Sunday, February 26, 2017 / by Jessica Holcomb
Shopping for a New Construction Home? Read This First!
If you have been thinking about buying a new construction home then you probably have a few questions about the process. After selling new construction homes for over ten years I picked up a few tips and tricks to help you!
#1 Do NOT visit a model home without first having your Realtor® set up the appointment for you. Home Builders have strict rules regarding allowing you to have a Realtor® represent your best interests and if they aren't with you on the first visit or call ahead to set up an appointment they may not allow you to use a Realtor®. Most families are not aware of this rule and the builder probably isn't going to talk to you about it.
#2 Do NOT negotiate with the Sales Rep without your Realtor! The Sales Rep is employed by the builder and they are highly trained to negotiate for the builders best interests. They are also highly trained to know if you want the house or not by watching your body language, listening to your answers, and looking for any sign that you might like the home. It is in YOUR BEST INTERESTS to have your Realtor do all of the talking and negotiations for you.
#3 Do NOT use their in house Realtor! Some builders claim that they have an agent that they work with regularly that will represent your best interests. This is not true! That Realtor already has a relationship with the builder and will still possibly be putting the Builders relationship before you! Most of the time these builders agents are limited listing agents and will do little to help actually market and sell your home for the highest value possible. However they will promise to sell or buy your home and will only continue to ask for price decreases until they give away/sell your home. The only way you truly have an agent working for your best interests is if you hire one to represent you and only you.
#4 Inventory Homes are probably your best chance of getting the best deal with new construction homes. Typically the builder will have incentives where they will help pay closing costs as well as give you a discount on the sale price of homes they already have under construction. The builder will sometimes only market the homes they have completed and may also have other homes they have started construction on but they want to sell the finished homes first. Always ask for all of the possible inventory homes coming up so you can get a full picture of availability before you make a decision on your home!
#5 Lots / Building a Home - When you choose to build from the ground up there are so many choices including lot location, size, floor plan, elevation, brick, paint, cabinets, countertops, tiles, and carpeting. Sometimes it can be very overwhelming. Just remember the 3 L's of Real Estate - Location Location Location! If you want advice on the perfect location that will hold its resale value be sure to avoid backing up to busy streets, or high wire electrical easements. There are also lot deposits and costs involved with building a home that you will need to be very clear about prior to signing a contract with the home builder. It typically takes 6 months to build a home so be sure to plan out your moving schedule with your Realtor®.
These are just the top 5 tips for building a home - there are thousands of parts involved with building a home. If you would like advice and help guiding you through the process please don't hesitate to contact us we would be honored to assist you.
#1 Do NOT visit a model home without first having your Realtor® set up the appointment for you. Home Builders have strict rules regarding allowing you to have a Realtor® represent your best interests and if they aren't with you on the first visit or call ahead to set up an appointment they may not allow you to use a Realtor®. Most families are not aware of this rule and the builder probably isn't going to talk to you about it.
#2 Do NOT negotiate with the Sales Rep without your Realtor! The Sales Rep is employed by the builder and they are highly trained to negotiate for the builders best interests. They are also highly trained to know if you want the house or not by watching your body language, listening to your answers, and looking for any sign that you might like the home. It is in YOUR BEST INTERESTS to have your Realtor do all of the talking and negotiations for you.
#3 Do NOT use their in house Realtor! Some builders claim that they have an agent that they work with regularly that will represent your best interests. This is not true! That Realtor already has a relationship with the builder and will still possibly be putting the Builders relationship before you! Most of the time these builders agents are limited listing agents and will do little to help actually market and sell your home for the highest value possible. However they will promise to sell or buy your home and will only continue to ask for price decreases until they give away/sell your home. The only way you truly have an agent working for your best interests is if you hire one to represent you and only you.
#4 Inventory Homes are probably your best chance of getting the best deal with new construction homes. Typically the builder will have incentives where they will help pay closing costs as well as give you a discount on the sale price of homes they already have under construction. The builder will sometimes only market the homes they have completed and may also have other homes they have started construction on but they want to sell the finished homes first. Always ask for all of the possible inventory homes coming up so you can get a full picture of availability before you make a decision on your home!
#5 Lots / Building a Home - When you choose to build from the ground up there are so many choices including lot location, size, floor plan, elevation, brick, paint, cabinets, countertops, tiles, and carpeting. Sometimes it can be very overwhelming. Just remember the 3 L's of Real Estate - Location Location Location! If you want advice on the perfect location that will hold its resale value be sure to avoid backing up to busy streets, or high wire electrical easements. There are also lot deposits and costs involved with building a home that you will need to be very clear about prior to signing a contract with the home builder. It typically takes 6 months to build a home so be sure to plan out your moving schedule with your Realtor®.
These are just the top 5 tips for building a home - there are thousands of parts involved with building a home. If you would like advice and help guiding you through the process please don't hesitate to contact us we would be honored to assist you.
