New home pros
One of the biggest advantages to buying a new home is that it may require less maintenance (if it is well-built) and can be more energy-efficient than an older home. More modern floor plans and larger size are another common reason new homes are popular. As a result, new homes usually cost more per square foot than existing homes.

There are cons, too
There are disadvantages, though, to living in a new neighborhood, especially of tract homes rather than custom. To achieve economy of scale, builders can create cookie-cutter neighborhoods that lack architectural diversity and mature landscaping. Since land is cheaper on the outskirts of the city or outside the city limits, you may have to commute farther to work from your new neighborhood. If the builder is still building in your neighborhood, you'll have to live with the noise of construction during the day and dust, mud, and the occasional nail in your tire!

"Remember me?"
It's fun to drive around on the weekend and look at model homes. But some builders will put a time limit on the registration of your agent, usually 30 days. If you’re caught up in the excitement, but not ready to put down money on a home or start building within 30 days, then you shouldn’t register with the builder's sales representative. I can always do it for you later when you’ve decided. I can even go to the office on the day of the lot release with your earnest money check and reserve your first or second choice for you.

 
Like other sellers, builders pay a commission to agents to bring them buyers, and also to represent the buyer's interests. However, if you are not being represented by an agent, the builders just keep the commission. They will not cut their price if you don’t use an agent. If they did, two things would happen: it would hurt sales prices and future values for the whole neighborhood, and agents would stop bringing their clients to that builder. Builders prefer to give home buyers "incentives" in the form of upgrades, such as tile in wet areas, more landscaping, or better-quality carpet.

How to get a deal
If there are any existing homes in the neighborhood you like, those are the best ones to get bargain on. The previous buyers may have backed out or their financing fallen through; meanwhile, the builder is having to pay interest on the house every month. The builder may lower the price to get the home off the books, and maybe even throw in an incentive, such as more landscaping.

Build your own 
If you want to build a home instead of buying an existing one, I can help you choose the options and upgrades that will be the best for future value. The builder's advertised price is for the base model without upgrades, and you will likely add some thousands more to that price to get the home you want. Builders charge a high mark-up on many upgrades that you could do yourself, such as ceramic tile instead of vinyl flooring. Often, I can arrange for a contractor to do it for much less after closing.

I will also ride herd on the builder and arrange the inspections for you during construction, making sure the construction and landscaping people are doing what they're supposed to do. Finally, I will prepare the punchlist and do the final walk-through to make sure all the items on the punchlist are corrected before closing.

Home builders and neighborhoods 
If you think you might like to buy a new home, contact me for more information on the neighborhoods and builders you might be interested in. You can check out videos of some of the newest neighborhoods in San Antonio from the TV show, Hot On Homes - San Antonio.