A lot of buyers think that a new house is the way to go but it's important to have some knowledge of quality and of the builder. New paint, carpet, doors, windows and cabinets are a quick and easy sell. But are the cabinets even level. I have seen cabinets in a $300,000 house that the dishes would roll out of. In the same house, a paladium window was set in the framing with over an inch gap, which they filled with caulk. The buyer didn't see it until it was pointed out in the appraisal as a necessary repair.

While the carpet looks good, you need to know the quality as well as that of the padding. Cheap carpet and padding can wear out in as little as three years and you don't expect to have to spend a lot of money on a fairly new house. If you're new to the area, ask anyone in the neighborhood about the builder, except the site agent. If other purchasers have already moved in, they will tell you what their experience has been. For example, "we told him the dishwasher leaks and the light fixtures were wrong but he never sent anyone to fix it". Disgruntled homeowners are quick to point out the faults. They will complain beyond belief, but take that as your good fortune and move on.

Unless you get a custom built house by a well known builder, you are better off buying an older well built house. Regardless of what you hear about wafer board and 2x4s the older materials are much better. I believe that just like the mortgage and insurance industries, these are just ploys to market cheaper materials. You can't possibly believe that pvc is better than copper. Please rate and tell friends.

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Suzie is a licensed real estate broker and certified residential appraiser with twenty years of experience and majored in real estate and architecture. Other professionals have contributed as well.