A two-bedroom cabin in Guerneville, a midcentury-modern retreat in Palm Springs and a Craftsman bungalow in Oakland.

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Many homebuyers are drawn to the idea of purchasing new construction over an existing home. There’s something undeniably appealing about owning a pristine, never-been-lived-in dwelling where you can bank on being the first one to use the shower.

But new construction is known for costing more than existing homes, especially if you’re opting for a custom build. In January, the National Association of Realtors® reported the median sales price of existing homes was $359,000, while new homes averaged $427,500, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

So what’s a buyer to do if they dream of owning a newly built yet comparatively affordable house? Enter: the tract home.

Tract housing is a type of residential development, featuring similar homes built on single parcels of land. Also known as planned communities, these developments typically crop up in the suburbs and can feature anywhere from a few dozen houses to thousands of homes in the community.

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We’ll get right down to it: Shopping for a home is fun. But once you find the home that makes you swoon, things start to get real—real fast.

Think of making an offer on a home as setting the roller coaster in motion: You might have sharp drops in emotion and slow, trudging climbs to success, but the ride won’t end until the car slows down and the safety bar is lifted. (OK, this metaphor is now officially over.)

But to begin the process, you need to know how to make the right offer, an offer that will end with your receiving the keys to your new house. So check out some of these agent-approved negotiation tactics to make the offer process a whole lot less bumpy.

Pick the right price

Just because a home is listed for $400,000, it doesn’t mean the home is actually worth that much.

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Unless you’re one of the few lucky home buyers with cash to spare, you’re going to need a mortgage.

Out of the entire home buying process, getting a mortgage is perhaps the most intimidating and seemingly daunting step. You’re convincing a lender to hand you hundreds of thousands of dollars. How do you pull it off? And what strings are attached?

Here are the questions to ask yourself—and the answers you need—to help you ace this all-important step.

Should you work with a bank or a broker?

The majority of home buyers get their mortgage directly from a bank—often the institution where they have their primary savings. But that’s hardly your only, or best, option. Shopping around with different lenders may land you a better deal (typically in the form of a lower interest rate).

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Open house etiquette is all about common sense.

Here are a few no-brainers that every potential buyer should know: Don’t park on the lawn, take off your shoes when you go inside (or put on booties, if they’re offered), and never peek inside the medicine cabinet.

Easy rules to follow, right? Not for some would-be homebuyers.

You won’t believe some of the cringe behavior real estate agents have witnessed at open houses in today’s high-stress market. Here’s the stuff that made their eyes roll—and the critical reason why you should be on your best behavior.

A student got a design degree in Los Angeles, but Covid derailed his plans for a fashion career. A job interview and a housing voucher finally turned things around.

Leaders and agents who took Inman's first Intel leadership survey said inventory is among their biggest challenges right now — but growing in 2023 isn't out of the question.

If your website is looking more Myspace than TikTok, it's probably time for a refresh. Here's how to get it done quickly, no matter what your budget looks like.

How can you write the most effective call to action, the one that will convert more lookers into leads? Author and coach Darryl Davis offers 10 tips for writing CTAs that’ll get consumers to take action.

Is automating responses the best tactic in an industry that typically requires a deep level of personalization? In this episode, we will take a deeper dive into the benefits of these tools for entrepreneurs and the pitfalls of relying too heavily on technology.

There are multiple paths agents pursue to grow their business, with no shortage of online resources available. Agents can also get training from their brokerages and insights from colleagues. No development opportunity should be ignored when growing a business.

Our successful owners routinely gather to share winning business strategies, discuss joint business ventures, and help make each other even stronger, displaying an unbeatable combination of know-how and camaraderie.

Luxury buyers place a high value on acquiring the world’s most iconic brands, so it’s only natural they would appreciate an acclaimed name when making their next great real estate purchase.

Delivery culture has changed with the pandemic and the proliferation of online services. Some buildings are hesitant to go back to the old days.

The Federal Trade Commission alleges the deal would put an end to intense competition between the companies and drive up costs for lenders and homebuyers.

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Buyers can now leap at the chance to own a horse farm in Portsmouth, RI, with ties to the storied Vanderbilt family. This historic property is available for $5.83 million.

When construction commenced in 1860, Sandy Point Farm was a part of the original 280-acre, waterfront Vanderbilt estate. The property was designed by architect A.S. Walker. A multidecade project, the stables were completed in 1902. At its peak, it was considered one of the most prestigious horse farms in America.

“The property has been such an iconic part of Portsmouth and American equestrian history for over a century now,” says listing agent Kylie McCollough, of Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty.

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With wintry weather still howling in some parts of the country, it can be tough to visualize what your yard will look like when it isn’t buried under snow in a few weeks.

But despite the chill in the air, spring and summer really are just around the corner.

To help you prepare for another season of outdoor gatherings and all-day relaxation, we’re here with some ideas for easy backyard upgrades. Here are seven expert tips for maximizing your outdoor space, so you can start enjoying it when spring finally makes her debut.

1. Spruce up the flower beds

Spring is all about new life, so what better way to transition your outdoor space this season than with fresh, green growth?

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Those of us who like our sunlight hours to extend into the evening will appreciate the upcoming transition to daylight saving time—as well as houses that take full advantage of it.

We’ve found five gorgeous glass houses that look out on some of the most glorious landscapes in the country: the mountains around Sundance, scenic Lake Placid, and the Mojave Desert’s Joshua Tree, just to name a few highlights.

Now you won’t want to be throwing stones if you live in any of these glass houses, because they’re all multimillion-dollar investments. Great views rarely come cheap, after all.

But if you’re looking for a home that lets sunlight in and gives you almost unlimited opportunities to gaze out, one of these places could be just the ticket.

HGTV

Today’s real estate market is tough for everyone—even reality TV stars.

At least, that’s the takeaway we glean from the second episode of Tarek and Heather Rae El Moussa‘s new show, “The Flipping El Moussas.”

In “The Flipping Delays,” the married flipping partners seem to be struggling straight out of the gate, having purchased a run-down, cockroach-infested, 1971 Spanish-style house in Long Beach, CA, for a whopping $1,090,000.

After surveying how much work they’ll have to do to this five-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom, 3,517-square-foot house, they estimate they’ll need just over $300,000 to renovate, as well as an additional $125,000 in selling and carrying costs.