By Cindy Shaft
Many new homes can have more problems than an old home, Don’t rely on County Inspectors to make sure your home is built properly.
A lot of people love to go out on the weekends and look at new homes. Sometimes they go into the sales office and fill out a guest card asking their name, phone #, and if they have an agent. By saying they do not have an agent, they have said no to having agent representation. If they said no and decide to write a contract on one of the homes, that agent is not looking out for their best interests. The builder hired the on site agent to represent him, not the buyer. The buyer may ask will the builder take less for the house? Many times the agent on site will say no, then write the contract at asking price. I, too have asked the on site sales agent if the builder ever comes down on his price, and many times am told no. Then I prepare the contract anyway with an offer at less than the asking price, and many times find out the builder is negotiable.
Every buyer needs to have their own agent representing them when Purchasing a new home. Some on site agents will tell their buyers they don’t need an inspector. Did you know Georgia builders are not required to be professionally licensed or to know the minimum building code? Although most codes are met by builders sometimes they are overlooked. In Georgia, over the past 10 years, I can’t tell you how many times TV and newspaper reporters reported on many building problems people had with their brand new home. Sure the home was passed by inspection by the county inspector, whatever he might have inspected, but many homeowners were left with a huge bill and headache and little recourse.
If you are looking at new home subdivisions, put me down as your agent, then call me. Never write a contract with a Subdivision Agent. There will be a few special stipulations that should be added to the contract that an onsite agent would rarely include.