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6 Reasons Why New Construction is Winning This Year

Dusty Rhodes • March 10, 2025

In today’s rapidly evolving real estate market, new construction rental properties are emerging as the clear choice for savvy investors. Rising maintenance costs, inflated insurance premiums, and escalating material expenses make older homes less appealing to landlords and tenants. Meanwhile, modern, energy-efficient homes meet tenant expectations while providing landlords with reduced operational costs and higher long-term returns.


Our partners at Rent To Retirement specialize in helping investors navigate these challenges and capitalize on the growing demand for new construction rentals. Let’s dive into the data and why this trend reshapes the rental property landscape.


1. Maintenance Costs: Why Older Homes Are Draining Your Budget


Maintaining older properties is becoming increasingly expensive. Systems like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical wiring often require costly repairs or replacements, especially in homes over 30 years old. 


According to the National Association of Home Builders, homes built before 1960 incur annual maintenance costs averaging 8% of the home’s value, compared to just 2% for homes built in the 2010s (HomeKeep).


How new construction helps:

  • Modern materials and systems require fewer repairs.
  • New builds often come with warranties covering significant components for up to 10 years.
  • Reduced maintenance translates to higher profitability and less time spent managing repairs.


2. Insurance Premiums: A Hidden Cost of Older Homes


Insurance companies charge significantly higher premiums for older homes due to their increased risk of damage. The average premium for a home older than 30 years is 75% higher than that for a newly constructed home (The Zebra).


Why new builds are cheaper to insure:

  • Compliance with modern building codes reduces risk.
  • Disaster-resistant features like hurricane windows and reinforced roofing lower premiums.
  • New homes are less prone to fires, floods, and structural failures, keeping insurance costs manageable.


3. Tenant Preferences: Modern Amenities Matter


Tenants are becoming increasingly selective about where they live. According to a RCLCO survey in 2023, 37.3% of renters stated they would be willing to pay more for new kitchen appliances, while an additional 50.7% indicated they might consider paying higher rent for them. Outdated layouts, inefficient systems, and cosmetic wear and tear in older homes drive tenants toward new construction.


What tenants want:

  • Energy-efficient appliances and systems that lower utility bills.
  • Open floor plans and modern designs.
  • A move-in-ready experience with minimal maintenance issues.


New construction properties can command higher rents and maintain lower vacancy rates by offering what tenants demand.


4. Rising Construction and Replacement Costs


The cost of materials for repairs and renovations has soared. New construction has had to deal with the exact cost increase, but renovation projects have become even more costly, equating the time value of money.


New construction advantages include:

  • New properties are built with durable, standardized materials that are easier and cheaper to maintain.
  • Investors avoid the costly, time-consuming process of renovating older homes.


5. Insurance Challenges in High-Risk Areas


Insurance premiums have become a significant hurdle for landlords in many regions like Florida and California. Insurers are scaling back coverage or exiting markets entirely due to increased natural disaster risks. According to Reuters, some homeowners in Florida saw premiums increase by over 60% from 2019-2023. (Reuters).


Why new construction is resilient:

  • Built to withstand natural disasters with hurricane-proof windows and elevated foundations.
  • Lower insurance costs and reduced risks make these properties more viable for long-term investments.


6. Energy Efficiency: A Win for Landlords and Tenants


Rising energy costs are driving demand for energy-efficient homes. Investing in new construction homes offers significant energy savings compared to older homes. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, LEED-certified homes use 20% to 30% less energy than non-green homes, with some homes achieving up to 60% savings.


Benefits for investors:

  • Attract environmentally conscious tenants.
  • Qualify for tax incentives and rebates.
  • Reduce operational expenses over the long term.


Invest in New Construction for Long-Term Success


From lower maintenance and insurance costs to tenant demand for modern amenities, new builds offer a strategic edge in today’s challenging market. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or just starting your journey, new construction rentals provide a path to profitability and peace of mind.




Source: Bigger Pockets Blog


Dusty Rhodes Properties is the Best Realtor in Myrtle Beach! We do everything in our power to help you find the home of your dreams. With experience, expertise, and passion, we are the perfect partner for you in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We love what we do and it shows. With more than 22 years of experience in the field, we know our industry like the back of our hands. There’s no challenge too big or too small, and we dedicate our utmost energy to every project we take on. We search thousands of the active and new listings from Aynor, Carolina Forest, Conway, Garden City Beach, Longs, Loris, Murrells Inlet, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Island, and Surfside Beach real estate listings to find the hottest deals just for you!

