A new build in Prosper? The questions to ask before you sign with the builder

• The model-home rep is friendly and knows the product, but works for the builder.
• The contract is often the builder's own. Read all of it before you sign, not just the price sheet.
• Incentives usually come with conditions, sometimes tied to the builder's lender. Compare in writing.
• Prosper sits in two counties, Collin and Denton, and many new homes in north DFW are in special districts (MUD or PID) that charge separately. There's a notice for the buyer.
• A new home gets inspected too, ideally in phases.

With a resale home, you negotiate with another owner, on a TREC contract agents know well. With a new home, you negotiate with a company that sells houses every day, with its own team, its own paperwork and often its own lender and title company.

TREC publishes new home contracts, one for a home under construction and one for a completed home. But many builders use their own contract. That's not bad; it's just different, and it's written to protect the builder.

That's why it helps to have someone on your side reading with you. And it's why so many people ask whether they need their own agent to buy new construction. The short answer: it isn't required, but the model-home rep doesn't represent you. Their job is to sell homes in that community at the builder's price and terms, and they do it well. Your agent compares that home with your other options, reads every page with you and asks what you wouldn't think to ask. Ask about the builder's policy up front, because some require your agent to be with you on the first visit.

1. Which contract am I signing? A TREC form or the builder's? Get a complete copy, with every addendum, before you put down a deposit.
2. What does the price include? Flooring, kitchen, fence, landscaping, blinds, refrigerator, garage. Get the list in writing. In the model, almost everything beautiful is an upgrade with a price.
3. When will it be finished, and what if it's late? Ask what the contract says about delays and whether the closing date can move. If you're selling your current home, this shapes your whole plan.
4. What incentives are offered, and with what conditions? Sometimes the incentive depends on using the builder's lender or title company. Compare with another lender, in writing, before you decide.
5. Is the home in a MUD, a PID or an HOA? A MUD (municipal utility district) and a PID (public improvement district) charge taxes or assessments on top of the county and city. Texas has a notice for the buyer. Read it before you sign. More in MUD and PID: the hidden costs of new homes in DFW.
6. What does the warranty cover? Ask for the builder's written warranty: what it covers, for how long, and how to report a problem.
7. Can I bring my own inspector? Ask whether you can inspect before the drywall goes up and again before closing. New homes have issues too.

If you'd like to walk into the model home with these questions already answered, book 30 minutes here.

Two things that often surface too late:

• The tax bill. On a new home, the value you see today at the appraisal district may be for the land only. Texas appraises property at market value as of January 1, and on that date the home may not have been finished. The next year the value can change a lot, and your bill with it. Since Prosper sits in two counties, look up the address at the right county's appraisal district. More in why the tax bill on the listing won't be yours.
• The homestead exemption. If you'll live there, you file for it with the appraisal district. It doesn't happen on its own.
• Insurance. Get the quote before you sign, not the week of closing.

Your lender uses those numbers to estimate your payment. Make sure they're the real ones.

One more cost to ask about early: the HOA. Many new communities have one, with its own dues and its own rules about fences, paint colors, parking and what can go in the backyard. Ask for the HOA documents before you sign, read the rules that matter to your family, and add the dues to your monthly picture.

1. Visiting the model without your agent. Some builders register you on that first visit, even if you're "just looking". Ask first.
2. Signing for the incentive without comparing. An incentive may or may not be worth it, depending on its conditions. Compare in writing.
3. Buying on a build timeline with no plan for your current home. If the builder runs late, or early, where do you live? Here's what to do if you signed with a builder and your home hasn't sold.
4. Skipping the inspection because "it's new." New homes have issues too. Better to find them before closing.
5. Budgeting with the land-only tax value. The real bill comes later. Ask, and run the numbers calmly.

Picture a family in Allen who want a bigger new home in Prosper. They tour a model on a Saturday, and the rep offers an incentive if they sign that week with the builder's lender.

Before signing, the family talks through their situation with their agent. They ask for the full contract and the list of what the price includes. Their own lender gives them a written comparison. They read the special district notice and look up the lot at the appraisal district. They ask about the warranty and a pre-drywall inspection. And because they need to sell their home in Allen, they line up the build timeline with their sale. They sign when it all makes sense, not when the incentive expires.

This is an example to explain the process, not a real client or a promised result.

• The full contract, with addenda.
• The list of what's included and which upgrades cost extra.
• The completion date and what the contract says about delays.
• Incentives, with conditions, in writing, plus a comparison from your own lender.
• The MUD or PID notice and the HOA rules.
• The appraisal district for the county the address is in.
• The written warranty.
• The official school district map, with the exact address.

If you're curious about the area, here's the Prosper page. In the moves Veronica Yeary guides around Dallas-Fort Worth, these questions get asked before the first visit to the model home.

Do I need my own agent to buy a new build in Prosper?

It isn't required, but the model-home rep works for the builder. Having someone on your side helps you read the contract, compare incentives and line up your dates. Ask about the builder's policy before your first visit.

Does the builder use the TREC contract?

TREC publishes new home contracts for homes under construction and completed homes, but many builders use their own. Get a complete copy before you put down a deposit.

What is a MUD or a PID?

They're special districts that charge taxes or assessments on top of the county and city, to pay for services or improvements. In Texas the buyer receives a notice. Read it before you sign.

Do I have to use the builder's lender?

No, but sometimes the incentive depends on it. Compare in writing with another lender and decide with the full numbers.

Is it worth inspecting a new home?

Yes. Ask whether you can bring your inspector before the drywall goes up and again before closing. It's easier to fix something before you move in.

A new home is exciting, and it's even better when you sign knowing exactly what you bought, when it's coming and what you'll pay.

Here's what happens next: we talk for 30 minutes about what you're looking for and your dates, and you walk into the model home with your questions answered.

Let's talk for 30 minutes about your situation, not houses: veronicayeary.com/en/book

Call or text 469-441-8890 · veronica@veronicayeary.com