Your New House
Table of Contents

Introduction

Part I
Power Home Buying: Getting Ready, Getting Set xi

Chapter 1
Reality Check: Bob Vila is NOT Building Your Home 1
So, Who Are You Guys Anyway? 2
Yes, You Should. No, You Shouldn’t 2
Four Truths about Buying a Home No One Tells You 4
Who Should NOT Buy or Build a New Home 6
Should This Book Be Rated NC-17? 8
What Does An Average New Home Cost? 9
Nasty Surprises That Inflate Home Prices 12
The Goal: Take Control 13
Key Ingredients of a Quality New Home 14
Jargon Check: 3 Flavors of New Homes 15
Why You Should NOT Build a House Yourself 19
Introducing the Money Bombs 20
What’s New In This Edition 22

Chapter 2
How Much New Home Can You Really Afford? 23
Ultimate Reality Check: 3 Mistakes to Avoid 23
The Goal Of This Chapter 24
Stuff to Know: Points, Locks, Insurance 25
Two Paths to a New Home 26
The Golden Rule of New Home Buying or Building 27
Step-by-Step Strategies 29
How Much Profit is Fair? 30
Getting Started: How Far In Advance? 31
Sources for Construction Loans 31
Builder as Lender: Fox in Sheep’s clothing? 32
Sources for The Best Rates 33
What’s On the Web? Best Online Sources 34
Shopping Savvy for Online Mortgages 37
Seventeen Questions to Ask Lenders 38
Email: One-Time Closing Savings Disappears 39
Credit Scores: What’s your FICO? 42
The Two Biggest Myths about the Mortgage Process 44
The Lock Game 45
Lenders with Loose Lips and Seven Other Money Bombs 46
Email: Discount appraisal problems 48
Closing Costs 50

Chapter 3
The Building Team 52
The Designer: The Rodney Dangerfield of Homebuilding 52
Four Myths about Architects 52
Top Sources to Find an Architect 54
What Will It Cost You? 56
Reality Check: Who Can Do Without 57
Going Naked: Making Sure You’re Covered 58
Step by Step Strategies 60
Fourteen Questions to Ask an Architect 60
The Private Inspector/Construction Manager 62
Key Inspection Points 63
What Will It Cost You? 64
Six Sources for Finding an Inspector 64
What’s On The Web? Inspection Advice 65
Why Municipal Building Inspectors Can’t Be Trusted 66
The Most Common Mistakes Inspectors Discover 71
Eight Questions to Ask an Inspector
or Construction Manager 72
Agent-Captured Inspectors
and Three Other Money Bombs 73
Real Estate Attorneys 75
What’s On the Web? Four Law Sites 76
Other Possible Team Members 78
Who Is Not on Your Team? 78

Chapter 4
If Dirt Were Dollars . . .
Finding the Right Location for Your Home 81
The Four Types of Home Sites 81
Phase 1: Steps to Scoping Out the Location 82
Phase 2: Steps for Evaluating the Actual Home Site 83
Environmental Detectives: Sleuthing the Sludge 86
Seven Costs Involved in Land Purchase 87
Siting the House: Six Smart Tips 88
20 Questions to Ask about the Land 90
Email: Get a Map! 90
The Hamburger Theory of Neighborhoods 92
Email: Lot Premiums 93
Money-Bombs: Soil Troubles & Impact Fees 94
The Bizarre World of Homeowners’ Associations 97

Chapter 5
The Ugly Truth about Real Estate Agents:
Helping Hand or Scum of the Earth? 100
The Trolls of Real Estate 101
The Internet Battles the Troll 102
Bill Gates as the Big Bad Wolf 103
Who Really Needs An Agent? 103
The Biggest Myth about Real Estate Agents 104
The $7650 Taxi Cab Ride & 3 Other Money Bombs 107
The Free Upgrade Dance 108
Email: The $9000 cup of coffee 110
Our Recommendation: Use a Buyer’s Agent 112
Going it Alone: Net Home Listings 114
What It Costs 114
Two Sources to Find A Buyer’s Agent 115
11 Questions to Ask a Buyer’s Broker 118
Email: Beware Registration Cards 118
The “Money” Source Controversy 120
5 Money Bombs 121
Email: Agent Fails to Present Offer 122
The Model Trap & Other Builder Sales Sins 124

