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Please forgive my ignorance. I am well versed in buying pre-existing homes. New construction is a new process for me. Yes, I will get a good realtor when the time comes should I decide to go this route. I have a few questions.
1. Do builders generally have one or two lots on the books that are ready to develop for new clients?
2. If a builder is building out a large, new development and are offering six different floor plans, is it possible that they would be willing to substitute a different floor plan (not one of the six) from their company’s online list of all available floor plans? For instance, a builder offers 20 different floor plans on their website. However, the new development is only offering plans 1-6. What if the client likes floor plan number 14? Would a builder be willing to substitute or would that throw off the planned “look” of the neighborhood?
3. A client walks into a builder’s office without pre-buying a lot, and tells the builder they want floor plan number 3 built on the west side of town. Would a builder go out, source the lot, and provide a single quote for lot and new home?
I'm not sure you can generalize since the answers will vary from builder to builder and location to location. In my area, larger builders usually work within developments where they either purchase a section of lots or there's a pool of lots from which they can select. They sometimes build inventory homes, sometimes offer a few different plans and a selection of lots, or they can build only certain plans on certain lots due to lot size, setback requirements, and the house footprint. Some builders are custom builders and they don't even deal with lots. The buyer hires them to build on the buyer's lot.
For question 2, I would guess that it is the rare builder who will do what you are asking. There can be many different reasons but I think it is unlikely although it would be smart to ask.
Question 3...I think it totally depends on the builder. If the builder's spouse is a real estate agent, for example, and building across town doesn't represent a logistical PITA, I can see it happening. You would probably need to purchase the lot, first, but I think a lender could work with you to roll it into one note.
other than a local custom builder, they're not going to find the lot for you. John Wieland (a large national builder) has built a house for one of my clients in the past, on a lot we located and purchased. It was also in the size/price range of homes they build.
A qualified Realtor is going to be able to represent you - and educate you - in whatever eventual type of purchase you make. unless you're convinced there's a measurable chance you'll buy a FSBO and do well solo based upon the answers to all your questions posed on the internet to anonymous people.
Builders vary. But it cannot hurt to ask, and I don't think you appear less informed or naïve by asking.
1. Their developments are pretty much a process flow. The point on the timeline you enter the office will likely dictate how much choice is available. If you pick a lot at the end of the road in "Phase II", they are probably not going to extend the infrastructure (water, sewer, utilities) to start your build. They are going with the process flow that maximizes profit and efficiency (when efficiency is profitable).
2. It will throw off the "look", as you note. I don't know otherwise, sorry. Cookie cutter seems to be the norm these days.
3. Certain builders will do it, but you will not get the same pricing on the construction. Think process flow. A development in construction phase has multiple trades and suppliers on site. A superintendent or PM is roping all those goats--in dozens of workers and bosses, tons of materiel, on multiple pads. Now your lone lot still needs all those trades and materiel, but in fractional amounts...the costs go up for the builder, and the builder will pass it on to you. These guys sub to the same subs, use the same crews, and move their labor pool based on project schedule. One crew pulled out of schedule for an off-site is disrupting the process.
My last purchase was new construction (and have purchased 5 other new builds over the years). I picked my lot, one of 5 floor plans. Even though they were building on three sides of my lot (a six-unit townhouse), it was a year between contract and closing. The national builder only had a few framing crews trained on the construction type, and labor was in short supply. The builder had multiple (as they often do) developments in every phase, all over town. Their bread and butter is SFH, but had several TH communities working. I don't think they even consider "build on your own lot". But several regional builders here do advertise they will do it.
Here in KC where I live we don’t have any national builders. What we do have are subdivisions with three or four different builders. Sometimes the builders have “pre-assigned” lots, sometimes the lots are up for grabs between the builders. We sort of simutaneously picked out the lot and the builder/floor plan when we built. On a previous build, our builder swapped a “pre-assigned” lot with another builder.
As far as building plan #24 in a subdivision where only plans #1 - #5 are being built, i think it would depend on how much a departure, design-wise, from the other houses. If #1 - #5 are all 3,000 sq ft, two stories, and #24 is a 1,600 sf rancher, probably not.
As far as building plan #24 in a subdivision where only plans #1 - #5 are being built, i think it would depend on how much a departure, design-wise, from the other houses. If #1 - #5 are all 3,000 sq ft, two stories, and #24 is a 1,600 sf rancher, probably not.
Ha ha. You kinda guessed it. I'm in the market for a house and most of the houses in my preferred area are two story homes with large living rooms, great rooms, bonus rooms and lofts. I'm single with no kids. All I need is a 1600 sf ranch. LOL. I could buy a pre-existing home but I hate to buy a house with a ton of extra space that I know I will never use. There aren't that many pre-existing ranch homes in my area that meet my qualifications. I figured I could have what I need built. I just don't want to be bothered with buying the lot first.
I bought new construction recently. The national builder already determines the lot dimensions. Sometimes, on the floor plan, you may see “options” like a bigger master instead of 2 bedrooms. Overall, you have limited options in changing the floor plan. I tried to request French door windows instead of the regular single but they wouldn’t entertain it. Perhaps if you offered a significant premium they would think about it.
A lot of the determinations are agreed between the builder and the county way in advance of time. Localities typically want houses to have a neighborhood feel.
In my 200 neighborhood townhome development, the builder typically only had a few dozen lots “open” at a time, so if you wanted to sign a contract for a house that wasn’t available, nothing you could do but wait until the lot was open to bid on.
Then find some guy who already has that.
You can buy the summer place.
Like I said, there are very few ranch homes in my preferred area.
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