Buying New Construction in West Michigan
Everybody in that room except you already has representation. Talk to me before the first model home.
The Person in the Builder's Office Works for the Builder
This is the part people miss, and it is not a criticism of anybody. The representative sitting in the model home is pleasant, knowledgeable and genuinely helpful, and they are paid by the builder to look after the builder's interests. That is their job and they do it properly.
It does mean that in the room where the decisions get made, everybody except you has representation. Bringing your own costs you nothing in most cases, and it changes the shape of the conversation.
Come to me before you walk into the first model home, not after. In plenty of cases a builder's terms require your agent to be with you on that first visit for representation to apply at all.
Where would you like to start?
What Actually Matters on a New Build
Lot selection, which costs the most later. Which lot you take decides your light, your privacy, your drainage and your view for as long as you own the house. It is the one decision you cannot renovate your way out of, and it is usually made fastest.
Timelines that hold. Not the timeline you are quoted, but what happens when it slips, and what that means if you have already sold somewhere.
What is standard and what is an upgrade. The gap between the model home you walked through and the base specification is where budgets go.
Site work on rural land. Out here plenty of new construction goes up on parcels rather than in developments, which brings septic, well, access and buildability into it. That is the same ground I cover on land, and it gets checked the same way.
Vetting the builder. I do not hand you a list of names. I vet the builder with you, by interviewing them directly: in person at the site when we can, and over Zoom when you are buying from a distance or the builder is based somewhere else. I have done both, including with luxury builders who have shown homes in a Michigan Parade of Homes. What I want to hear is how they handle a schedule that slips, what their standard specification actually includes, and who you will be dealing with once the contract is signed. Beyond that, the questions are specific to the build and to you, because no two builds are the same, no two lots are the same, and no two buyers want the same thing from the house.
In their words
What working with me is like
Tamara was so patient and kind with our house search. From looking at disasters to beautiful homes, we had a lot of laughs. I would not want anyone else as my realtor. I'm happy to be able to invite her to our remodeled home so she can see the difference in our house to home.
Going with Tamara as our realtor was a fantastic decision! She is honest, calm, professional, and a fantastic listener. I would most definitely recommend her to anyone!
How It Works
Talk to me before the first model home. We work out whether new construction is actually the right route for what you want, because sometimes it is not.
If it is, I am at the table for the lot choice, the specification and the contract, asking the questions that are awkward to ask on your own behalf.
And if you are building on your own parcel rather than in a development, that starts one step earlier, with whether the land will carry the house you have in mind.
New Construction Across the Areas I Serve
New construction in Montague, Whitehall, North Muskegon, Twin Lake and Fremont, where there is more land to build on than anywhere else I cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need my own agent for new construction?
You do not have to have one, and I would say you want one. The representative at the model home is paid by the builder and is looking after the builder's interests, which is entirely proper and still leaves you as the only person in the room without representation. Come to me before that first visit, because some builders require your agent to be present then for it to apply at all.
What is the decision people most regret on a new build?
The lot. It decides light, privacy, drainage and outlook for as long as you own the house, it is usually chosen quickly and early, and it is the one thing you cannot change later. Everything inside the house can be altered eventually. The lot cannot.
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Ready to make your move with Tamara Hekkema?