Stay AWAY from track builders!!!!!!!!!!! I've heard horror stories about Toll here in the Charlotte area for years. They try to make the inside look beautiful but the house is made as CHEAP as possible to increase profit!!!!! AND they charge outrageous prices!!! IMO.....find a local builder. CK with the local building suppliers.

I wouldn't do it, either, not with any tract builder. I'd be hard pressed to do it with a custom builder. Everyone I've ever known who has built a house has paid a lot more than if they just bought an existing house and they've all got unpleasant stories to tell about going through the build.

I think a lot of it depends on your area....not all tract builders are horror stories. Like anything, there are good and bad production builders. In my area, production builders are a great value and they build great neighborhoods. You can't get the same level of customization going with a production builder compared to a custom home, but you can get a fair amount of customization (at least here), for significantly less money. Many of the smaller subdivision builders here use the exact same framing and subcontractor crews as the custom builders use.

I would research your options and gather builder feedback specific to your area. And don't fool yourself......a custom home doesn't necessarily equate to great quality and/or a superior build. Our current home was a custom build (we are second owners), and there are a lot of things "wrong" with it, corners were cut, etc. Custom homes aren't immune to bad builders, either.

I can't comment on Toll brothers specifically, but I would focus on the things you can't change -- the biggest being the lot/ location. If you aren't crazy about either of your options, maybe shift your focus towards existing homes. But again, even that is difficult comparison to make, because new vs existing is dependent upon your area. In the suburb we live in, it is cheaper to build new on the developing outskirts of town compared to buying an existing home in the established neighborhoods, even though they are minutes apart. I am always hearing people say that it is much more expensive to build than to buy existing, but that wasn't our experience at all. Especially when you factor in the cost of updating the existing homes (not just aesthetics like dated bathrooms and kitchens, but windows, roof, mechanicals, etc). All of a sudden, that existing home becomes much more expensive. Building can make better financial sense in some markets, particularly if you have the time/patience to let the neighborhood and trees mature. And in other areas, you do pay a premium for "new." That is why it can be hard gathering advice on a public forum, because your market/area might be totally different than mine.

Look at the whole picture, and keep in mind what you might be selling in 5-10-15+ years when the house is no longer fresh and new. Lot/location will always be important. Road noise and being close to the entrance would be a deal breaker for me. I wouldn't even consider those unless you won't be bothered by those things, and/or you can get a really awesome deal on one of those lots.

If a production builder is supplying the location and lifestyle you need, honestly, I don't think the experience necessarily will be as dire as many on here may think. Our first home was in a charming production neighborhood. We lived there happily for over 10 years before we custom built. Was the house perfect? No, but neither is our custom home! I think if you choose your production builder carefully, and, most importantly as stated above...get the best location you can, you will be fine with your home. FWIW, Toll Bros homes in our area seem to hold their value quite well. I am sure you could find nightmare stories for any builder. Just go into this with your eyes open, establish a good relationship with your project manager, and check on the build on a regular basis.

Besides checking references, closely check the contract which you will have to sign. In most cases, the tract builder owns the land and the house under construction and, in many cases, you will not be able to go on site, visit the house or make comments or suggestions during construction until it is finished and ownership transfers to you. In many cases, working with tract builders is simply buying a product, pure and simple.

" In many cases, working with tract builders is simply buying a product, pure and simple."

Emphasis on "their" product until frinished. A nd you will pay thru the teeth for ANYTHING different then what they use as a standard.

I wouldn't do it, either, not with any tract builder. I'd be hard pressed to do it with a custom builder

Considering this is the Building a House forum, why are you hanging out here if you wouldn't build a house?

And don't fool yourself......a custom home doesn't necessarily equate to great quality and/or a superior build.

Amen. My sister's first home was a custom build and now 30+ years later, I'm surprised it's still standing as so many things about it were shoddily done. And at the time it was considered a high end house. In today's dollars it's probably in the 2 mil area.

Building can make better financial sense in some markets, particularly if you have the time/patience to let the neighborhood and trees mature. And in other areas, you do pay a premium for "new."

If you plan on staying in the home more than say 5-7 years then building new in a growing neighborhood can definitely make financial sense. However if this is a starter home you're thinking of selling in a relatively short time frame, then I would look to more established neighborhoods to buy into.

