buying new home ...need help

My sister is thinking of buying a home in the Bay Area, California.

The developer is building 3 new houses. He is not a known builder.

What should one look for when buying such a new home ?

The builder does not have a web site ...the sale is being done thru a
real estate sales person.

The homes are pretty, have a good floor , good location etc.and that is
the attraction.

Can any one pls help ?

Is there a checklist ?

should she have a real estate agent represent her ?

Normally when one buys from a well known developer one does not need a
RE agent to represent oneself but in this case....the developer
appears to be a mom and pop type....so what to do ?

Thanks
Linda

writes:

buying new home ...need help

My sister is thinking of buying a home in the Bay Area, California.

The developer is building 3 new houses. He is not a known builder.

should she have a real estate agent represent her ?

Sounds like it with all these questions.

And what's more, at least in IL, when dealing in new construction,
price are fixed. You won't pay a dime more if you use an agent to
deal with these folks (though of course they'd love for you not
to--saves them the 2.5% or whatever), so you may as well have someone
who knows the area and the gotchas who might ostensibly be on your
side vs throwing yourselves entirely to the wolves dealing directly
with the builder.

Normally when one buys from a well known developer one does not need a
RE agent to represent oneself but in this case....the developer
appears to be a mom and pop type....so what to do ?

Without history, you've got some risk to manage. Sounds like a real
estate pro would bring you some peace of mind, and if CA is like IL in
this regard dealing with new construction developers, it's likely that
you won't pay a higher price to have a real estate agent on your
side.

--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

wrote in message
ups.com...
buying new home ...need help

My sister is thinking of buying a home in the Bay Area, California.

The developer is building 3 new houses. He is not a known builder.

What should one look for when buying such a new home ?

The builder does not have a web site ...the sale is being done thru a
real estate sales person.

The homes are pretty, have a good floor , good location etc.and that is
the attraction.

Can any one pls help ?

Is there a checklist ?

should she have a real estate agent represent her ?

Normally when one buys from a well known developer one does not need a
RE agent to represent oneself but in this case....the developer
appears to be a mom and pop type....so what to do ?

Thanks
Linda

As far as real estate agents are concerned, after dealing with them on a few
houses, all they are going to do basically is show up for their commission
at closing. If the houses are already built I'd hire two people. A real
estate attorney to protect me and a good home inspector to go over the house
to make sure the house is sound. The attorney will make sure that the sale
is contingent on the home inspection results.

In article . com,
wrote:

buying new home ...need help

My sister is thinking of buying a home in the Bay Area, California.

The developer is building 3 new houses. He is not a known builder.

What should one look for when buying such a new home ?

Reputation is everything. Get some references from past houses
that this guy has built, then go check them out. Then as these
people if they know others who have bought from this builder,
and check those out, too. You will pretty quickly get a good
idea what to expect from the builder after talking to a few
past customers.

The builder does not have a web site ...the sale is being done thru a
real estate sales person.

Don't buy a house from a website.

-john-

--
================================================== ====================
John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
================================================== ====================

wrote in message
ups.com...
buying new home ...need help

My sister is thinking of buying a home in the Bay Area, California.

The developer is building 3 new houses. He is not a known builder.

What should one look for when buying such a new home ?

The builder does not have a web site ...the sale is being done thru a
real estate sales person.

The homes are pretty, have a good floor , good location etc.and that is
the attraction.

Can any one pls help ?

Is there a checklist ?

should she have a real estate agent represent her ?

Normally when one buys from a well known developer one does not need a
RE agent to represent oneself but in this case....the developer
appears to be a mom and pop type....so what to do ?

She should have a real estate agent. In the SF bay area there are many new
homes being built in less than desirable locations. The real estate agent
will be able to find out why this area was not built out before, and tell
her if that is going to be a problem in future resales. The real estate
agent would also be able to recommend a home inspector to check out the
construction quality and help make a punch list (check list) of stuff that
needs to be fixed. The agent would also be able to either provide or check
over the contract to ensure there are no weird provisions that will bite
your sister in the future. And finally, the real estate agent could show
them other comparitively priced homes in the immediate area, to ensure they
are getting a good deal on the house.

