Bend New Construction

How Buying New Construction Works

Quick move-in (spec) homes vs. to-be-built

A spec or quick move-in home is one the builder started without a buyer. It may be finished or close to it, with the finishes already chosen, so you can often close on a much shorter timeline. A to-be-built home starts with you: you pick the lot, the floor plan and your selections, and the builder constructs it over a period of months. Spec homes trade choice for speed; to-be-built homes trade speed for choice.

Choosing a lot

Lots in the same community can differ a lot in price and in how they live: which way the backyard faces, views, slope, how close you are to a busy street or a future phase, and what's planned next door. Builders often charge a premium for the most desirable lots. I'll help you look at the site plan and ask what's coming before you choose.

The design center and upgrades

With a to-be-built home you'll usually visit a design center to choose flooring, cabinets, counters, fixtures and more. The base price typically includes a standard package, and upgrades can change the final price, so it helps to decide your priorities before your appointment. Some changes are hard or expensive to make later, like structural options, extra outlets or plumbing rough-ins, while others are easy to handle yourself after closing. We'll put your money where it matters most.

The contract and deposits

Builders typically use their own purchase agreement rather than the standard forms used for resale homes, and it's written to protect the builder. Expect an earnest money deposit, and often additional deposits for upgrades that may not be refundable if you walk away. Pay attention to the timelines, the change-order rules and what happens if the build is delayed. I'll go through it with you, and you can always have an attorney review it.

Timelines

Build times depend on the builder, the plan, the season, and the availability of labor and materials, and estimated completion dates can shift. It helps to build some flexibility into your lease or home sale, and into your loan's rate lock.

Inspections and walkthroughs

A new home still deserves an independent inspection. Many buyers schedule a pre-drywall inspection, while the framing, wiring and plumbing are still visible, and a final inspection before closing. The builder will also hold a walkthrough, sometimes called a blue-tape or orientation walk, where you note items to be fixed before you close.

The builder warranty

Most builders provide a written warranty, often with different coverage periods for workmanship, systems and structural items. Read what's covered, how to submit a request and when the deadlines fall. Keep a running list during your first year so nothing gets missed.

Bring Your Own Bend Buyer's Agent From the First Visit

The sales consultant in the model home can be genuinely helpful, but they represent the builder. Their job is to sell homes for the builder, at the builder's price, on the builder's contract. Having your own agent means someone is looking out for you: comparing this builder with others and with resale homes, reviewing the contract, keeping track of deadlines, and making sure you get the incentives and repairs the builder owes you.

Timing matters. Many builders ask that your agent come with you, or be registered, on your very first visit. If you tour on your own first, the builder may decline to work with an agent you bring in later, or decline to cover that agent's compensation. So please call me before you walk into a model home.

Builders often pay some or all of the buyer's agent compensation, but each builder sets its own policy, and how I'm paid is covered in the written buyer agreement we sign before touring. Learn more about working with a Bend buyer's agent.

Builder Incentives and Preferred-Lender Offers

Builders frequently offer incentives, especially on homes they'd like to sell soon. These can include credits toward closing costs, money toward upgrades, a lower price, or help buying down your mortgage rate.

Many of the biggest incentives are tied to using the builder's preferred lender or title company. That can be a good deal, but not always. Get a loan estimate from at least one other lender and compare the full picture: the rate, fees, points and the incentive itself. In general you aren't required to use the builder's lender, but you may give up the incentive if you don't.

A rate buydown might save you more over time than a price cut, or the other way around, depending on how long you plan to stay. I'll help you run the numbers so you choose the incentive that does the most for you.

Where New Homes Are Found In and Around Bend

New construction moves around as communities build out and new phases open, so what's available changes from month to month. Generally speaking, you'll find new homes in a few places:

• Bend's west side. Planned communities such as Discovery West and Tetherow have added homes in phases, often at higher price points, with quick access to trails and the road to Mt. Bachelor.
• What “master planned community” means. It's a large neighborhood built out under one overall plan, often with shared amenities such as pools, clubhouses, parks and trails. (It has nothing to do with a primary bedroom.)
• Northeast and southeast Bend. A good share of Bend's newer growth has been on the east side of town, with a wide variety of home sizes, townhomes and price ranges.
• Infill and small communities. Smaller pockets of new homes and townhomes appear within established parts of town, sometimes just a handful of homes at a time.
• Nearby towns. Redmond, Sisters, La Pine and Sunriver see new construction too, and can offer different price points and lot sizes than Bend.

To see what's on the market now, browse Bend homes for sale or tell me what you're looking for and I'll pull together the current new-construction options that fit.

New Construction vs. Resale in Bend

Neither one is automatically better; it depends on what you value most. Here's how they tend to compare:

• Price and value. New homes can cost more per square foot, but upgrades and incentives can change the math. Resale homes may leave more room to negotiate and come with things new homes often don't, like finished landscaping, fencing and window coverings.
• Location and lot. Established neighborhoods often have mature trees, larger or more varied lots and a shorter trip downtown. Newer communities are more often toward the edges of town.
• Condition and upkeep. A new home starts with new systems and a builder warranty. A resale home has a track record you can inspect, and possibly some updates coming due.
• Timing. A resale home or a finished spec home can usually close on a fairly short timeline; a to-be-built home can take many months.
• Personal touches. Building lets you choose finishes from the start. With a resale home, you pick a house with good bones and make it yours over time.

Many of my buyers look at both. Seeing new and resale homes side by side is often the quickest way to learn what you really want.