1. Bob Vila is not building your home. You've seen those TV shows like
"This Old House," where Bob, Norm or Steve and a crew of careful
craftsmen lovingly restore a home. The workers ruminate endlessly
about the correct way to install this door or that siding. Many home
buyers think they are getting this level of care when they build or
buy a new home. And why not? It's not like builders are giving away
these homes.

Sorry, folks, this type of skilled building is seen only on
television. Real life means building crews who are more like Larry,
Curly, and Moe-bumbling idiots who couldn't tell their butt from a two-
by-four. The only thing these guys ruminate on endlessly is which bar
they'll hit at quitting time.

One home buyer we interviewed said she was shocked at the level of
workmanship on her $140,000 semi-custom home. Sloppy carpentry, lousy
cabinet installation, incompetent roofers -- the buyer got the full
treatment. "You think you're getting quality craftsmen," she told us.
"What you really get is Larry, Daryl and Daryl, from the old Bob
Newhart TV show."

This is the ultimate reality check on building a new home: Bob Vila is
not your builder. As a result, you need to protect yourself. That's
the goal of this book: we'll tell you exactly how you can do this and
get the best deal for the dollar.

2. You get to pay for all those wonderful advancements of science.

Building a home in the 1990s is a quick lesson in environmental
"correctness." Water-saving toilets, extra insulation, super-efficient
furnaces are now required by law in many communities -- and who do you
think pays for all this? You, in the form of higher home prices. Sure,
some of this stuff may pay dividends down the line (in lower utility
bills), but you still have to pay for all these expensive toys today.

Stringent enviornmental laws translate into tougher building standards
and limited supply of certain materials. And when the supply goes
down, it's you that's left holding the bag. The builders' lobby
estimated that the spotted owl related reduction of logging in the
Pacific Northwest has raised prices by $3000 per house. Even more
insidious are "impact fees," which are taxes on new home buyers to
fund parks and schools in many communities.

Hence that home built today may be more "politically correct" than one
built in 1969 -- but you get to pay for the privilege.

3. It always takes more time, money and patience than the original
estimate. So, your builder says he can build you a $215,000 home in
just four months? Six months later, you're pulling your hair out
because that home is now $240,000 and isn't even finished yet.

The percentage of homes finished on time and on budget must be
infinitesimally small. Nearly every home buyer we've interviewed
across the country recounts a similar story -- it cost more and took
longer than they anticipated. Recognizing this at the outset is the
best course. In the following chapters, we'll give you specific
suggestions for minimizing the pain.

4. "New construction" does not mean "soundly constructed." High price
does not mean high quality. In the bizarre world of new homes, "new"
doesn't have the same meaning as say, a new car. A new home means only
that no one has lived there yet -- and that's a plus and a minus.

"New" does not mean the house was soundly constructed. A quickly
slapped-up tract house with the cheapest of cheap materials may be
"new," but it could cause years of headaches.

And just because you're spending a lot of money does not mean you're
getting commensurate quality. A $300,000 house may be loaded with
cheap windows, a lousy paint job and poor roofing -- if you don't pay
attention, you might get a house that's really worth much less than
you're paying... especially if you're stuck with repair bills and
costly maintenance.

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