Are New Builders Really That Busy?

The answer to this is yes and no, let me tell you why.  There are some communities that do sell quickly for many reasons including price and/or location.  The thing is the Sales Rep is trained to make prospective new home buyers feel a sense of urgency.  The buyers who feel like they are going to loose a particular lot or price are more likely to sign the dotted line faster.  The community may not be selling fast at all and the odds of this are good given the market in Manassas, Prince William County and most of Northern VA.

A Model Home

The model homes for most of the new builders in Prince William and all of Northern Va. have all the upgrades possible.  Many of new models even have upgrades that a home buyer can not even purchase from the builder.  We all have also seen the impeccable décor of these homes that are done by professional decorators.  This is done to make the buyers subconsciously think the home they purchase will look like this one.  These are also the reasons people are more willing to spend more on a new home.

Negotiating

There are few new home builders including Toll Brothers , Ryan Homes, Stanley Martin, Pulte, NV Homes, Richmond American, Beazer, Lennar, Drees, Centex, or Brookfield that will not negotiate.  This is the case if they are selling slower then expected and is true for much of Northern Virginia. A buyer can only negotiate if they are willing to walk away from the deal and not be tied emotionally to the outcome.  Here is an article that will help prospective buyers with this called The First Rule of Negotiating Home Sweet Home.

New home buyers in Manassas, Prince William County and Northern Va can negotiate on two different fronts.  The first is the most obvious which is the base price of the new home.  Most builders in today's market will negotiate; the sales rep just will not tell you that.  The other is negotiating free upgrades that are not included in the base price.  This will only work if the home has not yet been built.  The home builders will sometimes have a home that is or almost complete and in this case the upgrades have been picked.   The key is to make sure the sales rep knows you are willing to walk away because of other available new homes or resale's in the area.  

The Builders Contract

The home builders contract is mostly in favor of the builder who wrote the contract.  There are a lot of things in this contract a prospective purchaser should be aware of before signing.  To give an example, most new builder contracts have a long window of time to have the home completed by.  I have seen them as long as two years guaranteed to have the home built.  Usually the settlement date that is in the contract to purchase is an ESTAMATED date. Of course it is in the best interest of the builder to make the date because that is when they get paid.  This is why it is good to have an agent that represents you there to explain anything that you do not understand.

New homes are a pleasure to own because of the style and upgrades a buyer gets to pick and the fact that it has never been occupied.  There are also drawbacks to living in a new community especially if it has not been completed.  This is why it is good to do the necessary research before buying and have a REALTOR representing your interest.  

Negotiating With Builders of New Homes in Northern Va. Part 1.

To search the MLS in Northern Virginia for new homes click here.

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Joey Remondino is a full time Realtor specializing in residential homes in Northern Virginia including Prince William, Fairfax, and Fauquier Counties. Trained and experienced in Relocation, Short Sales, REO's, investments, and any other residential real estate Joey can guide you through the home buying or selling process.