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We are leaning toward building a home in the Myrtle Beach Area but not sure what builder to choose. We will probably get a realtor to help with the search but was hoping some of the recent transplants might have some suggestions as to who is one of the better builders in the area. Any new developments popping up in the spring to anyone's knowledge? Thanks for any input.
These are two of the better ones but are not the only good builders. They've built homes in some of the more upscale neighborhoods (eg., Grande Dunes, Dye Estates, Ocean Ridge, Carolina Forest) and each have an excellent reputation.
Also, I'm not 100% sure, but I think if a realtor recommends you a builder and you end up choosing that builder the realtor gets a commission from the builder, which likely means you'll pay that much more for the home. Maybe a Realtor on this board can chime in whether this is true and the % cut they get (if any).
Do yourself a favor- and I don't mean this to sound crabby, but you really need to do your own research. This is why: even the best builders can lose their luster over time and though you could get rave reviews from past customers or old friends and a dozen other resources, unless you have CURRENT information you could end up in a big mess.
Check the following for a list of possibilities: local professional builders association, BBB, Angies List ( not always reliable as a single source but can be helpful in weeding out consistently poorly rated) and your bank ( banks have lists of preferred builders for loan purposes).
Then, go to the SC Licensing Board website and look up each potential candidate by business name or license number. If there have been complaints or actions against the builder it should show up. It also show you that they are licensed to do the work you need. The site is a little difficult to navigate, but once you get on, be sure you look on the RESIDENTIAL BUILDER category for a home builder. That may weed out some. Call your local building official ( what ever county you are going to be building in) and ask them about each candidate. Then talk to local builder supply places about anyone still on the list that you are considering.
This seems like a lot, I know, but take it from someone who was "taken"- doing your homework is the best defense you have against a bad situation.
Even with all this suggested action you still may encounter someone who was previously great but had a meltdown and went south - we did- but to a man, each agency that we had to deal with assured us that we did all the right stuff to begin with and just had an unfortunate occasion to hire someone who had been doing great and then went down the tubes.
One of our subcontractors told me that its a very small community in the builder business along the GS- they all know each other personally or know someone who knows someone....that is why talking to vendors is helpful- if there is a guy who is not "good for business" everyone knows and that person will not be able to get supplies, workers, credit....nadda. You have to ask though, no one will offer up information that is negative.
If you want more information feel free to send a private message
Leetchy - the price on a home does not go up if you use a realtor. The prices for new home builders are usually published - the realtor simply gets a percentage of the price as does the agent who represents the builder. ( Just like in a resale - one agent is the listing agent, one agent the selling. In some rare cases the same agent does both and gets both sides of the commission). I am sure there are some realtors that may lean towards one builder more than another for a number of reasons.
KavH ... What you're saying is applicable for a new "spec" home that's just been built and priced in the MLS.
I'm talking about a true custom home built from scratch where there is no "published price". If a Realtor helped you buy a plot of land and you ask the agent who the good custom builders are in town, then if you use one of those recommendations and build a custom home with that builder does the agent get a kick-back from the builder for the referral? If so, then that cost will be figured in to the price of a new home and will be money out of the buyer's wallet. If agents do get commissions for their builder referrals but you don't use any of their recommendations in selecting a builder, then that leaves wiggle room in negotiating a price with the builder. What I don't know is if real estate agents get kick-backs for their builder referrals.
Leetchy - my husband is a realtor and has done sales in both resale homes and brand new custom homes. Realtors get a standard percentage of the sales price, so as the homebuyer picks out options with a builder the price is determined and then a commission is paid on the final settled sales price. The builder would already have built into each and every price he charges those fees just as he would any other overhead. I can't speak to any "kickbacks" - that would be unethical but we know in this world anything and everything goes on - but that would not be an "official" fee paid to the agent at settlement. And there are published prices for new homes, not just spec homes in the MLS. Most builders have a base price, then a price as options are added. Even the most custom of houses have a base, even if it is a square foot price, then allowances for lighting, etc. We are building a semi - custom house ourselves right now. We started with a base price of a house on a lot we picked and added each and every option/upgrade at a set price per option to arrive at our final price.
Most builders don't have a "published base price" for true custom homes. If I'm wrong, then kindly tell me the base price that Carrell Homes, Nations Homes, and Rutenberg Homes would each charge to build plan #HWEPL66057 from eplans.com and where those prices are published. You can't, because true custom home building doesn't work that way. Builders also don't have a base price per square foot since that depends on a zillion factors and changes continuously depending on material costs.
You're talking about a situation where the builder/developer is offering a "lot + home" package in a community that the developer owns where you can select from maybe 10 different floor plans in the builder's library along with a select number of options. Yes, the builder already has figured the price of those options and each floor plan. And you're right, these may or may not be listed on MLS and if my real estate agent were to introduce me to that community and to the builder/developer, upon sale of the home/lot my agent would receive the normal commissions which the builder/developer already figured into the price of the home/lot. I understand all that, but that's semi-custom and not true custom.
I'm talking about a different situation where you just bought a lot from a private individual (not a builder) and used an agent to close the land deal (and the agent already received a commission from the land purchase). You then ask your agent for the names of some reputable home builders in town. You then take your custom home plans to each builder and after a short bidding process end up hiring one of them to construct your home. After the point of the recommendation your agent had nothing whatsoever to do with any part of the home contract, building or closing process, which is often the case for true custom homes. In this situation does your agent receive a commission from the builder for the referral? That's the question I'm trying to get at.
Just don't use MJM builders Mike Took 6500.00 to make changes on one of his houses but after getting our money said he couldn't do it we asked for our money back but he kept it.
I'm using Oslin Construction to build a home in Murrells Inlet. It's a small company but people who know his work say they do a great job. I was told the owner is onsite daily. I've found that to be true.
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