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Honestly, I wouldn't expect to a realtor to know or care about one builder from another. Provided it is a property that can be listed and closed on is all they care about. You are expecting too much from a realtor have that knowledge and actually care.
You really want the answer? You hire an architect and have them select the builder for you. At the very least, they will narrow it down to a very good short list. Because they design and remodel homes and want to see their work done correctly and without problems for the people who buy the homes. So they would know which builders are great and those to avoid.
In a nutshell, that’s the best way for most laypeople to get a good outcome, yes. And it’s not necessarily as expensive as people think.
Well you may have to be at the mercy of others to come extent, unfortunately. We will be acting as our own GC. The gal I mentioned in FL worked and was traveling between NY and FL during their build, but she made it her business to follow up with the architect and builder constantly and get every piece of product literature she could. She read all the local codes and verified information herself, as wel as got help from the very good building forum on Houzz. Problems still happened in spades but being on top of it allowed better remediation, much of this wouldn’t be caught otherwise.
Another tip I have is to NOT use a mass builder. Just no. Hire a residential architect and work with them, let them be your advocate in bidding out the project and managing the work. They can advocate for you, help oversee potential design issues and how well their plans are adhered to, inspections, etc.
My husband works full time but I don’t, however I am constantly busy with all my kids and medical appointments and teaching. That means that we spend almost all our free time working on the house and building related issues - first our Reno for the temp house and then our build come next year. It’s jusr a fact that we have to eat/sleep/breathe this for a few years. But I have learned SO much through the process and we have prevented several catastrophes just by reading product literature! It’s not hard and goes a looong way, watching what is done as much as you can and verifying it is correctly installed. Even just swinging by in the evenings and making a list of questions for your contractor is better that just crossing fingers and hoping it’s right. But with a big production builder there’s a lot less control and oversighr and accountability to the homeowner than in a custom build. That’s one of the reasons we are going with the latter.
Just like anything else, what energy and care you put into it does dictate, to some extent, the quality that comes back out of it. Money and crossing fingers only goes so far
That build was way larger than my needs. Truth be told, I wouldn't be able to afford new construction without using a mass builder. I'm just looking for a ranch house under 1500 sq. ft. I'd rather take my chances with a mass builder and get multiple inspections for each major area. Even if I was to buy an existing house, it would most likely have been built by a mass builder.
That build was way larger than my needs. Truth be told, I wouldn't be able to afford new construction without using a mass builder. I'm just looking for a ranch house under 1500 sq. ft. I'd rather take my chances with a mass builder and get multiple inspections for each major area. Even if I was to buy an existing house, it would most likely have been built by a mass builder.
I was pleasantly surprised on cost - an architect/custom build doesn’t have to be big or luxurious - ours is actually focused on efficiency and access ? Plenty of people use them for smaller projects. I’d say our cost is maybe 15% more per square foot, to get exactly what we want and nothing we don’t in the design. Perfectly suited to our needs. Even if you use a mass builder I really suggest that ebook, it’s a short read
Good luck to you, whatever you choose. Inspections never hurt, but more is always more when it comes to research and oversight. These issues are common and avoidable, but not all builders are created equal. There may even be some standouts on that mass builder list - Lennar homes, for example, tend to have pretty efficient footprints. You may even considered a manufactured home where it has been fitted offsight first, panelized construction can cut down on your labor costs a bit as well as potential installation errors because of the way the building envelope is constructed and sealed.
I don't know how Chicago is with 'local' type builders, but I would try to find a few good ones to interview.
Here in Charleston South Carolina (Coast) there are a wide range of builders who I've seen their work...seen their role as Site Supervisor/Superintendent/PM and would consider hiring.
Sure, they may charge % more than a typical Production Builder, but I find that those in Charge spend a lot more time on the Site. Ones I have sought out had no problem giving me access to documents that identified their work, and if the owners agreed, provided their email to make contact if desired.
I was pleasantly surprised on cost - an architect/custom build doesn’t have to be big or luxurious - ours is actually focused on efficiency and access ? Plenty of people use them for smaller projects. I’d say our cost is maybe 15% more per square foot, to get exactly what we want and nothing we don’t in the design. Perfectly suited to our needs. Even if you use a mass builder I really suggest that ebook, it’s a short read
Good luck to you, whatever you choose. Inspections never hurt, but more is always more when it comes to research and oversight. These issues are common and avoidable, but not all builders are created equal. There may even be some standouts on that mass builder list - Lennar homes, for example, tend to have pretty efficient footprints. You may even considered a manufactured home where it has been fitted offsight first, panelized construction can cut down on your labor costs a bit as well as potential installation errors because of the way the building envelope is constructed and sealed.
If I was doing that, I would be looking at a design/build architecture firm, just to have one less spoon in the soup.
