by Bill Stanberry

photo by Merrick Ales

Our community had a disaster stroke, and got hit hard.  Many of those suffering damage have already found solutions, albeit in some cases, temporary.  Some have purchased homes already; others are still waiting for insurance settlements or FEMA payments.  In the Realtor community, we have learned much more about insurance, settlement options, how FEMA works, why building on a damaged slab is a bad idea, the scarcity of rental properties, and how quickly demand pushes prices up.  We have learned how to vet builders, that is, to check out their credentials, and learned something about cleaning up lots and how lot prices are lowered in a widely damaged area.

We have also had the benefit of psychology counselors who identify the common stress related problems with which those suffering devastating losses must cope.  They say that the best advice is to “take a deep breath, and wait a while before making major decisions.”  The problem with making hasty decisions is that they are pressed by the current circumstances, when a more deliberate and thought out decision would serve the individual or family much better in the longer term.  

In that regard, many will rebuild in the community, and many more will rebuild on the lot where their home was destroyed.  Building a new home will require several months of a temporary solution which, again, need to be well thought out.  For example, don’t sign a one year lease if your home will be finished in six months.

It is near certainty that there will be well over a thousand new homes built or rebuilt in the Bastrop community during the next couple of years.  Among the large number built, there will be some horror stories of poor construction, broken contracts, lower quality fixtures than you think you paid for, corners cut, and failure to follow-up with the post closing problems needing correction, a need that is common among the very best home builders. Those choosing to build should use good judgment and advice in choosing a builder.  Most in the Bastrop area are reliable, honest home builders, and those who are members of the Greater Austin Home Builders Association are also easy to vet and discern their credentials.  With the great demand for builders in the community, there will also be some coming from outside the area and even the state to contract to build.  To protect the dollars you invest, it is important to learn what you don’t know and what problems are commonly encountered in the process.  Most important is to know that the builder is not your agent; he represents himself.  That doesn’t mean that he is not honest nor that pride in his work and protecting his reputation are unimportant to him.  What it does mean is that the kind of builder who has demonstrated these values are of utmost, long term importance to you in building your new home. It also means that if you need good advice and someone to represent you in choosing a builder and be by your side through the entire process, working with a local Bastrop Realtor is a good solution.  And when contracting for a home, if a fee is paid to your agent, it is paid by the builder and is not an out of pocket expense for you.  Involving a third party professional to insure that your interests are given the importance and care that gives you comfort may well be the best decision you can make.