Florida New Construction Homes What Every Buyer Should Know and Avoid

 “The largest expense a homeowner could have is a defective house, and all it takes is 1 persons negligence to make it happen!”

This article will cover some general issues and topics encountered when buying a new house and dealing with builders.  Rich Noto has wrote this article based on his experience in the real estate business.  Please read it all.

After reading this if you did not know some things then there will be much more in the process you will not know.  Most of Rich Noto’s house buyers at some point have said “I would of never thought or known this” and “my previous Realtors never said or did these things”  Rich Noto is a text or email away 321-804-3112  RichNrealtor@gmail.com.  His service is FREE TO YOU, Builder Paid! But many builders want the Realtor to be the “Procuring Cause”.  So Please do not call, text, message, or go to a sales office alone.  A builder like Lennar, for example will ban your ability to have the Free to you, builder paid service.  Why cheat yourself out of a well built house and a FREE service worth $$$$?

Useless Sales Tactics

Do you know any Realtor can “Sell New Homes” but most DO NOT UNDERSTAND CONSTRUCTION!!!  Leaving the buyer alone and uninformed though the build.  High volume sales numbers(useless) = great marketing.  NOT CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE!  Or even how to properly handle builders. “Builder Relationships” another term that  is not helpful to the build.

“What builder is the best?”  “Is builder X a BAD BUILDER?”

The process is way too complicated for any simple generalizations to define a bad builder.  Depending on company policies/practices. Pros and cons of each builder, the location, house types, building methods, staff, all will vary.

• As a buyer do you want leverage dealing with a builder???? If not then go alone!  Alone = No Leverage.
• Who the sales person was? Who their boss is?
• Who the construction manager is? Who is their boss? Is the construction manger skilled? Is that person even looking? Will they fix your house?  Will they lie about fixing your house? Does he have 15-80 homes he building?  Some communities will have several managers.
• The construction manager may be called the superintendent.
• Who are the construction companies that were hired for each component of the house?  Who are their workers? Do their workers have training in Florida building code and manufactures installation instructions?  Is it the workers first day on the job? Do the workers even care about your house? Are the workers being rushed by the construction manger to meet sales numbers? Are the workers under the influence of something?  Are children working on job sites when no one is watching?
• Do you know the same contractors can be doing work for different builders? Example Plumbing company A is installing pipes for Builder X and Builder T!
• Who are the county inspectors? Are they actually checking or signing the approval paper and leaving to get to 20 other homes in the same day?
• Will this builder fix issues identified?
• Will Warranty Fix Issues? Who is the representative? Will they lie and say everything is fine when its not?  “Never leave the house poorly built for warranty to decide” – Rich Noto
• Most buyers make themselves a victim!!!!  Builders know, buyers do NOT know!!!

Questions to Ask Yourself Prior To Purchasing a Florida House

1. If you purchased something in a store and it was defective would you return it?  With a house you only have 1 chance to get it right.
2. Are you aware Florida Realtor Representation is FREE to the buyer because its paid for by the builders advertising plan???  Its included in your purchase regardless of price! (no you wont get the house for less by going alone!)
3. Are you aware calling a builder, emailing, going to sales office alone, without your agent, can void your paid for by the builder Realtor Representation?
4. Do you care about the money you are spending on a house?
5. Do you have thousands of dollars to spend repairing a house, new or used?
6. Would you prefer to only have to worry about mortgage payments for years of ownership?
7. Are you a construction expert with understanding of Florida Residential Code and manufactures installation instructions and methods of building?
8. Do you have a great eye for details or is it best to have others looking too?
9. Are you aware of the pros and cons of different Home Builders?
10. Do you know the best ways to get a better deal, price or incentives from builders?
11. When buyers rate Realtors and Home Inspectors those ratings are typically only based on the Agents or Inspectors personality?  The buyer does not truly know if they were really “great” because the buyer does not know how homes are built or the sales process.  Most buyers hire based on liking a personality and NOT SKILL and Education.
12. Do you understand the homes warranty? And why its BAD to be told “don’t worry this house has a warranty“.
13. Do you know why its bad to leave the defects to after closings warranty?
14. Do you know most homeowners insurance does NOT cover construction defects??
15. What is the “Procuring Cause“?
16. Do you know that the Realtors only obligation, in the eyes of the builders, is to get the buyer to sign the contract.  That Realtor can disappear after contract and the Agents Broker still gets paid!
17. Do you know after contact many agents tell buyers to “contact the builder with any questions”?
18. Do you feel its better to be alone with builders sales and construction managers or better to have a witness on your side?
19. Will you be able to determine if your being treated honestly by builders and construction?
20. Do you know your house is at the mercy of the builders employees (Sales, Sales Managers, Construction, Construction Area Managers and Regional Managers)?
21. Some builders are more speed builders vs others?
22. Are you aware as of August 2024 regulations all buyers “working with a Realtor and touring homes” must be in a signed agreement?
23. Are you aware construction codes are different for central Florida (Orlando, Tampa) vs Southern (Naples, Miami) vs Northern (Pensacola, Destin).

