Hey guys! If you’re thinking about buying a new construction home, now is seriously one of the best times to do it.

The end of the year and the beginning of the year are when builders usually offer the biggest incentives. And those incentives can be huge, they can go toward lowering the purchase price, covering closing costs, paying for upgrades inside the home, or even buying down your interest rate. So there’s a lot of value there for buyers.

Now, here’s the catch. Most builders do prefer that you use their preferred lender to get those incentives. If you don’t qualify with their lender, that doesn’t always mean you’re out, it just means it takes a little more negotiating. And that’s where having a realtor or at least a third-party lender really matters, because there are ways to still take advantage of incentives if you know how to structure it.

Another important thing to know as we get closer to the spring market, these incentives usually start to disappear, especially on move-in ready homes. So if you’re serious, you want to be prepared now. Get pre-approved, have your paperwork ready, know where your deposit or reservation funds are coming from, and make sure that money is accessible so you can move quickly when the right home pops up.

Also, even though it’s new construction, please don’t skip a third-party home inspection. New homes are built by humans, and humans make mistakes. I am not saying you will find any issues, but wouldn't you rather spend a few hundred dollars to have peace and save you a lot of stress and time later down the line?

And lastly, this is huge....you can bring your own realtor when buying new construction, but you have to do it before you walk into the model homes for the first time. Call your realtor first, have them come with you and register you on that first visit. When it comes to compensating your realtor, well most times the builder offers compensation in the form of a commission percentage or referral fee (this is something you will need to discuss with your realtor). If you go in alone, the builder usually won’t allow you to be represented later.

The sales reps are knowledgeable, but just remember, they work for the builder.

So if you’re thinking about new construction and want to make sure you’re taking advantage of everything available, reach out to your realtor… or feel free to reach out to me (559) 307-9809. I’d love to sit down and go over all things new construction with you.

Have a blessed year!

Your Local Realtor

Wendelen Rodriguez, DRE#02020747