Buyers
New construction
A builder contract is not the standard Georgia purchase agreement. It is drafted by the builder's counsel, it favours the builder, and most of what you can negotiate is not the price.
Where the leverage is
Four levers that move, and one that usually does not
Design center allowances
Upgrade credits are the builder's most flexible currency. They cost less than a price cut and do not disturb the recorded comparables.
Lot premiums
Premiums on remaining inventory soften late in a phase, particularly on lots the builder needs to move before opening the next section.
Closing cost contributions
Usually tied to using the affiliated lender. Model the total cost over your holding period before accepting.
Rate buydowns
A temporary or permanent buydown can be worth more monthly than a five-figure price reduction. Ask for both and compare.
Base price
Rarely moves. The builder is protecting the comparables that will support pricing in the next phase — and holding the line is worth more to them than your single sale.
Register your agent before your first visit
This is the single most consequential procedural rule in new construction. Builders enforce first-visit registration strictly. Tour a community alone, sign the visitor card, and you may have permanently forfeited independent representation in that neighborhood — for a house you have not even chosen yet.
Inspect twice
Schedule a pre-drywall inspection while framing, mechanical rough-ins, plumbing and electrical are still exposed. Once drywall goes up, those systems are invisible for the life of the home. Then inspect again before closing, and hold the punch list until items are actually completed rather than promised.
FAQ
New construction questions
The agent in the model home works for the builder. They are paid by the builder, their fiduciary duty runs to the builder, and the contract they hand you was written by the builder's counsel. Independent representation is where your protection comes from — and in most cases the builder's marketing budget already accounts for it, provided your agent is registered on your first visit.
Almost every builder in North Atlanta enforces a first-visit registration rule. If you tour without your agent present or registered, the builder can refuse to recognize them for that community. Bring your agent, or register them before you walk in.
Base price often is not, because the builder protects the comparable sales that support future phases. What is frequently negotiable: design center allowances, structural options, lot premiums, closing cost contributions through the builder's affiliated lender, and rate buydowns. The value is real; it just is not on the price line.
Often yes for the incentive, but only after you have a competing quote in hand. Compare the total cost — rate, points and fees over your expected holding period — against the incentive being offered. Sometimes the incentive wins clearly; sometimes it is buying back a worse rate.
Yes, and ideally more than one — a pre-drywall inspection while framing, plumbing and electrical are still visible, and a final inspection before closing. New does not mean defect-free; it means the defects have not been discovered yet.
Most builders provide a tiered warranty: short-term coverage on workmanship, longer coverage on systems, and a multi-year structural warranty. Read what is excluded and what the claim process requires. Warranty terms are part of the contract review, not an afterthought.
Before you sign
Have the builder contract reviewed
Send the community, the lot and the contract you have been handed. Peter will walk through what is negotiable, what the warranty actually covers, and what to change before signature.
Thinking of selling in North Atlanta?
Start with your home's value. Peter follows up personally with the analysis behind the number — no obligation, no pressure.
Prefer to talk? (770) 758-8858