I
The agent works for the builder
The helpful person in the model home represents the builder, not you. Buyers who do not bring their own representation from the first visit give up an advocate, usually at no saving.
Free Guide · New Build On The Texas Coast
The New Construction
Buyer’s Guide.
New construction is some of the most exciting property on this coast. But buying new works differently from buying resale, and buyers who treat a new build like a resale purchase are the ones who get caught out.
- Who the model-home agent actually works for
- How the builder’s contract differs from the resale form
- How to read an allowance sheet and price the real home
- Why a brand-new home still needs inspecting
The New Construction Buyer’s Guide
10 pages · Free PDF · Instant access
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3XeXp ICON Agent
Top 1%Corpus Christi MLS
$67M+Sales Since 2019
3Coastal Markets
Why This Exists
New build rewards buyers
who know the difference.
Buying new is not buying resale, and the differences are where money is quietly lost. Three of them account for most of the trouble buyers run into.
II
The model is not the base price
The model home is finished to a higher specification than the base price buys. The gap between what you tour and what you are quoted is where new-build budgets blow out.
III
The contract favours the builder
You sign the builder’s contract, not the balanced resale form. Timeline, deposits, allowances and warranty all read in the builder’s favour unless someone reads them for you.
What's Inside
Ten pages,
contract to keys.
Written the way Mel would walk a client through a new build, covering how the process really works and where the builder’s interests and yours diverge.
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01
Cover
The guide at a glance.
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02
A welcome from Mel
Why buying new is not buying resale, and how her builder relationships fit in.
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03
New build on the Texas coast
The forms new construction takes, from move-in ready to pre-construction, and why new communities often hold the most desirable locations.
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04
Who the model home agent works for
The single most important thing to understand about buying new, and the one rule that protects you, usually at no cost.
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05
Reading the builder’s paperwork
How the builder’s contract differs from the resale form, on timeline, deposits, warranty and change orders, and why everything belongs in writing.
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06
Allowances, upgrades, and the model-home effect
How the base price, allowances and lot premiums combine into the real number, and how to price the home you actually intend to build.
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07
Why new homes still need inspecting
Why a brand-new home deserves an independent inspection, including phase inspections and the warranty walk-through.
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08
What pre-construction asks of you
The upside and the uncertainty of buying early, and how to judge whether pre-construction suits you.
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09
From model home to keys
The new-construction sequence, different from resale, with your representation involved from the very start.
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10
Your next step
How to put an experienced advocate on your side, with Mel’s direct contact details.
By The Last Page
You will buy new
with your eyes open.
New construction offers what resale cannot, but it rewards buyers who understand the process and have someone experienced on their side of the table. This guide puts you there.
- Who represents whom in a new-build transaction, and how to protect yourself
- How to read the builder’s contract for the terms that matter
- How to price the home as you will actually build it, lot premium and all
- Why you still inspect, and when phase inspections are worth it
- Whether pre-construction suits your appetite for risk and waiting
- The full sequence from model home to keys
Is This For You
For buyers considering
something new.
Whether you are drawn to a finished spec home or the pick of a pre-construction community, the guide is written to be read before your first model-home visit.
Written for you if
- ✓Considering a new build
You are drawn to a current, efficient home in a coastal community and want to understand how buying new differs from resale.
- ✓Weighing pre-construction
You are tempted by early pricing and the pick of the lots, and want the upside and the uncertainty laid out honestly.
- ✓About to visit a builder
You are heading to a model home and want to protect yourself before you register or sign anything.
Probably not if
- —You want resale advice
This guide is specific to new construction. For an existing home, the buyer’s guide is the better fit.
- —You have already signed
The guide is most useful before you commit. If you are mid-build with a question, a direct conversation will serve you better.
- —You are buying commercial
The guide covers residential new construction. Commercial development works differently enough to need separate advice.
Who Wrote This
Written by someone who
works this coast daily.
Melissa Hladyniuk sells luxury coastal property across North Padre Island, Port Aransas, and Corpus Christi. She is a three-time eXp ICON agent and sits in the top 1% of the Corpus Christi MLS by sales volume.
Her relationships with local builders and developers, and her familiarity with how these deals actually work, mean she can represent you from the first model-home visit through to keys, usually at no cost to you.
“Involve your own agent before your first visit to a builder. It is the easiest way to protect yourself, and it usually costs you nothing.”
Before You Download
Questions people ask
about this guide.
Is the guide actually free?
Yes. Enter your details and it opens straight away, with no cost and no obligation.
Does it really cost nothing to have my own agent on a new build?
In most new-construction deals the builder pays the buyer’s agent commission, so representation typically costs you nothing, but the agent usually must be involved from your first visit. The guide explains how this works, and arrangements do vary by builder.
Why do I need an inspection on a brand-new home?
Because new homes are built quickly, by many hands, and defects are common, usually minor. An independent inspection documents issues while the builder is still obligated to fix them.
Should I consider pre-construction?
It depends on your appetite for uncertainty and a longer horizon. The guide lays out the upside and the risk so you can decide, and is clear that a move-in-ready home may suit you better.
Can Mel help even though the builder has its own sales agent?
Yes, and that is exactly the point. The model-home agent works for the builder. Having Mel on your side, usually at no cost, is how you keep someone on your side of the table.
Do I have to decide before reading it?
No. The guide is most useful precisely before you commit or even visit a builder. Reading first is the whole idea.
Start Here
Buy new with
someone on your side.
Download the guide, and reach out before your first model-home visit so you have an experienced advocate from contract to keys.
Would rather just talk it through?
Call Mel · (361) 742-9860
The New Construction Buyer’s Guide
10 pages · Free PDF · Instant access
Get your copy
Enter your details and the guide opens straight away. No cost, no obligation.
Your details stay private