What is the real cost of that new home you are considering? Is it the same as the asking price? One Realtor knows there is a vast difference, and helps you learn what questions you can ask -- before you close.

David Abernathy has been a naval weapons designer, an inventor with more than six patents, a builder of more than 600 homes in Fredericksburg, Va., and a scientific photographer with his pictures appearing in such august publications as the Encyclopedia Britannica, the front cover of Science magazine, the front cover of the Washington Post, and the London Observer, among others. Abernathy is also a Realtor.

He is unique in the industry in two ways. First, he markets exclusively via the Web, and second, he works only with buyers. Working in Orange County, Calif., Abernathy is building a following on his popular Web site, directing buyers to the area's new communities and homes.

Like all successful Renaissance men, Abernathy uses his fascinating background and interests and has parlayed them into a completely new approach to selling real estate. He has evolved into a buyer's champion, teaching them what to look for in new homes and how to evaluate all known criteria to choose the best homes for their families.

Learn how he makes his business work with his one-of-a-kind approach to marketing and buyer-advocate services.

A.N.: How did you make the leap from naval weapons to homebuilding?
D.A.: I was a project manager and coordinating a large project with lots of people, finances, and time limits, and after three or four years, I was able to apply those same ideas and concepts to the construction of my own home. I built my house, then a friend wanted me to help build his, and then the business grew from there to the point that I had to make a decision to go into business for myself. It was difficult because I had a prominent position with the government and a lot of responsibility.

A.N.: What experience did you gain as a builder that you took with you into the real estate field?
D.A.: How to work with clients. It is very similar to help them build a home and find them a home. When they are building, they select homes from plans or models. But when they are working with you as a Realtor, they are selecting homes they can see, feel, and touch. The same principles of service apply. I help buyers find points of comparison. We look for problems together, so they can make better comparisons.

A.N.: As a buyers' agent, what is your main point of difference?
D.A.: I help them understand the difference between the price of the house versus the cost. All of these factors have to be weighed by the potential homeowner. I point them out and let the homebuyer make the decision. One community or builder may have different things to offer. Then they can make a more intelligent decision on facts they can see and reach out and touch.

A.N.: What are you working on now?
D.A.: I am trying to establish my real estate site as a real source of information for people who are looking for new homes in Orange County.

A.N.: How did that come about?
D.A.: I moved here two years ago from Maryland and had a difficult time finding a home. Out of that frustration and lack of information came the idea for the Web site. My intention was to become a Realtor. I didn't know enough about the building market here to reopen my business. I had 25 years of experience in new homes, so that is how the new homes got involved.

A.N.: You mean you focus exclusively on new homes? Isn't that unusual?
D.A.: Yes, it is. Generally agents concentrate on resales because that is where the listings are, I concentrate 100 percent on buyers.

A.N.: Are you a buyers' agent?
D.A.: Yes. Being a Realtor, you can list and sell, but essentially, I am a buyers' agent. I am concentrating on that portion of the market.

A.N.: What does that mean in terms of running your daily business?
D.A.: All my contacts are through the Internet on my Web site. If a customer wants details about the houses, I can give that to them. Interest rates, how home prices are holding up in an expanding market ... any information customers need about purchasing a new home.

A.N.: Have you ever sold a home without meeting the customer?
D.A.: No. I don't think it's possible to sell homes strictly from the 'Net. They [customers] want to see the homes and evaluate them. So I always meet my customers. What I am concentrating on is giving them the information about homes and comparisons of communities, so they have some basis on which to make decisions. And I try to be objective about my recommendations. Something I rate highly might not be as high a priority for them, so they take the information and sift through it to apply it to their own families. For example, they may choose a community that offer fewer amenities because it is closer to work. So I help them weigh those kinds of comparisons.

A.N.: How do builders receive you?
D.A.: I have inspected every new-home community in the area, but I don't walk into a new community announcing myself as a Realtor or a Web site writer. I walk in as a customer, and I want to be treated as a customer. I want to be shown the things a customer is shown, and for a good reason.

A.N.: What is that?
D.A.: It gets to me that a lot of the builders and hostesses are not up front about all of the costs involved with the purchase of the home. There could be homeowner association fees or special assessments.

A.N.: Do you mean impact fees?
D.A.: Yes. Here, we call them special assessments, but they are fees assessed the community by the county to pay for roads, sewers, etc. But some of these assessments can be as high as $300 to $400 per month. It isn't in the builder's best interest to let buyers know that up front. They are hoping that the buyer will fall in love with the home, and then they will find out at closing that there are these additional costs. But that is not the right time for buyers to find out. They need to know up front when they are comparison shopping, not after they have made their selections.

A.N.: What other kinds of hidden costs do you point out to buyers?
D.A.: All of the new homes are shown with refrigerators, but the refrigerators are not included in the price of the home, so the homebuyer has to add the cost of a refrigerator to the house. Even worse -- and I found this out by accident -- in every new home community, the front-yard landscaping and the fencing are not included, and it has to be done within six months according to county code. So the point is that what you see is not necessarily what you get.

A.N.: So that is why you are a buyers' advocate?
D.A.: I address all of these issues on my site. You can't take anything for granted. When you walk in the front door, you have to ask, "Is this marble backsplash included? What about that oak floor?" My objective is to make sure buyers know what they are getting and not getting so they know what to add to the price of buying the home. That is the difference between the price and cost of the home.

A.N.: How do you convey your authority as a buyers' advocate?
D.A.: My background supports what I am trying to do today. I know what I am talking about, and my evaluation is not that of some Johnny Come Lately. I have the background and experience to make this analysis and inform my customers.

A.N.: Do you have any builders or developers on your team?
D.A.: Not yet, but I have had one person ask me via e-mail what I thought of a certain builder. I took that as a query from the builder himself, who may have wanted to know if I was going to say something bad about him. But the builder is not the focus. It is his houses that are being analyzed and compared. If someone wants to know about the builder, there are other better resources, such as the Better Business Bureau or consumer affairs department. I have never really had a problem with a builder. At this level, where they are building enough homes to gain a presence in these new communities, they have financial resources and credible backgrounds. If I thought a house were built shabbily, I would address that in the Web page, but I have not run into that issue at all.

A.N.: If customers are buying new homes, why do they still need Realtors?
D.A.: When someone visits my site, they can think, "Wow. This person is providing objective, unbiased information, and he would be good to have on my team. He knows the communities and can help me make the best choice. It won't cost me a penny. Why shouldn't I use his help?" I take a low-key approach. I provide information to those who need it, and if they do need help, I am only a click away.

Published: January 30, 1998

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Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. For more articles by Blanche, click here.