Brian Brunhofer is the president/co-founder of Meritus Homes.

Every week, we ask a real estate professional for their Short List, a collection of tips and recommendations on an essential topic in real estate. This week, we talked with Brian Brunhofer, the president/co-founder of Meritus Homes, for his ways to help clients choose a new construction home site.

7. Have your client think broadly about where they want to be located within the community. Some buyers like being near the community’s entrance so they have quicker access to main roads. Others prefer the relative privacy toward the back of a community, where a home site is also more likely to back up to natural or wooded areas.

6. How close is the home site to community amenities such as a clubhouse, pool or walking trail? If your client plans to use those features frequently, they may appreciate the convenience of having them nearby.

5. Consider how the home will be oriented for sun exposure. Does your client prefer to have full sun in their backyard in the morning, or late in the day? Do they want a kitchen that will be bright with natural light in the morning, or a family room that receives afternoon sun?

4. Look at where construction is happening in the community. Some buyers choose a site where homes are under construction nearby, so they know their area will be built out quickly.

3. Does your client want their home to include a walk-out or look-out basement? Not all home sites can accommodate those features, so ask the sales consultant to direct you to those that do.

2. If your client is concerned about street traffic, ask if there are home sites located on a cul-de-sac. Look at the overall site map to see what streets are main thoroughfares – and therefore likely to be more heavily trafficked.

1. Most importantly, tap the sales consultant at the new-construction community your client is considering. Helping buyers through the site selection process is a key part of their role, and they are experts at helping weigh all the pros and cons of all locations in the community.

Brian Brunhofer is the president of Meritus Homes; he founded the firm with his wife, Karen Brunhofer. The couple has more than 30 years of combined homebuilding experience, during which time they led teams that delivered more than 10,000 homes to the Chicago area. Meritus Homes is currently building in St. Charles, Long Grove, Park Ridge, Inverness and Naperville.