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The Preswick Model home(4000 sft home)
base price is 325K+20K(upgrades) = 345000/4000 = 86.25.
Pl check the below link for more details.
Centex Homes - Builders of New Homes for Sale in Texas, Florida, California, and more. (http://www.centex.com/MasterNeighborhood.aspx?nbrid=46907 - broken link)
This is a little deceptive because that 4000 sq ft could actually be less. Let me explain, there are two types of sq ft calculations building sq ft and sales sq ft. In building sq ft the area is calculated to the outside of the stud wall not the brick and stairwells are counted only once, and heated sq ft is separate than unheated areas like the garage and porch. The second type of sq ft is sales sq ft where the outside of the homes is measured which is always higher than the actual building sq ft. The brick can account for as much as 100 sq ft per floor and if they don't follow the guidelines of calculating sq ft some areas will be counted twice when they should be counted once. When you see a listing usually there will be 2 sq ft totals given something like this 3600/4000, the 400 sq ft difference is the garage and other unfinished areas. Even the 3600 could actually be 3300 because of reasons stated above. Very few people have accurate sq ft calculations for their home. I can guarantee you one thing if your home is 4000 sq ft heated plus a 3 car garage of at least 600 sq ft full brick it can't be built $86.25 sq ft. not to mention the lot cost. That should be the first clue telling you something is wrong and it isn't the market.... Production builders are masters of deception and can make you believe you are buying for a low per sq ft rate when actually it is much higher based on what sq ft they are paying for.
This is a little deceptive because that 4000 sq ft could actually be less
I apologize guys I used the above screen name out of habit not realizing it was violating the TOS agreement. I went back to delete the last post I made but someone beat me to it. Again sorry guys!
I took a look at the design in question and without measuring it I can tell you the sq ft amount is under 3000 sq ft taking out the bonus room which is considered an option. The garage shown is probably 20 x 22 as a two car and from my experience they will extend it 12' and make it a sideload to create the 3 car option which will also extend the bonus above 12' by 12'.
Also always ask the builder for a set of plans for your records during the building process and for later use if needed. Every homeowner should have a plan of the home they live in. If they refuse to give you an actual set trust me they are hiding something they don't want you to see. If they tell you it is to protect their designs offer them a notarized letter outlining the uses you are entitled to and a stamping on each page that says do not build or copy. If they still refuse go somewhere else!
JCcompto- If they are specifically saying "Heated SQFT" of 4000, still it could be less?
Good question, the only way for you to know for sure is if you have the plans (though some noted on plans are incorrect as well but close) or understand how to measure your home. The general mistakes made can be either intentional or unintentional due to incorrect knowledge of the guidelines of figuring sq ft. Notice how you just rounded the sq ft from 3960 to 4000, at a $115 per sq ft heated you are already looking at $4600 difference with out the house changing. This is why being accurate is so important in this industry, you can essentially give money away without even knowing it.
I had someone who worked for a national builder for a number of years call me up and tell me my sq ft was way off on one of my plans. The house in question was one with the master bedroom/bath to the side as a one story and the second floor was only over the main area of the house. He said he had never seen a 1st floor have more heated sq ft than the 2nd because the garage occupied some of that space on the first floor. I held my laughter back to be professional but after a few minutes of having him look over the plan and the elevation he finally understood why I was correct. I was asking myself how this guy could work for a national builder as long as he did and not understand how to calculate sq ft in his drawing program.
You the consumer are shown a sales sq ft that is measured to the outside corner including brick. Your actual sq ft is to the outside of the stud which is 5" less then the depth of the wall (3 1/2" brick, 1" airspace, 1/2" sheathing) round that to 6" on a 50' wall and you have 25 sq ft for each floor of that wall that is not actual inhabitable conditioned sq ft. The builder is paying by material and in some trades sq ft but that sq ft they are being charged for isn't including the brick. Some builders may use this difference to pad their profits by charging you the full heated sq ft for the area of the brick. Others will use it to show you a lower per sq ft amount as a way to market they are giving you more for less even though the actual sq ft is less which is still the better deal given it is the same size house.
In existing homes usually the above example is where mistakes are made however if you are choosing from a book of a builders plans you may be given the total sq ft the house would be if every area is finished though some of those areas like the bonus is an option. For example if a listing only says 3960 sq ft, not heated or unheated, you the consumer translate that as a home with 3960 sq ft of livable space, they did nothing wrong because they are listing the total area which you are assuming is heated space. Most likely if you purchase the finished bonus room option you will have close to the listed sq ft. which can count for a few hundred of that sq ft.
