What Happens When You Buy a New Construction Home?
Buying a new construction home can be a very complicated process. Today, I’ll go over a few important tips that you need to know.
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Buying a resale home is a very different process than buying a new construction home. Today, I’ll go over a few tips for new construction buyers.First of all, make sure you hire a professional real estate agent. When you walk through model homes and speak with the sales rep, that representative has the builder’s best interests in mind, not yours. You need to have your own representation. The builder will pay for your real estate agent, and you don’t save any money by going in alone.You also need to research the builder. Just because a builder can set up a nice model home doesn’t mean that they have a good reputation. Builders are responsible for making repairs to the home for a certain number of years after the purchase, so it’s important to have a good rapport with your builder. Check their online reviews and ask for testimonials.When you shop for a new construction home, don’t rely on the model home. Model homes have all kinds of upgrades, so make sure you know what is an upgrade and what comes standard with the house. Your agent can also help you figure that out.It’s important to understand that when you negotiate with the builder, there is not a lot of wiggle room on the price. Builders don’t want to change the price of the home because not only will it affect that home sale, but it will also affect the price of every house that they build in the future. An experienced agent can help you negotiate with closing costs, appliance packages, and other upgrades.Finally, make sure that you document everything. If you talk to a new sales rep and they promise you some kind of upgrade, make sure you write that down so that you can reference it later. There are a lot of different things going on in this transaction, so things can get lost in the shuffle if you don’t keep a record of everything.If you have any other questions about new construction homes or real estate in general, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!