New Homes Charlotte NC

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Buying a New Home in Charlotte NC

Buying a new home is an exciting time... New Home Deals are below, but first I want to talk process a bit. Whether it is your first home or you are an experienced home buyer, there is so much fun looking at plans and thinking of options, that it is easy in the excitement to be distracted and lose track of a subtle considerations or sometimes key elements. I am a former new home sales rep, former builder and veteran real estate broker... I know these guys and how they work, plus I've helped dozens of new home purchasers buy their new home here in Charlotte... The first choice- to buy a "To be built home," or an Inventory Home, looks like a simple one at first. But in today's market in Charlotte, with all its New Home Inventory, I can only recommend you buy Inventory, and buy it at a discount. One important issue that is not widely known, is home builders will discount their Inventory homes- in this market quite a lot- and "to be builts" are discounted slightly, if at all.

Terrence (Terry) McDonald Wins 2008 Client Satisfaction Award, over 30,000 surveys of 2008 Charlotte home purchasers, sponsored by Charlotte Magazine.Link

Are you buying from a tract builder? A semi-custom home builder? A pure custom builder? Each has different requirements, different motivations, and there is quite a large variance in consumer satisfaction from one to the next, in all categories. Some Charlotte examples, tract, or Production builders, would include Centex, Pulte, Brookwood, Eastwood, Lennar, Shea, Ryan etc. One way to tell is size, if they are building hundreds of homes per year, they are a Production (tract) builder, even if they don't l like the name. Semi-custom are a bit harder to distinguish, but John Wieland comes to mind hear- their broad range of optins, and their willing ness to creat and build new if you are willing to pay for it, makes them a semi-custom builder, and Orleans Homes and the high end of Shea might fall into this category. There is a long lis t of custom home builders in Charlotte-too many to list without risk of offending one left off- but they build smaller communites, and each home is a personal project to them, with features and esignes that can be upgadedin process, usually faturing a "hands-on" owner as Superintendent.

The last big question, Do I need a Buyer Agent to represent me? I make the argument that you do not need an Agent, but if you have a good Buyer Agent, yes like me, I'll save you money and time, and if you are ever in an argument (fight) with that builder, you will REALLY want a good Agent in your corner.

I've written exstensively about the home buying process at my Charlotte Communities blog. Here are a few important posts to get you started, but I invite you to come over to the blog and hang out there- I post alot, and try and make it fun!

These 10 rules will help you buy a new home wisely, but they are doubly important when buying a new home in 2008.

Buy Inventory homes in Charlotte at a Discount- 10 Essential Rules

Del Webb's Sun City Carolina Lakes

A post written for those wondering about whether they need Buyer representation or not...Why You Always Need a GOOD Buyer Agentt a discussion of the good, the bad and the ugly of the new home buying process.

The short answer to why you Always need a buyer agent? If there is ever an issue with the builder, you'll want a witness (me) and you will want me on your side. Unfortunatley, issues come up, builders are prepared to fight for their side, you can see some of them on the local City-Data, ("whiner boards") or Google the builder's name- if there is an issue, a good Buyer agent is indispensable to you getting what you are entitled. The builder does not want a bad reputation in the Realtor community- that simple.

Another link of interest

Up-To-Date Home Sales Report Fun things to Do In Charlotte

One last thing, the best time to get what you want is before the contract is signed. Do your research, know what you want, then find a good Agent, or Go in and do battle yourself, prior to contract signing or as part of the original deal--and do buy Inventory at a discount. Please don't get me wrong- I love our new home builders, for the most part. I love negotiating and buying inventory- there are especially good deals now towards the end of 2008. Negotiating with a builder is a zero sum game, and they can be quite tenacious. Once or twice a year, a builder helps keep my negotiating skills sharp. Most builders are honest and most transactions go smoothly- however if they don't, they will fight, no doubt about it, and you need a fighter with you in the ring. As you can imagine I'd say "Yes you want a Good agent." Call me at 704-351-1519. If you are out looking at homes and they ask if you are represented, jus say Yes,the McDonald Team.

Here is #1 from the Ten Essential's link above.