Carla Goddard

09/30/2026

One new-construction community generated more than $6 million in buyer transaction value for Vicinity agents.

Not from 100 leads.
Not from a giant ad budget.

From buyers who were researching that community and connected with an agent through Vicinity. That matters because there is a problem with agents and teams working new construction:

The builder is marketing the community.

The listing portals are marketing the homes.

But who is marketing the agent?

And more importantly — how does the buyer find you before they've already decided to walk into the sales office?

We're building a way for agents to establish their authority around the communities they actually want to work in — and be there when buyers are doing their research. One community has already produced more than $6M in buyer transaction value for Vicinity agents.

Were looking to do a lot more of that. If you're an agent or team working new construction and your marketing isn't putting you in front of those buyers early enough, take a look at what were building. See how Vicinity works: https://tryvicinity.com/how-vicinity-works

09/22/2026

Silent week #2 is underway!

Due to bone removal and structural work on my jaw, I'm not allowed to speak a single word for another week.

Last week was no screens and total rest. This week, I’m back at my desk, unable to speak, but listening and observing very closely.

Being forced into silence gives you a whole new perspective on business:

Huge shoutout to the doers: Our active agents took the wheel last week and passed out over $2M in leads and handled follow-ups like pros. Results happen when you stick to the process!

A quick reality check: I also saw messages from agents upset about not getting leads, saying the system "doesn't work." But looking at the data... they simply didn't put in the work. Even after one-on-one coaching, the ex*****on wasn't there.

The Vicinity platform works, but it isn't magic—it takes effort! The more work and dedication you put in, the more we support and promote you. Simple as that.

Results don't care about excuses; they care about ex*****on.

Read the full post on the blog: https://tryvicinity.com/blog/t

09/14/2026

Tomorrow morning, I’m having surgery.

I’ll admit that as a business owner, I'm less nervous about the procedure than I am about stepping out of the driver's seat for a few days.

It forced me to confront a question that most professionals spend their entire careers ignoring:

Have you actually built a business, or have you just constructed a high-stress job that completely relies on you?

In real estate, we love to brag about being available 24/7. We take client calls from hospital beds, answer emails on vacation, and act like the entire deal will collapse if we aren't personally pushing it forward. We wear indispensability like a badge of honor.

But let’s be honest: if your pipeline freezes the second you step away for 72 hours, you haven't built scale. You've built a trap.

Life didn’t ask if this week was convenient to test whether Vicinity can keep moving without me in the room—it just forced the issue.

I wrote a candid breakdown on control, founder/agent dependency, and what true leverage actually looks like right before stepping out:

Read the full piece here: Can Your Business Survive You? (https://tryvicinity.com/blog/can-your-business-survive-you)

To every business owner reading this: If you vanished for the next 3 days with zero phone access, what happens to your business? Do your systems and partners carry the weight, or does everything stop?

Drop your honest answer below—I’ll read your thoughts once I’m out of recovery.

09/08/2026

I wrote a blog post asking a simple question:

Are we entering the era of the negotiable new home?

The conversation that followed—and especially the feedback from agents—made something very clear:

Agents want to know how to actually negotiate new construction.

Not just whether builders will negotiate.

Not just how to ask for a discount.

They want to know where the leverage is, what builders may be willing to move, what the buyer should really be asking for, and how to put the entire deal together.

So we built a workshop around it.

New Construction Is Negotiable: What Builders Will—and Won’t—Negotiate

This 2-hour, hands-on workshop is designed around real new-construction situations, with scenarios, exercises, knowledge checks, and a practical workbook.

We'll look at negotiation beyond price—including incentives, upgrades, homesites, financing, closing costs, timing, inventory, and more.

And yes, the workshop comes with the New Construction Negotiation ebook (2 hours workshop would not cover it all)

Read the conversation that started it:

Are We Entering the Era of the Negotiable New Home?(https://tryvicinity.com/blog/are-we-entering-the-era-of-the-negotiable-new-home?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Then join us for the workshop:

New Construction Is Negotiable: What Builders Will—and Won't—Negotiate (https://tryvicinity.com/events/new-construction-is-negotiable-what-builders-will-and-won-t--f6h1?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

You asked. We built it.

09/07/2026

Maybe we've been getting new construction negotiation wrong.

For years, we've told buyers:

"The builder sets the price. New construction isn't negotiable."

I'm starting to think that's an oversimplification.

Builders may not want to move the base price, but they're changing the economics of the deal in ways that can be worth far more to a buyer than a simple price reduction.

Rate buydowns. Closing costs. Upgrades. Lot incentives. Inventory homes. Financing incentives.

So here's the question I can't stop thinking about:

If the price isn't moving, but everything around the price is… isn't that still negotiation?

And if builders are getting smarter about where they negotiate, shouldn't agents get smarter about where they're looking for leverage?

I wrote about it—and I'm curious whether other agents are seeing the same thing in their markets.

Are we entering the era of the negotiable new home?

Read it here:
Are We Entering the Era of the Negotiable New Home?
https://tryvicinity.com/blog/are-we-entering-the-era-of-the-negotiable-new-home?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Tell me what you're seeing. Are builders actually becoming more flexible, or have we just gotten better at calling incentives something else?