For example, in my area of SW FL, there are lots of developments going up east of the highway. However because land is so plentiful east of the highway, any home going up now will take years to turn a profit or even hold its value. I say that because most people given the opportunity prefer to build new for the same price versus buying a "used" house.

I know of a woman who built in a community out east 5-7 years ago and now wants to sell. However she will wind up losing a bundle if she sells that house because there is still open land even in her development.

Look at the whole picture, and keep in mind what you might be selling in 5-10-15+ years when the house is no longer fresh and new. Lot/location will always be important. Road noise and being close to the entrance would be a deal breaker for me. I wouldn't even consider those unless you won't be bothered by those things, and/or you can get a really awesome deal on one of those lots.

Agree with CLC. If it's a less desirable lot, then I'd want to get it for quite a substantial discount because when you go to sell it will fetch less money. Bottom line is always location, location, location.

For example, we were the second people to put down a deposit in our small development of 18 custom homes. Our builder was willing to give us a nice discount on the initial lot price to get the development started. However once he started selling the lots, the initial lot pricing went up by over $20,000 and he wasn't willing anymore to discount the lot price. So people buying now are paying substantially more for the same lots as we paid 2 years ago.

So if I were one of the last two people coming into the development and buying the less desirable lot, I'd want a price break off the initial pricing. That may take a bit of sleuthing to find out.

Toll Bros is in the business of giving people what they want, today. If you look at their homes they pack them with what's current. For a while it was home theatres with "popcorn kitchens." For a while it was mother-in-law suites (they didn't call it that.) Big islands with "schoolhouse" pendants. Whatever you see on Pintrest. Imo some of it risks becoming dated quickly. But you get that with a lot of custom home builds.

Obviously they have to build to code.

I looked at hundreds and hundreds of homes during a two-year period. If you want bang-for-the-buck, you get a lot of bang. That's their business. But they need to make a profit and that profit comes from the scale of production building and savings on labor and materials.

Good luck!

Toll brothers probably gets the most negative press because they are big. Your regional one could be far worse but doesn't have as many people complaining about them in forums.

I've done both. The tract was not as nice but it wasn't horrible.

There's no need for snark, cpartist. BTW, I'm not "hanging out" in the building a home forum. I read the thread titles from every forum (under gardenweb discussions) and then read the threads that I find interesting.

I responded to the OP's question with my honest opinion. I would not built with a tract builder and I would also have a hard time trusting a custom builder.

My sister built with a tract builder. It was not a pleasant experience for her and ended up with them having to go to court, where they received a judgment in their favor and the builder was required to finish building their home to a reasonable standard.

My in-laws have just finished up building a new home (on property they already owned) with a custom builder. They haven't even got everything moved in yet, that's how recently they've finished up with the build. They paid a great deal of money to build that home, much more than it would have been to just buy an existing home. My FIL worked in the construction industry (recently retired), so you'd think their home wouldn't have issues. But, it does. I won't get into the issues. But, I'll say that, when I walk around that house, I see multiple jobs that weren't so well done. They definitely paid enough money that you'd think it wouldn't be like that. The workers also behaved in some rather disgusting ways while on the property. My in-laws got to experience that because they lived in another house on the property while the building was being done. Overall, there were multiple things about the build that they found stressful. The house isn't all that great when you think about how they paid top dollar for it. I don't think they would do it again, judging by how stressful they found the whole process and by some of the things they've said.

My Dad worked in the construction industry. He refused to even submit bids to production builders. He told me that they typically take the subcontractors who give the cheapest bid and who have no problem cutting corners. My Dad took pride in his work.

They're building a lot of homes around here. Sometimes, we go look at the models. We see the poor quality work that's done, regardless of builder. It seems that most other people touring while we're there don't see the poor quality work, because they seem to like the homes (judging based upon their comments that we hear). But, we know what to look for and we see the problems and we see a good amount of poor quality work, in the MODELS. You'd think they'd do a good job with the models, to impress potential customers. But, it seems that they don't have to. I guess most people don't see the problems. The houses sell.

We have lived in three tract homes. We've fixed a good amount of shoddy work. For example, not a single one of the three tract homes we've lived in has had waterproofing behind the tiles in the showers. Nope, it's just been tiles on sheetrock in three different homes, many miles apart from each other, in three different cities. Plus, there's all the cheap finishes that the tract builders use that we don't particularly enjoy and end up replacing. They all use the cheapest stuff they can get away with, while charging the people who buy from them a premium. That's how it works.

