The sales team in a model home works for the builder. We work for you: comparing communities, reading the contract, weighing incentives, and protecting your timeline from the first visit to closing.
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Many builders ask buyers to bring or register their agent on the first visit, and some will not recognize an agent who is added later. Policies vary by builder, so call us before you walk into any model home, and we will handle the registration.
From Naperville out through Aurora, Plainfield, Yorkville and the surrounding communities. We help you compare builders and subdivisions, understand lot premiums, upgrades and any special service area charges, and get the contract reviewed by an attorney before you sign.
Hillsborough, Pinellas and Manatee counties. We help you weigh CDD and HOA costs, flood and insurance, builder incentives and pool decisions, and we protect your timeline through construction.
In both states the builder's sales team works for the builder. Your own agent works for you.
A plain-English walkthrough of buying a new home in Florida, and what to know before you step into a sales center. Buying in Illinois? The same checkpoints below apply, and we will walk you through the Illinois specifics personally.
Sign a written agreement with your agent, get a lender conversation started, and decide your non-negotiables. A pre-approval sets your budget before a sales rep does.
Get an all-in price in writing, compare incentives against your own loan estimate, price out HOA, CDD, insurance, flood and taxes, and have an attorney review the contract.
Inspect at pre-drywall and at the final stage, turn the punch list into written commitments, and get the warranty terms in writing.
Base price, lot premium, options and design center, added up.
What they are worth, and what conditions come with them.
Dues, rules, and what the developer can change.
The annual amount, how long it lasts, and whether it can be prepaid.
The lot's flood zone, and real insurance quotes before you commit.
Deposits, completion dates, price changes, and dispute terms.
Independent checks at the stages that matter.
What is covered, for how long, and how to make a claim.
A pool is one of the biggest decisions in a Florida new build. Neither route is wrong. They are different trade-offs, and it helps to know them before you step into the sales center.
Convenient: one contract, a finished pool at closing, and often at least partially wrapped into your mortgage, though it sometimes requires an additional deposit. Many builders mark up the pool build and may limit your upgrade options to their packages.
You hire a third-party pool contractor directly, usually during the build so they can get permits ready, or after closing. An aftermarket contractor can often provide more options and upgrades without home builder markups, allowing your dollars to go further (potentially saving you thousands) so your end product is exactly what you dreamed of. The trade-off is a separate contract, a separate timeline, and a separate financing plan.
Pool photos courtesy of Trusted Pool and Spa. Rendering is an artistic conception.
“Ian Preston with Trusted Pool and Spa has been amazing and easy to work with. Ian advised us on pool systems for easy automation and longevity. We couldn’t be happier with the process.”
Steve and Andrea Boyles. We are happy to introduce you to Ian and help you compare the builder's pool quote side by side.
Advising on new construction is more convincing when you've done it yourself. This clip is from our own build in Palmetto at the block-wall stage, where the shape of the house starts to feel real and the questions get specific.
That is also the stage where an inspection and a clear understanding of the construction schedule matter most. We use what we learn on our own build to help our clients.
Talk about your buildYes. Steve is licensed in Illinois and Florida and represents buyers of new construction in both. In Illinois that means the Naperville area and the surrounding western and southwestern suburbs. The same principles apply: register with the builder before your first visit, get the all-in price in writing, compare incentives against your own financing, and have an attorney review the contract.
No law requires one, but it is usually wise. The builder's on-site sales team represents the builder. Your own agent represents you: comparing communities, explaining the contract, reviewing incentives and tracking timelines through closing.
Many builders ask buyers to bring or register their agent on the first visit. If you sign in alone, some builders will not recognize your agent later. Policies differ by builder, so call before you go.
Builders often compensate a registered buyer's agent, but it depends on the builder and on the written agreement you sign with your agent. Since August 17, 2024, agents must have a written agreement with you before touring homes; it must state how the agent is paid, and this compensation is negotiable (NAR). We explain exactly how we are paid before you sign anything.
Often, though it depends on the builder and the market. Builders may have more flexibility on incentives, closing costs, upgrades or rate buydowns than on the base price, and finished inventory homes can offer more room.
Typical incentives include help with closing costs, interest rate buydowns and design center credits. Many are tied to using the builder's preferred lender or closing by a set date, so compare the total cost against your own loan estimate before you decide.
Many new Florida communities sit inside a Community Development District, which can levy taxes or assessments to pay for public facilities and services. The district's board sets them each year, on top of county and local taxes. Contracts for the initial sale of a home must disclose this, so ask for the annual amount and how long it lasts.
Yes. New homes can still have defects. Many buyers schedule a pre-drywall inspection and a final inspection before closing, then use the builder's warranty for anything that appears after move-in.
A finished inventory home can close on a timeline similar to a resale. A home built from the ground up usually takes several months or more, depending on the builder, the plan and the stage of the community.
Florida assesses property as of January 1, so your first bill may reflect the land or the partly built home as it stood then, and the next year's bill can jump. Budget with your county property appraiser's tax estimator using your purchase price, and file for homestead by March 1 if the home will be your primary residence.
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Builder policies and Florida rules change, so confirm details with the builder, your lender, your insurance agent and a Florida real estate attorney. Sources: Fla. Stat. 720.401, Fla. Stat. 190.048, NAR, Florida Department of Revenue.
We serve Naperville and the western suburbs in Illinois and Hillsborough, Pinellas and Manatee counties in Florida, with trusted referral partners in every other state.
Our work does not end at closing. Ask about The Annual Advisory Advantage, our relaxed yearly advisory session for clients.
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