Have you fallen in love with one of those perfect model homes in a new construction neighborhood?  I love them too!!    Buying a resale home versus a new construction home are very different processes!

One of the more important things to understand when purchasing new construction is the importance of WORKING WITH A REALTOR.  Yes! Real estate agents represent buyers all of the time on new construction purchases. It can be confusing for you when you go into a model home and sales representative provide all of the information and answer all your questions, but THEY WORK FOR THE BUILDER and you should wnat someone representing you! Many Realtors like myself are familiar and specialize in new construction and our input is valuable. Having someone on your side representing your best interests, not the builders is important and it doesn't cost you any money! Your Realtor's commission fees are paid for by the builder and you do not save any money by having by not having a Realtor represent you. In fact, most likely, you will end up paying more money without representation because of what you do not know. 

Second thing is, you will need to understand the different costs of new construction. You may see that road sign that says, "Houses Start in the 400's"! Then, when you go into the model home, everything available is priced closer to $500K. That's because the advertised price is for the cheapest model, with no upgrades or lot premium. Then there are the options. Does your builder offer a bonus room option or the option to change a living room to a den?  If so, these options typically almost always cost more and will increase the price of the home. Then, there are the cosmetic options. These are the fun ones! Going to that design center to pick out your floors and cabinets can be the highlight of the building process, but you can also get a big dose of sticker shock. So, compare what their cost will be in comparision to having a third party do the upgrades. Don't forget, your paying the interest for the lifetime of the loan on all of those fancy upgrades. 

Give me a call any time with any questions!  

Sheila Smith, Realtor.   586-943-3316