Advice on buying new home from builder?
Nothing Left to Say
7 years ago
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Nothing Left to Say
7 years agoRelated Discussions
New Builder, New Plan: Seeking Advice?
Comments (25)@D.L. Thanks for the advice. I did add windows to the left side of the house. I will do what can be done to stagger them from the neighbor's windows. I will use obfuscating glass for the bathrooms, but clear glass for Bedroom B. I had thought about clerestory windows, skylights and solar tubes for adding light but did not incorporate any of those ideas. Now that you bring it up I will look at where I can add clerestory windows. However, I have concerns regarding leakage from and cleaning of skylights. And I have heard that solar tube lighting can be harsh?? I am still thinking about how best to address the kitchen storage issue. I will look into your suggestions and play around with moving walls and the refrigerator. Maybe I am focused on the wrong thing but I am used to seeing kitchens with upper cabinets. I think it would look odd to have a kitchen that size with 9' ceilings and no upper cabinets. Once I have the rooms in the right place and about the right size I will post in the room specific forums to nail down the details. I was going to go a different route with the drop zone and buy or build 4 cabinets that would line up perpendicular to the garage door wall. That would provide a little separation/definition of the Cafe and Sun room areas. I would like to have a formal entrance but I don't think there is enough space if the doors are centered. That is why I pushed it to a corner. Later we could add a half wall and a column or two [or whatever] to create a small vestibule, if we felt like we just had to have a formal entrance. With respect to centering the dining room doors, I was trying to achieve what @yellowducky is proposing without having to add more hall space. By having the doors offset to the right and the table pushed left I was hoping to create an implied aisle way. Obviously, I need to rethink it. Finally, I agree with you. If I had unlimited amounts of money to spend I would hire an architect, and a Girl Friday, and a Body Guard, and a Personal Trainer, etc. :) @lori_inthenw_gw Point taken. @yellowducky I totally agree with you about the stairs. I originally had them orientated that way but I was concerned about the head room at the top of the stairs due to the slope of the roof. Also having them orientated the way you suggest requires a hallway running from the end of the top of the stairs back to the Master Bedroom wall. I will do the calculations to see if there is enough headroom. I will also work on the other items you point out. My square footage goal is more than 3000 but less than 4100, excluding garage. Maximum of 3000 on the first level....See MoreBuying a custom built home from investor rather than builder?
Comments (19)This is one of those deals where the seller (investor) is obviously so far out of his depth that he is tragically exposed and you are probably somewhat insulated from problems. The appraisal clause alone will somewhat insulate you from problems while exposing him to massive losses or price reductions. A real estate attorney will enjoy making this deal work in your favor. However, I would walk away from the deal, the whole things seems a house of cards to me, and until he has actually completed projects and closed on houses, this whole thing could come crashing down around him. It is entirely possible that these houses are not going to appraise, and he simply may not be able to absorb those losses. Then you have mechanic's liens and all that jazz to deal with if you go through with the purchase....See MoreBuilding a new craftsman style home. Builder wont fix major issues!!
Comments (63)Just to be clear, I don't see causation for the developer, it isn't that you and your attorney can't argue causation for the developer, feel free to sue him and roll those dice, but it is an expensive get. Your chances of winning are much less than they are against the builder, and you are unlikely to be awarded attorney fees on a negligence case with this many questions. You must show that the developer had a duty and but for neglect of that duty your house would not have these issues. There are many problems with this assertion, first, and hardest to overcome, is if you knew the approved builders before you bought the lot then you found them acceptable. You have to prove that the developer had a duty to the homeowner. Someone please tell me how selling a lot with certain covenants and restrictions creates a duty for him to fully insure the benefit of those covenants and restrictions that supersedes your acceptance of those covenants and restrictions. That is just one of the three things that you are going to have difficulty overcoming. Once you establish duty, you have to show that there was no reasonable action available that would negate the damage, noting that there are other builders available you would have to prove that they all have similar issues. Once you get past that, you have to prove that the developer actually neglected his duty, which since he has kicked the builder off the development is another tough get. It just seems like a tough win, that is going to cost more than you end up with. Sorry, but that is my opinion. ---------------- Along with my father I have developed several mixed use developments (homes, apartments and shopping), and I am currently a member of an LLC developing a small shopping/condo warehouse district development. I am not saying the developer will not want to help, I am saying as a developer, access is the leverage I have (the money that builders can make from me). Once the builder is removed he is going to tell me to go pound sand. I will happily testify on your behalf if need be, however, if I start paying for things to get done I am opening myself up to an argument that I accepted responsibility. As much as I want financing and publicity to be positive, that has to happen on the front end. I can't start paying for the mistakes that builders make without opening myself up to being responsible for every problem by every homeowner....See MoreBuilder of New Home Wants a CMA of Current Home? Is this a common ask?
Comments (8)Buying a home contigent on selling a home is essentially a contract saying “I might buy your home, if all the stars line up.” Contingencies are an OUT to a contract, and home sell contingencies are the worst kind because the seller has little control over the domino effect the buyer has placed them in, yet the seller will be the one who bears the burden of the deal falling apart. This is magnified with a new home build because builders always have sunk costs even before the first shovel hits the ground, permit fees, soil tests, engineering fees, staff time, etc. Thousands are at risk, I am surprised a CMA is all that was requested. Additional requests to play the contingency game could be non-refundable deposit (skin in the game on your part), approval for your marketing plan, list price, and price changes as needed to get the home sold, etc. Never met a home seller that didn’t proclaim for certain their home would sell right away at the price they want, yet the number of listings that don’t sell and expire is pretty high. As for the argument that the builder can just sell the new home if you can’t perform, it will likely be at best sold for cost, or even a loss. If you could buy a $500,000 new home where someone else got to pick everything, or a $500,000 home where you get to pick everything, which one would you choose? Your builder sounds naive if all they are asking for is a CMA....See MoreNothing Left to Say
7 years ago
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