Too many new homebuyers and existing homeowners fall into the trap of going through a model home in a new subdivision, and the next thing they know they’ve committed to buy. You need to look at several new home projects and 10 to 20 existing homes before you get serious. New homes are professionally decorated and carefully arranged to push your emotional buttons. Existing homes are sometimes spruced up or staged to do the same thing. Resist the temptation to buy before you look around and know what’s available in your area. If you’re living in a one-bedroom apartment, anything over 900 square feet can look spacious. The impulse to grab the first home that tugs on an emotional string or two is strong. If it’s a new construction, check out the builder’s reputation. Talk to three or four people who bought from that builder and listen to what they have to say. This is also a great way to see what your neighbors would be like.
Mike and Linda were seriously considering buying a home in a new subdivision. They loved the style and floor plan of the models and had even talked to the builder’s lender. But before they committed, they decided to check with several homeowners on one of the first streets built in the subdivision.
They learned there were some unresolved drainage problems and that several homebuyers were considering legal action. Also, many of the callbacks took several weeks to resolve, and then only after repeated calls. It didn’t take long to realize that the builder didn’t have too good a reputation, and further checking revealed he had declared bankruptcy less than a year ago. That was enough for Mike and Linda to write that project off their list and move on. Luckily they did, because that development was featured on a local news channel a couple of months later for the problems the homeowners were having with the builder and developer.
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