I am frequently emailed specific questions from TG readers to whom I directly respond. Occasionally, the questions are such that I believe the responses would be helpful to all TG readers. The comment forum of the blog is also a great place to gain additional insight from others who are willing to share their experiences.
The following two questions were posed by a TrueGotham reader who is obviously somewhere in the stages of purchasing in a new development project:
Q) When buying late in the sales process where the vast majority of apartments are already sold, should you always expect/insist that the selling agent representing the developer will disclose prices paid by those before you (any recommended tactics around this)? If the other apartments have been sold but not yet closed on, assume this isn't public data and there is no way to determine aside from talking to people?
I have found in my 16 years in the real estate business that expecting disclosure of recent sales data, particularly apartments that haven't closed, usually results in disappointment. Keep in mind that over the past 7 or so years that new development projects have amended their offering plans so frequently with price increases that the data you are seeking is often irrelevant. It will just make you wish you purchased earlier. That said, I have also found that the most successful development projects won't only disclose info but they will boast about what properties sold for almost as to make you feel depressed that you didn't buy earlier. The best advice I have is to do your homework and research the prices in other comparable development projects to get a better sense of the properties value. And remember that when dealing with most developers, they are exceptional at pricing their product at levels that will be absorbed by the marketplace. They have done their homework.
Q) What is the recommended procedure/tactics around submitting a bid on a new construction apartment slightly below asking price if you're not using a buy-side broker at this stage?
There is absolutely no harm in submitting a bid below the asking price. NOTE: 99.9% of developers protect brokers and have already priced the commission into their Pro forma before the project ever breaks ground. You won't likely get a better deal without a broker. But if you do prefer to go after it on your own, don't expect huge discounts off the asking prices. Again, developers are generally keyed in on what the market will bear for their properties. You may want to consider a bid at 5% below the asking price and/or suggesting that the developer absorb some of those high new development closing costs. Developers are much more likely to offer a concession in closing costs at this stage than a price reduction but give it a shot. An offer below ask will not be taken personally by a developer the way it may be by an individual apartment owner. It's business.
译文:
寻求新的发展：读者提问
我常常回复电子邮件解答一些专门的问题，这些问题通常都是由我直接负责的TureGotham（一下简称TG）读者提出的。有时候，我认为这些问题对所有TG的读者都有帮助。 此外，博客里的评论栏也是个获取更多意见的好地方，那总有人乐于分享他们的经验。
以下两个问题是由一名TG的读者提出的，显然，他正处于寻求新发展的阶段。
问题1：在销售的后期，绝大部分公寓都已售出时，是否还应当指望或是要求销售代理透露之前购买者支付的价格（或是任何相关的信息）。如果其他楼盘仍未售完，假设这些数据未被公开，那么是不是不能单凭销售人员的说辞而决定购买？
我从事房地产业已经16年，也时常希望能得到楼盘的销售数据，尤其是那些还未售完的楼盘。但结果常常让我失望。要知道，在过去的七年或更久远的年月，开发商不断的通过提高价格修改他们新项目的计划，因此，你所搜到的信息常常是无关的。 这只会让你后悔自己没早些买。我发现，那些最成功楼盘的开发商不仅会透露销售信息，而且还会吹捧他们已经所剩无几，让你觉得因为没有早些买而懊恼不已。我所能给的建议是，事先做好准备工作，搜集其他类似的楼盘的价格，对房产的价值有更好的了解。同时，要记住，开发商很少会把价格定在市场所接受的水平上。显然，他们并没有做好他们的“功课”。
问题2：参与工程投标时，自己的价格略低于卖方报价，若没有方经纪人的情况下，推荐采用何种策略？
在竞标时，报价低于卖方价格绝对没有坏处。要注意，99.9%的开发商都会维护代理人,甚至在工程动工之前，代理人的佣金就已经被算入价格之中。没有代理人，你不可能做笔好交易。但是，如果你想考自己去竞争，那就别指望能得到一个优惠的折扣。开发商们再次为市场能否接受而紧张。也许你想比卖方价格低5%,或者让开发商承担部分高昂的房产买卖手续费。而此时，开发商则更倾向与在房产买免手续费上作出让步，而不是降低价格。私人公寓所有人也许会接受降低价格的方式，而开发商不会。生意场就是这样。