What We Analyze

This clause means the builder is NOT guaranteeing that your home will be safe to live in.

This clause takes away your right to sue the builder in court or have a jury hear your case.

This clause prevents you from joining forces with your neighbors to sue the builder, even if every home in the entire subdivision has the exact same defects.

This clause means if you back out of the deal for ANY reason — even if your inspector found foundation cracks, mold in the walls, or the home fails to meet building codes — the builder can keep your entire deposit.

This is one of the most extreme clauses a builder can include.

This involves the builder and/or its affiliated mortgage company presenting artificially low monthly payment estimates that exclude or minimize property taxes, insurance, HOA dues, and other costs.

This clause means the builder can charge you a fine — often $100 to $250 per day or more — if you delay closing for any reason.

A 'punch list' is the checklist of problems you write down during your final walkthrough of the home before closing.

This clause limits or eliminates your right to hire your own home inspector.

This clause gives the builder permission to swap out the materials, fixtures, appliances, and finishes you were promised for cheaper alternatives — without asking you and often without even telling you.

The builder replaces all your legal warranty protections with their own 'limited warranty' — which covers far less than you'd expect.

A Certificate of Occupancy (CO) is the government document certifying your home is safe to live in — it confirms the home meets minimum building codes.

This clause states that the builder's limited warranty is your ONLY option if something goes wrong.

This clause gives the builder the right to void your warranty if you don't follow their exact procedures.

This clause means the builder only has to 'substantially' complete the home — not fully finish it — before requiring you to close.

This clause gives the builder the right to change the home's floor plan, lot grading, landscaping, elevation, or other specifications without your consent.

This clause shortens the amount of time you have to take legal action against the builder — often to just one or two years from closing.

This clause offers financial incentives — closing cost credits, rate buydowns, upgrades — ONLY if you use the builder's affiliated mortgage company.

This means the builder controls your Homeowners Association — often for years after you move in, sometimes until 75-90% of lots are sold.