If you have tried looking for a family home in San Antonio with a budget of $175,000, you know exactly how discouraging it can be.
My wife and I were ready to give up. We had our pre-qualification letter in hand, and the number at the bottom was clear: $175k max. We spent weeks driving around, looking at houses that were too small, too old, or needed thousands of dollars in repairs that we didn’t have.
We felt like we were going to be stuck renting forever. We assumed that a “nice” house—let alone a brand new one—was completely out of our league.
Then we connected with our Realtor, Nicolas Dib. And everything changed.
The “Math” Moment
When we told Nicolas our max budget was $175k, he didn’t just set up an automated search and wish us luck. He sat us down and asked a question we hadn’t considered:
“Are you married to the purchase price, or are you married to the monthly payment?”
We told him it was the monthly payment. We had a strict budget for what we could afford to pay every month.
Nicolas explained that because interest rates were high, our buying power was lower on resale homes. But, he told us about a strategy we didn’t know existed: New Construction Builder Incentives.
The Deal That Seemed Impossible
Nicolas took us to a new build community. The list price on the model we loved was $235,000.
I almost walked out. I thought, “Why is he showing us this? We are approved for $175k. This is heartbreaking.”
But Nicolas had already done the work behind the scenes. He knew the builder was motivated to sell inventory. Here is the breakdown of the miracle Nicolas pulled off for us:
- The Price Drop: He negotiated the price from $235,000 down to $217,000.
- The Interest Rate: This was the game-changer. The builder was offering a special lower interest rate that was significantly better than the market rate we were quoted by our bank.
- Closing Costs: The builder covered our closing costs, saving us thousands out of pocket.
The Result
Because of that lower interest rate, the monthly payment on this brand-new $217,000 home was virtually the same as the payment would have been on the $175,000 fixer-uppers we were looking at earlier.
We went from looking at 50-year-old houses with plumbing issues to moving into a home where everything is new. New roof, new AC, new warranty, and a safe neighborhood for our kids.
Why Who You Work With Matters
We didn’t know about builder incentives. We didn’t know that a higher price tag could actually result in an affordable payment if you find the right deal.
We needed a guide.
If you are looking in San Antonio and feeling frustrated by your budget, do yourself a favor and call Nicolas Dib. He didn’t just open doors for us; he found a way to get us the home we wanted when we thought it was impossible.
Key Takeaways for Buyers:
- Don’t fixate on the sticker price: Focus on the interest rate and the monthly payment.
- New Construction is a hidden gem: Builders often have “flex cash” and lower rates that individual sellers can’t offer.
- You need a strategist: We needed a Realtor who knew where the deals were hiding.
Ready to see if you can get more home for your money? Contact Nicolas Dib today to run the numbers.
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