New homes may be new, but they are rarely perfect.

Houses are giant puzzles with hundreds of parts, all manufactured at different locations and carried to the building site. And try as they might to put together a flawless product, builders and their numerous subcontractors don't always get things right.

Luckily, buyers are more likely to have to deal with cosmetic defects than out-and-out structural failures. Scratched refrigerators, broken bathroom tiles and faulty electrical outlets are far more prevalent than badly cracked foundations or sagging roofs.

But structural defects do occur. According to data from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty, owners of new homes are as likely to experience major structural damage -- big cracks in the walls, windows and doors jammed shut, buckled floors -- as they are a major fire.

This isn't to warn buyers off new construction. Previous research has found that just one in 20 houses will experience a major structural hit over its lifetime. But one in every four will experience "some" structural distress.

Based on his review of more than 10,000 structural claims over a 32-year period, Walt Keaveny, chief risk manager of the Denver-based warranty company, says structural problems can occur from day 1. But most claims are reported between four and seven years after initial occupancy.

Total losses are not common, but claims can be expensive. According to Keaveny's analysis, it costs $42,000 on average to investigate and repair a structural claim.

With this in mind, here's how this warranty company's chief management expert says homebuyers can best protect themselves from such catastrophes:

-- Deal only with builders who offer an insurance-backed new-home warranty from a reputable company. That may sound self-serving. After all, 2-10 HBW is the country's oldest and largest new-home warranty company. But it is wise advice. A 10-year warranty against structural defects is a must, especially in areas of expansive soil -- roughly half the country.

Most warranty companies underwrite builders to make sure they are qualified, which is another reason to have a warranty over and above the homeowners' insurance protection. And with an insured warranty, if your builder should refuse to repair your house or go out of business, you still will be covered.

-- Coverage should start from the day you close on the house, and it should not exclude damage caused by soil movement. Researchers have found that active soils cause more property damage than floods, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes combined.

The two main causes of structural damage are active soils that settle, heave or move laterally, and fill material that is not compacted to code requirements. Only 20 percent of structural claims have to do with framing; the rest concern foundations.

-- Ask if geotechnical engineers have been involved in your home's design. If so, says Keaveny, you are only half as likely to have a structural issue.

In a geotechnical investigation, subsurface conditions and geologic hazards are explored by drilling holes and pulling samples. These tests determine if the soil is expansive and if fill dirt has been properly compacted. Findings are given to the structural engineer so he or she is not working blindly when designing foundations to fit the conditions.

-- Consider hiring your own independent home inspector. Government inspectors might inspect the home, but they are making sure only that construction meets minimum code requirements.

An independent inspector should examine the house as it is constructed -- once just before concrete for the foundation is poured, again when the walls go up but before the drywall and insulation are installed, and finally when the place is completed.

Keaveny says his company requires its builders to have at least these three inspections. "If you wait," he says, "it's too late."

-- Check the grade around the house. It should fall at least 6 inches in the first 10 feet from the foundation. If it does not, water will flow back toward the foundation instead of away from it.

In areas with expansive soils, or if your house has a basement, it's best to use gutters and downspouts to carry rainwater at least 5 feet from the foundation.

If your property is graded properly, don't change it. One of the biggest mistakes owners make is to change the grade with flowerbeds and shrubs against the house.

-- Make sure you receive a copy of the warranty company's performance standards booklet. Controversies have arisen over the years about home warranty coverage. The booklet will spell out exactly what is considered a structural defect under your policy, so you will know exactly where you stand.

Absent this, purchase a copy of the National Association of Home Builders' "Residential Construction Performance Guidelines."

Individual sellers can learn a great deal from mass-market homebuilders.

Take curb appeal, for example. There's a good reason builders skip every other lot when putting up model homes. Or leave out lawn-gobbling driveways. Or build models uphill from the street, never downhill. All these tricks of the trade are designed to make their homes loom as large as possible.

