Walk into the model home with someone on your side.
Nearly three in ten Ada County home sales in September were brand new. Here's how to buy yours with confidence, with an advocate beside you at every meeting.
Do I really need my own agent to buy a new home? The sales rep is so friendly.
I strongly recommend one, and it's one of the smartest moves you can make. The friendly person in the sales office works for the builder, and the builder's lawyers wrote the contract. I work only for you. I sit in on every meeting, take the notes, and make sure everything you were promised ends up in writing. In most cases, the builder pays my fee.
Here's the thing about new construction. The other side wrote everything: the plan menu, the price list, the contract and the timeline. Many builders also have a preferred lender. You walk in full of excitement, with no one else on your team.
That doesn't make builders the bad guys. Most are professional and want you to love your home. It just means someone should read the fine print, and keep the record, on your behalf. That's my job, and I love doing it.
I've guided new-construction buyers at every level. First-time buyers using every incentive to get in the door. Move-up buyers in mid-range homes. Luxury buyers. I've also helped clients find the land, choose the builder, and stay beside them until the house was finished.
Sources are at the bottom of the page. The builder figures are national, from NAHB's September 2026 member survey. My own experience is labeled as mine.
Who does the person in the model home actually work for?
The builder. They're warm, and they know their homes inside and out. But their job is to sell the builder's homes on the builder's terms.
You are a customer
- You're owed honesty, good faith and reasonable skill
- No duty to push for your best interests
- No duty to keep your bargaining information confidential 4
You are my client
- I represent you, and only you
- I keep your budget ceiling private
- I put your interests first, at every meeting
Idaho's agency rules draw a clear line. If you work with a licensee and have no signed representation agreement, you are a customer. Customers are owed honesty, good faith and reasonable skill.
A licensee working with a customer doesn't have to push for your best interests or keep your bargaining information confidential. 4
Sign a buyer representation agreement with me and you become my client. I represent you, and only you. I won't tell a builder your budget ceiling, or how much you love a particular lot.
What will it cost me, and how are you paid?
In most cases, the builder pays my fee. Before we tour a single home, you and I sign a written agreement that spells out exactly how I'm paid. No surprises.
That written agreement is now standard practice. Since August 17, 2024, an agent working with a buyer needs one before touring a home. It must state the compensation and say that commissions are negotiable. 2
Idaho REALTORS® point to the same rule: a signed RE-5 or RE-14 form before an agent shows you a home. 3
One honest note. Builders set their own policies. If a builder doesn't pay buyers' agents, we'll talk about it before your first visit, never after you've fallen in love with a lot.
Why do I need to bring you to my very first visit?
Very, very important
Call or message me before you visit any builder. Please don't register at the model home, or on a builder's website, until we've talked.
Many builders only recognize an agent who is with you at your first visit. If you register alone, you may be treated as unrepresented for that builder from then on.
This is my experience working with buyers, not market data. Policies differ by builder. Five minutes with me first removes the guesswork.
The conversation at the design center is where promises get made.
Why does it matter that my agent is at every builder meeting?
Because on a new build, what you heard and what the builder heard can be two different things. I'm at every meeting. I take notes, ask the questions you didn't know to ask, and make sure what was agreed is written into your contract.
This is the heart of what a good buyer's agent does on a new build. It's also the part you can't see until something goes wrong.
What actually goes wrong?
A new build runs for months, with many conversations along the way. The first visit. The lot and plan. The contract. The design center. The updates. Most of what's said never reaches paper unless someone makes sure it does.
Picture this. A friendly sales rep tells you the fence is included. You smile and nod. Months later, the fence isn't in your contract, and everyone remembers the conversation a little differently.
In my experience, many builder contracts say the written agreement is the whole deal. So a promise made across a desk can be hard to hold anyone to. If it isn't in the contract or an addendum, it may not count.
A past client of mine used to be a Realtor herself. We found her land and her builder together. For her second home, she and her husband went straight to the builder without me.
Afterward they told me they couldn't believe how much work I must have done. The second build took far more of their time. It was far more stressful, too.
That's the quiet work I do on every build. You only notice it when it's missing.
A past client's story, in my words
Where I'm at the table
- The first visit. We tour together, and the builder records me as your agent from the start.
- Lot and plan selection. I ask what the base price includes, what the lot premium covers, and which features are standard and which are upgrades.
- Contract signing. We go through every date, deposit and clause together. Anything you were told that isn't in the contract gets added by addendum before you sign.
- Design and selection appointments. I note every choice, price and allowance, then check them against your signed paperwork.
- Construction updates. When the builder shares a schedule change or a delay, I log the date and who said it. Then I ask for it in writing.
- The final walkthrough. I go through the home with you and document every item to fix, so the list is on paper before closing.
How do I keep it all straight?
