Buying "Loudoun Valley The Glen" Richmond Model (sales, HOA fees) - Northern Virginia - Virginia (VA) - City-Data Forum

justforQA · 01-14-2009, 10:30 AM

We are planning to buy Loudoun Valley The Glen - Richmond model with toll brothers, any one having any goo/bad experience with them which they could share
Any tips to get a better deal on price or if you could share the final cost you payed for your home ..

kevinm · 01-14-2009, 12:19 PM

I own a Toll Brothers "Glen- Bromley" in South Riding. With a finished basement and upgraded cabinets I paid $852K in 2005. Toll will work with you on price. Just stay in good graces with your project manager.

justforQA · 01-14-2009, 01:49 PM

Thanks Kevin...
Really appreciate your response, we were very positive about buying from Toll Bro ..but got a bit scared after reading few not so good things about them @ The Truth About Toll Brothers

Espressoo · 01-14-2009, 02:20 PM

How big are the lot sizes there? Most Toll Brother communities that I've visited are pretty large which has it advantages and disadvantages. Lots of amenities (higher HOA fees) and depending on the layout, can be congested. It really depends on the lot size and the footprint of the home. However they do a good job with landscaping the community as seen at South Riding and Dominion Valley.

Price wise, ask for a lot but offer a little. The sales agent might discourage you in doing that and will be hesitant to write up the contract but the decision is made higher up therefore their input should be taken lightly. Whatever options you want, add it up and discount it 50% from your offer. Ask your realtor to look up recent sales as well, both new and old for comparison. If you're buying a standard home with few options, your discount might not seem great but if there are things that you want, you can negotiate fairly well. I also noticed that only the first floor ceiling is 9' and not the second floor. You might want to consider 9' on the second floor as well since that might be one of the items they had standard before but due to lower pricing, had to remove that. It makes a big difference in a luxury SFH. I agree with the above in having a good relationship with your project manager. After all, he/she is overseeing the construction of your home.

justforQA · 01-14-2009, 03:25 PM

If I got it right then your suggestion is to negotiate more on the options than the base price of the home (of course after all the discounts they offer on that).
Like if I am buying something for 500K and options are for 100K then I should give them an offer of 550K..
Should I not ask for some credit @ Design Center?

pudhadeps · 01-15-2009, 11:36 AM

If you go through redfin buyer agents, you could get up to 1.5 percent of the total house value back. This is a very good amount to consider.

udr · 01-15-2009, 12:08 PM

I actually live in the development, we're in the Executive section. We signed the contract prior fall and moved in last spring. From my experience, prices are very negotiable. It wouldn't hurt to ask for what you think is fair. If Toll can't do it, they'll counter-offer. They'll work with you because they need your business. Ask for as much Design Center credits as you can. We had approx 13K and its wasn't nearly enough. As stated above, work closely with the construction manager.

kevinm · 01-15-2009, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justforQA

If I got it right then your suggestion is to negotiate more on the options than the base price of the home (of course after all the discounts they offer on that).
Like if I am buying something for 500K and options are for 100K then I should give them an offer of 550K..
Should I not ask for some credit @ Design Center?

TOLL Brothers will not negotiate the BASE PRICE of their homes. They want to protect the current homeowners. They WILL give you credits and discounts on the options.

Denton56 · 01-15-2009, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinm

I own a Toll Brothers "Glen- Bromley" in South Riding. With a finished basement and upgraded cabinets I paid $852K in 2005. Toll will work with you on price. Just stay in good graces with your project manager.

That's astonishing, but 2005 was also very close to the height of the market. I would not expect people to pay that much today.

Denton56 · 01-15-2009, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinm

TOLL Brothers will not negotiate the BASE PRICE of their homes. They want to protect the current homeowners. They WILL give you credits and discounts on the options.

IF that were true, they wouldn't have sold a house for the last 2+ years. Houses simply are not worth now what they were in 2005/2006. Toll brothers cannot protect anyone from the decline in house values. The houses they sold in 2005 are worth less today. Why would they sell new models for the same 2005 price when anyone could walk down the street and buy the same house for much less? Why would anyone BUY a new house that was so overpriced? They wouldn't.