But while you can't rip out your driveway or make the house next door disappear, there are steps you can take to make a good first impression. If you don't try at least a few, you may not get a second chance to wow buyers with the inside of your palace. In other words, all the emphasis on interior home staging -- prepping a home's interior for maximum appeal -- could be for naught if you ignore the exterior. You have only a few key moments to spark someone's drive-up interest, so it pays to put your best facade forward.

Not many buyers will make up their minds from the curb alone. But many have found the outside of a house so unappealing that they didn't bother to go inside.

Fortunately, you can beef up your home's exterior for less than $500 and a weekend's worth of time. Power washing a stained walk or driveway is labor-intensive, but not that expensive. Ditto for trimming the shrubs, mulching the garden and planting colorful flowers.

If you have the time and money to go all out -- say, by replacing discolored siding, replacing worn-out windows or adding shutters -- you should be able to recoup most of your out-of-pocket cost.

According to the latest "Cost vs. Value Report" from Remodeling trade magazine, the projects offering the greatest return on investment involve what could be called "curbscaping." Seven of the 10 top-ranked projects are siding, window or door replacement jobs, with cost-value ratios above the average 71.6 percent.

"The high value of replacements is due partly to their relatively low costs," editor Sal Alfano said, commenting that most "immediately improve curb appeal."

But again, you don't have to go to that much trouble to make your home's exterior more inviting. All it takes is a critical eye toward detail and the desire to create attractive finishing touches that stand out from the street.

For starters, take a step back. Walk across the street and look at your place the way first-time visitors will see it. Give it a wide view, searching for positive features that can be highlighted and negative elements that can be hidden or even eliminated.

If it will help, take a photograph of your house to use as a basis for the improvements you want to make. Since color can affect your perception of problem areas, try looking at the picture in black and white, which shows the greatest contrast -- or the lack thereof.

The most obvious exterior improvement is a fresh coat of paint. Nothing creates impact more than color. Since different people have different tastes, keep it neutral, with earth tones as the main hue and stronger shades to accent the windows and doors. Keep in mind that two or three colors are enough to make a statement.

If painting the entire exterior isn't an option, consider painting at least the doors, shutters or window frames to give your place a little pop. If your front door is made of wood that has been painted, consider stripping off the paint and staining the wood, which is much more inviting.

Your front door should be visible from the street. If it isn't, add an arbor or other landscape element to point visitors in the right direction.

Potential purchasers are just as likely to show up after dark as in the daytime, so replace your front-door light fixture with a brighter, shiny one. Also, think about laying down landscape lighting. And remember to keep the lights burning in the evening. You never know when a buyer might be on the prowl.

If you have a front porch or stoop, clean or replace any furniture out there and add new, colorful throw pillows. The idea is to give visitors a place to stop and enjoy the front door.

For a little extra spark, add a polished door-knocker. Replacing an old, tarnished lockset and accenting the doorway with decorative pots or planters also are good ways to add vitality.

If you have a garage, especially one that faces the street, treat those doors the same way. If they are in bad shape, replace them. In some houses, garage doors take up half the front or more, so they contribute -- or subtract -- from curb appeal like any other element.

Remember to keep the doors closed at all times so visitors will feel the impact. You want people to see your smile, not be able to peer into your mouth.

Don't neglect the walk and driveway. They need to be clean and free of cracks. Put the kids' toys, the hose and other gardening tools out of sight.

Fresh grass or sod is another cost-effective way to dress up your property. Seeding, of course, is the least expensive way to go, but it takes time for the seed to germinate. Sod is faster but far more costly, especially if you have to hire someone to do the work. But it might be best for curing those bald spots in the lawn.

Either way, make sure you start the process long before the house goes on the market. The last thing you want visitors to see is a bunch of stakes and ropes that cordon off freshly planted areas and signs that warn folks to "Keep off the grass."

Chances are you already have shrubs and trees, so you probably won't have to invest in these key design elements. But make sure they are trimmed and tidy. Remove dead leaves, branches and debris, and add fresh mulch to dress up planting beds.

If your place is going on the market in the growing season, adding flowers is a minimal investment with a maximum payout. Fences and gates are far more expensive, but they are an excellent way to frame your entire yard and set it apart from your neighbors'.

