28 topics · updated 2026-09-11 · the full glossary →
Choosing a builder
The decision buyers agonise over and search hardest on - production vs custom, national vs local, and how to vet one.
Builder types: production, semi-custom, custom
What each model actually delivers, what it costs, and who each one is right for.
The national builders & how they differ
D.R. Horton, Lennar, Pulte and the rest - volume, brand tiers and opposing 'included-features' philosophies.
Buying new construction
Base price vs the real price - options, upgrades, the design center, lot premiums and incentives.
Contracts & the build process
Cost-plus vs fixed-price, draw schedules, change orders, pre-drywall and final walkthroughs, certificate of occupancy.
Warranty & new-home quality
The 1-2-10 warranty, punch lists, third-party coverage and how to judge build quality.
Financing & budgeting
Construction loans, draw schedules, cost-per-square-foot, contingency, builder rate buydowns and in-house lenders.
Cost & what moves it
Per-square-foot reality, allowances and the overruns nobody warns about.
Permitting & code
Permits, inspections, zoning, energy codes (IECC/IRC), setbacks and impact fees.
Land & site selection
Access, utilities, soil and flood - decided before a plan is drawn.
Site prep & foundations
Grading, drainage, slab vs pier-and-beam, post-tension slabs, soil tests.
Framing & envelope
Framing, insulation, air sealing, windows, roofing and the building envelope.
Energy efficiency & green building
HERS, blower-door tests, passive design, solar, heat pumps, ENERGY STAR and DOE Zero Energy Ready.
Manufactured, modular & factory-built
HUD-code manufactured homes vs modular vs panelized - the factory path and how it differs from site building.
Barndominiums & post-frame
Metal-building homes, a fast-growing rural alternative.
Tiny homes & ADUs
Accessory dwelling units, tiny-home rules, rental income.
ADUs & garage conversions
Accessory dwellings - the densification play in most Texas metros.
Remodels & additions
Where most residential construction money actually goes.
Off-grid systems
Solar + storage, water catchment, septic, propane.
Timeline & what delays it
Permits, weather, trades and materials, in the order they bite.
The homebuilder business model
Volume builders make money on more than the house - options and upgrade revenue, captive mortgage and title arms, land-light lot options, and relentless cycle-time and sales-pace management all shape what a buyer is ultimately offered.
New-home sales and buyer representation
This covers how the on-site sales process actually works, from agent-registration rules and the post-2024 buyer-agreement changes to where a builder's incentives really have room to move.
Rate buydowns and builder financing incentives
Mortgage subsidies such as 2-1 buydowns and permanent forward commitments have replaced sticker-price cuts as the main new-home incentive, and how they are funded explains why builders prefer them.
Water and wastewater on unsewered land
On rural and Hill Country lots without public sewer, wells, on-site septic systems, percolation tests and rainwater catchment govern whether and how the land can be built on.
Property taxes and carrying costs on a new home
Beyond the mortgage, MUD and PID assessments, the second-year tax reset, the homestead exemption and HOA dues together set the true monthly cost of owning a new Texas home.
Green certifications and energy ratings
HERS scores, ENERGY STAR, DOE Zero Energy Ready, LEED for Homes and the NAHB National Green Building Standard compete as efficiency labels, and the federal 45L credit rewards the higher tiers.
Solar, storage and the all-electric home
As new homes electrify, rooftop solar, battery storage, heat pumps and heat-pump water heaters, together with net metering and solar-ready wiring, are becoming standard design decisions.
The land-development pipeline
Raw land becomes a finished lot only after entitlement, platting, infrastructure and financing, and it is finished-lot supply, not builder capacity, that sets the pace of new construction in a market.