Builder incentives, October 2026

Market frame. The 30-year street rate is about 7.4% (Freddie Mac, early October) after the Fed's September hike; the next FOMC meeting is 27–28 October. Builders are not cutting list prices much; they are paying for rates. A permanent 4.99% is about 2.4 points under market, worth roughly $550–700 a month on a $450,000 loan. That is the lever to negotiate against, because it is real money the builder has already budgeted.

How to read a rate offer. A permanent fixed rate (4.99% for 30 years) is worth about $500/mo on $450K, for life. A 2/1 temporary buydown ("from 3.49%") resets in year three and is worth about $8,500 in cash. A 5/1 or 7/6 ARM is a discount for five or seven years, then market. Every offer below requires the builder's lender, select homes, full list price, owner occupancy and credit approval. Always ask for the APR and the close-by date.

From the builders' feeds, 22 Oct 2026

Read straight from the builders' inventory feeds; the offer tables further down are read by hand from each builder's own site. Prices and tags change weekly, so treat this as the state on 22 Oct 2026.

Price cuts in the last 30 days

Community	Homes cut	Cut size	Biggest
Lakeside Meadows	5 (0 finished)	$5,000 to $15,000	Meritage Homes, Preston: $443,990 → $430,990 (Sep 26)
Meadowlark Preserve	27 (0 finished)	$2,000 to $22,500	Lennar, 17817 Yellow Warbler Way: $365,999 → $343,499 (Oct 15)
The Grove at Blackhawk	25 (9 finished)	$2,000 to $110,000	Chesmar Homes, 19509 Erna Drive: $476,590 → $449,995 (Oct 4)
The Trails at Carmel	6 (1 finished)	$9,869 to $79,995	Starlight Homes, 17429 Ronocco Rd: $434,990 → $358,692 (Oct 6)
Villas at Rowe	5 (0 finished)	$8,000 to $25,000	Empire Homes, Magnolia: Carport: $337,990 → $312,990 (Sep 23)
Cotton Brook	20 (0 finished)	$2,500 to $24,500	Lennar, 509 Lagonda Drive: $354,999 → $330,499 (Oct 19)
Firefly Pointe	27 (0 finished)	$2,250 to $25,500	Lennar, 202 Streaking Star Drive: $254,249 → $228,749 (Oct 15)
Flora	10 (4 finished)	$1,992 to $50,000	DRB Homes, 209 Rock Daisy Trail: $399,990 → $384,990 (Oct 2)
Heritage Mill	1 (0 finished)	$5,000 to $5,000	DRB Homes, 301 Outhaul Drive: $429,990 → $424,990 (Oct 20)
Prairie Winds	26 (16 finished)	$1,915 to $47,000	Trophy Signature Homes, 106 Melrose Street: $380,990 → $377,990 (Oct 12)
Rolling Glen	5 (1 finished)	$17,480 to $51,880	Starlight Homes, 206 Sunlight Lake Blvd: $345,865 → $293,985 (Oct 6)
Winfield Park	34 (0 finished)	$2,500 to $36,500	Lennar, 204 Mets Way: $248,999 → $212,499 (Oct 19)

Rate and cash tags on the feed

• Coventry Homes — The Grove at Blackhawk: 4.99% tagged on 4 homes.
• Empire Homes — Villas at Rowe: 4.99% tagged on 9 homes.
• Empire Homes — Flora: 4.99% tagged on 11 homes.
• Perry Homes — Flora: 5.49% tagged on 6 homes.
• Trophy Signature Homes — Prairie Winds: 3.99% tagged on 12 homes.
• Meritage Homes — Prairie Winds: 4.49% tagged on 17 homes; $10,000 on 17 homes.
• Ashton Woods — Rolling Glen: 3.99% tagged on 6 homes; $6,500 on 6 homes.

Each tag is the builder's own banner on a specific home; it needs the builder's lender, select homes and credit approval, and the APR is never in the feed. Ask for it.

