If you’re a new home buyer planning to spend some time reading, tuck these three books on your nightstand : “Your New Home,” by Alan and Denise Fields, “The New-Home Buyer’s Guide,” by Martin Turk and “Building Your New Home: An Insider’s Guide,” by Carol Smith.
Of the three, “Your New Home,” by Alan and Denise Fields (Windsor Peak Press, Boulder, Colo., 1996, $13.95) is the most comprehensive. The Fields speak from the perspective of consumers, not builders, however, and I found the general advice more helpful than the discussion of actual houses.
The Fields describe at some length the lack of consumer protection for new home buyers, the need to go into any new house deal with your eyes open and the absolute requirement to do your homework before signing any contracts.
Unbeknownst to most new home buyers, for example, building codes are geared to a minimal standard. Within a given jurisdiction, a building code covers all housing and all price ranges. The focus of its concern is safety, not quality. A builder who says he “builds to a code standard” is really telling you that he’s building to a minimal standard.
Another red flag that the Fields discuss at some length is sales contracts. Contracts always favor the writer–in this case the builder–and most tract-home builders will not make any changes.
Home builders’ limited 10-year warranty scams and the significance of implied warranties are covered at some length. If the policy for a $200,000 house only costs the builder about $500 or less, and it has a “10-year tail” as they say in the insurance business, it’s clearly is not going to cover much.
When it comes to the house itself, I found the book less helpful. For example every tract home builder offers numerous options. Which ones add value and which merely line the builder’s pocket? The Fields don’t tell you.
The book has no graphic illustrations that would clarify the different parts of the house described in “The Skeleton House.” Some generic descriptions and comparisons of various items would also be helpful. Packed with technical information, the book will be daunting for most people to read.
When comparing tract builders, the Fields simply advise buyers to get a “specification and materials” list from each builder under consideration. Something like “10 key construction items to check when comparing builders” would be more helpful.
Few facts in the Fields’ book are fully cited; frequently they are backed up with “an article in Builder magazine” or “The Wall Street Journal said,” making it difficult to impossible for readers to follow up if they want more information.
In sum, much good information and advice is given, but some areas are covered better than others.
Martin Turk’s “The New-Home Buyer’s Guide” (Groom Books, Alexandria, Va., 1994, $14.95) is less comprehensive that the Fields’ book, but much easier to read. With experience as both a real estate agent and a real estate developer, Turk offers especially useful advice on negotiating the sales contract. He also walks you through a very detailed explanation of a sample sales contract. Clearly a man of wide ranging interests, Turk also includes a chapter on indoor air pollution in new houses and a note on the advisability of using lawn pesticides.
Since “Building Your Home: An Insider’s Guide” by Carol Smith is published by the Home Builder Press (Washington, D.C., 1996, $19.95), an arm of the National Association of Home Builders, don’t read it for insider stories on home builder scams. However,the book does provide useful graphics and a very readable description of the home building construction sequence, and helpful tips on how to look at a model, choose a site and select a builder.