Some home-sellers don't want to deal with would-be buyers who plan to get a loan guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. But those sellers could be shooting themselves in the foot.

At the same time, vets who fail to look into add-on programs offered by their states, and sometimes by their local governments, could be leaving money on the table.

The basic advantage of VA-guaranteed financing is that borrowers don't have to put any money down. The agency does not set a cap on how much can be borrowed to finance your home, but there are limits.

In most places, vets can borrow up to $144,000 without putting up any cash of their own. But the limit is higher in some places -- sometimes much higher. In Sacramento, California, for example, the max is $827,500, while it's $546,250 in San Diego. And in Marin County, California, the limit is a whopping $1.05 million.

Of course, buyers can go above the limit. But for every $4 borrowed after that, lenders typically require a down payment of $1. So, in most markets, if you are trying to borrow $200,000, you'll need $14,000 as a down payment. ($200,000 less $144,00 is $56,000, divided by 4 is $14,000.)

While there's an ample pool of former servicemen and women who easily qualify for VA financing, many sellers still believe the old wives' tales that there's too much paperwork or approvals are too slow.

"Most home-sellers have major misconceptions about veterans and active military, so they don't even try to market their homes to this large population," says Wanda Petty, president of the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP). "As a result, they are missing out on a huge consumer market."

What may have been true years ago just isn't so anymore. To set the record straight, here are five legends about VA loans that no longer hold water:

-- Slow to close. According to VAREP, VA loans close as much as two days faster than conventional mortgages. Forty-eight hours isn't much, but it could be if you are in a hurry.

-- Tough to qualify. Buyers know the loans' parameters up-front, so there are few, in any, surprises. And if sellers know the rules, too, the qualifying process will go that much smoother, Petty says.

-- Out of reach. Few neighborhoods are too expensive for VA loans. See loan limits above.

-- Poor credit. The minimum credit score required by the VA varies by lender, but the average is 525. That compares favorably to the 600 needed for most conventional loans. Yet foreclosures on VA loans are far less frequent than on conventional mortgages.

-- Few buyers. There may not appear to be many military families living in your community, but they are everywhere. According to the National Association of Realtors, which is stepping up efforts to educate members about the VA home loan program, less than 12 percent of the 16.4 million active-duty service members and military veterans with a mortgage have a VA loan.

According to Inside Mortgage Finance, a trade publication, the VA loan program is among the fastest-growing sectors in the mortgage market. At last count, the agency owns nearly 25 percent of the primary insured-loan market, easily outpacing the Federal Housing Administration, the government's other main housing finance agency.

But if borrowers need a little bit of extra help, most states and many localities offer additional benefits over and above what Uncle Sam provides.

The types of programs vary from place to place. Here's a sampling:

-- Maryland: The Old Line State exempts permanently and totally disabled vets from paying property taxes. And retired servicepeople are exempt from paying state income taxes on the first $5,000 of their retirement income.

-- California: The California Housing Finance Agency offers a tax credit program that reduces the buyer's federal taxes, creating extra income to use toward the monthly house payment. First-time buyers can convert up to 20 percent of their annual mortgage interest into a direct credit on their federal returns for as long as they own the property.

-- Arizona: Compensation received by servicemembers who are on active duty during any month of the year is exempt from income taxes on those months' income. The state also offers a property tax exemption for widows and widowers of vets, as well as disabled persons.

-- Illinois: The new state Homeownership Program for Veterans and Active Service Personnel offers significantly below-market financing and counseling.

To find out what your state offers for veterans, go to military.com and click on the Benefits tab.

Finally, don't overlook the benefits your city or county may offer. They can be quite advantageous.

For example, Maricopa County in Arizona offers assistance with down payments to qualifying military personnel, as well as a wide range of affordable housing options. And the San Diego Housing Commission offers rehab loans to help fix existing properties.

Unfortunately, there is no central repository for local information, so you'll have to do some digging. Start with your state's VA department.