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Thinking about buying

Step 1 of 10Builder StrategyNext: Choosing your builder

Get oriented before a sales office sets your pace.

You are gathering information and nothing is committed yet.

What matters right now

Right now the goal is to set your own numbers and timing before a sales office sets them for you.

Your pre-approval reflects the payment you want, not the maximum you qualify for.
You know which markets and school boundaries you are actually willing to live in.
You have written down your must-haves separately from your nice-to-haves.

Recommended next step

Once your numbers are set, compare companies by process and warranty.

Finished with this stage?

Checklist

Five checks that set your budget band, timeline, and representation before a sales office sets the pace.

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Have you set a comfortable monthly payment and a total price band (not a maximum approval)?Design centers and lot premiums push toward the maximum. The comfortable number is the real budget.
Have you set aside cash for options, window treatments, and landscaping after closing?These are almost never included, and they arrive right when savings are lowest.

Do you know how firm your move-in date is, and what happens if the build slips 60 days?
Have you decided who represents you before registering at any sales office?Registration can lock representation for that community.
Have you listed the markets and school or commute boundaries you will not compromise on?

5 items left before you can mark this reviewed.

Set a real budget band, not a maximum
New construction pricing moves with options and lot premiums. Decide the number you are comfortable with before a design center raises it.
Decide how firm your move-in date is
Build schedules slip. Knowing your flexibility changes which builders fit.