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Finding a realtor that knows the area or doing a lot of homework on your area are your two best choices. You might want to try googling something like "Active Residential Subdivisions in ________".
This is the first thing that showed up on my search: https://www.mansfieldtexas.gov/sites...ential-map.pdf
Also, I wouldn't recommend New home source or New home guide. There are communities that show up on one site and not on the other or communities that don't appear on either.
My last two developers did. Their sales agent's both said as I did not bring my agent to the deal, they could deal better with me.
Builders want to keep/maintain there base price but they will deal on the options. As an example:
$250K base for the house + $25K for options so a list sale price of $275K. Now we begin to dicker as I am looking at the end price to me no matter how they slice and dice the numbers. There is no 3rd party (real estate agent) looking over our shoulders. One less beak to wet.
I agree to pay $255K. I do not care how the developer writes it up. I got my price. He probably already figured an agents 3% in his original $250K price. So he writes the house up at $242.5K base and $12.5K of options for the final $255K. What do I care how he juggles his numbers?
Granted my numbers are based on options but who only buys the base? If you do then do not expect to be able to deal much on the base but even then, do demand the realtors cut deduction.
We have a large audience here. I said most. Most builders don't even have agents, they are sales reps employed by the builer. Nothing is ever absolute. My reply was for the many that are told there's not anything in it for them, agent or no agent, that comps are usually the reason why. No one should feel like they could have done better, especially if they've already closed.
If it gets out into the real estate community that ABC Builder is giving better deals without an agent, that builder is cooked once word gets around. And word does get around.
Also, if the builders aren't careful and consistent in their pricing, they could be a target of a Fair Housing audit. Fair Housing doesn't care if it's overt or intended, or not. They will look for pricing discrepancies. So if the next couple without an agent doesn't know or ask for the discount and they are also a protected class, bam! Think I am exaggerating? I'm not. Builders, agents, title companies and lenders all need to be consistent with pricing and services, or they are at risk. It's one of the first lessons taught.
I would narrow your area of search down first, and then drive through that area frequently, in addition to getting a realtor who is very familiar with that area who can tell you what new construction is coming on the market.
I too have been baffled as to why new construction isn't on the MLS or otherwise well advertised online. In my market I see a ton of new construction going on that I am aware of simply because I live in the area. These new construction developments typically do not show up on the MLS and it takes a long time (if ever) for the builders to put the projects up on their websites as well. You really need to be on the ground to catch new construction projects, for whatever odd reason.
It is not on the MLS, because it is not listed with any Realtor. The builder is often willing to pay a commission to the Realtor that brings him a sale, but it is not on the MLS. He has found, that the Realtors will keep track of what is going on in their area, and will bring buyers to see the home if it is what they are telling the Realtor what they want, and where they want it. The builder does not list it, as he can get better action from the Realtors by not listing it.
We have a large audience here. I said most. Most builders don't even have agents, they are sales reps employed by the builer. Nothing is ever absolute. My reply was for the many that are told there's not anything in it for them, agent or no agent, that comps are usually the reason why. No one should feel like they could have done better, especially if they've already closed.
If it gets out into the real estate community that ABC Builder is giving better deals without an agent, that builder is cooked once word gets around. And word does get around.
Also, if the builders aren't careful and consistent in their pricing, they could be a target of a Fair Housing audit. Fair Housing doesn't care if it's overt or intended, or not. They will look for pricing discrepancies. So if the next couple without an agent doesn't know or ask for the discount and they are also a protected class, bam! Think I am exaggerating? I'm not. Builders, agents, title companies and lenders all need to be consistent with pricing and services, or they are at risk. It's one of the first lessons taught.
If you think that a builder/developer cares about the thousand of real estate agents running around out there trying to make a living off of them, other then paying lip service to the NRA, you better rethink it.
This was where I started. The results lead me to going through each and every individual builder in the Dallas area. It's a huge area, and there are so many builders. It's overwhelming. It's hard to keep up with what's going on, and also research new areas at the same time.
I wanted something to narrow down the search. A poster suggested new home source and I think that's probably my best bet, combined with the MLS listings, to help narrow things down.
Realtors don't seem to be interested in dealing with new homes, although I know that builders have told me that they are paid by them, and the money they are paid comes from a bucket of money specifically set aside for that. It does not affect the price of the home whatsoever.
If you think that a builder/developer cares about the thousand of real estate agents running around out there trying to make a living off of them, other then paying lip service to the NRA, you better rethink it.