09/02/2026

NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT | HOPE POINTE, NORTH MYRTLE BEACH

The easiest thing to do in new construction is fall in love with the house.

The harder — and arguably more important — thing is to understand what you're buying into.

Hope Pointe in North Myrtle Beach is a good example.

Yes, there's the obvious appeal: a new community near the Intracoastal Waterway, with access to the lifestyle that brings people to this part of the coast.

But the house is only part of the decision.

This is a community that is still evolving.

That means buyers need to look beyond the model home and ask bigger questions:

What is planned here?

What could change as development continues?

What will it actually cost to live here beyond the mortgage?

How does the location fit the life you want to live — not just the house you want to own?

And perhaps most importantly:

Who is this neighborhood actually right for?

That's the question I think gets lost too often in real estate.

A beautiful home can be wrong for your life.

A great floor plan can be in the wrong location.

And the things you don't see during a model-home visit can have a greater impact on your decision than the things you do.

Hope Pointe isn't just a collection of new homes. It's a good reminder that when you're buying new construction, you're not simply choosing a house. You're choosing a place — and you need to understand the difference.

What would you want to know about a neighborhood *before* deciding it was the right place for you?

09/02/2026

The housing market is stuck. The industry isn’t.

That’s the idea behind this month’s Vicinity Housing & Real Estate Update.

Yes, we’re watching rates, inventory and affordability. But underneath those numbers, something much bigger is happening.

Builders are changing how they structure affordability. Real estate companies are consolidating around the consumer relationship. MLSs are wrestling with who controls housing data as AI changes how it can be used. And new construction technology is challenging some of the assumptions we’ve made about how homes have to be built.

None of those stories seems connected at first.

I think they are.

And they all lead back to a question I think we should be asking:

If consumers can find almost everything about a home themselves, what exactly are they going to need from us?

That’s what I explored in this month’s update.

👉 Read it and tell me what you think. https://tryvicinity.com/blog/august-2026-housing-market-real-estate-trends-

Is the real estate industry preparing for what consumers will need next—or still preparing for the market we used to have?

09/01/2026

Okay. This one is a rant.

I live in a 2,000-square-foot modular home.

It sits on an engineered foundation with four-foot piers because of flooding. It has always been taxed as real property.

So when a past customer called me because they own a piece of land and want to put a modular home on it—and the agent I referred them to said:

“Sorry, I only work with single-family homes.”

…I had some thoughts. 😂

Because apparently we're still having to explain that modular and manufactured are not the same thing.

But honestly, that's not even my biggest concern.

My bigger question is this:

Are we actually serving buyers—or are we only serving the types of houses we're comfortable selling?

There are builders creating all kinds of alternative housing. There are buyers looking for those options. And there are real estate questions that come with them.

So where is the agent?

Maybe alternative housing isn't a fringe market.

Maybe it's an underserved one.

I went on a bit of a rant about it this week.

And I really want to hear from you—especially if you're an agent, builder, or buyer.

Am I onto something?

Or am I completely off base?

A 2,000-square-foot modular home, an unexpected agent response, and a bigger question: Is real estate serving today's buyers—or just a typical home.

09/01/2026

I've been thinking about something I hear a lot in new construction:

The agent needs to be in control of the transaction.

I'm not sure that's actually the right way to look at it.

In resale, the agent helps create the transaction.

In new construction, the builder has already created it.

The contract.
The incentives.
The timeline.
The selections process.
What's included.
What's an upgrade.
The warranty.

A lot of the transaction is already designed before the buyer ever walks into the model.

So maybe the agent's job isn't to take control of the builder's transaction.

Maybe it's to make sure the buyer doesn't lose control of their decision.

That changes the questions we ask.

It changes what we pay attention to.

And it changes what “being a good buyer's agent” actually means in new construction.

I'm curious:

What do you think an agent actually controls in a new-construction transaction?

08/26/2026

Discover Modern Luxury at Jasper in Prescott Valley, AZ!
Looking for the perfect blend of active living, stunning natural surroundings, and resort-style amenities? Welcome to Jasper—Prescott Valley’s premier new construction community designed for luxury buyers, retirees, and growing families alike!

Here is why Jasper is generating so much buzz:

Spacious Modern Living: Beautiful single-family homes ranging from 1,659 to 3,800 sq ft, priced from $540K – $1.5M.

Resort-Style Amenities: Features two sparkling pools (including a 3-lane lap pool), a hot tub, 5 pickleball courts, tennis, bocce ball, and 9 cozy fire pits for evening socials.

Active & Connected Community: Pet-friendly and family-focused with a clubhouse, walking/biking trails, dog park, and fun games like shuffleboard and pool tables.

Prime Location: Just 20 minutes from historic downtown Prescott and only minutes away from 5 scenic lakes.

Financial Peace of Mind: Low monthly HOA ($181.76/mo), no CDD/MUD fees, and located in Flood Zone X (low risk, no lender flood insurance required).

Whether you’re looking to entertain the grandkids, enjoy multigenerational living, or build your dream retirement oasis, Jasper offers the ultimate Arizona lifestyle.

https://tryvicinity.com/neighborhood/arizona/prescott-valley/jasper