New home sales in Conservatory Green are going gangbusters!

We sat down with our neighbor Paulette Sanchez, who is a realtor with Keller Williams, to talk about using a realtor when you're building a new home. We both built our Stapleton homes six years ago, and know that the process can be overwhelming.


LIZ at STAPLETON MOMS: Building a new home is an exciting prospect. A lot of Stapleton buyers are first or second time home buyers, and might be wondering: should I use a realtor or not? The builder provides buyers with very knowledgable realtors on their end. Isn't that enough?

PAULETTE: Let me just say that I understand your thought process. We were confronted with the same decision when we moved to Stapleton - to use a realtor or not? We chose to use a realtor and it helped us immensely. There is a lot that goes into building a new home.

First, as a realtor and a homeowner who bought a new home from a builder, I can walk you through the process (which can be overwhelming) and provide direction along the way.  A realtor can advise you, based on your budget and circumstances, on which upgrades to choose from the builder. The builder massively marks up many of the upgrades, it is a profit center for them. Realtors can advise you how to save tens of thousands of dollars by contracting certain upgrades later, or even doing them yourself.

LIZ: We used a realtor when we bought our Parkwood home, and in hindsight it was a great decision. Simple things like the advice to spend money on a good, high quality carpet. Six years of living with two boys and a dog, and our carpets still look great. Money well spent.

PAULETTE: Exactly. Realtors can tell you which upgrades will increase the value of your home.

From picking out carpets, to crown moulding, to appliances - there is a lot that goes into it - and a lot of little things that can get overlooked.

Your realtor will assist you with your final walk through, and make sure those little things don't fall through the cracks. I know the things to look for. This is critical because after final walk through, you have no re-course in dealing with the builder. I cannot emphasize the importance of this enough. Typically buyers are excited about their new home and overlook issues that will drive them crazy for years to come.

STAPLETON MOMS: So what does it cost me to use a realtor when I'm building a new home?

PAULETTE: Using a realtor and having professional representation costs you nothing. The price of the home plus upgrades is transparent - it's the same price for buyers whether you have representation or not. The builder pays any real estate commissions, not the buyer.

STAPLETON MOMS: How can people contact you?

PAULETTE: I'm at Keller Williams Realty Downtown. Email me at psanchez@kw.com or call me at  303-916-7139 and I'm happy to chat with you, no obligation.