Hire a Buyer’s Agent to represent you before you visit an information/sales center.  Sometimes once you visit a development without an agent builders will not let you have representation at a later date.  Your Buyer’s Agent will be paid by the builder a set commission so having representation will not cost you more, you will only save through having your interests represented.

Skye Bruce Properties has new construction experts on staff to help you through the new construction process for any home in the Central Virginia area. Your Skye Bruce Properties REALTOR will represent you, be your fiduciary and will highlight the positives as well as the negatives about the transaction.  Builder’s agents don’t discuss drawbacks. Thinking of buying a new home from a builder?  Contact Skye Bruce Properties first!

If you are considering buying a new home in the Richmond area make sure you have Buyer representation in the process it can save you thousands! 

It’s a Buyers Market and the attraction to new construction is undeniable. We see those new home signs all over the roads almost like political signs. Closing Costs Paid, Free Upgrades even Employee Pricing, the marketing is very enticing! Many home buyers prefer to buy a new home rather than to purchase an existing home that has been owned and lived in by other people. New Construction has its benefits including the ability to customize your new home with the features, styles and amenities you desire.

Don’t get caught in the trap! We have all been riding down the road and see those “OPEN” flags blowing in the wind in front of a gorgeous model home with freshly laid sod out front. As we walk in every light in the house is on, there is a scent of freshly baked cookies and the home is decorated to a tee with every feature the husband wants and every feature the wife wants. If you are in the market for a new home, please read the following before you walk in to that beautifully decorated model home.

First and most importantly you will want a REALTOR to represent you and only you in the transaction. If you walk in to the new construction model home and sign in and register, you may not be able to come back later with your own representation. What this means to you is that the builders REALTOR marketed the home and that is the reason you found them so you might be stuck using the builders agent to represent you in the transaction. It is critical to have a REALTOR represent you separate from representing the seller when buying a new construction. As a Buyer you need to make sure someone is representing your interests full time. They will negotiate for builder incentives and help you determine what the homes market value really is. Skye Bruce Properties Buyer’s Agents are very familiar with Richmond area builders and know what to expect. They know what and how to ask for upgrades and incentives to make sure your purchase is a financial success.

New construction can be a great experience and the pride of owning a brand new home is wonderful. Make sure you have a Skye Bruce Properties Buyer’s Agent represent you and not the builder’s Site Agent to ensure quality and price come together to make your new home an exceptional value!

Skye Bruce Properties Buyer’s Agents can also provide you with detailed information about new homes and developments throughout the Richmond metro area. Contact Skye Bruce Properties today!

As development moves farther and farther west on Broad Street to Short Pump and beyond it’s great to see revitalization “back east” on Broad.  The Willow Lawn area was certainly a Short Pump type area in the 60′s and 70′s and today it remains a vibrant and prime location.  A block over in the 5200 block of Monument Ave, a new luxury condo/townhome development called Monument Square is being built where just a few years ago stood old, blighted apartments.

Interested in learning more about new developments around the Richmond area?  Skye Bruce Properties has a team of experts in helping home buyers locate the best new developments and communities.  Contact Skye Bruce Properties today!

The economic downturn has already caused Richmond area home prices to drop.  Home builders are feeling the pain as well and in some cases they are desperate to turn their inventory of new homes into cash.

How can potential new home buyers turn this to their advantage?

TARGET THE RIGHT DEVELOPERS and BUILDERS

Some home builders are more likely than others to offer discounts. Those with solid finances might decide to sit tight and wait for things to improve. At the other end of the scale, there are builders who want to turn their assets into cash quickly. You can get a better deal from a more desperate home builder. Watch the financial press for reports of companies that may be struggling.  Those are the companies more likely to negotiate on price and extras like upgrades to appliances, granite counter tops, nicer fixtures, etc.  Doing some research can really pay off!

BE FLEXIBLE ABOUT LOCATION

If you are interested in an area or development where supply and demand are roughly in balance, developers have less incentive to cut their prices, however if there is a surplus of unsold new homes, you are more likely to find a better deal.

Keep in mind all your own financial circumstances before signing the contract, even if the builder has offered you a discount or incentives. A good deal for one home buyer might not be a good one for another.

DON’T JUST LOOK AT THE DISCOUNT

It’s easy to for bargain-hunters to look for the biggest discount from the “full” price on a newly constructed home, but if the original price was inflated, the discount is not as great as it may seem.

Homebuyers are often to focused on the largest discount from the asking price, but what was the asking price in the first place? Was it inflated? Get an idea of what the home is really worth in today’s market and then start negotiating from that point. You can do this by checking prices of comparable sales in the area. Skye Bruce Properties, The Official REALTOR and Buyer’s Agents of RichmondHomeShopper.com can help!

CONSIDER INCENTIVES AS WELL AS DISCOUNTS

New Home Builders often offer incentives to potential buyers, such as upgraded kitchens, lighting fixtures, granite counter tops, closing costs  etc.  These should be considered as well as discounts off the asking price.

Consult your REALTOR to insure you are getting the best discount overall through the price and/or by taking the incentives. They can help you evaluate what the incentives are really worth in the market today versus what the builders price is for the upgrades.

TIME YOUR OFFER

Home builders may be more open to offers at certain times of the year.  Especially large, production builders that have shareholders.  They may want to boost their sales figures at the end of a month, quarter or year end. (fiscal or calendar) Again, a little bit of investigating can sometimes save you money!

MORE IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR NEW HOME BUYERS!!!

