Parade of Homes

AFFORDABILITY "Even though the Bank of Canada has recently raised the prime interest rate again, mortgages are still very reasonable," says Manitoba Home Builders' Association (MHBA) president and CEO Lanny McInnes. "It's easier today to carry a $500,000 mortgage than it was in 1981 to carry a $200,000 mortgage." Manitoba has a stable economy, and since home values continue to rise each year, a new home is a good investment. CHOICE Instead of living with a previous owner's design choices, you can have it your way from the get-go. When you build a new home, you choose everything from the floor plan to the lighting fixtures to the location, whether you want a large lot in the country or a laned lot that's close to a new school or community club. ENERGY EFFICIENCY Homes built today are far more energy efficient than homes built even 10 or 15 years ago, and that's a big plus as energy costs continue to rise. "Making sure your home is as energy efficient as possible makes tremendous sense, and the new homes built in Manitoba are the most energy efficient in Canada," McInnes says. "At the end of the day that's an investment over the long term that's going to save you money when you compare it to the heating costs of an older home." An efficient building envelope and modern building standards also mean new homes are more comfortable and provide a healthier environment for you and your family, with better air quality and flow and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. LESS MAINTENANCE An existing home isn't much of a bargain if you have to pour money into renovations and repairs. "You know that you're not going to need to upgrade or replace existing furnaces, existing hot water tanks, make repairs on a roof," McInnes says. "You know that your house has been built by a quality builder and you're going to be good for quite a few years in terms of the product that you've purchased." And in the unlikely event your new home does need a fix, MHBA member builders provide a warranty. "A new home buyer can be assured that any buy that they make from an MHBA builder is covered with New Home Warranty coverage. And that's not the case with every builder, so if a customer is going with a builder that isn't an MHBA builder we highly suggest that they ask the builder what their New Home Warranty coverage is to make sure that they're fully aware that they may not have that coverage." Parade of Homes Spring 2018 19

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