Some may also suggest a real estate attorney. In California it is rare that
a real estate attorney is called in on a basic sale because the realtors are
licensed by the state, and therefore held accountable. But you can hire a
real estate attorney if you wish, they are available, and especially for
folks used not familar with California real estate it could help the buyers
feel more comfortable.

You can write into the contract that the purchase is subject to certain
things. Basically anything your little heart desires. Be sure to have an
"out" where you can get your money back if the finished house is not what
you expected. Best to get an attorney to be on your side - word it so you
can back out for any reason.

Also if house is not built yet, might think about some basic modifications
that you would want. Like they always put the shower head at eye level. Make
them install it higher. Or never enough outlets in kitchen. Have them put in
more. Never outlets in hallway. Have them put outlets in hallway for
vacuuming, etc.

On Sat, 01 Apr 2006 16:28:27 GMT, someone wrote:


should she have a real estate agent represent her ?

She should have a real estate agent.

BULL****.

A Real Estate Agent is a SALESPERSON working on COMMISSION. Their
purpose is to "bring buyer and seller together". Thus all the griping
and litigation about which agent "introduced" the buyer to the
property, when different agents are squabbling, or a person who had an
agent now wants to proceed without one.

This Buyer has ALREADY FOUND THE PROPERTY. The Seller has already
found a buyer. What for do either of them need a salesperson to
introduce them?

You want advice, consult an attorney. The hourly rate will be cheaper
than the commission.

(I am wondering if the reply post was FROM a real estate agent????)


Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file.

On Sat, 1 Apr 2006 09:45:32 -0800, someone wrote:

....Be sure to have an
"out" where you can get your money back if the finished house is not what
you expected.

And how ya gonna define that in the contract? How does the Seller
know what is is the Buyer "expects" in their own mind? If under
construction, the Builder need (only) build the house according to the
plans & specs that the Buyer agreed to in the Contract. It is the
Buyer's problem if what they agreed to in writing is not what they
"expected" in their imagination.



Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file.

v wrote:
On Sat, 1 Apr 2006 09:45:32 -0800, someone wrote:

....Be sure to have an
"out" where you can get your money back if the finished house is not what
you expected.

And how ya gonna define that in the contract? How does the Seller
know what is is the Buyer "expects" in their own mind? If under
construction, the Builder need (only) build the house according to the
plans & specs that the Buyer agreed to in the Contract. It is the
Buyer's problem if what they agreed to in writing is not what they
"expected" in their imagination.




LOL. Even if you could define it, no builder would agree to sign a
contract where the buyer can just back out for any reason.

(v) wrote in
:

On Sat, 1 Apr 2006 09:45:32 -0800, someone wrote:

....Be sure to have an
"out" where you can get your money back if the finished house is
not what you expected.

And how ya gonna define that in the contract? How does the Seller
know what is is the Buyer "expects" in their own mind? If under
construction, the Builder need (only) build the house according to
the plans & specs that the Buyer agreed to in the Contract. It is
the Buyer's problem if what they agreed to in writing is not what
they "expected" in their imagination.



Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file.

If you have your own plans/architect, then it is up to you to make
your specifications as complete and concise as possible. If he's a
custom builder, then ask to see the builder's specifications or a list
of his suppliers. Aboeve all else, loook at one or more of his
already constructed or hones in progresss. If you are relying on the
builder to provide plans that he can modify for your needs, still make
your desires known. If he knows what you want, it can be priced into
the total cost. Once you sign the contract for a price, then that is
all you will get for that price. If you changer your mind about
something, you probably will pay the extra price plus a contract
change fee.

You will also need to line up a construction loan. Once these loans
are granted, then you cannot get your money back. There may be ways
in which you may control the draw from the loan for construction, but
there is verbage in the loan that tells about these provisions, if
there are any. Also, most lenders will want the whole nine yards on
the builder, just like they want on you.

Do the math, do the homework, and be honest with the builder. The
buildewr wants you to be satisfied, but not unreasonably so. It is
his name on th eproduct and can determine jow much more business he
will do in the area.