New construction duplexes

[Andy Pillinger]

Hello,

I'm about to purchase a pre construction duplex in Florida. Ours not been started yet and I was hoping to lock peoples brains on what question to ask before diving in

I already have asked how long has the builder been in the business. What building code which is 2010 SBC. Warranty. Water and sewer sites dues. List of the spec Could I see one already completed. What other questions should I be asking.  

Thanks in advance for any feed back. 

Regards 

Andy 

[Lindsay Diven]

What part of Florida? Is it part of a planned community? If so, what are the HOA fees and is it still developer run or turned over to the residents?

Some other items to consider are wind and flood insurance. Some neighborhoods are not insurable through private companies and you have to buy through the State Run Citizens Insurance (it could be double-triple the cost). Depending on your strategy (flip or buy/hold) this should factor into the price and ROI.

We built our primary residence with a national builder and some items to watch for:

• Design/finish elements - their prices were marked up 100s of percents. Will you be required to use their finishes at their prices? The main offenders were cabinets and flooring.
• Inspections - We were building local, so we were able to visit the jobsite every week. We found several instances of construction not to the plans or our design choices and just installed correctly. This is due to lack of supervision from the builder to their subcontractors. Will they have someone onsite to supervise the subcontractors? Will you be allowed an independent inspection before closing?

Good luck!