We've decided that we won't ever build or buy new. Friends who have lived in newly built houses agree that they wouldn't do it again. Besides, you can get a much larger lot around here if you buy an existing home. The only way to get a decent sized lot anywhere around here is to buy an existing home or buy land and pay someone to build on it for you.

Just because this is the building homes forum doesn't mean that everyone who posts here is required to think it's a great idea to build a home. The OP was looking for honest opinions, and I gave mine, as did the first person to respond.

Funny - I've lived in several new homes. Tile on drywall? Where the heck do you live? That is absolutely crazy and I've been around probably 100's of in process construction homes and I've never seen drywall behind tile. We have something called inspectors - and that does not meet code - and it is really really hard to miss.

So I wouldn't consider whatever planet you live on to be representative of building in my area. Now that was snark... and I am kidding.

There is shoddy construction on houses built in every year that houses have been built. The nice thing about building for yourself is that you can see everything that is done.

New builds cost more. But I've never had to replace a roof, paint an exterior, replace siding etc etc. And my utilities and homeowner's insurance are always lower than comparable houses. When you buy a resale, you usually will spend some money and your ongoing costs are greater. Does it ever make up for the premium - maybe, maybe not.

In high cost areas, the premium is usually higher and may not be worth it. That doesn't mean that everywhere that is true.

Getting ready for my 4th build. Never lost money on any of them. Still have one as a rental property.

I live in CA. I've had three tract houses, in three different cities, with no waterproofing behind the tiles in the showers, in any house. My sister has a tract house too and she had to redo her bathrooms. Same thing...no waterproofing behind the shower tiles. There was also a class action lawsuit associated with the houses in her neighborhood. I forget what it was about, exactly...something to do with the slab foundations. The tract builders use cheap windows that don't last long, cheap tiles, cheap sinks, cheap cabinets, etc. and it gets worse every year. I find the thin, flimsy, cheap cabinets that they are using in houses that sell for $750,000+ absolutely shocking. They cut corners every time inspectors aren't looking, or maybe the inspectors ignore what they're doing (I hope that's not the case). I have no idea how they get away with the stuff they do. I just know that they get away with it around here, a lot. Their houses are selling easily too. Of course, they do only what they have to do (which obviously isn't much) to sell their houses at the maximum price they could possibly get. I don't know what it's like in other areas of the country, just what I've experienced/seen here. I find some of the developments absolutely stomach churning.

My FIL worked in the construction industry (recently retired), so you'd think their home wouldn't have issues. But, it does. I won't get into the issues.

I'm rather surprised that with the background you say he had, he couldn't get the house built properly. I would think if he was there checking on a regular basis there wouldn't be the problems he had.

I know that I'm checking on my build daily and I also hired an independent inspector to check the plumbing, HVAC, hurricane strapping, framing, roofing, electrical, etc before the walls were drywalled in.

The workers also behaved in some rather disgusting ways while on the property

And why wasn't that put a stop to with the builder or foreman from the start? If anyone acted improperly on the site or to myself I know my builder would have that sub's hide.

I don't think they would do it again, judging by how stressful they found the whole process and by some of the things they've said.

Building is ALWAYS stressful. Even the best builds are. It comes with the territory. Some can handle it and some can't. I don't think it's because of your FIL's builders so much as it is because of the fact that it just is.

We've decided that we won't ever build or buy new. Friends who have lived in newly built houses agree that they wouldn't do it again.

Of course there are plenty of older homes that were shoddily built too. And older homes come with their own problems such as failing mechanical systems, old roofs, lack of insulation, old windows that leak, appliances needing replacement, older plumbing and possibly leaking pipes, electrical not able to handle today's needs, etc. There are plusses and minuses to old or new. One has to weigh them based on their neighborhood and what they're looking for.

Besides, you can get a much larger lot around here if you buy an existing home.

That's a matter of choice. Not everyone wants large plots.

The only way to get a decent sized lot anywhere around here is to buy an existing home or buy land and pay someone to build on it for you.

And if you pay someone to build it for you, isn't that a new home build?

Just because this is the building homes forum doesn't mean that everyone who posts here is required to think it's a great idea to build a home. The OP was looking for honest opinions, and I gave mine, as did the first person to respond.

Except you're lumping small production local builders (and custom builders) in the same breath as tract building. They are different animals.