But, I accept the point that production builders deliver dwellings at less cost than I would have to cover with an architect and builder.
The architect and custom builder just don't have the economies of scale that the production builder does.
I can see that for some bums who are looking for a quicker payday, than a 6 or 7 month presale construction project.
But, too many agents think production home sales are "easy."
Onsite agents do all the paperwork while the agent sits back and smiles, if present. Builders' agents do all the contact with the buyer, and the agent collects a nice check months later.
And, often, the builder is paying a bit higher than common commission and even very large bonuses or cruises.
Some agents never show up at contract, design center, walkthroughs, inspections, or even closing.
Of course, that plays into the builders' hands, as they generally prefer not to work with active, qualified agents who are offering good advice and asking hard questions if they can avoid it. It can be very difficult to get builders to include a buyers agent in email conversations, etc.
Thanks for your insight, MikeJaquish. Your comments actually reassure me that maybe we did the right thing going it alone in this instance.
It's like any business - if you don't listen to the customer, then you may miss an opportunity. In retrospect, while this realtor was a referral from a friend in similar circumstances (relocating to that area from the area we were all living in), I don't think he was a good fit for us. I believe his preferred focus is in the high value homes in this seasonal coastal resort community - and there is probably a good living in that. Fortunately for us, we feel we've been treated very fairly by the quasi-custom smaller production builder. We'd have loved to have bought a resale, but we knew exactly what we did and didn't want and with resales, you sometimes have to compromise - and we weren't willing to do that unless it was a great deal. It's not easy being Goldilocks!!
Thanks for your insight, MikeJaquish. Your comments actually reassure me that maybe we did the right thing going it alone in this instance.
It's like any business - if you don't listen to the customer, then you may miss an opportunity. In retrospect, while this realtor was a referral from a friend in similar circumstances (relocating to that area from the area we were all living in), I don't think he was a good fit for us. I believe his preferred focus is in the high value homes in this seasonal coastal resort community - and there is probably a good living in that. Fortunately for us, we feel we've been treated very fairly by the quasi-custom smaller production builder. We'd have loved to have bought a resale, but we knew exactly what we did and didn't want and with resales, you sometimes have to compromise - and we weren't willing to do that unless it was a great deal. It's not easy being Goldilocks!!
OK, I'm sufficiently spooked. I thought Toll Bros was generally one of the better builders on the list. I am sure any builder can put up a decent house, and any builder can put up a lemon of a house - but that can't mean they're all the same. Unfortunately we want an energy efficient, 1-story, open concept 3+/2+ house with a 2 car garage at around $400K - and that eliminates most (80%+? but not all) resales around Charlotte. So it seems we have no choice but to go with a new build or "late model" resale. We don't prefer new builds (we did one in FL years ago, and it was a horrible experience), we just may not have many options otherwise.
It occurs to me a "late model" resale could easily have many of the same problems new construction can. Hopefully the most obvious defects have surfaced and been addressed, but shoddy construction or systems can show up years later.
I'll even divulge what we think we've learned about Charlotte production builders, with little confidence:
We're an all cash buyer, so there won't be a lender involved. It appears that might work to our disadvantage with (some) builders?
If we go with new construction, we'll expect to negotiate on closing costs, lot premium and/or upgrades - we understand builders are less likely to negotiate on base prices.
The Toll super that was involved in th TB wet basement scandal is now running a division for a top builder elsewhere. Same with the architect. We get you are trying to avoid a major mistake. It really is the luck of the draw. That super that replaced the TB supervisor may be from am award winning company with the best track record in the country. Unfortunately, this talk of past history is exactly that, history. By the time you hear anything (good or bad), dynamics have changed.
The advice you have been given regarding mid-construction inspections and pulling in an experienced Realltor (not an order taker) are the two best take-aways. The builder concessions are already negotiated and set with the larger builders. You may walk away feeling like you got a deal, but I am willing to bet the numbers stayed within predetermined lines. As a side note: NC new construction is seeing an influx of cash buyers from China, where some builders add a 1% builder fee to deal with the Foreign National headaches. Most builders add in the closing costs to be paid if you use their lender, because that is adding to the bottom line. You can try the approach you agree to use their lender, but insist on no penalties should you decide to pay cash. (They may just make it up elsewhere - they are all masters at this game). But you are correct, base prices protect future appraisals and usually non-negotiable, and why they are reluctant to give away options outside of their typical advertised specials.
None of the above. They all practice "value engineering".
Buy a used house that is 3-5 years old. You get current design ideas and the foundation has settled.
Spend $10K immediately after taking ownership on taking care of permanent type items that really annoy you.
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? Plenty of people use them for smaller projects. I’d say our cost is maybe 15% more per square foot, to get exactly what we want and nothing we don’t in the design. Perfectly suited to our needs. Even if you use a mass builder I really suggest that ebook, it’s a short read 
