Nora works with builders bringing homes to market and with buyers purchasing them. Those are different jobs. Representing a builder is about positioning a product against what else is being delivered that year; representing a buyer is about making sure the contract, the allowances and the finish schedule say what the buyer thinks they say.
Some builders ask that a buyer’s agent be present or registered at the first visit for representation to apply to that sale. This is not a universal rule — policies differ by builder, by community and by contract. The practical step is to ask that builder what their policy is before touring on your own.
An allowance is a budget a builder sets for a category such as flooring, lighting or landscaping. How allowances are structured varies from builder to builder. Where they are used, selections above the allowance are typically the buyer’s to fund, which is why the allowance schedule is worth reading as closely as the base price.
Weather, inspections, trades and materials can all shift a construction schedule. What matters is what your specific contract says happens when a date moves — and having a housing plan that survives a delay rather than one that depends on a date holding.
New does not mean flawless, and a municipal inspection is not the same as an inspection working for you. An independent inspector before drywall and again before closing catches things that are cheap to fix at those two moments and expensive at any other.
Everything above describes practices that are common, not rules that apply to every builder or every contract. Custom and spec homes appear across Dallas, including Preston Hollow and Knox-Henderson. Read your own agreement and take legal questions to an attorney.
Yes. Nora represents builders bringing new homes to market as well as buyers purchasing them, which means she sees how these transactions are put together from both directions.
Generally yes, but builders usually want the agent involved from the first visit. Ask the builder what their registration policy is before touring on your own — it is a two-minute question that is difficult to solve afterwards.
A budget the builder has set aside for a category such as flooring, lighting or landscaping. Choose within it and the price holds; choose above it and the difference is yours. Comparing two homes fairly means comparing allowance schedules, not just base prices.
Yes. Two are worth budgeting for — one before drywall closes the walls up, and one before closing. A municipal inspection checks code compliance; an inspector you hire is working for you, which is a different thing.
Custom and spec homes are built across Dallas, frequently replacing an older house on an established street. See Preston Hollow for how that affects pricing there, and Knox-Henderson for newer townhome and condominium product.
Yes. Get in touch to talk through positioning, pricing against what else is being delivered nearby, and how best to bring a project to market.