SavannahNOW Home Finder.com - Savannah's Ultimate Home Buying Guide

Are you buying a home for the first time? Moving to a new area? Changing careers? Needing a lifestyle change? You might consider buying a new home. The question now is where?

In addition to tax deductions and investment appreciation, homeownership holds the value of certain intangible benefits like self-satisfaction and security. The most important reason for buying a home is the simple fact of ownership.

One of the first factors to consider when looking for a home is the community surrounding. Many new communities are master-planned communities, with green space and the curvature of roads and boulevards designed for living, work, and play.

These communities come with many amenities for you and your family, including pools, tennis courts, clubhouses, fitness centers, walking trails, stocked lagoons, and sidewalks. Master associates are created to maintain common areas and boulevards. Homeowners� associations enforce covenants within the community to help protect property values. New schools are often conveniently located near these communities to accommodate growth.

The aesthetic value of the home is what draws attention to it initially and is an exciting aspect of purchasing a new home. However, there are important items that are often overlooked when buying a new home � items that may not be visible and may not be available in older, existing homes.

With today�s new homes, a buyer has the advantage of receiving modern architecture, precise attention to detail and quality, and open floor plans with higher ceilings, bonus rooms, and flex spaces. In addition to a modern architectural design, buyers also are offered warranties, engineered foundations and roofs, more efficient appliances, and heating and cooling systems that save energy. New homes made of low-maintenance exteriors like brick, stucco, stone, and vinyl and special feature no-rot doors and doorjambs give buyers more time to be on-the-go. Master-planned communities also allow for better drainage throughout the community,

The most important feature a builder can offer to a new homebuyer is the warranty.

The warranty establishes guidelines as to the standards under which a home is built. Most builders offer an insured-backed warranty. This warranty is offered only to the builders with a proven track record. A typical warranty comes with a video and sample warranty that is part of the contract. This gives the buyer time to become familiar with the warranty before closing.

To ensure that each customer is treated fairly, the warranty in the first two years offers comprehensive coverage. All manufacturers� warranties fall under the first-year warranty. The second year covers workmanship and will repair any item that fails due to workmanship. Years one through ten cover the structural value of the home. If something structural fails, the warranty will then go into effect.

The best feature of the warranty is that it can be transferred and may be used as a tool to help with resale. In the event of a dispute between the builder and the buyer, the warranty will also ensure that an independent agent will investigate the problem to determine which party is at fault and who is responsible to correct the deficiency.

The decision to purchase an older home comes with far more precautions and considerations when compared to the process of buying a new home. Whereas new homes come standard with warranties, existing homes require a home inspection in order to identify deficiencies and may also require a site survey to establish disputed property boundaries. In addition, title insurance may be needed for an existing home. Not all of the history of the home may be discovered in the initial title search; therefore, title insurance covers any additional title discrepancies that may arise. Buyers wishing to purchase an older home should also agree to sign a seller�s disclosure statement to disclose any deficiencies of which they may be unaware.

The purchase of an existing home may include complications; here are the typical problems a buyer should consider:

� Older neighborhoods may have lesser-valued properties that can affect the value of what you are considering.

� Minimal insulation in ceilings, walls, or crawl spaces can produce higher energy bills in older homes.

� Plumbing should be carefully examined for leaking pipes, toilets, and valves, leading to costly repairs. There is also a possibility of lead in the paint or plumbing.

� Out-off-date electrical outputs may need to be brought up to current codes.

� The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit should be evaluated and determined if it is in need of upgrade.

� The roof may need to be examined closely to determine how much life it retains. Many roofs on older homes have several levels of roofing materials; while this may add insulation capabilities, it can also add unsafe weight levels.

� Windows and doors in older homes may not have energy-efficiency levels available in more recently manufactured ones. Uninsulated windows and unsealed doors can cause problems with rot and with high energy consumption.

New homes have some appealing aspects. There are two types of new homes to purchase: presale, which is a contract to build, or a field-model, or spec, home. Presale homes offer buyers the opportunity to choose their lot, floor plan, cabinets, upgrades, colors, flooring, and alternative options. Buyers are also able to customize a new home to suit their lifestyle by adding computer rooms, sunrooms, bonus rooms, or swimming pools. They may choose a floor plan with flowing kitchens and customized cabinetry or vaulted ceilings. They are able to add baths with separate showers and garden tubs with jets, or simply add larger closets and pantry space. Spec homes (field models) are similar to new homes in that everything is new and complete, although buyers may not be able to choose colors or options. Spec homes can usually be delivered as soon as the financing is complete and still come with a warranty.

Landmark 24 master-planned communities are leading the way in New Home Lifestyle Communities Savannah�s very own local leaders in new home construction, Hallmark Custom homes and Jerry C. Wardlaw Construction have teamed up again to give residents pride in the new master-planned communities being developed. Homeowners know when they buy a new home in a Landmark 24 community that they are dealing with local builders, members of the local Homebuilder�s Association, and people who care about quality and value for the Savannah area. Both are committed to a pleasing environment, family safety, and maintaining your investment in southern living. Architectural excellence, quality, value, and individual choices for families are evident in these design-built homes of the future. You can attain an easy lifestyle among peaceful, natural surroundings, long winding roads, and country club amenities. Consider your new home with Landmark 24.