New construction is booming right now. In fact, if you live anywhere near open farmland, you’re probably seeing big developments being built. If you’re considering buying new construction, you need an agent by your side to guide you through the transaction.
Over the 12 years I’ve been selling real estate, I’ve seen and worked with a lot of great builders, but that doesn’t mean problems don’t usually arise during the new construction process. As long as there are problems to overcome when building new construction, you’ll need an agent to help you work through them.
It’s important to work side by side with an agent who knows your area, knows the schools in your area, and knows the builder so you and your family get what you’re looking for. A good agent will also familiarize you with what’s going on in the market. As market conditions change, what we can negotiate with builders changes as well. I’ve seen many buyers try to buy new construction homes over the years without an agent, mostly because they didn’t understand what could and couldn’t be negotiated.
An agent can also walk you through the lengthy contracts builders put together. They work extensively with their own attorneys to draft contracts that work for them, so you need someone with you who’s looking out for your best interests as well.
Work with your agent to make sure you also get a third-party inspector to look at the property. If you’re not already a contractor or you’re not familiar with the new construction process, why not hire someone to check everything out for you? An extra eye will benefit you greatly. In fact, I recently heard a story from a client of mine about someone who bought a new construction home in their neighborhood and flooded their garage the first time they turned on the bathtub in the bathroom on top of it. Nobody noticed this flaw, even after both the builder and the city inspector inspected the property.
Lastly, take your agent with you the first time you look at your new construction home or make sure the agent calls and registers you beforehand so that agent can get paid. If they don’t, they might not be able to represent you.
The best part is, when you work with a builder, you won’t pay anything extra to have an agent there looking out for your best interests.
If you have any further questions about buying new construction or you have any other real estate needs I can help you with, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’d love to help you.
