New Construction Homes in Des Moines
Find the new home that fits the way you want to live, not just the model that looks best on a Saturday afternoon. Compare communities, builders, lots, finished-home cost, and timing with a clear plan.
A new home is more than the plan on the sales-center wall.
New construction can be a great fit when you want a newer layout, modern systems, room to choose some details, or a community that supports the routine you are building. It can also involve more moving parts than buyers expect. The home you see, the home being priced, and the home you will own at closing are not always the same thing.
Ratliff Real Estate Group helps buyers compare new construction throughout the Des Moines metro without losing sight of the decisions that make a home work in real life. Natasha helps keep the search, community comparison, builder conversation, written details, and purchase timeline organized. Ken stays focused on the next-home side when your move includes selling a current property at the same time.
That support is useful whether you are looking at an inventory home that could close soon, a home already under construction, or a build-to-order option with more choices and a longer runway. The goal is not to make every decision early. It is to make the right decisions in the right order, with enough information to compare the options honestly.
Look past the model home and compare what you will actually own.
A clear comparison keeps the appealing parts of a new home in view while making room for the questions that affect your budget, timeline, and everyday experience.
The location and lot
A floor plan can look similar from one community to another, but the everyday fit may not be. Compare the drive you will make, the street, lot position, grade, yard, nearby construction, and what is documented about the surrounding area. The lot is not a small add-on. It shapes how the finished home feels long after the model tour.
The real finished-home cost
The advertised price is a starting point, not always the number that determines whether the purchase works. Separate base price, lot premium, structural choices, design selections, appliances, landscaping, window coverings, association costs, and work that may happen after closing. A written breakdown makes it easier to compare two homes fairly.
The timeline you can live with
A move-in-ready home, a home under construction, and a build that has not started create different timing, decision, and uncertainty profiles. Look at your lease, job timing, school calendar, sale of a current home, financing milestones, and flexibility before you choose the path that seems most exciting in the moment.
The contract and closing path
Builder agreements, deposits, deadlines, change orders, inspection opportunities, financing requirements, and warranty steps can differ from a resale purchase. We help you organize the questions, understand which dates matter, and keep your lender, builder, inspector, and closing plan connected. Contract and legal questions belong with the appropriate qualified professional.
Turn a promising tour into a workable decision.
The process gets easier when each choice has a place. We help you compare the homes in front of you while keeping the cost, timing, and larger move visible from the beginning.
Explore the New Construction Hub →- 01
Start with the move you are making
Set the budget, timing, locations, and current-home questions before a model home starts influencing the whole plan.
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Compare communities and builders
Tour with a short list of priorities, then compare location, lot, layout, included features, and how each option fits your normal week.
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Price the home you would actually buy
Request written information for the exact home or configuration, then separate the starting price from the finished-home picture.
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Choose the workable path
Compare an available spec home, a home in progress, and a build-to-order option by timing, certainty, selections, and financing needs.
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Keep the details moving together
Track lender steps, builder deadlines, inspections, walkthroughs, closing, possession, and any sale of your current home at the same time.
Keep your current home and next home on the same plan.
New construction can change the timing questions for homeowners who need to sell before, during, or after their next purchase. Your available equity, financing options, builder deadlines, sale timing, possession date, and comfort with risk all affect the choices you can make.
Natasha leads the selling strategy while Ken stays focused on the new-home path. That gives you a team looking at the whole move at the same time, rather than treating the sale and purchase as separate problems after deadlines are already in place.
Some buyers prefer the clarity of selling first. Others need to understand what it would take to secure the new home before their current property closes. We help you map the options, identify the dependencies, and keep the important conversations moving before urgency starts making the decisions for you.
Read the Sell and Buy Guide →Clear questions, steady guidance, and a plan built around your move.
New construction creates opportunities, but it also asks buyers to make choices across location, design, timing, financing, and the completed-home picture. Natasha brings local experience and a practical approach to helping buyers sort the important questions before they become expensive or time-sensitive.
“Natasha worked hard to get us in the home of our dreams. Throughout the process, she kept us informed.”Kayla Heginger, Zillow review
You will have a local team to help you compare the options in front of you, keep questions organized, and connect the purchase to the life you are building next. Ratliff Real Estate Group is brokered by RE/MAX Precision.
Questions buyers ask about new construction in Des Moines.
Do I need my own agent when I buy new construction?+
A builder's sales representative works for the builder. You can choose separate representation for your own home search, comparisons, questions, and contract process. Ask about representation and compensation before you begin discussions or sign anything.
What is usually included in a new construction home?+
That depends on the builder, community, plan, and stage of construction. Request written inclusions for the exact home, then separate standard features from selections, lot costs, landscaping, appliances, window treatments, basement finish, and other work that may remain.
Should I choose a spec home or build from the ground up?+
A spec home can offer a clearer finish date and fewer choices because many details are already selected. A build-to-order home can provide more control over the lot, plan, and selections, but it usually requires a longer timeline and more decisions. The better fit depends on your timing and priorities.
Can I buy a new construction home if I need to sell first?+
Often, yes, but the sale, financing, builder timeline, and possession dates need to be considered together. Starting early gives you more time to compare options and decide how much certainty you need before committing to the next home.
Should I still have an inspection on a new home?+
New construction can still have items worth understanding before closing. Inspection opportunities, walkthroughs, punch-list steps, warranty procedures, and contract terms vary. Ask about them early, and use qualified professionals for the questions they are best equipped to answer.
Start with the home you want to own, not just the home you want to tour.
Tell us what you are considering. We will help you compare the options, timing, and next practical step.