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How to Form New Habits That Keep Your Home Clutter-Free

By Dusty Rhodes • March 24, 2025
Tired of an untidy house? Try a new approach by adopting habits that automatically keep your home orderly Keeping our homes orderly and free of clutter is a struggle for many of us, especially if we’re not naturally organized . If you fall into this category, there’s definitely hope — you just may need to change your habits. Before you roll your eyes and shrug off that idea as impossible, let me tell you what has helped me keep a tidier home. I tried a concept called the “habit loop,” which is described in The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, the best-selling book by Charles Duhigg. The habit loop consists of three steps: cue, routine and reward. The cue is a reminder that initiates the new behavior. The routine is the behavior itself. The reward is the benefit you get from implementing the new behavior. Duhigg says that during the first two weeks of developing a new habit, it’s important to give yourself a treat that you really enjoy right after you complete the new behavior. This will teach your brain to enjoy the new routine. While I’m a professional organizer and really do enjoy decluttering and organizing, I also have an extremely busy life and like to do a lot of other things besides organizing my house. Using the habit loop really helped me get into daily, automatic tidying habits. Perhaps this approach could offer a fresh, effective way for you too to conquer clutter in your home. Here’s how I use it. Tackle Your Own Spaces First If you want to form new no-clutter habits, it’s usually easiest to begin by dealing with your own possessions in spaces you don’t share with all family members. Personally, I live with some wonderful but messy people, so if you’re in the same situation, I recommend you start with your bedroom and bathroom. Duhigg says there’s no precise time frame for how long it takes to form a new habit, but other researchers report it takes 21 to 66 days or even longer. Personally, I needed 21 to 45 days of the habit loop to form a new habit, depending on what the routine was. After that, the behavior became automatic. 1. Make your bed. No matter how messy the bedroom is, a made bed makes it neater. To create a cue for making the bed, pick something you do without fail every day, such as turning off your alarm. It’s best to do the new behavior as soon as possible after the reminder. (I sometimes get distracted if I don’t make my bed right after my cue, and then the bed might remain unmade all day.) After you make the bed — or, for that matter, after you do any new task you’re trying to make habitual — be sure to reward yourself. Your reward can be as simple as a silent “Good job!” you tell yourself or as ritualistic as brewing your morning cup of coffee and then enjoying sipping it. Just remember to give yourself a compliment or perk for working toward your tidy-house goal. 2. Clear your bathroom counters. Brushing my teeth has become the cue I use to trigger my habit of clearing my bathroom counters both morning and night. Each morning after I brush, I put away my makeup, hair products, blow dryer and toothpaste. Then I wipe off the water that has collected on the countertops. I repeat the routine at night, putting away my lotion and other nighttime beauty products. Then I congratulate myself on a job well done. Though I didn’t get it right the first few days, within 21 days I knew I’d managed to develop this habit when I automatically began clearing the counters after brushing. For me, coming home to a clean bathroom is the greatest reward! 3. Put away your attire after wearing it. On most days I wear two different outfits, one for work and one for exercise. If I’m not paying attention to where I put my things, a mess can quickly build up. So I decided that removing my clothes would be the cue to place dirty clothes in the hamper and those I’ll wear again neatly in the closet. If you share a closet with a partner who doesn’t want to participate in this routine, you have a couple of options: You can put your partner’s clothes away or leave them out, knowing that at least half the mess is put away. Since nagging or brooding rarely changes other people’s habits, it might be better to give yourself a reward for cleaning up your own mess and move on. Tackle Common Rooms Next As you move into the common areas of your home, prepare for potential barriers to establishing tidy habits since you may be dealing with other family members’ messes. While this can be frustrating, if family members aren’t cooperative I recommend simply focusing on clearing your own mess. Hopefully, your new habits will eventually rub off on your family. If not, well, your home will still be less cluttered than it was before your new habits. 