Buying new construction, step by step

1. Bring your own agent — and register me on the first visit

This is the one that costs people money. The friendly agent in the model home works for the builder. To have your own representation at no cost to you, I generally need to be with you — or registered — on your first visit to the community. Walk in alone and you may lose the ability to bring me in later.

2. The builder’s contract is not the standard NC form

Builders use their own contracts, not the standard NC Offer to Purchase and Contract. The terms favor the builder, the deposits are usually larger and often less refundable, and clauses on delays, financing, and options read differently. Someone needs to read it on your behalf — that’s part of what I do.

3. Lot, floor plan, and options

You’ll choose a homesite, a floor plan, and then head to the design center for options and upgrades. This is where budgets quietly blow up — some upgrades add real resale value, others don’t. I’ll help you tell which is which before you sign for them.

4. Financing — your lender vs. the builder’s

Builders often push a preferred lender with incentives. Sometimes that’s a genuinely good deal; sometimes the incentive is baked into the price. It’s worth comparing against your own lender. A build also takes months, so you may need an extended rate lock. If you’re using a VA loan on new construction, there are extra timing details worth knowing.

5. Construction, and the inspections that matter

A new home is not automatically a perfect one. I recommend three inspections:

• Pre-drywall — while framing, wiring, and plumbing are still visible.
• Final — before closing, to build the punch list.
• 11-month warranty — near the end of the builder’s first-year warranty, so problems get fixed on the builder’s dime.

6. Walkthrough, punch list, and closing

Before closing we do a final walkthrough and a punch list of anything unfinished or wrong, and get the builder’s commitment to fix it. Then it’s a normal NC closing with the attorney, keys, and your first-year warranty in hand.