Email Elizabeththe creamery at alkali flat
Crucial Tips for Buying New Homes in Sacramento
Modern kitchen of a brand new home. © Big Stock Photo
Are you wondering about buying new homes in Sacramento? You’re at the right place for Sacramento real estate. In my life thus far, I have bought and owned a wide assortment of homes. I once bought land and built a tri-level spread on the beach in San Felipe (Mexico). My very first home was older, 8,600 square feet with an indoor pool in North Tustin that I bought with owner financing and no money down. I’ve owned in rough, crime-ridden neighborhoods, too. I bought a tiny home of 800 square feet where my bed fit wall-to-wall, remodeled a Cape Cod under an airport path, finished off a half-constructed split-level on a pond in suburbia, and renovated a Victorian, built in 1898, just to name a few. For many people, the choice in a home often comes down to buying a new home and ordering custom upgrades or buying an older home, and those choices in Sacramento now range from new construction to more than 100 years old.
How do you know which to choose? What type of home is best for your lifestyle? A newer home vs an older home? Certainly, newer homes in Sacramento hold a huge appeal to certain home buyers. No immediate repairs, no updates, no improvements and less maintenance. Plus, the good news is you no longer need to decide whether you want to live in the city limits of Sacramento or out in the country to get those choices because many new home builders are picking up construction in Sacramento. Building had come to pretty much a halt in 2007. Even homes in Natomas stopped construction, although some of that was related to other issues than the market crash. More good news, the top-rated Elizabeth Weintraub Team has the answers for you.
For almost a decade in Sacramento, new home construction has not been a competitor to resale homes. In fact, many real estate agents and Realtors might have no experience whatsoever in dealing with home builders because they weren’t licensed back then. These agents might stare at you oddly, cock their heads sideway when you mention that you might want to look at buying new homes in Sacramento. But the day is here and new construction most certainly is a competitor to resale homes. Many buyers are now interested in buying new homes in Sacramento. If you’re one of those buyers, you’re reading the right blog and the Elizabeth Weintraub Team is up to speed on new homes in Sacramento. We can help you!
A couple hug each other outside a new home. © Big Stock Photo
The one thing you do NOT want to do is visit the home site or contact the builder without us. If you do, we can’t help you. The builder will register your name and we will not be allowed to represent you. So make sure you call the Elizabeth Weintraub Team first. Not only will the builder pay us to represent you, but we will represent only YOU, your best interests, not the builder. We have the experience to help you to make those all important choices. Whether you are interested in homes in Natomas, homes in Midtown, or even the new Creamery at Alkali Flat, we can assist.
I can tell you one of the important mistakes I have learned from the market crash of 2007. The sellers who elected to do short sales after buying a new home all said the same thing. When we walked through the home, they remembered EXACTLY how much they paid for EACH upgrade. That’s where builders make a big profit. And they regretted it. They didn’t ask a Realtor to represent them. They went to the builder directly. And now they were doing a short sale. I’ve seen enough dull and dingy homes for a lifetime that were once all sparkly and new. I can tell you whether it’s likely your new home will still look fabulous in 10 years or if you, too, will regret that decision. You can rely on us.
Call the Elizabeth Weintraub Team at 916.233.6759 before you start looking at buying new homes in Sacramento. We stand by ready to serve and ready to assist with decades of experience behind us.
The Creamery at Alkali Flat in Sacramento and Why Call a Sacramento Realtor
The Creamery at Alkali Flat will feature 3 basic models with custom design options
From the homebuilder, BlackPine Communities, that brought you infill projects in the McKinley Park neighborhood of East Sacramento and the Curtis Park Village development at the railyard, comes new homes in downtown Sacramento: The Creamery at Alkali Flat. The Creamery is the former site of the Crystal Cream & Butter Co. The project will consist of about 200 homes and covers 8 acres, adjacent to the KCRA studios at 10th and D Street in downtown Sacramento. Mike Paris, the founder and president of BlackPine Communities, presented the project yesterday to my midtown office at Lyon Real Estate.
Of course, with any neighborhood in Sacramento, there are drawbacks, pitfalls and challenges to deal with, simply because we live in an urban environment, so let’s get that out of the way right away. The challenges are all different, so you can take your pick. You look at McKinley Village, and you’ve got noise factors from the train and Business 80 freeway. The Mill at Broadway is sandwiched between Interstate 5, the WX Freeway and swaths of low-income / Section 8 housing, which some residents object to because “poor” people are not like them. Or maybe they are racist. The Creamery at Alkali Flat, however, is mostly known for a homeless population. The builders hope, I imagine, that gentrification will drive homeless people elsewhere but this is not a blog about the pros and cons of gentrification.
Kitchen and living area under construction at The Creamery at Alkali Flat
If you look at the location, the train tracks are a few blocks away and so is Light Rail, but that makes it very handy for commuters. It’s also within walking distance of the Midtown Autoworks, where I take my Porsche for service so I don’t have to drive out to Rocklin. Alkali Flat features some of the oldest homes in Sacramento, including beautiful Victorians and Italianates. If you work at the courthouse, you could be there in 2 minutes, so I bet this project will definitely appeal to lawyers, but it’s also within a mile or so to the Capitol. Close proximity to restaurants, theatres, nightlife, the new Kings arena Golden1, and very close to the American River bike trails.
Vertical accent tiles accentuate the custom tile work over the tub at the Creamery at Alkali Flat
Three 3-story designs are available, which can also be customized to a buyer’s personal tastes. They all include roof top patios as an option, and you’d be pretty much foolish not to choose the roof top patio element. Our cool nights with the Delta breezes blowing through are perfect for summer-time entertaining and what better place to be than 3 floors off the ground with a view of Sacramento?
Each will feature a two-car garage. Two of the models will be configured with 2 to 3 bedrooms, you decide, and your choice of 1745 square feet or 1818 square feet. First Release pricing, $500,990 to $530,990. The third larger model will be 2305 square feet and boast 2 to 4 bedrooms. First Release pricing, $539,950 to $569,990.
However, don’t run over to the project just yet. If you are interested in buying a home at The Creamery at Alkali Flat, the very FIRST thing you need to do is ask your Sacramento Realtor to register your name as a client of your Realtor. If you do not, you probably cannot use the services of a Sacramento Realtor when you buy because the builder will register you. Registered builder buyers are not allowed to hire an agent. So get representation. Call Elizabeth Weintraub, 916.233.6759.
Designer tile is attached to a bathroom wall entrance at The Creamery at Alkali Flat
People don’t realize that they can’t use a real estate agent, which the seller pays for, if they go directly to the new homebuilder. They think: Oh, I’ll just shoot the builder an email to get on a mailing list, or I’ll just stop by on my way home to say hello, what’s the harm in that? Plenty! My professional advice is DO NOT EVER CONTACT A NEW HOME BUILDER ON YOUR OWN. Make sure you go to your own Sacramento Realtor first. Once your Realtor registers you with the builder, you can run over there all you want.
To get registered to buy at The Creamery at Alkali Flat, call the Elizabeth Weintraub Team at 916.233.6759. We’d love to help you. I’ve got more than 40 years in the real estate business. Don’t make the big mistake of cutting out your agent and losing your personal representation. It costs you nothing and could save you big in the long run to call us. In fact, we can also get you an invitation to the private grand opening in early December.
Of course, if you want to buy a new home on a culdesac over by East Sacramento, we have a small infill project available for you. Check out the affordable new homes in Elmhurst known as Declan Court Houses. Value range pricing: $429K to $479K. Or call your Sacramento Realtor Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759 for more information.
Photos: © Barbara Dow, from the Elizabeth Weintraub Team
