Local builders use campaign to educate homebuyers

Buying a brand-new home … there’s literally nothing that compares. It’s like multiplying that “new car right off the showroom floor” experience a thousandfold. It’s one dream worth pursuing because it makes sense in so many ways — emotionally, geographically and financially.

“A lot of people lost track of that dream over the past few years,” said Nat Hodgson, executive director and CEO of Southern Nevada Home Builders Association. “The recession caused everyone to rethink their financial decisions, and rightly so. But when it comes to weighing the financial benefits of buying a new home vs. a used one, buyers need to consider more than just the sales price.”

That’s why the SNHBA announces the launch of the new “Start Fresh Buy New Las Vegas” initiative. Designed to help buyers navigate the dilemma of whether they should consider buying a new home or a used home, it provides information about the long-term cost comparisons and other benefits to consider.

Locals are already experiencing the arrival of the Start Fresh Buy New campaign as it pops up all over town — and they’ll soon begin discovering new facts and data making the rounds on social media, too.

“We want homebuyers to have all the information they need to make an informed decision,” Hodgson said. “One thing many people never ask themselves is ‘Would a new home be the best choice for me?’ By not con- sidering all the benefits of buying a new home, they often end up making a choice they’re not happy with in the long run, or that incurs significant costs they weren’t expecting.”

According to Bonnie Hernandez, executive director of marketing at American West Homes, “A lot of people feel that new homes are more expensive to buy. They’ll compare the sales price and that’s where they stop. But if they continued to do the math, they’d discover there’s much more to it. Not only in cost savings with monthly utility bills, but in lifestyle benefits, too.”

“And those lifestyle benefits are huge,” agrees Monica Caruso, public relations director for SNHBA. “First, remember — everything is new. That includes all the systems, appliances and materials — so from the start, buyers enjoy long-term warranty protection and years of maintenance-free living.”

John McLaury, vice president of