What are the pros and cons of buying a brand new home?
What a joy it would be to own a home that required little, if any, maintenance for 5 or 10 years. This is a major attraction of buying a new home. There’s no need to fuss with remodeling and repairing. You simply move in and enjoy. That is, unless you have the misfortune of buying a lemon. Several years ago, a couple bought a new home in a small development in Marin County, Calif. They thought they’d lucked into the home of their dreams until one house after another in the project developed similar problems. First, the windows and skylights leaked. Then, the drainage systems failed. Finally, water seeped through some exterior walls. The only recourse was to sue the builder. He, however, had fallen into financial hard times soon after building the development. New homes are usually built with approval of the local building department. This involves a building permit application process including such requirements as a soils report, architectural plans and structural calculations. Licens
