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I am just trying to get a rough estimate of the people who are building new homes in the Myrtle Beach area how many of you live in other states during the construction process? I have family in that situation now and was curious if this is a typical scenario and how you all manage the build and monitor everything from out of state?
So my question is 2 parts:
1. How many out of state people are having new home construction done while living in another area of the US?
2. How do you manage, oversee and get updated on the progress of the build?
Well, I did that last summer. We lived in Michigan while the house was being built. I was in constant communication with 2 reps from the construction company and our friendly realtor (who I had known for awhile). We made only 1 visit during the build but had several pictures and videos of the progress emailed to us.
If SC Here I Come reads this he may have some input as he going through this right now. And, yes, many people do this.
Thanks! Curious who sent you pictures and videos? Your real estate agent, or the builder? Did you buy in a HOA community that had a set builder or was it your own land? Just curious on how everything worked. Thanks so much.
Its difficult at best, and a key point is having an honest builder. Make sure the builder chosen is well vetted and do as much research as you can about them. We did all the right stuff and still got stung, and that happens, but we learned that checking with the vendors is probably one of the most overlooked resources.
HOA situations can be great or horrid, again, having a good builder is the key to making that smooth
As TNKY said...I'm in the process (well sorta) of doing it now. I just closed on my home in Feb. I'm still in NY til the first week of July (have to wait for the kids to finish school here).
Construction took about 5-6 months. The builder/realtor would send me weekly update photos. But, I was lucky enough to have a buddy of mine(who lives on my block) to take photos on a DAILY basis for me. He's a very picky guy, and would see something, mention it to me, then I would call the builder. I really lucked out. Luckily though, it was just a few minor things.
I can only wish everyone had the easy process from start to end, that I had during this build.
Thanks! Curious who sent you pictures and videos? Your real estate agent, or the builder? Did you buy in a HOA community that had a set builder or was it your own land? Just curious on how everything worked. Thanks so much.
Both the agent and the builder sent us several pictures/videos. Yes, it is an HOA w/ a set builder. Things worked out pretty well. A bit stressful at times, but nothing we wouldn't do again if we had to.
I am just trying to get a rough estimate of the people who are building new homes in the Myrtle Beach area how many of you live in other states during the construction process? I have family in that situation now and was curious if this is a typical scenario and how you all manage the build and monitor everything from out of state?
So my question is 2 parts:
1. How many out of state people are having new home construction done while living in another area of the US?
2. How do you manage, oversee and get updated on the progress of the build?
Thank you!
When I moved here I became a Realtor and learned a lot about the local market and new construction. I strongly suggest you use a Realtor to check progress and be on top of things for you. I am not saying this to get business because I'm currenlty inactive anyway. I'm saying it because I have seen a lot of nightmare situations from people not using a Realtor, living in another state and the builders lying to them. Thats not to say there are no hard working builders here because there are. ]
People seem to not know or understand it does not cost extra to get a Realtor as a buyer and they can help check progress, send pics, follow up etc...Many people go right to the development or online and use the builders Realtor, I just think a buyer is better off using an agent that doesnt work for the same company and looking out for their clients best interest.
Also, that being said...I went through two Realtors when I moved here because for some reason many dont return calls. I've heard this a million times so just like trying to find a good Dr or hairdresser, sometimes it hard to find a good Realtor.
Please do not just trust the builders "updates", even though I know there are some success stories. My neighbor was in FL having a house built here with no Realtor. She kept believing what they were saying and had no choice. She drove up one day to visit and was shocked to see not even half of what they said was done was actually complete. There were other issues, mistakes they made she wouldnt have known about if she hadn't come here to check.
Builder sent us weekly updates with pictures, and we made the trip down at least once a month. I did most of my selections of faucets, lighting, door styles, cabinets either online or shopping at my local Lowe's or Home Depot. I had a copy of the house plan, so it made it easy working with a kitchen designer. Some of the items such as appliances, flooring, granite and bathroom fixtures were bought in SC on one of the trips down. I am a bargain hunter, so I was shipping a lot of the items directly to the builder or bringing them down on our visits.
By doing a lot of the shopping ourselves, it saved us money in the long run. We were able to get the quality and style we wanted without having the builder select a standard grade in our faucets and lighting. Plus it gave me the satisfaction of being involved in the building process, even though we were 1,000 miles + miles away.
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