I lived in a California tract house too. When we remodeled our master bath - no hardie board or waterproofing behind the tiles. Just regular drywall. It was a mess. I think in my area because 100s of tract homes were being built at any given time, the inspectors didn't have time to actually inspect all the homes. Drive-by inspections were very common and the builders took advantage of that by cutting corners everywhere they could.

We're almost done with our tract house, built by a local builder in central Texas (Gehan).

I agree with those who place importance on a good lot. When we first went into the sales office, we were shown a map of several lots, all of which were completely unworkable. We had already picked out the floorplan we wanted, so we were looking to maximize southern exposure to the main living areas, and minimize western exposure overall. After rejecting every lot based on orientation, the sales lady opened up another section for us (it's in a shockingly huge master planned community -- parks, pools, splash pads, etc.), and we found a great lot.

Our interior finishing choices were very limited (mostly a bunch of gray and brown; and for a chick who likes purple, blue, and green, it was downright torture), and our floorplan modifications were even more limited. Some builders are more flexible than others; all you have to do is ask, the worst they can say is, "No." lol

I was pleasantly surprised that everything was stick built, including the roof. Absolutely no prefab walls or roof trusses, and there is a lot of potentially usable attic space. This is very builder specific; other tracts in my area use panels and trusses.

We ran into a few hiccups, with less than desirable outcomes. Despite selecting a standard brick back in the very beginning of May, it was suddenly not available by the end of June, so we had to pick another one. The builder surprised us by offering a free upgraded brick, which we had not expected (and I honestly have no idea if the replacement was an upgrade or not). The gesture was nice, but I'm having a bit of an adjustment period with the aesthetic of the new brick. ;-)

Our superintendent is overworked with too many other homes for which he's responsible. This leads to a lot of verbal, "Oh, yeah, no problem!" and then the poor soul completely forgets, lol. We don't bother with the minor things, and are carefully picking our battles (of which we only have two).

Our sales associate is very sweet, but not very knowledgeable.

Our design center lady was fantastic, and I will write a letter of commendation for her, once we're done.

Our financing representative (builder's preferred lender)... well... let's just say that we had to go to a competitor to bring out her honesty and integrity.

We will have a third party inspection in 2-3 weeks. I was hoping for several inspections, but the builder only permits one, and it is only allowed 10-14 days before closing. If at all possible, try to negotiate for one *before* the sheet rock goes up, as well as a final one, after the house is completed and all of the utilities are turned on.

At the end of the day, what ultimately matters (at least around here) is square footage. People in my neck of the woods -- who are in the market for existing homes -- just don't care if your house was built custom, semi, or tract, and they don't care what brand of tract. With this in mind, I personally wouldn't pay for the most expensive tract builder, but I also wouldn't go for the cheapest, either.

And one more thing... Whatever you do, figure out your budget based on homes in the neighborhood. Do NOT overbuild for the area. Get on realtor.com (or hire an agent before you begin), and study comparable homes. Stay as close as you can, if not a little below, what the existing homes are going for.

Sorry... That was waaaaaaay too long!!! lol

Appreciate all of the input.

The regional builder's available lots are just not ideal...that leaves Toll. The one lot we are considering has a very high lot premium, but it fits other criteria i.e. sun orientation, corner lot, size, etc etc. I am just leary to work with Toll as their contract is extremely one sided and it is a standard which I hear they don't alter. I read that one cannot even sue if something major occurs and an arbitrator is needed to resolve. Ideally, I would like my own personal inspector to be present through various stages, but I doubt Toll would allow....decisions decisions!

Based on what you're saying alphatin, keep looking.

ditto.....

" Ideally, I would like my own personal inspector to be present through various stages, but I doubt Toll would allow....decisions decisions!"

Especially since it is not "your" house until they complete it and you close.........

You need to always know what you are doing. If you are think that the "custom" home will always be a better quality - you are naive.

=

Toll brothers built 1000000 million units. If only 1% complain about the "quality" - that is 10,000 complains. I am not saying that they good, just the math,

=

What most people - called a quality, has really nothing to with it. Baseboard, moldings, paints - do not represent the "quality". The replaceable items like light or faucets do not represent quality either.

What most people - called a quality, has really nothing to with it. Baseboard, moldings, paints - do not represent the "quality". The replaceable items like light or faucets do not represent quality either.

