Newer is not automatically smoother. A new build usually carries a longer timeline, and more time between contract and closing means more room for something to go sideways. Builder contracts also run long, often well over a hundred pages, and they are written to protect the builder, so you typically have fewer rights and remedies than under a standard resale contract. On the other side of the ledger, a vacant, finished, move-in-ready new home can be an easier handoff than buying from a seller who still has to pack up and move out on your schedule. Also budget for what tends to come with new construction: HOA dues, higher tax rates that fund new schools and infrastructure, and lots built closer together. None of that should decide it for you. Buy the right house, in the right area, at the right price, and let the logistics follow, rather than picking a home to dodge one kind of paperwork. Whichever route you take when relocating, line up your lender and your representation early so the out-of-state timing actually works.