Should we just buy new construction since we don't know the neighborhoods yet?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
It's a reasonable instinct — known condition, a warranty, nothing to repaint — but don't let it become a default you back into. Transplants often choose new construction because it removes the neighborhood question. It doesn't remove it; it answers it for you, usually with a longer commute and a streetscape that needs fifteen years to grow shade.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
The stage is set.
Chris's video answer is on its way. Until then, the short answer above says the same thing.
The transcript posts with the video.
The longer answer
Two things to know going in. The friendly agent in the model home works for the builder — bring your own representation, which typically costs you nothing as the buyer. And builder contracts are not the standard Minnesota purchase agreement. Timelines, deposits, upgrades, and change orders all run on the builder's paper, and that paper favors the builder.
Sometimes a new build is exactly right. I just want it chosen, not defaulted to. Try the vibe-match tool, DM me RELOCATE, or call.
The next department over
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From the editor's desk
“As Founder and Editor, I review, correct, and stand behind every answer.”
Is your situation more specific than the market? That's the one worth talking through.