We've heard so many times in our career, "because we don't want to deal with problems we want to buy a new house..." Unfortunately, that is not the way it works. New homes, as a rule, have many more problems than re-sales. Part of the problem is that builders often hire the cheapest subcontractors. The builder also does not usually have the manpower to adequately supervise the subcontractors. Sometimes the manager doesn't have adequate experience themselves to competently supervise the subcontractors. In our experience, there are always multiple problems when buying a new home. Many times it is upgrades that were not done correctly, or even skipped completely. It can be a long process to go in and have the situation remedied....sometimes it is never fixed to your satisfaction. We've had some really bad experiences with builders and have heard so many horror stories from customers. We like to make sure that you are completely prepared before entering into a contract for a new home.
Builders have gotten used to the runaway real estate market. Many builders during that period developed a practice of treating real estate agents and customers poorly. They had the mentality that if they build it, buyers would line up for the opportunity to buy it. This was often true. A builder could sell homes no matter what the quality of their product was. With the market changing, the smarter builders have seen the "error of their ways". Unfortunately, there are other builders that have not caught on and still operate in a manner that will make it hard to survive in the new market that is more favorable towards buyers.
If you decide to buy a new home, we want to make sure you go in with your eyes wide open. Having a brand new home has so many advantages! It's a great feeling to move into a home that you had built and picked out all of the options for. It's your colors, your choices....your stamp is on everything. Buyers often take much greater emotional ownership of a home that they had built. I know that my attachment to the homes we have had built far surpass any "connection" I have felt with homes that we have lived in that someone else had built and we were getting second hand. If this complete feeling of ownership and pride in selecting options that meet your personal tastes is what you want, a new home is an excellent option. But do yourself a favor...before you do this, hire a good real estate agent to represent you in the transaction. Your builder will pay their fee and the home will not cost you any more than if you go it alone. That way, when they install the wrong color of stone on your home, or put the wrong tile in...you have an advocate to help remedy the situation. Most active agents who are experienced in new home sales know who the good builders are. They also know where to find the deals and can sometimes negotiate you much better terms than you could do yourself. They also know the builders who are not so great. Utilizing the services of an experienced agent who knows the market and builders in your market can save you a lot of time and headache.
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