Resales are never “always” a better deal, things change based on the stage of the cycle and what you want. New isn’t always available in the area you want and requires you have some reserves knowing you will need to put in a backyard, blinds, etc. so it depends on you. Yes, the builders and sometimes the banks are more desperate, but shorts and overleveraged resales can beat the builders in some cases. So the answer is there is no rule, there are too many variables and too many factors.