Agree 1000%. While all the prettys are wonderful, it is not what will keep the house standing if a weather event happens or will keep you warm in winter or cool in summer. The "guts" of the house, framing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roof are more important and what really denote quality.

Thanks all of responding. I realize there is no clear cut answer here, hence the struggle in deciding.

We have looked at nearby homes for sale, but most don't have the layout we want or just need too much work i.e. major updating. I always wonder how one check the bones of the house that is ALREADY built.

Can an inspector or even an engineer give accurate feedback about how the house was built, bones of the house, gut of the ouse, insulation, framing, plumbing, HVAC, etc. once it has been up? I do not know the answer - can someone chime in?

In regards to pricing, the Toll premium for the house and lot when compared to comps will be in the 300k-400K+ range. Worth it? I am not sure as the comp houses are cheaper but will require work i.e. kitchen reno, bathrooms reno, etc etc.....

When you say that compared with the comps, the Toll premium will be $300k-$400k, do you mean that the Toll house will end up costing $300k-$400k *more than* the other houses in the neighborhood?

If that's the case, I would *not* purchase one. You will owe, out of pocket, the difference between the appraisal and what you spend -- and appraisals don't care how much the house cost to build, they care about what the local market (neighboring home sales) will support. Over paying for the house may also come back to bite you in the future, should you need to sell it.

While there is a premium added for a new build during appraisal, a completely renovated home can come close to a new home in comps.

Yes, it is relatively easy to inspect and determine the condition of an existing house if one knows what to look for. Property records will give the date(s) of construction. Key elements to inspect include: condition of foundation (cracking, movement or missing elements) and positive foundation/site drainage away from house; condition of basement or crawl space (if any); condition of exterior and interior walls, ceiling and roofing (look for cracks and sagging; missing or deteriorated roofing); age, condition and performance of HVAC; age, condition and capacity of electrical service; age, condition and performance of plumbing fixtures and fittings, plus supply/waste lines; age, condition and performance of well and septic system (if any). In addition to these major systems, it's easy to check for overall maintenance; condition and performance of windows; missing interior/exterior trim; water infiltration; vermin and insects.

Interior finishes, fixtures and built-ins are easily inspected.

About the only things not possible to easily inspect are what's inside the walls and in the roof structure (if an attic is not available).

Housing inspectors do this for a living. Some are good at it.

Thanks Virgil. Very helpful.

Only if Toll allowed oversight and the contract wasn't so blindly one sided!!

If I am to pursue with Toll and bring up oversight, at what vital stages should my inspector/engineer be present? I am not too familiar with construction stages but I would want the my guy/gal to be there when the "bones" are going up. I brought this up at one point a while back and the sales rep mentioned "well we get the town inspector and there will be no need to bring you own as all will be up to code" Any polite way to push back?

Not that I have found, unfortunately.

If you want the flexibility of third party inspections during the foundation pour, framing, plumbing, electrical, etc., then you'll probably have to either build with someone else or go semi- or totally custom.

My builder wouldn't allow any inspections prior to 10-14 days before closing, and we're only allowed one. I asked for others, even willing to trade the "closing" inspection for a pre-sheet rock inspection, but no luck.

I imagine Toll is even more strict than Gehan.

Maybe before buying, hire a home inspector to come with you to one of the meetings where you tell the sales staff you want to see several houses in various stages of completion. Let them know that the "bones" of the house are more important to you than the "prettys". I'm wondering how they'd react to that. Have the home inspector be your "friend" and then he/she can point out what he/she sees wrong in their construction.

@one devoted dame - yes Toll is very strict.

@cpartisit - good idea and I floated this idea (without the inspector "friend"), but the comeback was "o it is not safe and hazardous"

Can I go in there at odd hours i.e. before the sales office opens or after they close? hmm..even then, this just gives a general idea of the build and not sure if the same mistakes or good practices will apply to my build...

I don't know if it's technically permitted or not, but my husband went out several times "after hours" just so he could take photos of things before the walls were sealed up. We also dropped by, as a family, on weekends (close to evening), so that we wouldn't disturb anyone.

Our superintendent and sales lady know that we are monitoring the house, and they haven't said anything negative to us about it. Granted, we don't make nuisances of ourselves, lol, which probably helps. :-)

If Toll doesn't want you on the premises during construction -- at all -- and they won't allow multiple-stage third party inspections, I would be nervous, admittedly.

