Edition: August 2026 · Compiled from builder-published offers, public listings, and published market reporting · All figures rounded deliberately
The climate, in four numbers
The Ledger
| Incentive type | Typically advertised as (August 2026) | Read the fine print for | How to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flex cash | $15K–$40K credit toward closing costs, rate buydown, or upgrades | Preferred-lender requirement; whether it can reduce price instead; expiration ("sunset") date | Ask for the offer in writing with its expiration date and lender condition stated |
| Permanent rate buydown | Advertised rates in the high 4s to 5s on select homes | "Select homes" scope (often inventory only); rate lock length; points math vs. taking cash | Get a full Loan Estimate from the preferred lender and one outside lender, same day |
| 2-1 temporary buydown | Rate reduced 2 points year one, 1 point year two, face rate after | The year-three payment — budget for it on day one | Ask for the payment schedule for all three years, in writing |
| Closing-cost credit | $10K–$25K commonly; higher offers publicized | Whether unused credit is forfeited; stacking rules with other offers | Line-item it against your actual Loan Estimate closing costs |
| Upgrade / design credit | Appliance packages, flooring or design-center credits | Retail-priced credits are worth less than cash; inventory homes may exclude | Price the same upgrade aftermarket before valuing the credit |
| Quick move-in pricing | Reduced pricing on completed inventory homes | Lot premium already baked in; comparison against the same plan's base price | Ask what the plan's base price is in the current phase, then compare |
The three questions that protect you
- "What is this worth as a price reduction instead?" A credit tied to their lender at their rate sheet isn't automatically worth its face value. Sometimes the price cut is better; sometimes the buydown genuinely is. Make them price both.
- "What's the total tax rate on this lot — including MUD or PID?" Parts of the corridor carry municipal utility district or public improvement district assessments that add meaningfully to the effective tax rate. The monthly payment estimate is fiction until this number is in it.
- "When does this offer expire, and what triggered the last change?" Incentives are inventory management. They move when inventory moves — which is exactly why this Ledger carries a date.
Why "Ledger" and not "deals list": we don't publish per-builder claims we can't stand behind between editions — offers change too fast, and a stale "deal" is worse than none. The Ledger tracks the types, the honest ranges, and the verification path, so any sign you see in any model home this month slots into a row above.
Every figure compiled from builder-published promotions, public listings, and published DFW market reporting as of August 2026. This is not a valuation, a loan offer, or lending advice; confirm every offer, rate, and tax figure directly with the builder, lender, and county before you act. Builders active across the corridor include national and regional names — availability varies by community and phase.
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