4. Unbury coffee and end tables. Your cue for clearing the tables in your living room could be turning off the television or putting down the book you were reading. Remove cups, glasses and bowls from the room’s flat surfaces and place them in the dishwasher. Put magazines back in their rack or recycle those you’ve finished reading. Place remote controls in a basket next to the television. Put away books and papers and anything else left cluttering the room. Then congratulate yourself. Your living room will look great in the morning when you start your day. 5. Clear the kitchen counters. Mail, school papers, ear buds, cellphones, vitamins, dog treats, receipts, tissue boxes, keys and more can litter kitchen countertops, making food prep difficult. Plus, this type of miscellaneous debris makes the kitchen look messy and disorganized even if cooking surfaces are cleared. My personal cue for clearing my countertops each night is closing my dishwasher door after I load it. I then scan all the miscellany on the counters and quickly sort and put everything in its place. This may take me an extra 10 minutes, but by doing it each evening I find it is easier to keep the counters clear during the day. I then reward myself with a small piece of chocolate since this habit is much harder to implement than others! My other reward is coming downstairs in the morning to a clean kitchen. 6. Tidy your front hall. I walk through my front hallway on the way to bed and use the walk as my cue to tidy up the space. We have a hall closet where I can store shoes and coats, and each family member has a basket in the closet for personal items. If you don’t have a front hall closet, you might consider storing catchall baskets under a decorative table. I tell myself, “Great job!” before I head off to bed. It’s wonderful having a clutter-free front hall, especially when unexpected visitors stop by. Develop New Habits on What You Bring Into Your Home 7. Manage your mail. Mail is a major source of clutter in many homes. To cut down on the volume, you might want to receive bills and magazines electronically. There are also tools available for unsubscribing from catalogs and unsolicited credit card offers; visit DMAchoice.org or Catalogchoice.org for more information. Even with these steps, mail still has a way of piling up and causing a mess. One relatively easy habit to develop is sorting your mail before you enter the house. I collect my mail from the mailbox and walk directly to my recycling bin, where I immediately place advertising circulars. I then open unfamiliar envelopes (which usually are ads) and toss them in the bin. Since I receive most of my statements electronically, I’m left with very little to bring inside. Remaining items go into an inbox for incoming mail. I then give myself a pat on the back for preventing clutter from entering my house. 8. Be intentional with your purchases. Another habit to consider implementing is being mindful of your purchases. I’ve developed the habit of thinking seriously about the clutter factor of every purchase before buying. As I reach for my credit card, I am reminded to stop and consider whether I already own something that will suffice. I also think about where I’m going to store the item or what I’ll get rid of to make room for the new purchase. For example, when I’m considering a new pair of pants, I ask myself what I have in my closet that might be similar. If I already have too many similar items and don’t want to part with any I already own, I skip the new purchase. I use a similar approach when considering household and kitchen items. My purchases are always intentional because I’m working hard to live in a clutter-free home. I deserve a big pat on the back for working on this habit. I’m not only reducing clutter but I’m also leaving more money in my bank account at the end of the month to spend on things I truly want or need. 

