The growth of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex suburban cities real estate markets are exploding with new home construction. From Frisco, Prosper, Celina to Southlak, to Euless, Bedford, Mid-cities areas, the new home construction has been growing. It is true that building permits are not requested like they once were in the 2004, but growth is still here.

Some buyers do not see the value of using a real estate agent in the new home construction process. After all, the service is free. But better than that, here are what a valued real estate agent can bring to your transaction:

Keeping You In Line With Your Goals and Objectives

During your buyer's interview process, your real estate professional will ask you several "lifestyle" questions, your likes and your dislikes. He/She will also discuss with you your "needs", your "wants" and your "wishes". Based on your budget, your expert will find you a community to build in that will answer all of your needs, some of your wants and a handful of your wishes. In your discussion with the builder, a good agent will always bring you back to your goals and objectives. More importantly, your budget. It is very easy to go above your allocated budget, so your agent will act as the "alarm" to tell you that you are going above what you originally planned. If you knowingly make that decision, that is fine. But you always have the 3rd person there to ensure you are keeping in line with your goals and objectives.

Design functionality versus resale purposes

An expert in your transaction will ensure that you build your house per your lifestyle specifications. However, as an-added value benefit, this expert will ensure that the specification that you change out of the norm will also be an easy-fix to turn the property back to "normal" when it comes to your time to sell. For example: Here in Frisco, TX it is almost expected to find at least 4 bedrooms in a house of at least 3,500 square feet. However, based on your lifestyle and preference, you might want to remove an adjacent bedroom to enlarge the gameroom because you have plans to make the gameroom in a "sports bar setting". You want a pool table in the middle with several bar tables and many more TV jacks to watch a wall of TV with 6 sports channel all at the same time. I would imagine that this sounds very cool to most guys. So, during the layout design process, a good agent will help you figure out a way to re-convert the gameroom back to its original 4th bedroom and locate the TV jacks in the original gameroom location. When you resell, you want to attract most "typical" buyers and most "typical" buyers in this square footage would expect 4 bedrooms.

An experienced agent understands functionality that must suit your lifestyle and preference while watching over your design process for your resale purposes. Sometimes, this process can get carried away if you lack either an experienced agent or having none at all.

Some construction designs are not possible in the future, if you have not thought about it at first. Thus, during the interview process, if your experienced agent had thought about it for you first, will save you another costly move or costly improvement. For example: You may have a work-from-home business. When your business grows, there may be a possibility that you may invite some of your clients to your "office". If you had mentioned about this to your experienced agent, he/she might make a suggestion to also add on an exterior access to your office instead of having your clients walk into your home, then to your office up in the 2nd level.

Set construction expectations

There is this term: Builder's optimism. Here in Frisco, TX, it is common to say that the build time is approximately 120days. However, if you would take the builder's word for it, and had plan to be in the house in about 120 days, there is a possibility that you may be in for a surprise. Not a very good surprise. In the Frisco new home construction, houses undergo 7 stages of inspection with the city. Each stage takes a few days and some longer. So, the 120 days could sometimes be 180days or longer.

During the construction process, mistakes are inevitable just like any other process. Some mistakes are correctable, however, in my experiences, because the builder is "lazy" to correct them, I have heard all sorts of reasons and excuses. When you have an agent that has oversee more home construction process, I believe that there is a value associated in using a highly-experienced realtor. A high-octane agent definitely has seen more than the clients they serve.

Blueprint reading

Many buyers have no clue what to do with spaces if the property is vacant, let alone just by looking at blueprint. Blueprint reading is a skill that some agents have. Construction sometimes may be overlooked, and just by having an extra pair of eyes in this process can ensure costly mistakes is minimized. For example: One of my new home construction, the foundation guy had laid the form incorrectly towards the master bedroom/ kitchen/ breakfast nook area. We had instructed for a new design but the message was not reflected to the foundation sub-contractor. Had they poured the foundation like it is, then time is money that this foundation slab will have to be broken and re-poured again.

Contract negotiations and contingencies

Many contingencies and contract negotiations can be set up to protect the buyer clients' interest in the home construction process. It must be written fairly to buyers. Here in North Texas, builders use their own contracts, not the standard TREC promulgated contracts which are used only by real estate licensees. Like most contracts and addendums, it is written to protect the person who provided it, thus an experienced agent can ensure that the buyers receive fairness in the contracts, addendums and contingencies.

Some builders do not negotiate on price, some do. Work with an agent who knows who will and who wouldn't.

Follow-up

Time is precious and as buyers, your time is money. Instead of chasing your builder for re-pricing or getting back to you for answers, you can entrust this duty to your agent. Make your agent a real part of your construction process. I have seen many buyers who saw their agent for the last time when they sign the contract to purchase/build and not show up again until closing. I do not think that is right.

Not all real estate agents are the same. Find one with new home construction process to your criteria. It will pay off in the long run.

You can find very attractive deals in the metroplex right now. I specialize in the new home construction process in the Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Prosper, Celina, Little Elm, North Dallas and Richardson areas. Please contact me to see how I may be able to bring value to your new home building process.

Loreena Yeo
Realtor/ Broker of 3:16 team REALTY
(214) 783-2210
loreena@loreenayeo.com