After a meeting, I send the builder's representative a short written recap and ask them to confirm it. If they correct me, we caught a misunderstanding early. If they confirm it, you have it in writing.
A recap after a lot-and-plan meeting
Example only
- Fence. The sales rep said a fence is included on this lot. The contract doesn't mention one. Please add it, or tell us the cost.
- Completion date. We were told about June. The contract says "estimated completion" with no date. Please confirm what happens if it runs late.
- Rate buydown. The offer depends on using the builder's lender. Please send the terms in writing, and confirm whether the price changes.
- Appliances. We were told a refrigerator is included. Please list it in the addendum.
If you ever disagree with a builder about what was promised, a dated note beats memory on both sides. I'm not an attorney. For legal questions about your contract, I'll point you to a real estate attorney.
Relocating from out of state? I can join the meeting by video with you, and you get my notes afterward.
I'm not buying in a big subdivision. Does that change what you do?
It does, and it's where an experienced agent earns their keep. A production home, a quick move-in spec home, a semi-custom home and a custom build are four different purchases. I adapt to each one.
Production homes
Large builders with set plans in big communities. Prices come off a published list. These builders use rate buydowns most. If this is your first home, see my first-time buyer programs.
My focus: comparing incentive offers and loan quotes, the contract and its deadlines, the lot, and the selections worth paying for.
Quick move-in and spec homes
Homes a builder has started or finished without a buyer. You can often close sooner. Pricing and incentives on a finished home move with supply and demand.
My focus: confirming what's included, getting any incentive in writing, the final walkthrough, and how the builder's warranty works.
Semi-custom builders
Smaller builders, larger lots and a design center with many choices. Rate buydowns are far less likely. Your timing in the community, and the details, are where the money is.
My focus: lot premiums, allowances, each selection, and the price of every change before you sign it.
Custom builds
You hire a builder, often with your own plans. The contract reads more like a construction agreement than a purchase contract. Incentives are rare. See my luxury homes page for the high end.
My focus: the payment schedule, allowances, change-order pricing, utilities and site work, and what a construction loan requires.
These groupings come from my experience working with buyers, not market data. Builders don't always fit neatly into one.
Will the builder help with my rate or closing costs?
Sometimes. Builders offer incentives when they need to sell, so it comes down to supply and demand and the time of year. Large production builders use rate buydowns most. The higher the price point, the less likely you'll see one.
Who offers them?
Nationally, 66% of builders used sales incentives in September 2026. 6 Mortgage rate buydowns specifically were used by 30% of builders. 5
The share climbs with builder size: 73% of builders starting 100 or more homes a year, against 13% of those starting five or fewer. In the West, it was 50%. 5
That matches what I see here. Large production builders, including CBH Homes and Hubble Homes, are where I most often see buydowns and buyer incentives offered, mostly on entry-level and spec homes.
What about higher-priced homes?
Here I'll be straight with you. As the price goes up, incentives get much rarer. That price pattern is my experience. The national survey doesn't break incentives out by price.
If you're shopping semi-custom or custom, I won't promise you a discount. Your advantage comes from timing, the details, and a contract that says what it should.
Does the time of year matter?
It can. Unsold finished homes cost a builder money to hold, and many builders work toward year-end targets. So offers can get more generous late in the year. 9
Buyer traffic also tends to fall from December through February, which can give you more room to negotiate. Spring brings the strongest demand, and some year-end offers disappear once traffic picks up. 9
That's national, builder-data reporting. Treasure Valley builders each run their own calendar, so I ask each one what's on the table right now.
What should I check before I say yes to one?
- The lender. The best incentives are often tied to the builder's preferred lender. A different lender can shrink the offer or cancel it. We'll compare that lender's rate and fees with an outside quote. 7
- Where the cost goes. Sometimes the cost of a buydown or credit is built into the home's price. You could get a lower rate and a larger loan. 7
- How long it lasts. A temporary buydown lowers your rate for the first one to three years. A permanent buydown lasts the life of the loan and usually costs points up front. 7
- Price or incentive. Builders often prefer incentives to price cuts, partly because a cut can hurt appraisals and reset the neighbors' comparable sales. 7
- Whether it's written down. An incentive mentioned at the model home isn't an incentive until it's in your contract.
I compare offers by what they're worth to you in total, not by the size of the headline. Then I make sure the one you choose is in writing. For how new homes are priced across the valley, see my New Construction Guide.
Does it matter when I buy in a new community? Is it better to be first in?
Often, yes. As a rule of thumb, the earlier you buy in a new community, the better your price. Buyers in the final phases can pay a fair bit more than the first ones. It's never cast in stone, because it's always down to supply and demand.
An illustration of the pattern, not actual prices. It's never cast in stone.
