Free checklist · process only
10 New Construction Mistakes That Could Cost North Texas Buyers Thousands
Get the free checklist before you visit a model home or sign a builder contract. Each mistake links to the sourced NewBuildNTX guide that explains it in plain English.
Sourced, not speculative Licensed Texas broker supervision
Every claim links to a sourced guide with a last-reviewed stamp. No hype, no invented stats, just the process that protects your money.
The checklist, explained
Ten mistakes, ten sourced guides
Each mistake below links to a sourced guide that covers it in full. The guide is the process; the checklist is the reminder to follow it.
- 01
Skipping your own inspections
Trusting the builder walkthrough instead of a third-party inspector, and missing the pre-pour and pre-drywall windows you can never redo.
Inspections and the builder warranty - 02
Signing the builder contract without reading it
Most builders use their own attorney-drafted form, not the TREC contract, and it usually has no option period.
TREC contracts vs. the builder contract - 03
Paying design center markup for upgrades you do not need
Design center prices run well above cost, and every upgrade raises the price you pay tax on.
Design center upgrades: buy vs. skip - 04
Taking the builder incentive without running the math
A 2-1 buydown only pays off if you hold the loan long enough to earn the points back.
Builder incentives and rate buydowns - 05
Ignoring MUD and PID districts
Special tax districts add a line to your bill on top of the base price and property taxes.
Texas property taxes for new builds - 06
Missing the January 1 assessment date
Texas appraises as of January 1, and a finished home can hit full value in its first year.
The January 1 tax assessment trap - 07
Visiting the model home before your agent is registered
Walk in alone and the builder records you as self-sourced; many then refuse to register your agent or pay their commission.
Buy before you move: register your agent - 08
Buying the lot without checking floodplain, easements, or PID/HOA overlays
Floodplain, easements, and special-district overlays can add cost or shrink what you can build, and none of them show up in a base lot price.
Slab foundations and expansive clay - 09
Comparing builders on price per square foot alone instead of total cost
Per-square-foot pricing hides design center upgrades, lot premiums, and incentive strings; the total all-in cost is what you actually pay.
The true cost of a new build - 10
Not verifying the school district a specific address is zoned to
Zoning boundaries shift between communities and even between lots, so the district in the brochure is not always the one your address feeds.
North Texas school districts guide
These are the mistakes the NewBuildNTX guide covers, each one linked to the sourced chapter or guide that explains it. The guide runs 30 chapters in order, from the pre-move timeline to closing; see the full guide index.
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