Considering a brand-new home? Bring your agent on the first visit.
New construction is a great option here, and I work with these builders all the time. But the friendly person in the model home works for the builder, and the contract is the builder's. At many builders, the only way to have your own agent on your side is to bring them on your very first visit. Call me before you go.
Before you visit a model
Three things that protect you, and they take five minutes.
I'll register you with the builder or meet you there. Most builders only recognize your agent if we're with you from the start.
Their sign-in sheet, website form or chat can count as your "first visit." After that, some builders won't add your agent at all.
Base price, lot premium, options, incentives, and who pays which closing costs, before you sign anything.
Why have your own agent on a new home
The builder has a sales team, a contract written for the builder, and often its own lender and title company. Here's what having someone on your side changes.
The sales rep works for the builder
They're often great people, but their job is to sell the builder's homes on the builder's terms. In Florida, a licensee is presumed to give only limited representation unless you agree otherwise, and a builder's own employees may not be licensed at all.
Fla. Stat. 475.278 and 475.011
Your first visit decides
Maronda says the agent "MUST accompany your buyer, in-person on the first visit." Lennar asks buyers to register their agent at their first contact with any Lennar employee, and LGI says an earlier call, text, email or web form from the buyer disqualifies the agent.
From each builder's published agent policy, checked Oct 15, 2026
Credits aren't always what they seem
"Sometimes the builder may give closing cost credits but then put the charges to the buyer for typical seller expenses."
On a resale, the seller customarily pays the deed stamps and the owner's title policy. With a builder, the buyer often pays them instead. The contract decides, so I ask for an estimated closing statement up front.
The builder's lender is optional
Rate buydowns and closing-cost help tied to the builder's lender or title company are legal, but you can't be required to use them. I'll help you compare the total cost, not just the rate.
12 CFR 1024.15 (federal rules on affiliated businesses)
Protect your deposit
Florida law lets buyers of new homes have deposits held in escrow, but that right can be waived in writing, and builder contracts sometimes do. We read that part before you sign.
Fla. Stat. 501.1375
Plan for the second-year tax bill
A home that wasn't finished on January 1 is often taxed on the land only for its first year, so the next bill can jump. Homestead requires that you own the home on January 1, and many new communities add a CDD assessment to the tax bill.
Fla. Stat. 192.042, 196.031 and 190.048
Inspect a brand-new home too
"New homes have problems too… The builder's own inspections aren't working for you."
I like a pre-drywall inspection, a final inspection before your walk-through, and another check before the builder's one-year warranty runs out.
Builder one-year warranty: Fla. Stat. 553.837 (since July 1, 2025)
Options and lot premiums add up
Upgrades and premium lots are where a base price grows. I'll help you decide which options are worth doing now and which you can add later for less.
What does it cost you?
Many builders pay the buyer's agent. Before we tour, you and I sign a short written agreement that spells out how I'm paid, so there are no surprises. Florida has required that written agreement since August 2024.
Deals, move-in ready homes, and every community
Builder deals and move-in ready homes are checked several times a week. Community starting prices are the builders' own "from" prices as listed on Oct 15, 2026. Incentives change fast, so ask me for today's numbers. Tap "Add to my short list" on any deal, home or community, and I'll send you the details.
Builder deals
Move-in ready and price-cut homes
Up to 4 per builder; pick a builder above to see all of theirs. Ask me before you visit.| Home | Builder · community | Ready | Price |
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Building on a lot in Palm Coast
Palm Coast's established sections have thousands of single-family lots, and several builders build on them. These homes usually come with no HOA and no CDD, which buyers like. Before you choose a lot, ask about the flood zone, water and sewer hookups, and what it costs to clear and prepare it.
Builders doing this now: Adams Homes, D.R. Horton, Estela Living, Holiday Builders, Hunter Quinn Homes, LGI Homes, Maronda Homes.
On the horizon in Flagler County
News only, not for sale yet.
- Raydient's western expansion, west of US 1, Palm Coast. About 22,000 homes over about 30 years; master plan shown April 2026.
- Haw Creek Reserve, west and south of Bunnell. Up to 6,100 homes; approved September 2025, built over many years.
- Magnolia Trace, off Belle Terre near US 1. 624 homes, townhomes and apartments; first approval October 2026.
- Seminole Woods mixed-use, Seminole Woods Blvd. Up to 502 homes plus shops; land use approved 2026.
- Sawmill Branch, next phase. 244 more single-family homes; first approval April 2026.
Tell me what you're looking for
I'll send today's prices and incentives for the communities you pick, and set up your visits so I'm registered with the builder before you walk in.
Builder names, starting prices, HOA and CDD notes and amenities come from the builders' and new-home listing sites, checked Oct 15, 2026. They change often and aren't guaranteed; not every builder or home is shown. A "55+" label means the builder markets the community as housing for older persons. Dave Petkovsek is a Real Estate Broker with Realty Exchange.
Sources for the Florida rules above
- Fla. Stat. 475.278: brokerage relationships
- Fla. Stat. 501.1375: buyer deposits on new homes
- Fla. Stat. 192.042: date of assessment for new improvements
- Fla. Stat. 190.048: CDD disclosure
- Fla. Stat. 553.837: builder's one-year warranty
- 12 CFR 1024.15: affiliated business arrangements
- Florida Realtors: written buyer agreements (NAR settlement FAQ)
- Builder agent policies: Maronda, Lennar, LGI