Avoid This Color if You're Painting Your Front Door

By Dusty Rhodes • March 17, 2025
Here are various paint colors that may wow prospective buyers — and colors that fall short. Do you find yourself browsing homes on Zillow and pausing at a home that has a stand-out front door? Maybe it’s a bright red or a sunshine yellow. There’s a reason you paused — and it’s likely because the seller was hoping to catch your attention . And hey, it worked! But not all colors work the same way on the same features of a home. What colors should I avoid? Compared to all of the other decisions you need to make about your home, the color of your front door can potentially boost — or reduce — the price of the offer you receive on your home when you’re selling it. “You want the buyer to fall in love as soon as they pull up [to your home],” said Dallas-based Zillow Premier Agent Christie Cannon , during a 2023 Zillow virtual panel . “Then they're getting out of the car with their agent, they're walking up to the front door. And that front door matters. It's the pop of the color of the door that shows how much depth, how much personality, and how much sophistication [the home has].” There are a number of paint colors that may help change buyer perception — for better or worse. Gray Gray is a very popular color for a home's interior. In fact, Zillow has found that dark gray is associated with higher offer prices than white in a home's kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom. But no matter how trendy a color may be, there is a right way and a wrong way to do color. That's according to Mehnaz Khan, a color psychology specialist and interior designer in Albany, New York. he color gray just doesn’t hit the mark for a home’s front door. Zillow’s research finds that both recent and prospective buyers would offer $3,365 less for a home with a cement gray front door. Bright red Going bold or experimental doesn’t appear to pay off either. While buyers are somewhat likely to say they like a home with a bright red front door, they are less interested in the listing and aren't as eager to actually tour the home. A bright shade of red isn't a very popular color for home exteriors or interiors. Red can be hard to work with inside the home when it comes to furniture and countertops. And outside, it can be too bold and come across as a wild color. However, more reserved shades of red can be better for front doors. Saturated blue & olive green In the same vein, front doors painted a saturated blue and olive green are associated with buyers being least likely to want to take a tour. These two shades are also associated with a lower offer price — about $1,300 less. While these colors are not so popular for front doors, many of HGTV's 2024 Colors and Palettes of the Year pointed to shades of blue and green as very trendy for home interiors. Mind you, this list is made up of colors that the paint companies themselves heralded as their most notable for 2024. More about blue The list included Benjamin Moore's 2024 Color of the Year — Blue Nova — as well as Sherwin Williams' January 2024 Color of the Month, pale blue Upward . Color theory states blue is a calming color , and that's why it's best saved for spaces inside the home, like the bedroom or bathroom. Painting your front door in one of these more reserved shades might be fine, but going with a bright, saturated blue may be too loud and attract too much attention for many potential buyers. Why not green? HGTV mentioned Graham & Brown's 2024 color of the year, Virdis — a muted, mossy green. This paint, and similar greens, give off earthy vibes. James Hardie's moody Mountain Sage is similar, reminiscent of the dark-green mountains. Olive green, like these other two shades, is a more neutral tone compared to many other greens. If the rest of the home's exterior is already pretty neutral, a door in the same family may have buyers seeing a bland front entrance. Paint your front door these colors Black Black front doors not only made a home seem more appealing, but buyers are more likely to follow up for an in-person tour if the door is black. More Zillow research indicates a black front door is associated with the highest resale price compared to other front door colors like red and blue. This shade could boost an offer price by about $6,450 more than the typical U.S. home value in 2022. That’s a major return on investment considering the cost of a can of paint. Brown Mid-tone brown is one color that prompts buyers to make a higher offer, likely because this rosy, terracotta hue feels more like an oak wood instead of paint, thus its durability and timelessness could prompt shoppers to offer more for a home. Zillow research found this shade is associated with a $300 higher offer compared to an offer for a white front door. Additionally, bathrooms painted terracotta brown, a 2023 color of the year , could help a home sell for $1,624 more than similar homes. White or chalky blue White front doors, along with those painted a chalky blue, bring higher intentions to tour the home, as well as higher general interest from home shoppers. These are classic colors that don't draw much attention, so you can let the rest of the home stand out. Once you can bring prospective buyers through the entryway, your interior staging can do the rest of the work.  Of course, just because you chose your front door color wisely doesn’t mean you can guarantee you’ll maximize the price you’ll ultimately sell for. Numerous other cosmetic factors, including digital curb appeal, could skew a buyer’s perception of your home. It’s also important to consider the color and material of your home’s exterior to determine if a paint color is a good fit. Need more color inspiration? Here are the best colors to paint your home’s interior if you’re looking to sell it.

