in new home sales and marketing. A growing trend is the use of Virtual Model Home Tours to replace the use of expensive model home complexes in communities across America.

America's homebuilders are uncovering new ways to cost-effectively market new homes to a new price-sensitive homebuyer: Virtual model homes!

These highly-detailed 3D videos create the spatial experience of walking through a model home and visualizing every detail, before the home is even built. Though the price to create these tours is far less than their physical counterpart, high quality tours can easily cost $10,000 or more. "If you are going to replace the tactile experience of walking through a real model home with a virtual home, it had better be astoundingly realistic or you might have the reverse effect and turn off your prospective homebuyer," said Steve Ormonde, Co-founder of Focus 360, and the inventor of this technology.

The cost of this level of quality and detail has been out of reach of many homebuilders. This is why this week Focus 360 introduced a new more affordable "Value Line" that addresses this price/quality issue head-on. "The biggest obstacle to builders' use of virtual model homes in the past has been the price tag associated with high quality tours," said Ormonde. "Our goal is to provide builders with a solution that is not only more affordable, but one that provides the high quality needed to engage home shoppers and present a builder's product in the best possible light."

Can virtual model tour videos drive sales while decreasing a builder's investment in model homes? "Absolutely!" stated Adam Hieb, Director, Sales and Marketing for Shea Homes. "The days are gone when we could afford to put up multi-million dollar model complexes. Every new Shea home community is different but in general, our use of high quality virtual model tours will greatly reduce the number of model homes needed. Instead of four models for instance, we might be able to get away with one, with the remaining models represented in 3D virtual reality. In some lower profile communities, virtual tours may eliminate models completely - a sales office might suffice. And while we have used Focus 360 for many years for our bigger budget, high profile projects, we are excited that we can now afford them for all our projects."

For more information on Shea Homes visit www.SheaHomes.com.

Excerpts for this post provided by EarthTimes.Org. The full article can be viewed at http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/homebuilders-are-increasing-the-use,1087301.shtml

Green Homes are Red Hot!

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According to Kevin Morrow of the National Association of Home Builders, green certifications of homes have jumped from 99 last year to at least 564 this year. "The interest in green building is driven by consumers. More people are doing it to save money on their heating bills," states Morrow in a recent USAToday article.

Shea Homes is a builder of new homes that are eco-friendly and energy-wise.

Whenever possible, Shea Homes uses certified wood products from sustainable forests, recyles construction materials and incorporates water-conserving appliances and fixtures into new homes in an effort to help reduce the carbon footprint of the home as well as benefit generations to come by helping reduce America's carbon footprint.

In addition, Shea Homes includes energy-saving insulation, energy-saving heating and air-conditioning systems, Energy Star appliances at most communities, efficient water heaters and dual pane windows with low-E glass.

To learn more about Shea Homes and their vision to help you live happier, safer and healthier lives, visit http://www.sheahomes.com/.

How to Choose a Home Builder

Buying a new home is a major decision. Choosing a good home builder is also very important. You will want someone who is established and can be trusted, someone has the knowledge and skills in constructing a new home, someone who can manage team of craftsmen skilled at building a quality house. It's very important that you develop a good relationship with your home builder.

When you look for a new home builder, there are several things that you need to consider.

First of all, you should always ask for references and check for qualification. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to find good constructors. You can ask your friends, family and coworkers whether they have any good construction companies to recommend. Here are some questions to ask for a builder: Are you a professional builder or only a part-time constructor? How long have you been in this industry and what experience do you have? Can you give us references from your past clients? You can contact your local licensing board to make sure that builder is licensed. You can check with the Better Business Bureau to see whether any complaints have been made against that builder.

Also, you want to find a builder that constructs the type of homes that you want to built. Different builders have different areas of expertise. You should make sure that you have chosen one with the right expertise.

Besides, you should ask a constructor whether you can get a warranty with your new house. A warranty will help to protect your investment in your new home.

You should also ask what kinds of after-sales services they provide. Good builders always provide after-sales services that fix minor problems and they usually respond quickly to their clients' requests.

When you are ready to sign the contract, make sure to read the contract carefully to make sure it's detailed enough to cover everything.

Choosing the right home builder is crucial in building a new house. By following the right steps you can find a good builder that helps you to build your dream home.

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Article provided by Brian Walker. Brian is a freelance Internet writer. You can find more articles on choosing and working with home builders on http://www.myfavoritebuilder.com.