Walking into a model home feels like the beginning of something exciting. You see the gleaming finishes, new appliances, and beautifully staged rooms that make the home feel move-in ready. The sales rep greets you with a smile and seems genuinely helpful.
But what that rep won't tell you is that their job is to represent the builder's interests. As helpful as they can be, they are not working on your behalf. Knowing that before you sign a builder's contract can save you a lot of money and help ensure you have the representation you need.
Builder sales representatives are builder employees whose professional obligation runs to the builder, not to the buyer. New construction contracts in St. Johns County routinely include non-refundable deposits, substitution clauses, and feature lists that bear little resemblance to the model home. Buyers who arrive without professional representation before their first model home visit often lose the right to add one. Knowing how the process works before you walk through the model can protect your options and your money.
The Person at the Desk Works for the Builder
The sales representative at the model home desk is a builder employee. Their job is to move product, fill lots, and protect the builder's new construction contract terms. They can be perfectly pleasant, but their professional obligation still runs in one direction only.
This is the truth buyers in master-planned communities like Silverleaf, Rivertown, and Nocatee consistently underestimate. Buyers from outside the real estate world assume the builder's rep is a neutral party, and that assumption is expensive.
"That person works for the builder and is definitely for the builder's contracts. There are always substitutions made. You have to be agreeable to those substitutions. You don't even really know they happened until it's too late. And that's where having a REALTOR® on the transaction knows that certain substitutions of a higher quality are good, but the substitutions that are lower quality, they need to readjust and bring those to our attention." – Laura Ranneklev, Broker Owner, REMAX Welcome Home
During the supply chain disruptions of the COVID years, a builder attempted to swap a no-name HVAC unit into a home. The original specification called for an energy-efficient, brand-name unit. With a buyer's agent pushing back, the buyer ended up with a better unit than specified. Without representation, there's a good chance that substitution would have gone uncontested.
A material substitution clause allows a builder to replace any specified product with an alternative if the original becomes unavailable. Without representation, buyers may not learn about substitutions until after closing. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation licenses and oversees contractors in the state, but it does not police substitution disclosures inside private contracts. That is why having a buyer's agent review the contract and monitor substitutions matters.
What Happens to Your Deposit as Construction Progresses?
Most buyers understand the basic concept of a binder deposit. What they don't anticipate is that new construction contracts often require additional draw deposits as construction moves forward. This is especially true when buyers customize finishes, add features, or select premium lots.
"A lot of builders require additional deposits for different features or add-ons to the home, and people aren't used to that. Instead of a normal binder deposit of, say, $50,000, you could have about $150,000 tied up into that house because of all the extra features you're asking the builder to do." – Laura Ranneklev, Broker Owner, REMAX Welcome Home
The deposit question carries a second risk: in most cases, new construction binder deposits are non-refundable. Some builders will show flexibility if a buyer's circumstances change. But that flexibility isn't in the contract, and buyers who walk away after signing typically lose that deposit entirely. Knowing this before falling in love with a floor plan is the whole point of having representation.
The Real Leverage in a Builder Negotiation
Buyers often wonder whether they can negotiate contract language rather than just price. Builders will not touch their standard contract terms, because that is not where the leverage lives.
What does move is the feature list: fences, garage door openers, blinds, appliances, mortgage rate buydowns, and closing cost contributions. All of that is genuinely negotiable, particularly in the current market, where builders are motivated to close.
I recently helped a young couple in Silverleaf's Evergreen section secure a rate buydown and closing cost assistance. That combination made a single-family home in a gated community achievable when they had assumed they were limited to a townhouse.
The strategy is to enter feature-level negotiations with a clear list and a buyer's agent at your side. That agent should know which builders have historically been flexible and which concessions they are most likely to make.
Since August 2024, NAR's updated settlement practice changes require buyer representation agreements before a buyer's agent can tour homes on a buyer's behalf. That requirement applies to new construction as much as resale, meaning buyers benefit from formalizing representation before they walk into a model home.
Not sure what you can realistically ask for from a builder
in St. Johns County? Talk to my
team at REMAX Welcome Home before your next model home visit, and that
conversation costs nothing.
