Buyer Guide
How to Buy a New Home in Central Florida: 7 Steps to a Smarter Purchase
New construction looks simple: pick a plan, pick a lot, sign. Then the deposit, the options budget, the rate lock, and the pre-closing walkthrough show up, and buyers who flew blind discover the order of operations mattered more than the floor plan.
Register with your buyer's agent before the first visit
This is the step that costs nothing and saves the most. In new construction, builder compensation and representation are typically documented at your first visit to the sales office. Walk in with representation already confirmed and your agent negotiates from the first conversation; walk in cold and the paperwork routes around you.
Get pre-approved before you tour
Builders want to see you can close before they hold a lot for you. A pre-approval from a lender also tells you what your real price ceiling is, which determines which collections and phases you even look at.
Compare communities on paper first
Use the community pages on this site to shortlist by builder, price range, and status, then tour no more than three in a day. Coming-soon and actively-selling communities behave differently, and your expectations should too.
Understand the price sheet before the options book
The 'from' price is the door. Ask for the current price sheet: base price, lot premium, HOA or CDD, and what incentives are attached to this phase. Then, and only then, open the options catalog, because upgrades are where budgets quietly double.
Put every incentive and the 25% gift in writing
Builder incentives are separate from buyer-side representation. If you are an eligible buyer working with me, the 25% Buyer Commission Gift is based on the buyer-side compensation actually earned on your transaction and is subject to written program terms, lender requirements, brokerage approval, and applicable law. You get those terms in writing before you sign.
Inspect at the right moments
A brand-new home gets a professional inspection before closing, and you should walk the property again in the week before closing to build your punch list. Builder warranties are only as good as what is written down.
Budget for the closing table
Closing costs, taxes, insurance, and any prepaids are separate from the purchase price. Your lender and I will model the full cash-to-close early so the closing table never surprises you.
The seventh step is where most buyers relax, and it is exactly where I tell them to focus. The walkthrough is your last chance to make the builder listen. Show up, test everything, write everything down, and do not sign the final paperwork until the list is settled.
Buy this way and you buy like someone who has done it before, which is the entire point of having an agent who watches these builders release lots every single week.
Step zero
Register before you tour.
Book a consult first and walk into every sales office fully represented.