Buying Land and New Construction

Did you know that, for no additional cost, you can be represented by a real estate broker in conjunction with purchasing a home from a builder? Homebuilders are accustomed to working with real estate brokers and often their commission is already covered in their marketing and promotion costs. A broker can provide objectivity and guidance in designing your home and help you select amenities that will lead to a more advantageous resale. He or she can help coordinate the sale of your present home and the closing of the new one. Many brokers offer guaranteed home sale programs so that when your new home is finished, the real estate company will buy your previous home at a pre-agreed price to prevent you from owning two homes at one time; and can usually arrange the occupancy agreeable to all parties. Take advantage of using your real estate broker in conjunction with building your new home at no additional cost.

Filed under: Buying Land and New Construction, Real Estate Tips by AgentImage

Are you planning to build your dream home? Once you are pre-approved for a loan and have found a professional real estate agent you trust, you are ready to start looking for the perfect lot.

Compare the qualities of several target neighborhoods by looking at schools, shopping, recreation and zoning. Make sure that the zoning regulations allow you to build the size and height of the home you want. Find out if there are use restrictions that would prevent you from developing your property as you intend. A visit to the local planning department will clarify your options for building.

Consider what type of home would best suit your lifestyle. Create a checklist to itemize the “must-have” interior and exterior features of a house that you feel are absolute requirements. Make notations about yard size, paint, roof and window conditions for the exterior, and floor plan, room quality and condition of the appliances for the interior. Bring your lists to your real estate agent. Together you can look over the currently available properties that correspond to your needs.

Filed under: Buying Land and New Construction, Real Estate Tips by AgentImage

If you are planning to build a new home, you should take full advantage of the opportunity to design a custom-built home that meets your needs and includes all the amenities you want. Create a professional-quality kitchen for the “gourmet cook” in the family, include space for a home office, and place the master suite at the opposite end of the house from the kids. Enjoy designing your dream home!

This may be the biggest project of your lifetime. Be certain to select a team of highly qualified professionals to work with you. Your home team should consist of a real estate salesperson, an architect, a builder, and a lender. Your “Dream Team” will assure that all the legal requirements are met as your dream home is being built. Interview each member of your team and ask for references, in order to be confident you are hiring the best people for the job. You will be working closely with these professionals for many months, so choose your team carefully.

Filed under: Buying Land and New Construction, Real Estate Tips by AgentImage

When building a home, you should have the soil on the construction site tested for plasticity to determine how it will change under different moisture conditions. This is important because some soil is so “plastic” that (if the condition is not corrected) it can actually break concrete floors, crack the walls and destroy the foundation of your home. Highly plastic soil is sometimes referred to as “fat clay” that swells excessively and loses stability when it becomes wet. Fine-grained soils that contain a high percentage of clay are greatly affected by water, turning to mud when it rains and undergoing large volume changes-sometimes up to 40 or 50 percent, as the soil dries. Not only do clays swell and lose stability when they become wet, but they also retard the drainage of water. If plastic soil is found on your building site, the ground must be over-excavated and replaced with clean gravel. Homebuilders often choose not to include a basement, or to protect the basement walls from excess moisture by surrounding them with a layer of gravel. A fine-grained clay-filled soil with a high plasticity index may require considerable treatment, especially if used in a moist location.

Filed under: Buying Land and New Construction, Real Estate Tips by AgentImage