Before You Sign: The New Construction Playbook
What to ask, what to check, and when to bring your own agent, from someone who spent nearly 10 years building homes before selling them.
Get the free playbookIndianapolis Area Edition covers Marion, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Boone, Johnson, Morgan and Shelby counties. A general edition is included for anywhere else.
Nine Short Sections You Can Use at the Model Home
Before your first model-home visit
The rule that costs buyers the most, and what to do before you walk in.
12 questions to ask the sales rep
With room to write the answers down.
Builder contract red flags
Eight clauses to understand before you sign, not after.
Choosing your lot
Drainage, sun, easements, and a simple plot-plan diagram.
Upgrades: do now vs. do later
Plus the three I always look at on a build.
The three inspections (and a fourth)
Why pre-drywall matters most.
Financing a new build
Rate locks, builder incentives, and why taxes can jump after year one.
Pre-drywall checklist
A printable page to take to the site.
Building around Indianapolis
Permits, HOAs, drain assessments and the homestead deduction across the eight counties.
The One Rule That Costs People the Most
Most builders require your agent to be with you, or registered, on your very first visit. Walk in alone and sign the guest card, and many builders won't let an agent represent you later on that build.
Having your own agent on a new build typically costs you nothing. In most cases the builder pays the buyer-agent compensation out of a separate marketing fund.
Six Quick Questions, Then It's Yours
Answer six multiple-choice questions about your timing, financing and where you're looking. The playbook comes to your inbox right away, with a note on which sections to read first.
You'll get the playbook, a short email at each stage of a build, and my weekly market report. Unsubscribe any time.
REALTOR® · Trueblood Real Estate
License #RB18001276 · Fishers, Indiana
Call or text me before your first community visit. One call keeps your options open.