As a homeowner why does this concern me? If you are in a tract building neighborhood it really doesn't make a difference because your home is going to be comped to the models that have sold like yours regardless of options. Yes some of those options you paid that extra money for mean nothing in regards to value but that is another story. You are in a custom neighborhood most comps are figured up to find a sq ft amount that is used to appraise the home. If the sq ft is 200 sq ft off in a $235 per sq ft area you may be paying about $50k more than you should. You are building a home most builders are going to give you a rate based on sq ft. They will give you a finished sq ft amount and a lower unfinished sq ft amount. These type of estimates are not as accurate as actual take offs so if the sq ft is higher you will be paying the premium amount for area that doesn't exist.
How can you use this for your advantage as the homeowner?
Usually the only way you can take advantage of this is to build your home from scratch. If you have the plan with the correct sq ft you have your builder to build it based on the house not the location. The lot cost and options should be the only difference in cost otherwise all 2x4's cost the same. Be sure your builder is pricing by breaking down the job by materials and trades and charging a percentage for his services, not by a sq ft amount. Once you know what it will cost to build the house look for areas where the going sq ft amount is higher than the amount you get after adding the cost to build plus lot cost and any other cost such as landscaping items. Divide that total by the sq ft of the house, as long as the result is lower than the going sq ft of the homes in that neighborhood you are safe. If you choose the right neighborhood you could end up with a lot of equity. Be sure when you are finding the difference between what your home will cost to build (minus brick area) vs what it will be worth that you add the area of the brick to the amount of sq ft before multiplying it by the going sq ft rate. This inflation difference is why some of the upscale builders only build in upscale areas vs trac neighborhoods.
I wonder which builder will build the new low income housing planed for Balintine. Do they bid on the job or does the city just pick who will do the work. The havent nailed down the date for the construction to start but I saw where it is planned on the news tonight...Are they hiring workers?
I wonder which builder will build the new low income housing planed for Balintine. Do they bid on the job or does the city just pick who will do the work. The havent nailed down the date for the construction to start but I saw where it is planned on the news tonight...Are they hiring workers?
Plain I didnt see the entire news report which was on the 6 pm news last week. I caught the part about the final decision being delayed, Its for sure in the plans but the details havent been finished.Its going to be in Balintine for sure.
I thought they were in the discussions phase of bringing low income housing to Ballantyne...from the news report, I guess the figure that it's the geographical location of a school that causes good results...nothing to do with the parents....
I thought they were in the discussions phase of bringing low income housing to Ballantyne...from the news report, I guess the figure that it's the geographical location of a school that causes good results...nothing to do with the parents....
I don't believe it would ever go through because of the involvement that would certainly come from the residents who would live in the area. Here is a link to the Meck zoning process (I believe the area is Meck County, Correct?):
Rezoning - City of Charlotte (http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Planning/Rezoning/Home.htm - broken link)
Monkeyboy you're right, if we look back at Meck ED History did busing from one area to another make a difference in the individual student? I'm sure there may be some cases it did but we can also assume there are cases where it also negatively affected some of the higher performing students who were sent to underperforming schools. Think of the college entrance applications, does a well performing school have more weight than a known underperforming school? Yes, that's why on your transcript it shows the class average and where the student measured up in class ranking.
This is a little deceptive because that 4000 sq ft could actually be less. Let me explain, there are two types of sq ft calculations building sq ft and sales sq ft. In building sq ft the area is calculated to the outside of the stud wall not the brick and stairwells are counted only once, and heated sq ft is separate than unheated areas like the garage and porch. The second type of sq ft is sales sq ft where the outside of the homes is measured which is always higher than the actual building sq ft. The brick can account for as much as 100 sq ft per floor and if they don't follow the guidelines of calculating sq ft some areas will be counted twice when they should be counted once. When you see a listing usually there will be 2 sq ft totals given something like this 3600/4000, the 400 sq ft difference is the garage and other unfinished areas. Even the 3600 could actually be 3300 because of reasons stated above. Very few people have accurate sq ft calculations for their home. I can guarantee you one thing if your home is 4000 sq ft heated plus a 3 car garage of at least 600 sq ft full brick it can't be built $86.25 sq ft. not to mention the lot cost. That should be the first clue telling you something is wrong and it isn't the market.... Production builders are masters of deception and can make you believe you are buying for a low per sq ft rate when actually it is much higher based on what sq ft they are paying for.
I understand your point.
FWIW I have copies of the blueprints and here are the totals (not including brick, including all interior space including walls):
With Garage: 4453
W/O Garage: 3859
So the advertised 3960 appears to be close to w/o garage and slightly inflated, but not terribly so. Ultimately we bought on the size and feel of the home when walking through it, not what it says on paper, so the calculation variance isn't something we're going to get upset over. I do understand your point though.
Also, since we signed they have raised the prices by $8000 on all models in the Ardrey Woods sub. Apparently they were selling too fast. It's still a significant price drop from what it was previously, but it seems someone miscalculated and dropped them a little toooo far.
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