New construction in Dallas–Fort Worth: how to buy, what it costs and what to check
The advertised price is where the comparison starts. Net cost after incentives, the tax rate on the parcel and the builder contract decide which home is the better buy.
Before your first model-home visit
The sales team at a model home works for the builder. Registration rules for a buyer's agent vary by builder, community and date.
Write the brief
Budget range, move-in month, the places you drive to, home type and where your loan stands.
Sign the buyer agreement first
Texas requires a written buyer representation agreement before an agent shows you any home. It states the agent's compensation, which the law does not set and which is negotiable.
Register before you visit
Jessie checks the community's current registration rule before you walk in or fill in an online form.
Get the offer in writing
Current price sheet, included features, lot premium, incentive terms and expiry, expected completion date.
Turning incentives into net cost
A credit or an advertised rate is worth something only once its conditions are written down. Compare homes and lenders on the same assumptions.
Home and lot
Base price, lot premium, included features, options, appliances, landscaping, work left after closing.
Builder terms
Deposit, change and cancellation rules, financing conditions, completion language, warranty. Every promise in writing.
Loan and credits
Rate, points, fees, lender credit, mortgage insurance, cash to close, five-year borrowing cost.
Taxes and districts
Do not project the bill from a vacant-lot assessment. List the parcel's taxing units, HOA, PID and MUD, then use the completed value.
Insurance and water
An address-specific quote, deductibles, roof terms, flood zone, and separate flood cover if needed.
Time and condition
Completion date, rate-lock exposure, inspection access, final walk-through, punch list, warranty.
Comparing two builder offers: a worked example
Hypothetical teaching example, not a listing, completed transaction or loan quote. Both homes meet the same needs. Assume 20% down, identical loan terms and rates, identical ongoing tax, insurance and HOA costs, fully usable approved credits, and no deposit or other cash-to-close adjustments.
| Item | Builder A | Builder B |
|---|---|---|
| Base home price | $570,000 | $585,000 |
| Lot premium | $20,000 | $5,000 |
| Selected upgrades | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Contract price | $600,000 | $600,000 |
| 20% down payment / loan amount | $120,000 / $480,000 | $120,000 / $480,000 |
| Closing costs before credits (including prepaids and initial escrow) | $18,000 | $14,000 |
| Approved builder credit toward closing costs | −$15,000 | −$12,000 |
| Closing costs after credit | $3,000 | $2,000 |
| Cash to close: down payment + costs − credit | $123,000 | $122,000 |
- The result in this example
- A offers $3,000 more credit but charges $4,000 more in closing costs. B needs $1,000 less cash to close. Neither credit reduces the $480,000 loan balance in this example.
- Check what could change the result
- Confirm which costs differ, whether a preferred lender is required, which costs the credit can cover and when it expires. If rates or points differ, also compare monthly payments and five-year interest and fees. Use the same tax and insurance assumptions so a low estimate does not disguise the cost.
Three ways to buy new
Builders label these differently. For the specific home, check construction status, included selections and completion language.
Quick move-in
Finished or close to it. Timing and cost are more certain; few selections are left to change.
Under construction
Work has started and some choices are fixed. Confirm what is selected, what can change and the completion terms.
To be built
A lot and a plan. The most choice, and the closest reading of deposits, change orders, design costs and delay terms.
Six steps from tour to closing
Each step is checked against the specific home and the current written documents.
Brief and tours
Budget, move-in month, frequent destinations and home type set which communities to tour.
Shortlist
Construction status, included features, lot, taxing units, HOA, an insurance indication and timing, side by side.
Contract and net cost
The builder contract and addenda: deposits, termination and delay terms, incentives, and Loan Estimates on the same assumptions.
Selections and construction file
Plans, allowances, selections, change orders, deadlines and construction updates in one dated file.
Inspections
A licensed inspector at the points the contract allows, with repairs tracked in writing.
Final walk, closing, warranty
Punch list, Closing Disclosure, cash to close, keys, warranty terms and how to file a claim.
