The sequence
Contract + earnest money: published corridor norms run in the low single-digit percentages of price; read what's refundable and when. Design center window: the 12–17% upgrade statistic gets made here, in a showroom engineered for it — enter with a written cap and price big-ticket items against aftermarket quotes. The long middle: permits, pour, framing, mechanicals, drywall, finishes — months in which your two jobs are phase inspections and photographic visits (respecting site rules). Walkthroughs: blue-tape (every defect documented), then final orientation. Closing: where the incentive paperwork you priced months ago either matches the Closing Disclosure or gets corrected — read it line by line.
The rate question underneath everything
A months-long build carries months of rate exposure. Ask early: how long is any promoted rate locked, what extended-lock options exist and at what cost, and what happens to an advertised buydown if the build runs long. On a build timeline, the answer to this question routinely matters more than every design-center decision combined. And keep the buydown comparator handy when the final numbers land. Educational only, August 2026; contracts govern — read yours.
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