Hi Happy123,

I think with the number of builders filing bankruptcy, you need a realtor to negotiate the terms of your contract so that you are protected. It's not business as usual in this market and alot of things that haven't happened in the past we are dealing with today, so be sure to get someone knowledgeable to help you in the process.

If I can help you at all with your real estate needs, give me a call.

Good morning Happy,

Being not too familiar with New Jersey's Real Estate laws and practices, I will only speak of TX, but I'm pretty certain that when dealing with new home builders; it's fairly the same.

All builders absolutely want to cater to Realtors as they are a majority chunk of their procuring causes. With that said, they already have usually built in the Realtors commission into every home they have built or will build. In the cases that I've heard about; the consumer not being represented by a Realtor usually does not even get half of the Realtor's fee's negotiated for their benefit and they can usually can end up with a lot less service than those that are represented. That may not happen to all consumers and you may be able to negotiate things well on your own. However, in TX a builder has no fiduciary to you and the sales agent is only there to sell and protect his builder. A Realtor puts someone in your corner to make sure that you aren't getting a raw deal and that the builder isn't taking short cuts on your home because you got them down to a great price.

For example, I just met a couple that didn't have a Realtor and they built a new home through a large home builder. I had also represented a client 2 months earlier in that same subdivision. After talking, my clients received almost $4,000 more in incentives and upgrades than the couple w/out a Realtor. There was no way of them knowing what that builder had done just a month earlier for people bc they did not have someone assisting them and informing them.

There are pros and cons, but it's up to you as far as what you feel in the end you will save. If I'm spending over $200k on a home, I'd want to make sure I'm getting the best deal, and having the most legal and service support that I can possible have.