Buying a Newly-Built Home? Ten Benefits of Using a Real Estate ProfessionalWritten by Neda Dabestani-Ryba
Buying a Newly-Built Home? Ten Benefits of Using a Real Estate ProfessionalBy Neda Dabestani-Ryba Prudential Carruthers REALTORS It might not seem necessary to involve a real estate professional in a transaction where a buyer can deal directly with a builder. However, by using a real estate professional, you have someone to protect your interests and guide you along right path. Here are 10 advantages to using a real estate professional when buying a newly constructed home. Just as a real estate professional calls on experience and knowledge of an area to help buyers locate pre-owned homes in a community, he or she can also direct buyers interested in newly-built homes to developments and communities that match client specifications. A sales professional can suggest builders with reputations for delivering a high-quality product, responding quickly to issues, and being financially sound. A sales professional may be familiar with how a builder prices his products and where there may be room to negotiate price or upgrades. Without representation, you are one buyer purchasing only one home. But a sales professional can significantly impact a builder’s bottom line by providing a steady supply of customers. This leverage may work in your favor at negotiating table. [Note: The builder may require your sales professional to accompany you on your first visit to site. Check with builder.]
| | Old House? New House? Weighing Your OptionsWritten by Neda Dabestani-Ryba
Old House? New House? Weighing Your OptionsBy Neda Dabestani-Ryba Prudential Carruthers REALTORS Maybe it has something to do with a childhood home we fondly remember. Many of us long for old homes built with solid construction, quality craftsmanship and beautiful details. We wax poetic and wistfully recall hand carvings, plaster walls and eyebrow dormers of homes we’ve known. On other hand, how do old homes we admire compare with newly minted models—and what should we consider before deciding which to buy? Location. Typically, old homes sit on generous plots of land in or near town. The neighborhoods are established and usually more central to schools and shopping. Mature trees and plantings provide shade and beautify property and neighborhood streets. New homes are generally found in new developments outside of town and homeowners who buy into an early can expect to contend with dust and construction sights and sounds as remaining phases are being built. Landscaping may be skimpy or nonexistent, but a buyer has opportunity to design décor from scratch. Layout. New homes tend to have a more spacious functional layout with higher ceilings, bigger windows, family kitchens, walk-in closets, and family rooms. Some even have media rooms and come pre-wired for cable and computers. On other hand, older homes were designed for a more formal lifestyle, which is reflected in formal dining and living areas and many cozy rooms, including small bedrooms, closets and bathrooms. Energy efficiency. Those eight-over-eight single pane wood windows add character to an old home, but even with storm windows, they’re not nearly as energy efficient as modern dual-glazed or thermal windows. While most old homes lacked insulation in outside walls and attics, homes built today insulate against high heating and cooling costs. Although bigger windows, higher ceilings and larger rooms, common in new homes, can also cause high utility bills.
|
