While the country is basically still recovering its real estate market, here in Texas we are experiencing a different kind of real-estate problem. With so many businesses and families moving to our region, the north-of-Houston towns of Spring, The Woods, and the Conroe/Lake Conroe areas, our real-estate troubles are about a lack of houses. For my clients who are not finding a good selection of houses available, many are considering the sensible choice of building. A family happy to build has a bunch more liberty with where they would like to have their home. It's a great opportunity to design your dream house...in a perfect location. Prefer a home built by Lake Conroe? Curious about living on acreage that allows for one or two horses? These options are extremely available to a family if building is a consideration.
Finding a trustworthy builder of course becomes the issue. But this, also, is an issue that melts away if certain smart steps are taken. Here are the top 5 home building tips that I suggest:
1. Find Your Lot or Acreage
With your real estate consultant, look at available home sites. One of the advantages to building is that you have much more freedom in choosing your general location. With a realty agent you can quickly whittle down to a list of home sites that fit your needs: work commute distance, area nicities, neighborhood features, deed restrictions.
2. Start Off With an Authorised List of Credible Builders
You can definitely analyze the best home builders through researching the Attorney General's website, or check the BBB and Angie's List for reviews. There is, however, a fast way to detour that headache. When you build or purchase a house, it is a mortgage bank that owns the house until it is paid off, so you can be certain the mortgage bank can provide you with a great list of trustworthy home builders. Talk with a loan officer who focuses on new construction loans. Attempt to get around five builders to interview. Stick to that list.
3. Interview
Take a bit of time to reasonably interview your list of builders. Remember, you'll be interfacing with these folks consistently across the time that it takes to build your home. Find the builder with whom you find you have a good connection, with whom you feel comfortable asking the difficult questions, and with whom you're feeling you can successfully communicate thoughts and concepts, and that each accurately, and solidly, understands the other. Also be sure to appraise the following:
- Will this builder's approach to the home building process be a technique you think will aid you to stay on budget and on time?
- Is this home builder's base of operation an acceptable distance to the property where you are building? The closer, the better.
- Tour other houses built by this builder.
Once you've found your favorite two or three from the list, take the time to re-interview to make certain you settle on the best fit for you.
4. Have Your Agent Review the Contract
A great and under-utilised function of a real estate agent is to review home building contracts before signing. A real estate agent can often discover oversights, find further chances for saving money, and could be a final and sure defense to make certain that the home you are just about to build is completely the home you want.
5. Get Your Own Inspector
It's an additional investment of approximately $300, but it is worth each and every penny to have your own independent inspector go through your house at the final stages of the building process. At worst, you have spent a few hundred on yet another set of eyes to ensure that everything is as it ought to be. At the best your independent inspector might expose a serious issue that needs to be addressed to make your home defect-free.
There have been some great Hollywood flicks that have humorously pictured the private hell that may be the home building process, and shows like "Holmes on Homes" ® are a cautionary reminder that the home building industry is riddled with disreputable builders. Yet with a small amount of planning, and by following these tips on home builder selection and management, by being armed with a property agent, the direction of a new construction home loan officer, and the assistance of an independent inspector, you'll be able to find that to design your dream house and build it is no nightmare at all, but a dream-come-true.
Finding a trustworthy builder of course becomes the issue. But this, also, is an issue that melts away if certain smart steps are taken. Here are the top 5 home building tips that I suggest:
1. Find Your Lot or Acreage
With your real estate consultant, look at available home sites. One of the advantages to building is that you have much more freedom in choosing your general location. With a realty agent you can quickly whittle down to a list of home sites that fit your needs: work commute distance, area nicities, neighborhood features, deed restrictions.
2. Start Off With an Authorised List of Credible Builders
You can definitely analyze the best home builders through researching the Attorney General's website, or check the BBB and Angie's List for reviews. There is, however, a fast way to detour that headache. When you build or purchase a house, it is a mortgage bank that owns the house until it is paid off, so you can be certain the mortgage bank can provide you with a great list of trustworthy home builders. Talk with a loan officer who focuses on new construction loans. Attempt to get around five builders to interview. Stick to that list.
3. Interview
Take a bit of time to reasonably interview your list of builders. Remember, you'll be interfacing with these folks consistently across the time that it takes to build your home. Find the builder with whom you find you have a good connection, with whom you feel comfortable asking the difficult questions, and with whom you're feeling you can successfully communicate thoughts and concepts, and that each accurately, and solidly, understands the other. Also be sure to appraise the following:
- Will this builder's approach to the home building process be a technique you think will aid you to stay on budget and on time?
- Is this home builder's base of operation an acceptable distance to the property where you are building? The closer, the better.
- Tour other houses built by this builder.
Once you've found your favorite two or three from the list, take the time to re-interview to make certain you settle on the best fit for you.
4. Have Your Agent Review the Contract
A great and under-utilised function of a real estate agent is to review home building contracts before signing. A real estate agent can often discover oversights, find further chances for saving money, and could be a final and sure defense to make certain that the home you are just about to build is completely the home you want.
5. Get Your Own Inspector
It's an additional investment of approximately $300, but it is worth each and every penny to have your own independent inspector go through your house at the final stages of the building process. At worst, you have spent a few hundred on yet another set of eyes to ensure that everything is as it ought to be. At the best your independent inspector might expose a serious issue that needs to be addressed to make your home defect-free.
There have been some great Hollywood flicks that have humorously pictured the private hell that may be the home building process, and shows like "Holmes on Homes" ® are a cautionary reminder that the home building industry is riddled with disreputable builders. Yet with a small amount of planning, and by following these tips on home builder selection and management, by being armed with a property agent, the direction of a new construction home loan officer, and the assistance of an independent inspector, you'll be able to find that to design your dream house and build it is no nightmare at all, but a dream-come-true.
About the Author:
Lauri Kent is a seasoned real estate broker and agent with Keller Williams of Lake Conroe, Texas. Acquainted with the best home builders serving Lake Conroe, Montgomery, and Magnolia, TX, she offers these five home building tips to be sure the process of building your ideal home is a great success.