Lets put it this way, I was a broker from 1972 till I finally retired. I have done it all, including developing, and having homes, etc., built on my properties. I have been involved to the point that I know how things work. Do you have the experience to back up what you say. I do.
Example: A long time Realtor/broker asked to meet with me and brought along a good small builder. The Realtor owned 13 lots in a small development he was planning. The builder had the plans for homes, with changes in elevation so though the homes were identical inside, they looked different on the outside. They needed to pre-sell at least 5 homes, before they could get construction money. They gave me a price, that I could sell the homes to investors. Along with another middle class home that had been offered to me by the owner for a special price if I could get it under contract within 3 days, I started calling investors and had sold all 14 homes in 2.5 hours. One investor took 5 and no one got less than 2. I made a sale with every call. I still hold the record for most homes sold by one salesman/saleswoman in a day for the county.
Yes builders do work with Realtors, as the Realtors will sell more homes than their own office. They can have hundreds to thousands of agents all working for them this way. They have someone from their company go around to the offices, and give them brochures and sales aids, etc. and invite agents to sell their homes.
When a builder is developing a subdivision, they need to sell homes as fast or faster than they can build them. The more then can pre-sell, the more they can build. Build one at a time, and it can keep the builder and one helper busy. Sell in advance before starting building, they can always increase the size of their payroll to build more and more homes. Doing their own sales only, can mean the difference between selling just a few homes a year, or working with all the Realtors and building 2 to 5 times as many homes.
Any builder that is going to build any number of homes in a development, would be stupid not to work with Realtors. It costs a lot of money to promote a subdivision without working with the Realtors. Minimal advertising and working with the Realtors, a builder will at the end of the year, will make a lot more profit than if he did not work with them. And remember, builder/developers are only working to make a profit.
If you think that a builder/developer cares about the thousand of real estate agents running around out there trying to make a living off of them, other then paying lip service to the NRA, you better rethink it.
Not all agents are Realtors. Secondly why are agents paying lip service to the National Rifle Assocation? JK. I know you provide good information to the board and a different perspective.
Production builders are more agent friendly, custom builders generally deal directly with the client. I'm throwing out custom, that's a different beast and the below info is for production primarily. (Like Ryan, Beazer, etc)
I would say that of course most builders prefer not to have an agent involved because they are able to remove a layer of education between them and the buyer. I will also say as someone who's represented a semi-custom builder some buyers agents make a deal much more complicated than it needed to be an added no value to the transaction, in fact I would say they added negative value. Take away - I like when buyers have a professional agent. I hated when they brought in a loser. Buyers, a professional on your side will rarely hurt or hinder you. Avoid the losers though.
Your choice on using an agent or not - in my market, it was hot enough that the builders don't give discounts either way. Plus this is a title company area, so the agent works with you on the closing, and it's very unusual to have an attorney, and if you do, it gets pricey because they don't do a straight forward $X fee to handle a routine closing. I don't know about your market, but it may be worth checking into that rather than assuming that anyone here is giving you accurate info if they are in a different market.
In any case, the point I wanted to make is that my understanding is that builders generally want you to come with the agent the first time you go to see the model. I've heard of cases where they would not pay the agent fee if you went by yourself the first time because they can argue that the agent did not procure that buyer.
Personally, I would recommend you try to narrow down the location first based on the usual factors - proximity to work and to friends and relatives, schools, hobbies (is it close to where you like to go on weekends, etc). Once you have a better geographic definition of where you are looking, you can research who is building in that specific area rather than all over the entire metro.
Personally, I would recommend you try to narrow down the location first based on the usual factors - proximity to work and to friends and relatives, schools, hobbies (is it close to where you like to go on weekends, etc). Once you have a better geographic definition of where you are looking, you can research who is building in that specific area rather than all over the entire metro.
We know exactly where we'd like to be in the metroplex, but the homes in those areas are from the 1940s-1960s. As much as we love the idea of one, the more we think about the realities of an older home, the more freaked out we get.
New builds in our second choice area are entirely out of our budget, as are anything even recently built.
So, we need to explore our options (extend the radius to unfamiliar areas) because what we want in the ideal areas doesn't exist.
We're going to have to make some major compromises somewhere.
We probably only have no more than 15 years here (fates willing), and we don't want to have to move again while we're here.
We know exactly where we'd like to be in the metroplex, but the homes in those areas
are from the 1940s-1960s. As much as we love the idea of one, the more we think about
the realities of an older home, the more freaked out we get.
Work on your freaked out perceptions related to the "realities" of an older home.
That's where the solution lies.
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