Why are early buyers usually offered better pricing?
Builders want momentum. Early sales make a community look busy, and early pricing is how builders attract those first buyers. 8 Many builders start low, then raise prices as the community develops and demand grows. 10 11
One national listing site says later phases can cost 10% or more than the first. 8 Your community may differ, and I'll tell you what I see in the one you're considering.
In my experience there's a simple reason underneath it all: a builder with a new community needs money coming in. That's my observation, not market data.
What's the catch for the first people in?
Honest answer: you may be living in a construction site. Expect more dust, noise and truck traffic than the last family in will ever see. Some buyers barely notice. Others find it wears on them. 10
Amenities like a park or pool may not be finished when you move in, and schedules can slip. 10 11 Lots can also differ from phase to phase, so we'll look at what's actually available.
What happens to a spec home once it's finished?
It's not unusual for a builder to raise the price of a finished home. Some builders adjust prices every month. Others do the opposite and add incentives to sell it. It depends on supply and demand. This is my experience, not market data.
How do I use this?
- Ask where the community is. Which phase is selling? How many homes are left? How has pricing moved since the first release?
- Ask what's coming. Future phases, amenities and timelines affect both your price and your daily life.
- Decide what you can live with. Is a better price worth living next to a construction zone for a while? Only you can say.
I'll ask the builder these questions with you, and I'll put the answers in my notes.
Same community. Different phase. Often a different price.
What happens after we choose a builder?
We make the decisions that are hard to undo: the lot, the upgrades and the deadlines. Then I stay with you until the keys are in your hand.
- The lot. In my experience the lot matters as much as the plan. Orientation, neighbors' views and what backs onto the lot all shape how you'll live there.
- The upgrades. Builder upgrades rarely return dollar for dollar at resale. That's my view, not market data. Some are worth it. Others are better done later.
- The deadlines. Earnest money, selection dates, financing deadlines and construction milestones. I keep the calendar and remind you before each one.
- Inspections and warranty. New doesn't always mean perfect. We decide together whether to bring in an independent inspector. I also make sure you know what the builder's warranty covers and how to make a claim.
I'm relocating from out of state. Can you really do this long distance?
Yes. Relocating buyers are a big part of my work. We narrow builders and communities by phone and video, then plan one focused trip to see your finalists.
I came to Boise from Santa Barbara myself, so I know what a big move asks of you. Timing is the big question. A to-be-built home typically takes about 6 to 18 months. A move-in-ready home can close sooner. We line that up with your sale and your move date.
Contracts and closing paperwork can usually be signed electronically. When you can't be at a builder meeting, I join by video and send you my notes. My Relocation Guide covers the communities where new homes are going up, and the Relocate page lays out the move step by step.
Your questions, and mine.
Ask yourself
- Which kind of new home am I really buying: production, spec, semi-custom or custom?
- How firm is my move-in date, and could I live next to a construction zone if I buy early?
- Have I compared more than one loan quote, including the builder's preferred lender?
Ask me
- What does our written agreement say, and how are you paid on this home?
- Will you be at every meeting with the builder, and how do I get your notes?
- Which phase is selling, how has pricing moved, and what is this builder offering in writing?
Let's talk before you visit a builder.
Tell me your price range, your timeline and the areas you love. I'll tell you which builders deserve a first visit, and we'll build the plan together.
Sources
- Intermountain MLS, Market Statistics report, data as of October 29, 2026. Single-family homes, including single-family with acreage, closed in September 2026. New construction means homes listed as to be built, under construction, or new, never occupied.
- National Association of REALTORS®, Written Buyer Agreements 101.
- Idaho REALTORS®, NAR Settlement and Forms FAQs, July 2024.
- Idaho Real Estate Commission, Agency Disclosure Brochure, 2023.
- National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), HMI Special Questions for September 2026. Builders were asked which incentives they are currently using, and could select more than one. Builder size is based on homes started in 2025 (405 respondents).
- NAHB, Builder Sentiment Falls on Higher Interest Rates and Costs, Eye on Housing, September 2026.
- Choncé Maddox, Kiplinger, Builders Are Offering Big Mortgage Incentives: What Homebuyers Should Watch For, updated June 17, 2026.
- Rachel Kinbar, NewHomeSource, 3 Benefits of Buying Early in a New Construction Community, July 14, 2025.
- Stacker, produced by NewHomeSource, The year-end builder rush: Why December deadlines can work in your favor, December 10, 2025.
- Beechwood Homes, Why Buying Early in a New Development Pays Off, December 5, 2025. Published by a builder, so it describes the pitch as well as the pattern.
- French Brothers, Why Buying Early in a New Home Community Is a Smart Move, August 27, 2025. Also published by a builder.
General information only. Not legal, tax or lending advice. Every builder and contract is different.
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