Buying new construction in South Florida with someone on your side
Your own representation at the builder's sales office, from choosing the lot to the final walkthrough.
Who represents whom at a builder's sales office
Buying new construction in South Florida starts in a model home with a friendly salesperson, and it's easy to forget who that person works for. The sales office represents the builder. The contract you'll be handed was written by the builder's side, and it protects the builder's interests first.
I represent you. This page is for buyers considering a home that's under construction, a home about to be built on a lot you choose, or a newly finished home that nobody has lived in yet. It's also for owners who are selling a home they've outgrown and weighing a new build against an existing house.
One practical point before anything else: builders require your agent to be with you on your first visit. Call me before your first visit to a sales office, so the choice of having your own representation isn't made for you by a sign-in sheet.
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How I represent you on a new build
The contract, reviewed by an attorney before you sign. Builder contracts are written by the builder. I'm not an attorney, so I don't interpret contracts, and I recommend having a real estate attorney review yours before you sign. I'll make sure the practical questions get asked of the builder, like when the deposits are due, what happens if construction runs late, and what's included versus optional.
The lot, chosen on more than the view. Where the home sits in the community affects its light, its privacy, its drainage and, one day, its resale. We look at the site plan, what's planned beside and behind the lot, and any lot premium, so you're paying for something you want.
Options and upgrades, weighed against resale. The design center is where budgets drift. Some upgrades are hard or costly to add later and are worth doing now. Others cost far more at the builder than they would after closing. We decide which is which before you sit down to choose finishes.
Your financing, protected. Builders often recommend a preferred lender and may offer incentives for using one. You can compare lenders, and we'll look at the whole offer, including the rate and the closing costs, before you decide. Mapping the money matters here as much as on any purchase, because a long build means your approval may need updating before closing.
What happens from contract to keys
A home the builder has already finished without a buyer can be a different negotiation from one you order, because the finishes are chosen and the builder is carrying it. If your timing allows, we compare both.
Once the contract is signed, I track the build against its milestones and keep you informed. If a date slips, you'll hear it from me the same day, and your attorney can tell you what your contract provides.
A brand-new home still deserves its own inspection. I recommend an independent inspector you choose, and on a home being built, inspections at key stages can catch problems before walls close over them. The builder's own inspections check the builder's work for the builder. Yours checks it for you.
Before closing, we do a final walkthrough, usually with the builder's representative. We go room by room and write down everything that isn't finished or isn't right, and we confirm how and when each item will be completed. I'll help you decide which items need to be fixed before closing and which can wait for the warranty process.
At closing, the title company runs the signing. Afterward, keep your warranty documents, your inspection reports and your walkthrough list together. When a warranty item comes up in your first year, you'll have everything you need to request the repair.
If you're selling a current home to buy the new one, the build schedule becomes part of your plan. We time your sale so you aren't paying for two homes while the new one is finished. The trading-up page explains how I line up both sides.
New construction across the towns I serve
Most of the new building I see in the communities I work happens in the southern part of Miami-Dade. New construction in Homestead sits within a town that already has townhomes, gated communities and detached houses built since 2000, beside older neighborhoods from the mid-1900s and the 1980s and 1990s. That mix gives you a useful comparison: before you commit to a new build, we can look at resale homes a few years old in similar communities and see what they offer for the price. You can read more about the town on the Homestead area page.
In a new gated community, the association documents and budget matter as much as the house, because the fees and rules begin the day you close. Insurance and flood information belong in your numbers too, checked for the exact lot rather than the community as a whole.
In more established towns like Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest and Coral Gables, new homes more often mean a single custom rebuild on an older lot than a builder's community. Those purchases raise their own questions about permits, setbacks and what the lot allows, and I'll help you ask them before you commit to a plan. A builder's community and a single custom home on an older lot are different purchases, and the contract, the timeline and the inspections differ with them.
Before you visit a sales office, start the conversation with me. You'll find more about my work at Nanci Gilbert, PA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need my own agent to buy from a builder?
You don't have to have one, but the sales office represents the builder. Your own agent weighs the upgrades, tracks the build and walks the finished home on your side. For the contract itself, I recommend a real estate attorney review it before you sign.
Should I call you before I visit a model home?
Yes. Builders require your agent to be with you on your first visit, so call me before you go.
Do I need an inspection on a brand-new home?
I recommend one. An independent inspector you choose checks the work for you, and inspections during construction can catch problems before the walls close.
Do I have to use the builder's lender?
You can compare lenders. We look at the whole offer, including any incentive, the rate and the closing costs, before you decide.
New Construction by neighborhood
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