Builders Getting Creative with Incentives

Builders Getting Creative with Incentives

 

The "incentives" long familiar to new-car buyers — bonuses or rebates thrown in to sweeten a sale — are becoming more common in the new-home market as sales slow and credit continues to dry up.

 

Some of the best incentives are free upgrades, when the builder offers to include appliances, landscaping, a swimming pool, or features like hardwood floors instead of basic carpeting. These upgrades, which can save you thousands of dollars, often represent genuine value — a true discount, rather than a gimmick being paid for via an inflated home price. But watch out for "the catch." Sometimes these upgrades are only available if you accept (expensive) features you might not want or need, or if you finance through the homebuilder.

 

Just like car manufacturers, homebuilders have discovered that offering financing to their buyers can smooth the sales process while adding a significant revenue stream to their businesses. And just as with car-buying, sometimes the "factory financing" is a good deal and sometimes it isn't, especially if it's combined with other incentives. A $10,000 "cash back" promotion that requires you to use a builder's lender and pay above-market rates or fees may be no bargain. But as the market continues to soften, more genuine bargains are surfacing as builders with too much inventory turn to "blow-out financing," offering mortgages with below-market rates and reduced costs to buyers who suddenly have a lot more choices.

 

There are great deals out there, but not all deals are as good as they look.  If you're offered a complex package of incentives that includes a supposedly favorable mortgage, read everything carefully and look for the catch.  If you don't understand what you're reading, paying a real estate attorney to spend an hour or two reviewing the offer could be money well spent.

 

Lastly, never let a homebuilder tell you that you "have" to use their lender.  That's illegal: Federal law guarantees your right to seek financing and related services from independent providers, and a builder who tries to restrict your options is probably pulling a fast one.