How much negotiation with drees or Pulte (Hope: home sales, prices)

[TraderJack]

webuser, it's apparant from your posts that you are not an experienced home buyer and that this purchase is most likely your first. By way of generalized advice, one should never go into any negotiations with meager experience and grandiose ideals.

You are asking strangers on this board, albeit knowledgable strangers, to give you advice on the negotiations for the biggest purchase of your life. This is something not to be taken lightly.

Did you ever stop to contemplate that any advice given to you will necessarily put the giver at risk? No one wants to put themselves at risk, even in the slightest fashion. And, no one wants to give you advice that may cause you any harm.

Your cry for advice belies your inexperience. If and when you succeed in these negotiations, and if you continue to represent yourself in these negotiations, consider yourself very lucky.

More often than not an inexperienced negotiator will succeed at gaining an important element, only to lose several additional elements to the other party. The ability to think on your feet and counter a proposition is not something you're born with. It is a learned skill. It is a skill that is not to be taken lightly or misunderstood.

A good negotiator is worth his weight in gold. He's worth every penny you pay him. If you insist on representing yourself, the only thing that comes to mind is the refrain that judges say to defendants that insist on representing themselves in a court of law... "You will have a fool for a client".

[webuser]

Traderjack, Hope you are not a Realtor?

Originally Posted by TraderJack

webuser, it's apparant from your posts that you are not an experienced home buyer "You will have a fool for a client".

Jesus... your message is in depth and harsh.

TraderJack, I agree your point of hiring a Realtor. But dint agree throwing a judgment about a stranger. The original post being side tracked from being DEAL or NO DEAL to HIRE or NO HIRE a Realtor. mmmmm! My first home was in California and I understand the negotiations in this part of world are different from there.

As you thought of I am not making a purchase based on a strangers opinion. I have a hired negotiator coming with me when I deal it. One thing you are not understanding is I am doing my home work by myself before even I talk to my negotiator.

TRANSLATING: I am trying to understand the water depth over hard rock. Not all rivers(builders) are same.

[ComputerConsultingLLC]

I do agree with TraderJack that a Realtor would be beneficial to you.

I buy property in Indianapolis all the time. I also live in a Drees home which I had built for me in 2004. Right now I would NOT be building. There are so many good deals on foreclosures and bank owned. I am actually thinking of selling my home and buying a foreclosure.

Email me in private and we can discuss. Honestly, I know its exciting to build, but you can get much much more for your dollar right now with buying a "depressed " property, putting 20K into it and having a much lower mortgage. And yes I do know a great realtor who works with me on my deals.

As for Drees - good company but you have to stay on top of them and be very very very hard nosed with them.. I had them replace virtually all flooring, siding, windows in my home b/c I was not happy with it at all. After many conversations/arguments I got my way - but if you let them, they will walk over you.

Email me in private and I can assist further, but please take my advice seriously on purchasing an already built home - if not - you can be sitting on an over priced home/lot.

-- computerconsultingllc@gmail.com

[TraderJack]

webuser, yes my message was harsh, because you just don't seem to realize that you are asking strangers, that don't know you or your circumstance, to assist you at their own peril!

That's not a very friendly thing to do to anybody!

These good folks don't know you! And you don't know them!
You ask a tremendous amount from all of us, and we're not eager to provide it because the advice given may do you harm or it may cause us difficulty!

Additionally, I'm sure you know that anything stated on the internet is entirely subject to question, because no one can verify the source or the accuracy!
Get a grip!

I've advised you to seek competent counsel, it's now up to you!
Stop asking for advice and either buy the damn house or not!

I don't mean to be harsh to you but you just don't seem to realize what you're asking of us. This is a big decision for you.
We all wish you the best of luck and hope your deal is something you can brag about later.

[webuser]

Originally Posted by ComputerConsultingLLC

Right now I would NOT be building. There are so many good deals on foreclosures and bank owned. I am actually thinking of selling my home and buying a foreclosure.

but you can get much much more for your dollar right now with buying a "depressed " property, putting 20K into it and having a much lower mortgage.

I agree with you. The selling price(Not listed price) of existing homes in the same area is same as what builder is negotiating for. Then why existing, Why not build the way we want.

Originally Posted by ComputerConsultingLLC

As for Drees - good company but you have to stay on top of them and be very very very hard nosed with them.. I had them replace virtually all flooring, siding, windows in my home b/c I was not happy with it at all. After many conversations/arguments I got my way - but if you let them, they will walk over you.

This is helpful information. After I break through the deal, I will be tough with them till I get what I want.

[ComputerConsultingLLC]

With foreclosures - you can negotiate down much much further than with a builder. Also are you sure the selling price of foreclosures/bank owned is what your looking at. Get a good real estate agent so they can pull up bank/foreclosed properties. not properties people are trying to sell. Those of course will be at market rates.

[webuser]

I got you. I guess my Realtor sent me in general in each community. Not in specific to foreclosures. But normal market analysis report says selling price of the existing homes are the same as what a builder is offering in the same community.

Yes you are right, foreclosure should be at clearance sale price and builder should be selling at premium prices.

[clipboarder]

I am not sure if this is common practice, but from my experience builders make your agent sign an agreement, that prohibits them to negotiate the price on your behalf. I'd rather not use an agent and use that as a bargaining chip in the negotiation, since they'll safe 4% of the sales price. However, if you do that hire an agent or lawyer to review the contract.

Originally Posted by TraderJack

The best advice I can give you is to interview several REALTORs and choose the one you like the best. Negotiation is their job. They do it every day.
They get paid by the seller so their service is provided to you at no cost.

Any arguments about the price of the home being adjusted upward to account for the REALTOR's fee are baseless. Builders always include the fee as a cost of doing business. There is no discount to you for self representation.

Talk to some REALTORs. Call CB, C21,Tucker, Carpenter and stop in for a chat.

[Zoo Animals On Wheels]

The original post (and most of the thread) is nearly a year old.

I wonder whatever happened with this guy? 3/08 was NOT a time to be buying a new house in an incomplete subdivision...

[MikiJayne]

Clipboarder---

NO, you will not save money by leaving out your Realtor. Most reputable builders in the area build in the real estate commission fees into their advertising budget. If you do not use a Realtor, you will not get a discount, what you will get is no representation. They will just make that much more off you, keeping that 3-4% in their own pockets.

The relationship in Indy between Realtor and builder is too tight for either side to try to play unfair. They pay us fairly, we agree to bring them buyers who might be interested and to talk to buyers about the possibility of building. More than half of their business comes from Realtors, why on earth would they deliberatly try to cut us out? They don't.