Buyer Guide
Buying New Construction? Bring Your Own Agent
The builder's salesperson works for the builder. Your agent costs you nothing extra in most builder deals and protects you where builders' contracts favor the builder.
- Register your agent at the first visit. Many builders won’t pay a buyer’s agent who wasn’t with you from day one.
- Read the builder’s contract with your attorney. These are custom contracts, not the standard WNY form, and often carry long completion windows and narrow warranty terms.
- Price the upgrades. Base price and model-home finishes are rarely the same thing.
- Inspect anyway. Get a pre-drywall inspection and a final inspection. Code compliance isn’t the same as quality.
- Ask about assessments. New homes are often assessed only on the land until completion, so the first full tax bill can jump.
- Check the warranty. New York’s housing merchant implied warranty (GBL Article 36-B) applies to new homes, but builders can substitute a limited warranty. Know which one you’re getting.