The Parade of Homes is in full swing in Sioux Falls — and if you've already walked through some of those homes, are planning to go this weekend, or have just been scrolling through the photos online, you already know what the experience feels like.
Stunning kitchens. Soaring ceilings. Details that make you stop mid-tour and just stare. It's genuinely impressive. And for a lot of buyers, it's also genuinely intimidating.
Here's something worth knowing about the Parade of Homes that most people don't: it was never designed to make you feel like homeownership was out of reach. The original purpose — dating back to its earliest days — was to showcase what new construction had to offer and invite families of all sizes and budgets to be inspired.
But somewhere between the heated floors and the wine cellars, it's easy to feel a little overwhelmed. It's hard not to walk through those spaces and wonder — is this what a new home is supposed to look like? Because if so, where does that leave me?
It leaves you closer than you think. That's where.
What The Parade Is Actually For
The Parade of Homes helps buyers refine their preferences — what they love, what they don't, and what they didn't even know was possible. That's genuinely useful. Even if you never buy a home with a chef's kitchen or a home theater, walking through one tells you something about what matters to you. The layout that felt right. The kitchen that made you linger. The room that immediately made you think of your family.
That information belongs to you. And you can take it anywhere — including into a conversation about a home that fits your actual life and your actual budget.
The Dream Home You Actually Get To Live In
Here's where things get interesting. The homes that stop traffic at the Parade of Homes are aspirational by design. They're built to showcase what's possible at the highest end of the market. But the home you actually want — the one you'll wake up in every morning and feel proud of — doesn't have to come with a price tag that keeps you up at night. It just needs to be exactly right for you.
One in four buyers in 2024 said the ability to customize their home's design was a key reason they chose new construction. Not the biggest home. Not the most expensive. The one they got to shape around their own life.
That's a different kind of dream — and for most buyers, it's a more meaningful one.
At Empire Homes, new construction in Sioux Falls works exactly that way. Multiple floor plans across multiple neighborhoods. A wide range of finishes that give buyers real choices without the complexity and cost of building fully custom. The result is a home that reflects who you are — not who someone else is.
The Gap Is Smaller Than You Think
For years buyers assumed new construction came with a significant price premium over existing homes. That assumption is becoming harder to defend. From 2010 to 2019 the average price difference between new and existing homes was $66,000. Over the past five years that gap has narrowed to an average of just $23,300 — and in several quarters existing homes have actually exceeded new construction in price.
In 2025 NAR data shows a typical existing home sold for 1% more than a newly built home. The historical premium that made new construction feel out of reach for most buyers has largely disappeared.
And that's before you factor in what comes with an existing home that doesn't show up on the listing price — deferred maintenance, outdated systems, repairs that surface after closing, upgrades you'll want to make. A new construction home in Sioux Falls comes with modern systems, energy efficiency, and a builder warranty. Nothing inherited. Nothing unknown. Just a home that works from day one.
Your Dream Home Has A Different Address
The homes in the Parade of Homes are remarkable. They represent the best of what builders in Sioux Falls can create when the budget is unlimited and the goal is to impress.
But remarkable and attainable are not mutually exclusive. Your version of a dream home — the one with the kitchen island you've been picturing, the primary suite that finally feels like yours, the neighborhood where your kids can actually play outside — that home exists. It's being built right now by our team at Empire Homes. And it's closer than you think.
Your dream home doesn’t have to be featured in a parade. It's in a neighborhood in Sioux Falls, built around your life, waiting for you to walk through the door. That's where the lifetime of coming home begins.