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There's something appealing about
a brand new house -- you get to pick
out the carpet, drapes, and appliances,
and have everything designed just the
way you want it. New houses often come
with more space and better appliances,
require less immediate fix-up work,
and are more energy-efficient. New houses
are also sometimes priced more reasonably
than comparable old ones. But, there's
a downside. Too often, the advantages
of new houses are overshadowed by problems
such as shoddy construction and lengthy
construction delays. Here are some suggestions
on how to avoid problems.
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The most important factor
in buying a new house is not what you
buy (that is, the particular model), but
rather who you buy it from. A responsible
builder understands that he or she has
a reputation to protect, constructs homes
that live up to their promises, and remains
available should issues arise. More than
a few dallas builders, however, take your money,
throw together a house that starts falling
apart on day one, and then stop returning
phone calls. The message is, don't buy
a house -- buy its builder.
To check out a builder, contact:
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Owners who live
in the development you're considering,
if possible. If the development is
run by a homeowners' association,
talk to the association members and
the board of directors. If nothing
has been built yet, talk to owners
in a recently completed development
by the same builder. Your realtor
can be a big source of information
if he or she has sold houses in the
area you are interested in buying.
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County planning
or building department staff who deal
with local developers. Don’t
get scare if they say there is problem
with this builder and that builder,
it is very rare that construction
work go smooth every time. There are
so much variables involved in construction
and some times things go wrong.
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Real estate agents
who've worked in the area for some
time. Agents won't usually deal directly
with new house sales, but they may
have handled the resale of houses
built by developers and may know their
reputations.
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Visit Dallas Better
Business Bureau website. Ask whether
any complaints have been filed against
the developer. Please see our Dallas
Fort-Worth builders review section
for more details.
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As
we already mentioned that building construction
never go smooth and it always some defects
which you can not find. It is always advisable
to get your house inspected at least two
times before you move in. First time you
can get it inspected when slab pour completed,
initial plumbing work has been done and
AC ducts has been installed and one just
before you move into house.Also, you should
visit your home site periodically during
construction and take the final walk-through
to catch last minute cosmetic defects.
Cases has been seen in past that builder
forgot to put some essential item and
guaranty period is over and you left with
no remedy. When a house is being worked
on, it's easy to see whether construction
standards are high or not. If your house
isn't built yet or is already finished,
have the inspector or contractor look
at other houses the developer is in the
process of building. So be on safe side
get your house inspected. |
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Many builders advertise
houses at comparatively low prices to
invite you and have a look. But actually
when you try to negotiate the prices of
actual house will go at least 5 to 25%
extra. This is the time we can you help
you out a lot. For example your new house
is costing with all your upgrades at 100$/Sqft
and in neighborhood prices are 90$/Sqft,
then your house is over-improved and you
will have hard time in selling your house.
Buying extras lets you
semi-custom design your home. But ask
yourself what you really need and how
much it will cost. Upgrades often add
5% to 20% to the cost of a new home. To
get the most for your money, follow these
steps: |
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Take care of essentials first.
Be practical, both for your own sake
and for the sake of your home's resale
value. Go room by room what you need
in living room, kitchen, bedroom,
master bath. Ask your realtor what
upgrades give more value to your house.
Put everything on a list.
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Make sure prices are fair.
Some developers are less ethical in
pricing extras than others. Steer
clear of those who deliberately use
poor-quality materials in highly visible
spots in their models, almost forcing
you to upgrade to over-priced substitutes.
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Negotiate. Ask for one free
extra for every two you buy. For example,
if you pay top dollar for good carpets
and kitchen cabinets, ask the developer
to throw in a better stove at no charge.
And don't be afraid to ask for the
right to buy and install extras on
your own instead of paying high prices
for the developer's.
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Read the fine print. Many new
house contracts contain a clause saying
that the model's features, such as
carpets and appliances, are not necessarily
the same brands you'll receive. You
are guaranteed only the functional
equivalent of what you see, which
is typically different and costs the
builder far less. Make a list of the
precise features you're concerned
about (with brands or makes and models)
and include it in your contract. If
one developer won't accommodate you,
shop elsewhere.
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Get it in writing. When dealing
with a developer's sales representative,
get all promises as to what will be
done, and when, in writing. Before
you sign the purchase contract, make
sure it includes every one of the
agreed-on changes. If you've already
signed the contract when you negotiate
changes, write them down in a separate
document and have the developer or
the sales representative sign it.
Don't rely on oral commitments, which
are notoriously unreliable and almost
impossible to enforce. We have designed
a new worksheet to help you out for
this.
- Prepare your initial list with
what you need and what your realtor
says you must have to sell your
house for top dollar.
- Visit the builder Design Center.
- Talk to design center specialist
and get the prices on all of your
items but do not finalize on your
first visit.
- Get the prices in local market
for all those on your list and
compare it.
- Visit the design center and
finalize it.
For example you will always get top
dollar on resale when you have large
master bedroom, upgrades in kitchen
and master bath.
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You've probably heard horror stories
about new houses that begin to disintegrate
soon after the buyer moves in -- the
roof leaks, the basement floods after
the first big rain, or the doors won't
close. This shouldn't be a problem if
you buy from a reputable developer --
but not all developers are reputable,
and you may not be sure about yours.
Ask the builder what is the procedure
to clear out any problem after you move
in. Is the service 24x7? Up to how many
years you will warranty for structural
defects. Ask other people who has already
occupied the home from same builder
if they got the problem and how they
have fixed it.
Protect
your Interest Against Delays :
So many
times it happens that your house is
not yet started on your agreed upon
completion date. These things cost you
too much and unwanted hassle. If you
are out of the state buyer always ask
for completion date in detail because
if your house is on sale you have to
choose closing date accordingly , when
to call moving company, when to ask
your moving company to deliver. These
things could cost you thousands if you
are not careful enough.
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*Rebate
is available only to buyers who close
escrow/proceed to final settlement
with Emeraldhome LLC. acting as
their sole and exclusive agent in
the purchase of real estate in Texas
The Rebate is valid only if the broker
commission actually received at the
close of escrow/settlement is 3% or
more. Reduced cash-back amount is
available for lower commission received.
Occasionally, the seller and/or listing
broker in a transaction will offer
the broker representing the buyer
a bonus or other additional incentive
over and above the cooperating brokerage
commission. Any such bonuses or other
additional incentives are separate
and apart from the cooperating brokerage
commission actually received and buyer
is not entitled to a rebate on any
bonus or other additional incentive
monies paid over and above the cooperative
broker commission. For homes with
a final sales price of $99,999.99
or less, the rebate is not applicable.
The Rebate will be paid or credited
to the party or parties named as the
"buyer(s)" or "borrower(s)"
on the HUD-1 Closing Statement or
equivalent official closing statement.
All buyers must sign a Buyer's
Representative Agreement and/or a
Rebate Agreement before any rebate
will be issued. This rebate program
is only available where permitted
under state and federal law and when
not otherwise prohibited by the buyer's
lender(s). There may be tax consequences
to the rebate. If you need legal or
tax advice, you should consult with
the appropriate professional. Offer
subject to conditions, limitations,
exclusions, modifications, and/or
discontinuation without notice. |
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