When buying a new home, keep in mind that the representative you are dealing with at the new home site may not be a licensed real estate agent. The new home representative's best interest may lie with the builder and not you. In many cases, the builder will not allow your RE/MAX agent to protect your interests or help you prepare the agreement.
The builder's agreements can be very one-sided in favour of the builder. Did you know that many agreements allow the builder to extend closing by 2-3 months twice, and then cancel the agreement if the house still isn't built?
Your team of experts cannot fully protect you when buying a new home. For example, your lawyer will not be able to force the builder to sell you a house thats not there yet. Whereas when buying a used home, your RE/MAX agent will be able to negotiate the price, and your mortgage expert will be able to arrange the best possible mortgage for you. If you do decide to buy a new home, try not to get confused with terms like "mortgage-paydowns" that are built into the price of the home.
Remember, your home inspector will not be able to inspect a house that's not built yet and new homes are not always trouble free.
As a new home buyer you may have to spend money on additional expenses like driveways, decks, landscaping, decorating, recreation rooms, air conditioning and fencing. If you want all of the above without having to go through all the hassles a used home might be the solution for you.