You have to carefully read your construction contract and sales agreement to see whether or not you are permitted on the construction site during construction. In a great many cases, the tract builder owns the land and the building under construction and only turns it over to the purchaser upon completion of construction. While consumers may opt for options or some "customization" of construction at the time of signing a purchase agreement, in many cases that does not allow them on-site to monitor construction, much less conduct inspections, give directions or make suggestions to the building crew. Consumers are buying a "finished product" and do not many rights prior to turnover to the consumer by the builder. Read your contract and sales agreement!

Appreciate all of the feedback. I think we will be avoiding moving forward with Toll.

On another note, when one meets with a builder, what are some questions to ask regarding the bones of the house? Basically trying to figure out if quality construction will be done vs cutting corners - or is there no such questions and one doesn't know until they are knee deep?

I'm in my 4th new build (compared to one existing home) they were all tract homes to one degree or another. Around here the only way to live in a real neighborhood is to build a tract home. Like everything else, your experience will depend on a lot of factors that people have already covered. One thing I would like to comment on is the idea that buying a tract home means not being allowed on site, to ask questions, provide feedback etc. That has definitely not been my experience. I was in my last new build twice a day, I had a key and on weekends I would go in and tend to things that I cared about - air sealing, insulation, tight HVAC ducts, etc. Builder had no problem with it. Most of the subs had my cell number - I wrote it on the bare sheet rock wall - and they would call me to ask whether I wanted something this way or that. Several times we asked that things get torn out, moved or redone and they did it each each time. Sometimes we had to pay extra, sometimes not.

It helps to be a little knowledgeable about construction, reasonable, friendly, etc. Bring the guys coffee, donuts, pizza, etc. Compliment them on their work, ask about their families, etc. It goes a long way. I brought my sheet rock guys coffee two days in a row and was effusive in my praise. On the the way out one of the guys came over to me and said that they really appreciated my generosity and compliments. He said something like "most homeowners aren't very nice to us." My total investment was 8 cups of coffee and some chit chat.

^^^ this.

Toll Brothers are tract builders...they just happen to build "luxury" homes on larger lots, but they are basically still tract builders!

Alphatin: On another note, when one meets with a builder, what are some questions
to ask regarding the bones of the house? Basically trying to figure out
if quality construction will be done vs cutting corners - or is there no
such questions and one doesn't know until they are knee deep?
Full disclosure: We have built four custom homes...and by custom I mean, homes...the idea/design for which were first drawn out on note pads, and even a table napkin...not "customized" tract homes as is so often what people mean by custom!!!
Our first steps (in two different states, and now a second home in Texas) has always been to do a lot of research into local builders.
We have actually walked up to a house, and asked the owner who built their home!

What you ask a potential builder about the bones of the house depends on a variety of subjects including your geographical location!!!
Here are just a few things to ponder...do you want stick framing? Two by four? Two by six? Concrete? Cedar? etc
Siding choices: Stone, stucco, brick, Hardie board, cedar....etc
Do you want/can you have a basement? An attic?
Do you want standard roof trusses or custom built roof trusses? (Think space! Attic venting needs, roof type!) etc.

If/when most people build with a tract builder some/all of these things are dictated by the company's process, but you don't have to pay as much consideration to the research needed to choose from the few options you might be given.

Some tract builders are better than others!
A small, locally owned builder with a great reputation would build a great home for you. They value their reputation and seek to keep it.
A large, multi-nationally owned builder is almost always more about profit than any other consideration...not to say they would necessarily cut corners or build a sub-standard home...but complaining about it to the project manager would most often go nowhere, and your frustration levels may be breached!!!

Whatever you chose to do...the one word of advice I offer is: Research.

Good luck!

Toll Brothers have a terrible reputation in my city, especially for their shoddy warranty responses- follow-up time, hassle factor etc.

alphatin, you also seem to have real concerns re: the contract you've seen and/or been presented with. Take your "spidey sense" to an initial consultation with a good RE lawyer. Lay out your concerns. You're looking for somebody who believes that clarity in a contract and equal representation on both sides will provide a document that prevents legal conflicts/action, from the very beginning.

An attorney can also help you understand your Builder's Warranty, and either confirm your expectations or let you know where the "holes" are. Nobody ever tells you that, after moving into that brand new home, it isn't unusual to discover defects. Will they be there for you? An attorney can educate.