Buying a new home, for the first time home buyer especially, can be a daunting task. Every builder offers different features, includes different products in their homes, has a different building style, and offers different post-sale warranty options. Every builder has a different company outlook and way of interfacing with clients. How can you determine which builder is the best builder for you?

At Linn Homes, we define our success by the satisfaction of our clients and have tailored our service model around service before and after closing. That said, there are a lot of builder, community and home options available to you when you move into the Clovis area. We encourage you to do your due diligence and find the builder that is the best fit for you individually. Below we have provided some steps for you to locate information about your builder, ascertain their reputation, and learn about their products.

Step 1: Obtain General Information

If you do not already have a list of prospective builders, you may wish to obtain a list of local builders from the Clovis Chamber of Commerce. Once a list is in hand, visit the builders' websites, view their products and feature lists, read about their warranties, and get a feel for their overall attitude and offerings. Ask your friends who built their homes and their opinions of their builders.

Step 2: Verify Contractor's License

Every home builder in New Mexico must have a valid contractor's license. Contractor's licenses are issued by the New Mexico Construction Industries Division to businesses which employ a key individual, the "Qualifying Party", who has proven their competency at New Mexico building codes, practices, and procedures. That individual is then responsible for oversight and performance on all construction performed under the license.

When you are researching potential builders, verify that they have a valid contractor's license by using the New Mexico Construction Industries Division License Search. Search first by supplying the builder's license number in the "License Number" field. If you are unable to retrive the license number for the builder's website or advertisements, you may try searching for their company by name using the "Business Name" field on the CID License Search.

If you are unable to locate a valid license for the company, they may not have one. Contact the NM CID for additional help in locating the builder's license number. Contracting without a license in New Mexico is against the law to protect buyers from unethical and unregulated work, so it's very important to ensure that the builder's license is valid.

Step 3: Review Legal History

Even with good communication, it is sometimes possible for disagreements to arise during the course of home construction or over warranty service. Generally, builders are able to resolve these issues with clients amicably, however occasionally disagreements may escalate to legal action. It is important to if, and how frequently, a builder has been involved in legal actions related to their homes or business practices.

The New Mexico Courts provide free, public, on-line access to case history which is a valuable tool in performing research for your prospective builders. The New Mexico Courts Case Lookup provides information from speeding tickets to bankruptcies, to civil cases. A separate search should be performed for each of the following: (1) builder's business name, (2) builder's owner name, and (3) builder's license qualifying party name (the qualifying party is listed as "QP" on the license information from the NM CID license search described above).

Because cases vary in subject matter, more detail should be examined for any cases of interest by clicking into the case details. The case details indicate the status, outcome and various other details of each case. By reviewing the case history, if any, you may be able to better ascertain whether the builder's ethics and practices are within your expectations.

Step 4: Check Disciplinary Action History

When a licensed contractor violates certain regulations and licensing requirements, the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department may take disciplinary actions against such a contractor. Although not all complaints result in disciplinary actions, it is good practice to find out if your prospective builders have any recorded displinary actions.

Take a look at the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department Disciplinary Actions page and contact them for additional information about your builders.

Step 5: Contact the Builder

Make a call or two and get in touch with your prospective builders. Communicate any concerns you may have to them and ask questions about their contract and payment processes, change orders, post-closing services and anything else that you'd like to know.