Buying New Construction in Greenville SC and the Upstate: What to Know Before Your First Visit

Why should you register with the builder before your first visit?

Many builders decide whether they will work with your agent based on who showed up at your first visit or first contact. If you tour a model alone and fill out a guest card, some builders treat you as an unrepresented buyer for that community. After that, you may not be able to add representation on the same terms.

Rules vary by builder, and even by community. Two published policies from Charlotte-area builders show the range:

• Shea Homes says the agent "must physically accompany" the client at the first visit to each community, must register with a Broker Registration Form at each community, and that the registration is valid for 90 days. If the client visited without the agent, Shea says no compensation will be paid. Source: Shea Homes Broker Resources, accessed Oct 2026.
• Forma Home Builders asks agents to register the client "at the first point of contact or prior to the initial visit." Source: Forma Home Builders, For Real Estate Agents, accessed Oct 2026.

Neither builder is active in Greenville County, and Upstate builders set their own rules. Check the builder's current policy, in writing, before you visit, call, or submit an online form. The safe default is to bring your agent in before any contact with the builder.

What should you know about builder contracts?

Builder contracts are drafted by the builder. They are usually not the standard SC forms used in resale purchases. Read for these points, and have your agent and a South Carolina real estate attorney review before you sign:

• Deposits: how much, when it becomes nonrefundable, and when design upgrade deposits are due
• Price changes: whether the price or lot premium can change before closing
• Completion date: whether it is an estimate, and what happens if the builder is late
• Changes and substitutions: whether the builder can swap materials or features
• Financing contingency: whether you can exit if your loan falls through, and on what timeline
• Inspections: whether you may bring a private inspector, and at which stages
• Warranty: what is covered, for how long, and how claims are made
• Disputes: whether the contract requires arbitration

South Carolina requires a licensed attorney to supervise closings, so you will have one at the end. Getting legal review at the start is a separate step.

What should you ask about preferred-lender incentives?

Builders often offer incentives, like closing cost help or a rate buydown, if you use their affiliated or preferred lender. Sometimes that is a good deal and sometimes it is not. The way to know is to compare. Ask:

1. What is the incentive in dollars, and what exactly does it pay for?
2. Is the incentive tied to the lender, the closing date, or both?
3. What are the rate, APR, points, and lender fees with the incentive applied?
4. What would a second lender offer on the same home without the incentive? Get a written Loan Estimate from each.
5. If the rate is bought down, is it permanent or temporary? What is the payment after a temporary buydown ends?
6. Does the incentive change if you switch lenders or the closing date moves?
7. Is any part of the incentive offset by a higher price or fewer included features?

You can shop for your own lender. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Loan Estimate guide explains how to compare offers line by line.

Do you need an inspection on a new build?

Yes. A new house can still have missing insulation, poor drainage, roof flashing problems, or HVAC and plumbing defects. County building inspections confirm code minimums. They are not a full review for your benefit.

Common checkpoints:

• Pre-drywall: framing, plumbing, electrical, and insulation while still visible
• Final: before your walkthrough and closing
• 11-month warranty inspection: before a one-year warranty period ends. Warranty terms vary by builder, so time this to yours.

Confirm in the contract that your inspector is allowed on site at these stages.

Are there impact fees or HOA costs in Greenville County?

Impact fees. Greenville County does not have an adopted county-wide residential impact fee as of October 2026. The County commissioned a feasibility study, presented in February 2026 (Greenville County Development Impact Fee Feasibility Study). The Post and Courier reported that county leaders then set aside the idea of a road impact fee after the study found it would do little to address road needs (Post and Courier).

Two other things can still affect a new home:

• City fees. Cities set their own. Fountain Inn adopted an impact fee in 2025 (Post and Courier). If you are buying inside a city, ask the builder or the city whether one applies.
• A possible school fee. The Greenville County School Board approved an impact fee study in October 2025. Any school fee would still need County Council approval before taking effect (FOX Carolina).

Where fees exist, the builder usually pays at permit and the cost is often reflected in the price, not shown as a closing line item. Ask the builder directly.

HOA costs. Most new communities are planned communities with an HOA. Before you sign, ask for:

• Current monthly or annual dues and what they cover
• Any capital contribution or initiation fee due at closing
• Whether the builder still controls the HOA, and when control turns over
• The HOA budget and reserve plan, if one exists
• Covenants and rules, including fencing, parking, and rental limits

What does a new construction timeline look like?

These are general ranges. Your builder's contract controls.

• Move-in ready (spec) homes: often 30 to 60 days to close, similar to resale
• Homes under construction: depends on the stage when you sign
• To-be-built homes: often several months from contract to closing, plus design selections early in the process. Ask the builder for its current estimate in writing.

Ask how the builder communicates schedule changes, and plan your rate lock and lease timing with some buffer.

How Citadel Cofield helps with new construction

The builder's sales team works for the builder. Citadel Cofield works for you, under a written buyer agency agreement.

• Register us before your first visit. We handle registration with the builder before you tour, call, or fill out a form, so your representation is documented from day one.
• Contract and lender review. We walk through the builder's contract with you, ask the questions above, and help you compare the preferred-lender offer against an outside Loan Estimate.
• Inspections and walkthroughs. We help schedule your private inspections and push for fixes before closing.
• Communication handled. We stay in contact with the builder's team on timelines, selections, and closing so you are not chasing updates.

On eligible purchases, you may also receive a Represented-Buyer Credit on your closing statement. It is not a rebate and is not guaranteed. Any credit is paid only from compensation Citadel Cofield actually receives on your purchase and is subject to the minimum service fee in your written buyer agency agreement. Fees are negotiable. The credit must be disclosed to and approved by your lender and must appear on your closing statement. If your lender limits or does not allow it, the credit is limited to what the lender allows, and some loan types have extra limits. Read more in the Represented-Buyer Credit explained.

Talk to us

Planning a new build in the Upstate? Talk to Citadel Cofield before your first builder visit so you are registered correctly from day one. Start on our new construction page.