New home communities are more popular than ever! With good reason – new home builders are using popular, open floor-plans, including appliances, sod, and blinds, and helping make it easier than ever to get into a new home with little or no money. New home transactions typically seem a lot easier, as well. If a buyer chose to, they could get through a new home transaction without contacting anyone except the on-site sales agent! However, this would open you up to HUGE losses. Take these simple steps to protect your self in a new home transaction, and to ensure that yours is a success.
- Use a Realtor Who Has New Home Sales Experience
Many people think that they can save money by not using, or don’t need the services of a Realtor when buying a new construction home. This couldn’t be further from the truth! New homebuilders typically try to monopolize a transaction – they only give you their attractive incentive packages if you agree, in writing, to use their lender, their title company, and sometimes even their insurance company! A Realtor will walk you through the transaction and will make sure that you’re protected every step of the way. If you’ve agreed to use the builder’s lender, your Realtor will make sure that you get a fair interest rate & fair closing costs. Your Realtor will know what the industry standards are, and will make sure that the builder doesn’t try and stretch beyond these. And best of all, a Realtor with a lot of new home transactions under their belt will have established relationships with your homebuilder. Because of this, the homebuilder will be on their “best behavior.” The homebuilder doesn’t want to run the risk of getting a bad reputation in the Realtor community, who can potentially bring the builder lots of homebuyers in the future.
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Nine Factors Drive Overall Satisfaction with Home Builders
% Contribution to Overall Satisfaction |
|
Builder’s Warranty/Customer Service |
16% |
|
Construction Manager |
15% |
|
Builder’s Sales Staff |
13% |
|
Home Readiness |
13% |
|
Price/Value |
12% |
|
Workmanship/Materials |
10% |
|
Recreational Facilities |
8% |
|
Builder’s Design Center |
7% |
|
Location |
5% |
|
|
|
Source: J.D. Power and Associates 2007 New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study SM |
Builder Customer Satisfaction Ratings in DFW
Provided by J.D. Power |
|
| Portrait Homes |
 |
| First Texas |
|
| History Maker |
|
| KB Home |
|
| D.R. Horton |
|
| Wall Homes (Newmark) |
|
| Plantation (MHI) |
|
| K. Hovnanian |
|
| Choice Homes |
|
| Ashton Woods |
|
| Meritage Homes |
|
| Paul Taylor |
|
| Beazer |
|
| Landstar Homes |
|
| Mercedes Homes |
|
| Ryland Homes |
|
| Standard Pacific Homes |
|
| Drees Custom |
|
| Kimball Hill Homes |
|
| Lennar Homes |
|
| Horizon Homes |
 |
| David Weekley Homes |
|
| Sotherby Homes |
|
| Highland Homes |
|
| Darling |
|
| Pulte Homes |
|
| Centex Homes |
 |
| Fox & Jacobs |
|
Huntington
Award Recipient |
|
| Goff |
 |
| Grand Homes |
|
| Gehan Homes |
|
| Del Webb |
|
| Morrison Homes |
|
|
Scoring Legend
Among the best Better than most About average The rest
Please note that J.D. Power Consumer Center Ratings may not include all information used to determine J.D. Power and Associates awards.
Builder Overall Design Ratings
Provided by J.D. Power
| Portrait Homes |
|
| Gehan Homes |
|
| Del Webb |
|
| History Maker |
|
| Choice Homes |
|
| Grand Homes |
|
| D.R. Horton |
|
| Morrison Homes |
|
| KB Home |
|
| Plantation (MHI) |
|
| K. Hovnanian |
|
| First Texas |
|
| Beazer |
|
| Wall Homes (Newmark) |
|
| Horizon Homes |
|
| Ryland Homes |
|
| Lennar Homes |
|
| Ashton Woods |
|
| Mercedes Homes |
|
| Standard Pacific Homes |
|
| Drees Custom |
|
| Kimball Hill Homes |
|
| Paul Taylor |
|
| Meritage Homes |
|
| David Weekley Homes |
|
| Fox & Jacobs |
|
| Centex Homes |
|
| Pulte Homes |
|
| Highland Homes |
|
| Sotherby Homes |
|
| Darling |
|
Huntington
Award Recipient |
|
Scoring Legend
Among the best Better than most About average The rest
Please note that J.D. Power Consumer Center Ratings may not include all information used to determine J.D. Power and Associates awards.
Builder Overall Quality Ratings
Provided by J.D. Power
| Goff |
|
| Del Webb |
|
| D.R. Horton |
|
| Morrison Homes |
|
| Portrait Homes |
|
| Choice Homes |
|
| K. Hovnanian |
|
| Beazer |
|
| KB Home |
|
| Paul Taylor |
|
| Pulte Homes |
|
| Plantation (MHI) |
|
| Ashton Woods |
|
| Standard Pacific Homes |
|
| Gehan Homes |
|
| Kimball Hill Homes |
|
| First Texas |
|
| Grand Homes |
|
| Wall Homes (Newmark) |
|
| David Weekley Homes |
|
| Landstar Homes |
|
| Lennar Homes |
|
| History Maker |
|
| Horizon Homes |
|
| Meritage Homes |
|
| Ryland Homes |
|
| Mercedes Homes |
|
| Darling |
|
| Drees Custom |
|
| Highland Homes |
|
| Centex Homes |
|
| Fox & Jacobs |
|
| Sotherby Homes |
|
Huntington
Award Recipient |
|
Scoring Legend
Among the best Better than most About average The rest
Please note that J.D. Power Consumer Center Ratings may not include all information used to determine J.D. Power and Associates awards.
- NUMBER1EXPERT™ 
