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Hearts to Homes
Plymouth, Michigan
What the builder's agent won't tell you —
and why having your own advocate changes everything.
Most buyers walk into a model home excited, unrepresented, and unaware of the costly mistakes waiting to happen. This free guide gives you the insider knowledge to negotiate confidently, protect your investment, and close with clarity.
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What You Need to Know
Beliefs that are costing buyers thousands, and how to protect yourself from day one.
The on-site sales agent represents the builder, not you. Their job is to maximize the builder's profit. You deserve someone in your corner whose only loyalty is to you and your family.
Even brand-new homes have defects. From grading issues to HVAC shortcuts, independent inspections routinely uncover problems that builders are far less likely to fix once you've closed without representation.
The builder pays my commission, not you. Choosing not to be represented doesn't save you a dollar. It only means the builder keeps that money while you navigate a complex legal contract alone.
Builder contracts are written entirely in the builder's favor. Closing cost contributions, upgrade credits, timeline protections, and contingency clauses are all negotiable, if you know how to ask.
Once you walk into that model home unrepresented, many builders consider you "their" customer and will resist allowing an agent to represent you. You need an advocate before your first visit, not after.
The Real Picture
"New construction is one of the most exciting, and most misunderstood, purchases you'll ever make. The right guidance means the difference between a dream home and a very expensive lesson."
The new construction process looks simple from the outside. You pick a floor plan, choose your finishes, and wait for the keys. But beneath that polished model home experience is a layered legal and financial negotiation that most buyers enter completely unprepared for.
I've been guiding buyers through new construction in Plymouth and Metro Detroit for 7+ years, and serving this community for 28. I know where the traps are, and exactly how to help you avoid them.
Your Advocate
Hearts to Homes Team · Plymouth, MI
I became a real estate broker because I believe every family deserves to make one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives with complete confidence, not confusion. What started as a passion for connecting people with places has grown into a 7-year real estate career, rooted in 28 years of serving this community, built on honesty, expertise, and genuine care for the people I serve.
New construction is a specialty I've developed deliberately. The process is genuinely different from a traditional resale transaction, the timeline, the contracts, the financing, the inspections. I've spent years learning every nuance so that my clients never have to learn the hard way.
When you work with the Hearts to Homes Team, you're not just getting a licensed agent. You're getting someone who will sit across the table from a builder's sales team and fight, respectfully and effectively, for everything you deserve.
Client Stories
We almost walked into that model home without any representation. Derica caught three major contract issues before we signed, including a clause that would have let the builder delay closing by 12 months with zero penalty. She saved us so much stress and probably thousands of dollars.
I didn't know buyers could have their own agent on a new construction purchase. Derica negotiated a $6,500 closing credit, a free appliance package, and made sure we had an independent inspector present at every stage. The builder's agent was clearly not used to working with someone as knowledgeable as her.
Derica was with us every step of the way, from the first model home tour all the way through our final walkthrough. She noticed foundation grading issues the builder's team had glossed over, and they were corrected before we closed. She is the reason we feel completely at peace in our new home.
Get the free guide and I'll be in touch to answer any questions, with zero pressure, zero obligation.
Derica Wade · Associate Broker · Real Estate One · Plymouth, MI · No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.