Where Dallas–Fort Worth is building
Population change since 2020 shows where subdivisions are going in. Celina, Princeton, Melissa, Anna and Prosper grew by half or more; Plano, Allen, Keller, Carrollton and Garland grew less than 10%, so new homes there are infill. The fastest-growing cities also carry the highest rates and the most special districts.
| City | Population change since 2020 | Population, July 2025 | 2025 combined tax rate (per $100) | Main district (2026 TEA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celina | +276.8% | 64,427 | 2.015864 | Celina ISD · B 85 |
| Princeton | +156.1% | 43,524 | 1.877989 | Princeton ISD · B 81 |
| Melissa | +115.6% | 29,969 | 1.909179 | Melissa ISD · A 91 |
| Anna | +105.7% | 35,245 | 1.995536 | Anna ISD · C 74 |
| Prosper | +51.2% | 45,605 | 1.949663 | Prosper ISD · A 91 |
| Hickory Creek | +45.6% | 6,875 | 1.652343 | Lake Dallas ISD · B 82 |
| Little Elm | +36.2% | 62,727 | 1.961039 | Little Elm ISD · C 78 |
| McKinney | +20.8% | 236,001 | 1.747147 | McKinney ISD · B 87 |
| Frisco | +18.2% | 236,955 | 1.675480 | Frisco ISD · A 91 |
| Mansfield | +16.3% | 84,444 | 2.249380 | Mansfield ISD · B 87 |
| Fort Worth | +11.9% | 1,028,117 | 2.162580 | Fort Worth ISD · C 77 |
| Lewisville | +10.6% | 139,006 | 1.722747 | Lewisville ISD · B 83 |
| Allen | +8.4% | 113,447 | 1.771763 | Allen ISD · A 90 |
| Plano | +2.6% | 293,028 | 1.707713 | Plano ISD · B 85 |
| Garland | +1.4% | 249,625 | 2.394721 | Garland ISD · B 86 |
| Carrollton | +0.8% | 134,562 | 2.019675 | Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD · B 81 |
| Keller | +0.7% | 46,078 | 1.835680 | Keller ISD · B 84 |
| Euless | −1.7% | 60,008 | 1.968846 | Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD · B 87 |
| Coppell | −3.7% | 41,386 | 1.960951 | Coppell ISD · A 93 |
- Special districts follow growth
- In Collin County a MUD adds 1.00–1.20 per $100 and a PID adds an annual assessment, mostly in newer subdivisions of Celina, Prosper, Princeton, Anna and Melissa. Check the parcel before comparing communities.
- Frisco
- Built out in the east, still building in the north and west: Fields, Hazelwood, Hollyhock and The Grove. The only residential PIDs are the two Panther Creek districts the city is closing.
Jessie's new-construction record
Of Jessie's 87 transactions from 2022 through August 2026, 62 were new homes. Past transactions, not current inventory.
- New-home transactions
- 62
- Share of her record
- 71%
- Cities in the record
- 19
New-home questions
Short answers. For a specific home, the current documents govern.
Should I contact Jessie before visiting a builder?
Yes. She checks the community's current registration rule first. The model-home sales team works for the builder.
Who pays the buyer's agent on a new home?
The written buyer representation agreement says. Texas requires it before any showing and requires it to state that compensation is negotiable. A builder may agree to pay some or all of it.
Is a builder incentive always the better deal?
No. A credit can be offset by a higher rate, price or fee. Compare cash to close, the monthly payment and five-year borrowing cost.
Do I need an inspection on a new home?
Yes. Ask which inspections the contract allows, when the inspector can get in, and how items found are handled in writing.
How long does a new-home purchase take?
A finished home closes in weeks. An unfinished home depends on construction, selections, inspections and the lender; the written schedule and delay terms govern.
Can I negotiate with a builder?
Sometimes. How long the home has been listed, the lot, options, closing timing and the market set the room. Anything agreed goes into the signed documents.
Next step
Send Jessie the community you are considering
The community or builder, your budget and your move-in month. She will tell you what to check before the first visit.