8 Tips for Finding a Bargain-Priced Home

By Dusty Rhodes • March 3, 2025
No matter what your local housing market is like, there are always strategies for finding cheaper homes. Here are eight of them. While it may feel like finding a deal when buying a house is far from achievable, there are strategies that tend to help raise your chances of finding an affordable home, even in a challenging market. We spoke with expert buyer's agents to learn some of the best housing market hacks for finding lower-priced houses. Be sure to talk to your own agent to learn what approaches might work best for your goals and budget. 1. Look for homes that have been on the market for longer than 30 days There are deals to be had in houses that have been on the market for a few weeks. Hao Dang of the Hao Dang Team in Bellevue, Washington, says he tells buyers looking for a more affordable house to start with properties that have been on the market for as little as 15 days. “For every 15 days, we can usually negotiate 2% to 3% off the purchase price,' he says. “Once it hits the 30-day mark, sometimes we can negotiate 5% to 10% off the price.' “For every 15 days, we can usually negotiate 2% to 3% off the purchase price. Once it hits the 30-day mark, sometimes we can negotiate 5% to 10% off the price.” 2. Stay away from turnkey homes and extreme fixer-uppers You can save money by buying a house that's not 100% move-in ready and doing a little work yourself . A bit of sweat equity can increase your buying power. But don't go for a house that needs a gut reno unless you have a separate stash of cash saved for the work. Home renovations are much more expensive, difficult and time-consuming than they appear on HGTV. With inflation pushing up prices for everything from lumber to labor, you might spend more than you planned to fix up a project house that looked like a bargain. The sweet spot, budget-wise, is a home that's between those extremes. Look for a middle ground with a home that needs a little TLC, not a total rehab. Keep an eye out for homes with no structural issues that need a little cosmetic work like removing popcorn ceilings, laying new carpet or repainting too-bright interior or exterior colors. 3. Shop lower-priced alternatives to traditional single-family homes Sure, a single-family home with a yard is the official American Dream for many. But there are alternative ways to buy a home . Consider buying a condo , co-op or townhome where you share a wall with neighbors. Or think about multi-family homes that allow you to split the homeowning costs with others. You could team up with friends to buy a home and pool your money for the mortgage, down payment and cost of upkeep. Or, you could buy a duplex or triplex, live in one unit and use the rent from the others to help pay the mortgage. Another option is an accessory dwelling unit , also called an ADU or a mother-in-law suite, that shares a yard with a main house. ADUs have become popular in dense cities with no raw land to build more houses. They're a good pick for first-time homeowners who don't need a lot of space or empty nesters. Check out manufactured homes , too, which have come a long way from the days of the ugly doublewide and evolved into affordable homes with design cred. 4. Look for homes with less desirable features Your dream home may not be a 1960s split-level with a galley kitchen by a cemetery or a 1970s ranch house with a conversation pit near a busy road. But you can get more for your housing dollar if you accept a house that is, well, off-trend and not in the perfect location. Buying a house that is a bit less desirable can help you get into a neighborhood that might otherwise be out of your price range. Buying the worst house on the best block is a time-tested way to find a place to live without blowing your budget. Be sure you're OK with the location you pick because you cannot change it. The 24-hour convenience store that will be your neighbor and helped push the house price down $20,000 isn't going away once you close. 5. Consider putting an offer on a contingent house In real estate, contingent homes mean the seller has accepted a buyer's offer, but the sale won't go through until certain criteria are met. Guess what? Contingent home deals can fall through. If financing falls through, the appraisal comes in low or the home inspection turns up a surprise, the house may go back on the open market. If you have a backup offer in place, it may go to you. You'll have to move fast if a contingent deal falls through and the house drops into your lap, but you'll not have as much competition for it. That's because most buyers scroll past a listing marked 'contingent' because they don't know they can make an offer. You might be able to swoop in and get a deal. 6. Look at foreclosure auctions If a homeowner cannot pay their mortgage and defaults on their home loan, the lender can put it on the market as a foreclosure . These houses are listed publicly by city, county or state agencies, depending on local law, and sold at auction where you can pick up a deal. You should hire an agent specializing in foreclosures who can walk you through the buying process. 7. Understand that the highest offer doesn't always win Don't walk away from a house with other bidders because you figure there's no way you'll have the cash to make the highest offer. Sometimes the high offer falls through, and sometimes sellers are looking for something other than top dollar — like flexibility on when they move. “I've had sellers work with buyers on the price if the buyer would let them stay in the home while they find another place to live,' says Metalios. Metalios has done deals where the seller stayed in the house up to 10 months after the deal closed. “A buyer who can be patient with timing is often more desirable to a seller. That gives the seller time to figure out where they will go without pressure. Perhaps they could have gotten more money on the open market but to (the seller), being able to move on their timeline was more important.' 8. Don’t forget to explore government-sponsored loan programs This tip won't help you find cheap houses per se, but it may help make your mortgage payment for your home more affordable. There are a range of local and federal government programs aimed at helping first-time homebuyers, public service workers, veterans and low-income earners. The U.S. Department of Housing and Development (HUD) offers a slew of programs to provide affordable housing. HUD has a list of programs in every state to help homebuyers. Some offer lower interest rates, and others offer financial assistance with down payments or closing costs. For example: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) helps veterans secure a competitive interest rate through commercial lenders. Check out the Good Neighbor Next Door program , which will match up to 50% of a home's listing price for teachers, firefighters, EMTs or police officers in certain communities deemed revitalization areas . The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers Rural Development home loans for people buying single-family homes in rural areas. Qualifying home buyers can buy or build a home with no money down.  Some cities offer home ownership help ranging from down payment assistance to closing cost assistance. For example, Atlanta offers $10,000 towards the down payment and closing costs for buyers within the city limits who meet income requirements. Seattle offers up to $55,000 in down payment assistance. Visit hud.gov/buying/localbuying for a list of what types of down payment assistance programs and other resources are available at the state level.
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