During the Build

1. Can you determine when your being told by construction “everything is fine” or “its only cosmetic” or “it does not matter there is another layer on top” it truly is?
2. Do you know the best methods for trying to get your house repaired during construction?
3. Are you aware of things you should never say to builders?
4. Do you know what county inspectors and third party inspectors are?  Are they dependable? Are they really checking?
5. Do you know builders hire the local contractors to build your house
6. Do you know many communities have several different contractor companies installing components like the roof for example?  And those contractors have many different people working on homes.
7. Do you know many of these contractors have workers that do not know how to install the component properly?
8. Do you know many times the contractors are rushed by builders so they can get their sales number quotas in?
9. Many of Rich Noto’s buyers learn from Rich how homes are built.  They also learn how to spot issues.
10. Are you aware each builder will allow(or NOT allow) specified times during the build for inspections?  Rich Noto has a better system and discusses it with builders to see if they allow it.
11. Do you know some builders will not allow some stages or components of the house to be inspected???
12. Have you heard at some builders they offer bonuses to construction managers for building fast and meeting the sales number time frame quotas.  Some will try to avoid your inspection, or claim they do not have time to pause construction for repairs, or claim its repaired when its not?
13. Are you aware some builders have surveys at the end?

Resale Used Homes

Resale used homes can often have all the defect issues they had during the build.  And now wear and tear and added negligence.  Many home buyer will knowingly let a house leak water from the roof or outside wall for years.  Then sell the house with those issues.  Have you ever wondered why some used homes smell like a moldy and mildew bathroom?  Leaking homes can have rotted wood, mold, termites and roaches.  Florida bad construction is not exempt because a house is old.  Small hidden unseen leaks can cause damage that  can take 5-10 years to show.  Old homes can require serious repairs like tearing down walls, replumbing, rewiring, reroofing…..

Florida Statute 558 Defines Construction Defects as follows in 2024/2025

(5) “Construction defect” means a deficiency in, or a deficiency arising out of, the design, specifications, surveying, planning, supervision, observation of construction, or construction, repair, alteration, or remodeling of real property resulting from:

Violations of Florida Building Code and Manufactures Installation Can Cause:

• Exterior Water Leaks (roof, outside walls)
• Electrical Fire
• Fire Spreading fast through framing
• Structure Collapse
• Foundation Support Issues
• Foundation Underground Pipes Burst or Drain Blockage
• Bodily Injury
• Mold
• Wood Rot
• Energy Efficiency Decrease
• Termites, Roaches and other pests
• Financial losses
• Mental stress and suffering and inconvenient situations.

Hiring Your Own Inspectors

Do you know each inspector will have different skills and different tools?

• Are you aware some inspectors will follow only the minimum standard of practice?
• Do you know each Inspector will have taken different training?
• Some inspectors are not qualified to do new construction but do it anyway.
• Most inspectors will do a completed house. Much less will do a pre drywall inspection. And even less will do a foundation(many of those will miss critical issues).
• Are you aware some inspectors are more cosmetic inspectors? They don’t understand residential codes and manufactures specifications.
• Some inspectors rush to get finished fast.
• Most inspectors and Realtors are rated 5 stars based on personality, from buyers who know nothing about construction defects and claim how great the inspection was.
• Rich Noto at many inspection has uncovered 20-80% more defects than what the inspector would of found alone.
• Rich Noto has spotted inspection reports missing items found during the inspection.

Hidden Defects

Hidden defects are typically defects and issues that are unseen to the normal eye.

• For Example: a unsealed hole that is in the Zip Systems or Tyvek or TYPAR house wrap.  The hole is now concealed by James  Hardie Siding or Stucco.  The Hole is still there and every time it rains the water is getting behind the siding and leaking into the hole.
• Another example of a hidden defect would be under certain conditions.  During or after rain a house leaks in a location and the seller knows it.  But the seller is hiding disclosing the issue to the buyer. Such as on the Sellers Property Disclosure form.

Rich Noto is a Licensed Florida Realtor, Licensed Florida Home Inspector, Notary Public – The First and Last Line of Defense Against Florida Bad Construction

• Rich Noto specializes in guiding Florida new construction buyers.  Rich uses his background in home Inspection(with advanced education see here ) along with studying manufactures installation instructions and building codes for various components of a house.  Rich is specialist at identifying potential Water Intrusion Leak Points such as commonly from poorly installed siding, stucco, windows, roof vents, Zip Systems, and House Wrap (Typar/Tyvek)
• Rich has seen many times the same issues and the same construction defects from one builder to the next.
• Rich advises inspections based on house building stage, components, and builder allowance.  Each is unique.
• Rich attends home inspection and looks with the inspectors.  This commonly results in 20-80% more defects found.
• Rich Noto also meets with construction managers and gives buyers updates along the way using videos and photos.
• Rich Evaluates the report from the home inspector looking for missing or forgotten issues identified through the inspection.
• Rich Noto has a system for Builder completed homes and used resale homes as well.
• Rich Noto has received many compliments from sales associates and construction mangers over the years on how they “have never seen a Realtor do what he does”
• For those who want to learn.  Rich Teaches his buyers about how homes are built. Showing codes and illustrations and videos.  Rich also goes over what to watch out for, and how to spot water leaks and more.
• He also points out the pros and cons of various house shapes such as with the roof.
• Many of Richard Noto’s customers came to him not knowing how a house is built and ended up learning.
• Rich also teaches preventative home maintenance adding value to the buyers experience.

Steps to Success

1. Mortgage approval (if the bank says no then nothing else matters)
2. Find a Realtor who has construction based licenses and training.
3. Consider a Florida Real Estate Lawyer for reading contracts and knowing legal ins and outs(Realtors can not give Legal or Tax Advice).
4. For Tax questions a accountant
5. Find the house

Rich Noto is a text or email away 321-804-3112  RichNrealtor@gmail.com

A must watch Hidden Problems in New Homes

The Lawyer and Structural Engineer are 100000% right