Make an offer. That way you'll find out for sure.

The reason they say they won't come off the base price has to do with their own bank. Quite often, when a developer borrows to build a project, the repayment terms are based on the appraised price at the time of the loan agreement. The builder can't sell below that without violating the terms of his own financing.

But like the man said, if they want to make a deal, there's ways.

I would check to see if new construction homes were in foreclosure in the area and buy one directly from the bank if so. Stranger things have happened. You can search free for foreclosures at: http://www.PortlandHomeAuction.com

Cheers,
Aaron

Thank you for your interest in Arbor Oaks! I hope I can shed some light on your question. When Arbor builds a home that is for inventory, they build the home to appeal to the general public which leaves the person that is going to be purchasing that home without an opportunity to personalize to their tastes. So that is taken into consideration during negotiations. Arbor has proven themselves to be the strongest builder in the area in hot markets and downturns. We have sold through most of the standing inventory at Arbor Oaks over the first quarter and are actually starting new specs in an effort to get as many homes done as possible before the tax credit of $8,000 expires on December 1, 2009. I advise you to come out to the sales office and find the home you like, make your best offer and take advantage of the tax credit. If you are interested in building, they may even help you pay for your options and upgrades.

Jennifer Walsh
Broker, Arbor Oaks

Best advice - never go it alone. Even the most experience home buyer understands the value of good representation. The seller (especially new home sales) has every angle covered for THEM. They have sales representation and legal representation that has in most cases redrafted the standard sales documents.

Why would you want the same person that is representing the seller also represent you. A strong buyers agent will not only show comps and validate the offering price, but they only represent you and not the seller.

If you are seeking strong representation, give me a call - 503-495-5231.

Roberta Nopson
Accredited Buyers Representative

Yes, you've gotten some excellent advice and do get your own representation! Everything is negotiable in a real estate transaction...
all the best,
Janeese Jackson, Principal Broker
Real Estate Resource
503-709-0802
jj@janeesejackson.com

Hello,
My first piece of advice is NEVER buy a home from the Arbor realtor without your own realtor working for you. What incentive do they have to get you the best deal when they work for Arbor? Feel free to contact me if you want some detailed help.

Hank Paterson
503-803-7204

Hi,

All builders are very motivated to sell any inventory they have. They may verbally say they have a bottom price, but once an agent puts a signed offer in front of them,with a prequalified buyer and some earnest money, they are very apt to change their thoughts. I have negotiated with a couple builders in the past 6 months, and have been able to help my clients save several dollars.

Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you, if you are not already working with a buyers agent.

Jean Pritchard
Amerivest Realty of Portland
503-680-4449
jeanprit@msn.com http://www.jeansellsportland.com

Novice: As both a Real Estate Broker and past General Contractor that specializes in new home sales, I can only tiell you that in this market anything is negotiable if the Seller wants to sale. From the developer/Builders stand point, they should be more motivated to sell any existing "finished" inventory to reduce their operatng overhead and carrying costs. When you are negotiating for a "build to suit" or custom home to be built, the builder has to anticipate increases in building material costs, interest on construction loan, and changes in your buying status when finalizing the price. I would be happy to meet with you and explain how I can be of service to you in negotiating your purchase and to answer any other questions on how the process works for first time buyers like yourself. I imagine that you have obtained your loan pre-approval from a reliable Lender and that is the first step.

Abor Oaks is as desperate as any other builder right now. I would simply ignore that they say the won't go below the base price and use a strong negotiating Realtor to help. I'm local and ready to help.