Buying new construction feels like the safe choice. Everything's brand new, it's built to current code, and nobody else has ever lived there. So a lot of buyers assume the usual homework — inspections, due diligence, asking hard questions — doesn't really apply. That assumption is exactly what gets people into trouble. New homes have their own set of risks, and they're different from the ones buyers worry about with older homes. Here are seven of the most common myths we hear

There's a common assumption that a brand-new home is a flawless home. After all, everything is new, it was just built to code, and the local building department signed off on it. So why would you need an inspection? The honest answer: a new home is built fast, by many different trades, under deadline pressure — and small things get missed. A municipal code inspection confirms a home meets minimum requirements. It is not the same as someone walking the home on your behalf, met

Polybutylene, galvanized steel and cast iron each fail in their own way, and insurers treat them differently. Here's how to tell what you have, how serious each one is, and what it means for coverage and repairs.

After enough inspections, you build a short list of tools that earn their place on your phone's home screen. The ones you reach for over and over because they answer real questions in real moments. For me, two of those tools sit at the top of the list. They're free, they're public, and they take about thirty seconds to use. And while I rely on them every time I'm on-site, they're just as useful for the Realtors I work with — especially on showings, when a client is asking the