New Homes For Sale in Lakeland FL

Buying new homes for sale in Lakeland FL seems fairly straight forward. However new homes for sale can be a long process and involve quite a few steps that are new to you. Would you be better at them if you had been through the process 40 or 50 times? Of course you would. That is seldom the case so I will cover some of the basic steps and some potential pitfalls you can avoid.

Homes For Sale In Lakeland FL

There are only really two kinds and that is a custom build and not a custom build. You can call the homes townhomes or traditional but lets face it if you are buying a home in a normal community the other homes are all similar and one or two may actually be just like yours. There is nothing wrong with that. Many builders limit the appearance of the home from the street to keep the "Elevations" from being similar to the homes nearest it. Others will put similar homes side by side but a quick drive through the community tells the tale.

New Homes For Sale In Lakeland FL Prices

In the previous 2 weeks 23 new homes sold in Lakeland FL. Of those 23 homes the lowest price home sold for $220,000 and the highest priced home sold for $428,150. The median price was $273,000 which is one of the reasons so many people are choosing Lakeland FL. 

What Home To Buy in A Community

Most importantly one that fits your needs then wants. If you are planning on reselling within 5-10 years try to purchase a home falling in the middle of the available price range. The median or averaged priced homes have more buyers looking for them which is why the builder builds more of them. Later that will likely transmit to being easier to sell. Keep in mind only 1 person wanted the most expensive home enough to buy it.

Timing also is important if you have the luxury. Normally in a larger community prices will go up after a set number of the homes have sold. The prices may go up when a new phase is begun. The builder will say this is because of material cost going up which is probably at least partially true. When a phase is almost complete is no time to delay putting a hold on the home you want. I have seen homes go up in price overnight and the builder would not budge. If you buy a home for sale when the community is almost finished it is likely you paid more than everyone else.

How long does the process take

This depends on several things. Buying a normal home should be 6-8 months for a build time. Of course if you buy a move in ready or quick move in home that is different. Occasionally someone fails to close when their home is completed. This is also a good time to make an offer on that home as the builder will want to close.

Custom Builds Take Longer

Buying a custom home is more complicated and yes takes longer for the construction. I have actually built homes, commercial buildings etc. myself. There are many reasons the homes take longer and normally they have nothing to do with quality. There are many tradesmen in the world but few craftsman. If your builder is a craftsman, your job supervisor is a craftsman and you have a great Realtor then you will get a better home every time.

The reasons custom builds take longer are getting the proper plans, the size of the company building the home, availability of workers, permitting etc. Smaller builders do not have as much clout at the permitting office and yes that can matter. If DR Horton wants things permitted most likely theirs get attention where a small builder will wait a little longer. 

Timelines for construction usually are 9-12 months for a medium size custom build and 18-24 months for a larger home. Custom builds have a lot more options and quality items to be ordered and planned out. Just picking colors, countertops etc. can take a designer a week or more but is worth it. I have sold homes where every bedroom had an independent zone for heat and air. Quality takes time and money.

Some Parts of the process

The Reality of buying new construction is just because the company's sales rep is friendly does not mean they are looking out for you. They actually work for the company and are trained to be friendly and gain your trust. Yes it matter how many homes each of them sell, yes it matters how much they sell them for. A good Realtor will be a great assistance if they look out for you and put you first. You will get a better home for less money if you use us. It is just that simple and people actually knew how much easier and efficient the process is with us we would have no time off and be flooded with clients. From offer to closing you cannot beat professional assistance.

The Initial Walkthrough

Near the end of your journey you will get to inspect your home. Normally the first scheduled inspection is a week to 10 days before closing. It is called a walkthrough. The Building Supervisor will usually conduct the walkthrough and trust me they want it to be a walkthrough. This is where you get a chance to notice all of the visible imperfections and have them corrected. You would be shocked at some of them I have caught. Keep in mind the work is often done by subcontractors who may want to hide it from the supervisor or are just in a hurry. 

Instead of slandering some of the builders I will give this advice. When you get to the home walk around it and look up and down. Look closely and be picky after all you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars. To them it is just another house, to you it is your home and the largest investment you will likely make anytime soon.

Before you leave the home enter the front door and go right or left all the way around the home looking up and down in everything. check everything especially the paint if the room looks dark. Look inside all of the cabinets, closets etc. Do not miss a thing.

The Final Walkthrough

The final walkthrough is your final chance to have aesthetics corrected. Try to have this walkthrough the day prior to closing and early in the morning. There will be items left over and not completed. Most likely they didn't start fixing them until a couple of day or even the day prior. All of the workers and builder want to move on, you and your Realtor want stuff fixed. Worlds may collide at this point. What do you do? Did you catch everything? An experienced professional Realtor has been through this many times and can assist you through it.

After Purchase Inspection

Around 9-10 months after you purchase and move into your home you should do a mechanical inspection. Check all of the cabinets, doors electrical outlets etc. to make sure they are functioning. Then submit your claim to the builder or the warranty company that the builder uses. After the first year the builder is effectively gone in most instances. I hope this helps a little with buying new homes for sale in Lakeland FL.