Not only will there be a 250 room Hilton Garden Hotel in the old department store building, but 133 one and two bedroom condos will be for sale.  From the looks of photos in the paper and on the MILLER & RHOADS Residences website the condos look like really cool urban living.  With condo units from 700 to 1500 sg. feet plus, some with large terraces and selling from $149,000 to $599,000, the project sounds great.

Interested in buying a new home in the Richmond area? Don’t go it alone!  Make sure to work with a Real Estate Buyer’s Agent to represent your interest first! You pay no extra fees and their expertise can save you thousands. Contact Skye Bruce Properties, the Official REALTOR and Buyer’s Agents of RichmondHomeShopper.com.

Richmond Times Dispatch Article Published 12/28/07:

GREEN BUILDING, BY: DOUG CHILDERS SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT A decade ago, Roger Petersen shifted his Scandia USA Inc. home construction business into green building on a hunch that it was the wave of the future. Petersen’s hunch is paying off. MORE…

Scandia USA creates homes and communities that make life easier, healthier and more comfortable while complimenting the environment. How energy efficient are these town-homes? 42% more than a standard home and backed up by a four-year utility cost guarantee! These unique, award-winning properties are Certified Green by EarthCraft of Virginia and Energy Star. These town-homes feature vegetated green roofs and a host of energy saving and healthy indoor air quality features.

Scandia USA Homes helps save the environment through their green building practices. Their responsible approach to design and construction considers the entire lifecycle of a structure. This sustainable approach maximizes energy and resource efficiency, while minimizing the negative effects on the environment and the people who live or work in the building. From site planning that eliminates suburban sprawl, to implementing energy efficient technologies, to using “green” building materials, once abandoned urban areas are reclaimed and renovated for the benefit of the entire community.

Rocketts Landing on the James River, just east of Downtown Richmond in Henrico County has a rich history that stretches back to Captain Christopher Newport’s exploration of the James River when the Godspeed first landed here in 1607. In 1730 Robert Rocketts began a ferry service transporting goods on the site and it was once considered the busiest inland port in America. During the Civil War, Rocketts Landing’s riverfront location became vital area in defending Richmond from the Union Navy and Abraham Lincoln landed here to view the burning Confederate Capitol. In the early 1900′s Rocketts Landing transitioned into an industrial district until it was abandoned in the 1970s.

Today, Rocketts Landing has begun a new era of activity and excitement with the development of a master planned community. The $500 million village plan calls for up to 2,000 residences, 500,000 SF of office space, 200,000 SF of retail and entertainment space, a hotel, a private marina, and a mile-long riverfront park. Rocketts Landing is resurrecting one of the city’s oldest and most significant riverfront districts and will truly be a place to live work and play.

Open Houses, Tours and Information: Skye Bruce Properties holds open houses for these town-homes each weekend. They are available, flexible and can schedule personal tours of the properties and the development anytime. Additional information about the properties, development, Scandia USA and “Green Building Practices” is available. Skye@SkyeBruce.com 804-467-7041

Skye Bruce Properties represents ScandiaUSA in the sale of their town-homes at Rocketts Landing. Skye Bruce Properties is not affiliated with and does not represent the development of Rocketts Landing or WVS Companies.

The median new home sales price in the United States for September declined to $218,400, down from $221,900 in August, while the mean selling price was $275,500, up from $263,900.

According to the report, new homes sales jumped 22 percent in the West, which has seen some of the nation’s steepest price drops, while sales in other regions were down or flat. However, sales in the West still are off nearly 38 percent on a year-over-year basis.

The new home sales report followed news last week that sales of existing homes rose in September by 5.5 percent, the largest monthly gain in more than five years.

This unique community just off Interstate 64, about 20 minutes east of downtown Richmond will include a winery, an Inn, an equestrian center and polo field, an 18-hole golf course, 1900 homesites including 300 Estate Homes, 100 Resort Cottages and a Village Center, all surrounded by rolling hills and vineyards.

I recently drove through the development and it feels as much like Napa or Sonoma, California as it does central Virginia.  I think this is really going to be a special community.

Now is a great time to buy!  Builders like Ryan are offering all kinds of incentives, but don’t go it alone!  Make sure you have a REALTOR to represent you and only you in the transaction of buying a new home. If you walk into the new construction model home and register, you may not be able to come back later with your own representation.  It is critical to have a REALTOR represent you separate from representing the seller when buying a new construction. As a Buyer you need to make sure someone is representing your interests full time. They will negotiate for builder incentives and help you determine what the homes market value really is.  RichmondHomeShopper.com Buyer’s Agents are very familiar with Richmond area builders and know what to expect.  They know what and how to ask for upgrades and incentives to make sure your purchase is a financial success!

Email us today for information or to tour any home on the market in the Richmond area!

Viniterra Golf and Country Club will be the centerpiece of the development and ClubCorp, the world management leader in private clubs, will be handling the management of Viniterra’s new golf course, clubhouse, restaurant, café and other resort amenities. ClubCorp manages famous golf properties such as Firestone Country Club, The Homestead and Pinehurst Resort and Club.

Viniterra’s golf course was designed by legendary golf course architect Rees Jones. The tract of land used for the golf course is very picturesque with varying elevation changes, ponds and Virginia hardwoods. The course design is said be challenging, versitle and fun. An example is the 15th hole, a par 3, will have 15 tee boxes, allowing for different angles, looks and challenges.

The course is also being developed in an environmentally sensitive manner by maximizing water resource protection.  The golf course will use a collection of lakes and ponds to irrigate the drought resistant grasses being used on the greens, fairways and roughs.

RichmondHomeShopper.com Buyer’s Agent can provide detailed information about new homes at New Kent Vineyards and can arrange a tour. Please email us or subscribe to our Blog feed for additional information on new homes in this exciting new community!