Less then a year ago I took some clients to a housing community being built by a large national home building company in the coastal southeastern area of North Carolina. The on-site salesperson told me that there were discounts available for standing inventory plus the builder gave additional upgrades at no cost to the Buyer when they were represented by their own Realtor because it was good PR and that Realtor would probably bring more Buyers. My clients insisted on making an offer much less then the "Asking Price". I had to hide my surprize when it was accepted.
Last week I talked to the same salesperson and told her that within a few days I would be bringing some potential buyers to her development. She said the builder probably wouldn't approve a deal as great as my former clients had received but she would put together a packet of standing inventory homes that had some potential for price negotiation because she was going to be out of the office when we were scheduled to visit.
Yesterday I took my clients to the development and there was no packet. Another very nice salesperson took us to see the standing investory homes. After looking at a few other developments my clients wanted to go back to the first one and make an offer on one of the standing inventory homes. They had decided on an offer amount based on resent sales data I had provided. The response from the builder was "NO, we're not accepting anything less than the posted Asking Price." That was it, period, no counter, no make a better offer, nothing. I was embarrassed and do not plan to include that neighborhood in what I show my clients unless they specifically ask to see their homes.
PS - We found a house in another new development tonight and our offer was accepted by the builder.
Todays buyer clients found my website Myrtle Beach Real Estate after looking on ActiveRain.
From one CB agent to another,
Too bad the builder would not/could not do more to adjust their price.
Sounds like your previous buyer got one heck of a deal and (of course) the home builders always reserve the right to do whatever they want to do.....and don't want to do....period. Sometimes it makes sense, and sometimes it does not.
As long as your new buyer is a happy camper and you help them to a successful closing - you'll be the hero!!!
Good job!
Edith Schreiber - Dallas, Texas
Sandy: I am thinking one of two things happened. Either this builder is just plain crazy, or the salesperson was a newbie, and didn't know that just about everything these days is negotiable. Regardless, it should have been written up, and hand carried the next morning into the builder's office... and let the builder decide.
Now... things are different from a year ago... in that probably a year ago the builder would have had many, many completed homes to sell, and no one was buying. Right now, there are much fewer "specs" and many builders are not taking anywhere near the same type of offers they took one year ago. So, it may very simply be somewhat of a supply and demand situation.
Karen, Your second thought is exactly what came to my mind after thinking about what had happened. The sad thing is my company has provided that builder with hundreds of buyers and even during the "Boom" they gave our clients some type of up-grade at no cost. Sandy
Very curious which community you are talking about.... care to share? If you don't want to blast it over the web, email me.
Thanks!
Nancy Richardson
Nancy the link to your Profile page is not working but I would rather not name them because even though I am ticked off right now I know I will have to work with them again at some point in the future. Sandy