The Model Home Is Not the Home You Are Buying
Before putting pen to paper, a line-by-line review of the included features list is essential. Every builder provides a written specification of what the base purchase actually covers, and almost universally, it does not match the model home.
The model is built with every upgrade the builder offers, staged to its maximum potential. It's designed to anchor expectations at the top of the product line. In most cases, the buyer is only purchasing a fraction of what they see in the model.
Review the included features list with the builder's rep before signing. That's when you might learn the quartz countertops are an upgrade and the lights in the model cost extra. The landscaping visible from the model's back porch is not part of the deal, either.
Timing Your First Visit Matters More Than You Think
There is one more issue buyers need to understand before they set foot in a model home. Most builders in St. Johns County will not add a buyer's agent to a transaction unless that agent was present at the first visit.
A buyer who walks in alone, tours the model, and fills out a contact card loses the ability to add professional representation to that deal. That means you should contact a buyer's agent before the model home visit.
New construction in St. Johns County offers genuine value. That value includes no CDD fees in communities like Silverleaf and builder incentive packages that can meaningfully reduce monthly payments. It also includes homes built to current Florida Building Code hurricane and energy standards. That value is most accessible to buyers who go in with their eyes open and have someone experienced in their corner.
FAQs About Buying New Construction in St. Johns County
Does using a buyer's agent cost anything when buying new construction in St. Johns County?
In most new construction transactions, the builder pays the buyer's agent's commission. The buyer does not pay the agent's fee out of pocket. Having professional representation on a builder contract typically costs the buyer nothing and can save a significant amount.
Can a buyer's agent be added to the transaction after the first model home visit?
In most cases, the answer is no. Builders in St. Johns County require a buyer's agent to be present for the buyer's first visit to the community. Visiting a model home without an agent, even to look, can eliminate the ability to have professional representation on that transaction.
What parts of a new construction contract can be negotiated in St. Johns County?
Builders generally will not modify their standard contract language, but the feature list is where negotiation happens. Buyers often secure concessions on fences, appliances, blinds, garage door openers, mortgage rate buydowns, and closing cost contributions. This is especially true when builders are motivated to close a phase.
Are new construction builder deposits refundable if the buyer backs out?
In most new construction deals, binder deposits are non-refundable, though some builders may be flexible if a buyer's circumstances change significantly. That flexibility isn't guaranteed or written into the contract, so buyers should ask this question before signing, not after.
What is included in the base price of a new construction home versus what I see in the model?
The model home is built to the top of the builder's option list, with every available upgrade installed. The base purchase price typically covers far fewer features. The included features list the builder provides in writing is the authoritative document, so review it line by line before signing anything.
What are builder rate buydowns and how much can they actually save?
A builder rate buydown is an incentive in which the builder pays points upfront to reduce the buyer's mortgage interest rate. That reduction can be temporary for the first few years or permanent for the life of the loan. On a $500,000 loan, even a 0.5% rate reduction can lower the monthly payment by $150 to $200. Builders tend to offer these during slower sales periods or when closing out a phase. They're among the most valuable concessions a buyer's agent can secure.
Do new construction homes in St. Johns County come with a warranty?
Since July 1, 2025, Florida law requires builders to warrant
a new home for one year against construction defects that cause a material
violation of the Florida Building Code. Many builders go further, with coverage
that commonly runs one year on workmanship and materials. It is also common to
see two years on major systems like plumbing and electrical, and ten years on
structural defects. The specifics vary by builder, so buyers should request the full warranty document before closing and review it alongside the purchase contract.
Tour a Model Home the Right Way
New construction in St. Johns County can be one of the smartest purchases a buyer makes. However, there are some potentially expensive lessons you could learn along the way. The difference usually comes down to preparation and representation before you sign the builder's new construction contract.
I've spent decades learning how these contracts work, which
builders move on features, and where buyers consistently get caught off guard.
If a new construction purchase is on the horizon, reach out to REMAX Welcome Home
before the model home visit. That first conversation is where the real
negotiation actually starts.
