Buying new construction in Houston involves comparing builders and homes, registering your own agent on your first model home visit, and comparing financing options before committing. We review contracts, negotiate upgrades, and compare the builder's lender incentives with independent mortgage quotes. Check the total monthly payment, including MUD taxes where applicable, and arrange third party inspections before drywall and at completion.
The 90-second quiz returns matched builders, current incentives, and a custom payment estimate. Emailed to you. No call required.
| Builder | Price Range | Rate Buydown | Closing Credits | Design Credits | Preferred Lender Required? |
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These incentives change frequently and expired offers are hidden automatically. Want to see every active new-construction home with these incentives and the real monthly payment overlaid? Search live inventory across all 17 builders →
Builder by builder: D.R. Horton, Pulte Homes, and the full comparison of Houston new construction builders.
Get Your Builder ComparisonThe builder's sales rep works for the builder. Their preferred lender works for the builder. You need someone on your side for both the deal and the financing.
I represent YOU at the builder's table. I review contracts, negotiate upgrades, push back on pricing, and make sure you don't waive protections the builder's sales rep conveniently forgets to mention. Working with me on a new build costs you nothing extra.
I shop your file across many wholesale lenders instead of the builder's single in-house option, which opens up loan programs the builder's lender may not offer. It is worth comparing the builder's incentive against an independent quote before you commit. Building from the ground up instead of buying a finished home? I also handle builder construction loans that fund the build and convert to your permanent mortgage.
Most buyers have a separate agent and lender who barely talk to each other. I handle both, so nothing falls through the cracks. One point of contact from the model home tour to closing day. Nobody else in Houston does this.
Ben Helstein | Real Estate Broker & Mortgage Loan Originator | NMLS #1577314
Most Houston builders are offering some mix of rate buydowns, closing cost credits, and design center credits right now. These change frequently and vary by community. The strongest packages are typically on quick move-in homes that have been sitting in inventory. You can browse current luxury new construction listings and new construction under $500k, updated daily from the MLS.
No. You can always use an outside lender. However, most builders tie their best incentive packages to using their preferred lender. An independent broker like InSync can often beat the builder's rate even without the incentive, saving you more over the life of the loan.
Yes. The sales rep at the model home works for the builder, not for you. Register with your own buyer agent on your very first visit to a model home or you may lose the right to be represented.
Many new construction communities in Houston are in Municipal Utility Districts (MUD). MUD tax rates can be 2 to 3 times higher than non-MUD areas, adding $500 to $800+ per month to your payment. Always check the total tax rate before committing to a new build.
Absolutely. New builds have defects too. A third party inspection during construction (pre-drywall and final) catches issues the builder's own quality control misses. This is one of the most important steps buyers skip.
Line up the three numbers that matter: the flyer payment (what the builder advertises using their preferred lender and the incentive package), the true payment after the buydown resets in years 2 and 3, and the outside lender payment without the incentive. On most Houston homes in the $400K to $700K range, the outside lender comes out ahead by month 25 to 30, because the builder's "free" rate is priced into the home and the preferred lender's margin is fatter. An independent broker can pull both quotes side by side. If you want this run for a specific builder and home, send me the flyer and I will send back the real numbers within a day.
The 17 major Houston builders fall into three tiers. Entry level ($250K to $400K): D.R. Horton, KB Home, Lennar, LGI, Meritage. Mid tier ($400K to $700K): Perry Homes, Chesmar, Highland, Pulte, David Weekley, M/I Homes, Taylor Morrison, Coventry, Plantation, Trendmaker. Luxury ($700K to $2M+): Toll Brothers, Westin Homes. Compare on four axes, not just price: total monthly payment with MUD tax (can swing $600 per month), builder warranty length, quality of standard finishes, and incentive stack. The builder directory above has live pricing, current incentives, and MUD tax rates for every active community.
Builders almost never cut the base price. They negotiate on incentive value: closing cost credits, design center credits, rate buydown points, and appliance packages. The leverage you have depends on three things. One, is it a quick move-in (QMI) or a to-be-built? QMIs have real pressure because the builder is carrying inventory. Two, what is the builder's end-of-quarter closing push? Build pace and sales goals matter. Three, do you have a buyer's agent? Unrepresented buyers get worse deals because the builder's sales rep works for the builder, not you. Bring an agent on the first visit (required to register) and expect to negotiate $10K to $40K in incentive value on a $500K home.
Houston builder incentives change weekly and most are not published on the builder's website. The best sources: sign up for each builder's email list (they push flash incentives on Fridays), follow local buyer agents on social media, or get on a weekly roundup that tracks all 17 majors in one place. InSync publishes a free weekly builder incentive roundup every Monday covering Toll, Lennar, Perry, D.R. Horton, Meritage, Chesmar, Pulte, and the rest of the majors. Subscribe at the top of this page or DM for the current week's list.
Get a written Loan Estimate from the builder's lender and one from an outside lender on the same day, and compare the lines that separate discount points, closing costs and lender fees; that is where you see what the incentive actually buys. Ask whether the builder's flex cash can move between a rate buydown, closing costs and upgrades without losing value. And read the fine print on design credits: they often exclude lot premiums and structural options, so a credit is worth less than its headline if it cannot touch the items you want.
Reviewed by Ben Helstein, Texas real estate broker (TREC 727703-B, verify) and mortgage loan originator (NMLS 1577314, verify), InSync Loans NMLS 1829321. Last reviewed September 2026.
Program details, eligibility and terms depend on the lender and current guidelines. How we check our numbers. Equal Housing Opportunity.
I'll be your buyer's agent at the model home AND your mortgage broker at the closing table. Working with me on a new build costs you nothing extra. Let's find you the right home with the right financing.
Ben Helstein, NMLS #1577314