Free Guide · New Construction Buyers
Buying new construction
in San Antonio? Read this
before the model home.
A free guide to builder contracts, upgrade pricing, MUD taxes and the inspections a brand-new home still needs, plus why your own agent should walk in with you on your first visit to any builder.
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Builders around San Antonio sell through on-site sales teams who represent the builder, often on a contract the builder's own attorneys wrote. This free guide covers what to read in a builder contract, how design-center upgrade pricing works, how a MUD adds to your tax bill, and which independent inspections to schedule on a new home. It's written by Tiffany Reed, REALTOR® and MRP, who represents buyers on new builds from the first model visit to the final walkthrough.
Data current as of October 2026 · Builder incentives, MUD rates and available communities change often, so confirm them with the builder and the county appraisal district.
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New Construction Buyer Guide, 2026 Edition
Key Takeaways
What should you know
before visiting a builder?
- The sales team in a model home works for the builder. Their job is to sell the builder's homes on the builder's terms.
- Bring your own agent on your first visit. Some builders won't recognize an agent who shows up after you've registered on your own.
- TREC publishes New Home Contract forms, but state rules let a builder require its own contract, so terms such as the option period may not match what resale buyers get.
- A MUD (municipal utility district) taxes the homes inside it to pay for water, sewer and drainage, on top of city, county and school district taxes. The seller has to give you a written MUD notice before you sign a binding contract.
- City inspections check the work against the building code. An independent inspector you hire works for you and looks at workmanship, too.
- Builder incentives are often tied to the builder's preferred lender. A builder that refers you to an affiliated lender has to disclose the relationship in writing and can't require you to use that lender.
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: TREC contract forms · TREC rules (22 TAC 537.11) · Texas Water Code 49.452 · CFPB, Regulation X
About This Guide
Why read a guide
before the model home?
Model homes are dressed to sell: upgraded floors, staged rooms and a salesperson ready to write the contract that afternoon. That salesperson represents the builder, and the contract is often the builder's own. The guide gives you the questions to ask and the clauses to read before you sign anything.
Before your first model visit, read how I handle buying new construction: model visits, the builder negotiation and every walkthrough. To see what's on the market now, open the home search.
What's Inside
What does the free
New Construction Buyer Guide cover?
- How builder contracts are structured: what's negotiable, what isn't, and what to understand before you sign
- Upgrade math: how to weigh design-center upgrades against improvements you make after closing
- MUD taxes around San Antonio: what they are, which communities have them, and how to check the rate before you buy
- Why a brand-new home still needs an independent inspection, and which inspections matter at each phase of the build
- The blue tape walkthrough: what happens, what to look for, and how to get each item fixed and documented before closing
- Builder incentives: how to judge them against what you actually need and the total cost of the loan
Ready for the full guide?
Send Me the Free Guide →Common Questions
What do new construction buyers
ask before they reach out?
Do I need my own agent if I'm buying new construction?
No law requires it, but the builder's sales team represents the builder, and the contract is often the builder's own form. If you want someone negotiating for you, bring your agent on your first visit, because some builders won't add an agent once you've registered alone. Already toured a model home? Tell me which builder, and I'll check whether I can still be added as your agent.
What are MUD taxes, and do I need to worry about them?
A municipal utility district (MUD) is a local district that can tax the homes inside it to pay for the water, sewer and drainage built for a development. Some newer subdivisions around San Antonio sit in one. Its rate is added to your city, county and school district rates, and it differs from district to district. Ask the builder whether the lot is in a MUD, read the written MUD notice the seller has to give you before you sign, and check every taxing unit for the address with the county appraisal district.
Are new construction homes inspected before closing?
Inside city limits, city inspectors check the work against the building code at set stages. That's a code check, not a review of the house on your behalf. If the home is outside city limits, ask the builder who inspects it and when. An independent inspector you hire looks at workmanship and problems that can pass code and still cost you later. Ask about a pre-pour inspection before the foundation goes in, a pre-drywall inspection while the framing and wiring are visible, and a final inspection before the blue tape walkthrough. It's also worth booking one before the first year of your builder warranty runs out. I coordinate each of those inspections around the builder's schedule.
Can I negotiate with a builder?
Yes, and sometimes on price. How far a builder will move depends on the builder and the community. Closing costs, lot premiums, upgrades and other incentives are all worth asking about. Incentives are often tied to the builder's preferred lender, so get a Loan Estimate from that lender and at least one other, then compare the rate, fees and dollar value of the incentive side by side. I handle that negotiation with the builder on every new build.
What is a blue tape walkthrough?
It's the punch-list visit near the end of construction. You walk the finished house with the builder's representative and mark anything that needs fixing, often with blue painter's tape: paint touch-ups, scratched fixtures, unfinished trim, doors that stick. Get the list in writing, along with when each item will be fixed. I go to every walkthrough with you, blue tape and final included, and I bring your inspection report so every item on it gets checked.
Who pays my agent when I buy a new build?
When you buy new construction with me, the builder pays my commission. Before I show you a home, you and I sign a written agreement, which Texas has required since January 1, 2026. It spells out what I do and how I'm paid, and it states that broker compensation is negotiable, not set by law.
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: TREC, 2026 buyer representation changes · Texas Water Code 49.452 · CFPB, Regulation X
Tiffany Reed, REALTOR® | MRP | Real Broker LLC
(919) 800-9870 | tiffany@tiffanyreedtx.com | tiffanyreedtx.com