Are you thinking about investing in a new home and not sure where to start? While it is an ultimate dream to build or buy a new home, the search process can be overwhelming and complicated with more than 400 new home builders and hundreds of communities for sale. Here are some of the best builders in the Northern Virginia area:

Toll Brother’s Inc.: They are one of the top and well-known names in luxury homebuilders with 40 years of experience in developing communities in picturesque settings where luxury meets convenience. When you choose Toll Brothers, you choose luxury and quality. They have won the America’s Best Builder, National Builder of the Year and National Housing Quality awards. In addition, they have been chosen as the First Place Winner for Innovative Product Design in the Big Builder Apex Awards.

Miller & Smith: They are known as the dreamers, creators and innovators. When you choose Miller & Smith, you get a team of dedicated professionals with a passion for bringing new ideas to life and for creating extraordinary homes and communities. The essence of their company, and the source of their competitive strength, is the creation of innovative, niche designs. Today, they are the third largest private builder in the Washington Metropolitan area. Over the last decade, no other builder in the region has won more Monument Awards. In 1998, they were named Builder of the Year by the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association and the Maryland National Capital Building Industry Association.

N.V. Homes: Established in 1980, they offer additional architectural details and designer elements tailored to suit the most discriminating of tastes. NVHomes has earned a reputation for luxury, quality and value throughout its communities in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Ryan Homes: For the past 60 years, they have been building exceptional, award-winning homes, and have evolved into one of the top five builders in the nation. A proud member of the NVR family, they are in a distinguished group that also includes NVHomes, Fox Ridge Homes and Rymarc Homes. The secret to Ryan Homes’ success is unparalleled customer service, innovative, award-winning designs, quality construction, affordable prices and unique communities in prime locations. It’s no coincidence that a large percentage of the homes Ryan Homes sells are a direct result of customer referrals. From the first-time buyer, to the move-up buyer, to the empty nester/move-down buyer, buyers of all ages and stages of life can find exactly what they are looking for in a Ryan Home.

Pulte Homes: Pulte began building homes more than 55 years ago. Pulte Homes has since grown into one of the nation's largest and most diversified homebuilders. Over the years, they’ve built more than 500,000 homes, and their experience and size benefits the homebuyer at every stage of the building process. It begins with the ability to locate prime parcels of land, first-rate materials and brand name suppliers. It continues with their long history of effectively managing new home construction, their high quality materials and exterior and interior home options. It ends with you knowing that you have the best home for the best value.

Van Metre Homes: Van Metre Homes is one of the regions top producers of homes as well as builders of complete living environments. They don’t just build homes, but whole neighborhoods. Van Metre Homes have been in business since 1955, and since then have developed a reputation for the highest quality and great value, and have garnered numerous awards throughout their illustrious history including the prestigious AVID award. Van Metre Homes have also been awarded with the National Housing Quality (NHQ) certification.

Websites with directories and resources such as Newhomesguide.com, NewHomeDirectory.com, and Vaparade.com would be a good place to start your research and learn about the market, the builders and their developments.

What are some of the benefits of building a new home? Today’s new homes include modern materials and the latest technologies, builder warranties that provide you with additional peace of mind and better insulation designed to reduce air infiltration. Heating and air conditioning equipments are also more energy efficient. The option to choose location of the lot, the floor plan, interior and exterior decoration fit the homebuyer’s personal needs. With new homes, maintenance is pretty low, too.

What are the most cost effective upgrades a buyer should consider when building a new home? New homebuilders in Northern Virginia continue to offer attractive home buying incentives on new homes. Some are offering a finished recreation room and a significant dollar amount for buyers to use towards upgrades. When choosing upgrades, it is never easy to say which upgrades are more cost effective; however, elevation, extra bathrooms, a finished basement, sunroom, upgrades in kitchens, stainless steel appliances, upgrades in master bathrooms and hardwood flooring will add more value to the resale of your home.

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ZARIF SAHIN is a Realtor and a Certified Distressed Property Expert working mostly in the Northern Virginia area. She has been working at Long and Foster for nearly 5 years. Her passion for helping others combined with her ever positive attitude has helped many with their real estate needs. For more information visit www.zarifsahin.lnfre.com.