Chapter 6
House by Design 127
“Pick a Floor Plan” Design 127
Omission by Design Money Bomb 129
Plan Books 130
9 Biggest Design Goofs in Production Homes 131
What’s on the Web? Home Plan Sites 132
Money Bomb: One Size Does Not Fit All 134
Designer/Drafting Services 135
Architects 136
Architects Who Live on the Planet of Unrealistic Costs 137
What Will It Cost You? 140
Twelve Steps to Designing a New Home 141
The “Too Many Cooks” Syndrome 144
The Top Eight Trends for New Homes 146
The Storage Squeeze 147
Eight Inexpensive Thrills 148
Lemons on the Info Highway 149
Four Things They Don’t Tell You About Golf Course Living 151
Eco-Houses: They’re Not Just for Granola-Heads Anymore 153
Five Ways To Make A Small House Seem Spacious 154
Manufactured Homes: Log, Modular, Panel, Post & Beam 156
27 Design Tips for Kitchens &Baths 158

Chapter 7
Bring on the Builder 161
Six Good and Not-So-Good Sources for Finding a Builder 163
What’s On the Web? Surfing Builder Sites 165
When Do You Hire a Builder? 167
The Dog and Pickup Truck Builder 168
The Mini-Tycoon 169
Top-Gun Builders 170
The Production Builder 171
13 Questions to Ask a Builder 171
The Square-Foot Price Myth 172
Fifteen Steps to Screening a Builder 176
Detective Work: Builder’s Past Clients 177
10 Clues to Quality Builders 178
License Loopholes and Other Money Bombs 180
Evaluating Construction on the Fly 182
Builder/Architect Tension 184
Choosing a Production Builder 185
The Top 10 Biggest Builders 189
Insider Info: Web Sites 189
Deceitful Decorating & Five Other Money Bombs 191
Tips for Saving on Production Homes 194
Strategy: Use That Salesperson 197
Translating Builder-Speak to English 198

Chapter 8
The Paper Trail: Protecting Your Rights
with a Good Contract 199
How Bad Contracts Zap Good Buyers 199
Reality Check: Not Many Options 200
Sources for Sample Contracts 202
Sixteen Clauses in a Good Contract 204
What’s on the Web? Legal Database 204
Email: Cost-Plus Nightmare 206
Getting Specific: Finding Out What You’re Really Buying
from a Production Builder 217
Money Bomb: The Lowball Allowance Game 220
The Wild World of Home Warranties 222
Lemon Law for New Homes? 226


Part II
Go! Building the Home and
Other Traumatic Experiences 231

Chapter 9
Key Inspection Points, Part 1: The Skeleton House 233
Permits and Approval 233
Bogus Engineer Approval 234
Foundations 234
The Concrete Ticket Tip 235
Email: Cylinder Tests 236
Seven Steps to Foundations 236
Eco-Friendly Alternatives 238
Undercut Footings and Five Other Money Bombs 238
Framing 242
Four Steps to Framing 243
Four Eco-Friendly Alternatives 245
Warped Joists and Two Other Money Bombs 246
Engineered Wood: Miracle or Time Bomb? 246
Rough-in: Plumbing, Electrical, Heating and Cooling 249
Map of Recommendation Insulation 251
Four Eco-Friendly Alternatives 252
Four Money Bombs 252

Chapter 10
Key Inspection Points, Part II: Finally, Finishing 256
Exterior Finishing 256
The Roof: Seven Options and Their Costs. 257
Siding, Gutters and Paint. 258
Plastic Wood and Other Eco-Alternatives. 261
The Primer Money Bomb 261
Email: Trendsetter Perils 264
Interior Finishing 265
Windows, Drywall, Paint, Trim Work 265
Five Floor-Covering Options 267
Four Tips for the Best Cabinets 268
Countertops, Lights, Appliances and Plumbing Fixtures 269
Seven Eco-Friendly Alternatives 273
Six Money Bombs, Including New-Carpet Fumes 274
Best New Products 276
Final Grading 278

Chapter 11
New Home 911: When Things Go Wrong
And How to Fix Them 279
Top Three Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Kill Your Builder 279
Inept Subs, Builder/Architect Animosity 280
Cost Overruns 281
The Shrinking Profit Syndrome 282
Infomercials: Get Home Quick Schemes 283
Take-the-Money-and-Run Builders: A Vanishing Breed 285
The Caulk Reflex 286
Legal System Snafus 287
Top Six Excuses That Builders Give for
Shoddy Work and Mistakes 288
Turning the Tables: When Builder is Buyer 289
The Most Common Call-Backs 291
Email: 13 Hard-Won Lessons 292

Chapter 12
Bargains for Home 295
Meet the Shopping ‘Bots 295
Discount Catalogs 296
More Deals: Home Stores 298
Discount Lighting Sources 299
Discount Carpeting & Flooring 301
Discount Plumbing Sources 302

Conclusion: What Does it All Mean? 303

Appendix A
Product Reviews: Windows, Plumbing & More 304
Windows Brand Reviews 305
Plumbing Brand Reviews 307
Roofing 309

Glossary 311
Bibliography 317
About the Authors 319
Phone/Web Directory 321
Index 327