Inventory on the feed

Community	Builders on the feed	Homes	Move-in ready	Price	Tax rate on feed
Enclave at Cele	Saratoga Homes	7	7	from $448K	—
Lakeside Meadows	Meritage Homes, DRB Homes	38	6	from $370K	2.19%–2.20%
Meadowlark Preserve	Lennar	43	0	from $282K	2.19%
The Grove at Blackhawk	Chesmar Homes, Scott Felder Homes, Coventry Homes, Saratoga Homes	71	12	from $450K	2.56%–2.61%
The Trails at Carmel	Starlight Homes	17	3	from $280K	2.65%
Villas at Rowe	Empire Homes	13	1	from $283K	2.13%
Brooklands	CastleRock Communities	9	0	from $295K	2.35%
Cotton Brook	Lennar	23	0	from $316K	2.16%
Firefly Pointe	Lennar	28	0	from $214K	1.74%
Flora	DRB Homes, Empire Homes, Meritage Homes, David Weekley Homes, Scott Felder Homes, Perry Homes	115	8	from $275K	2.94%–2.96%
Heritage Mill	DRB Homes	23	0	from $300K	2.72%
Prairie Winds	Trophy Signature Homes, Meritage Homes	82	25	from $316K	2.16%
Rolling Glen	Starlight Homes, Ashton Woods	29	2	from $271K	2.16%
Winfield Park	Lennar	38	0	from $210K	2.80%

Pflugerville

Builder / community	Offer	Window	Notes
Empire — Villas at Rowe	"Smart Move": 4.99% via Alta Home Lending, builder-paid closing costs + owner's title + prepaid HOA + fridge/washer/dryer/blinds	Contracts 1 Oct–31 Dec, close by 31 Dec	Townhomes from $282,998 (one unit cut $27K). HOA ~$270/mo.
Starlight — Trails at Carmel	Price cuts of $33K–$56K on five Ronocco Rd specs (6 Oct); FHA 5/1 ARM 3.25% (6.87% APR)	Contract in October, close by 30 Nov	5-bed, 2,688 sq ft at $379K. Appliances included.
Lennar — Meadowlark Preserve	Weekly windows; recent: up to $20K off tagged homes, cash only; some weeks a 5/1 ARM	Rolls every Monday	43 specs $282K–$391K; cuts on 2, 5, 7, 8 Oct. Register in person with your agent on first visit.
Coventry — Grove at Blackhawk	4.99% (6.24% APR) on select completed homes, Jet HomeLoans, 640 FICO; $55K–$69K off Judys View / Helens Catch specs	Close-by rolls monthly	$525K–$690K. 3% + bonus to agents means they want it sold.
Chesmar — Grove at Blackhawk	4.999% FHA / 5.375% conventional 30-yr fixed, HomeAmerican Mortgage	Contract 1–18 Oct, close by 31 Dec	Specs cut 4 Oct (e.g. $476,590 → $449,995). The long close window suits sell-first buyers.
Meritage — Lakeside Meadows / Pfennig Place	"Turn Over a New Leaf": up to $10,000 closing (≤3% of base) + below-market rate (unpublished), MTH Mortgage	Contracts 1–15 Oct; November program expected	$370K–$548K; 6 ready now. Rate sheet only from the office.
DRB — Preserve at Lakeside Meadows	$40K flex credit + appliance package	Settle by 31 Dec	$430K–$585K.
Scott Felder — Blackhawk	"As low as 4.49%" + "6% your way" flex; no fine print, undated	—	$500K–$739K; cuts of $10–27K on 6 Oct. Treat the rate as a temporary buydown until confirmed in writing.
Pulte — Kuempel Estates	Up to $40,000 flex cash + half-off lot premiums; conventional 7/6 ARM 4.75% (5.69% APR), 780 FICO / 20% down	Flex through 31 Oct; ARM lock-and-close by 31 Jan 2027	To-be-built, $504K–$759K. No MUD, no PID. The only lot-premium waiver in the area.
Taylor Morrison — Lisso	4.99% conv fixed (5.07% APR) with 3.99% year one, 780 FICO / 20% down; up to 2% toward closing	September window closed 30 Sep; October terms	QMIs from $377,990.
Saratoga — Blackhawk / Enclave at Cele	No rate program; recent cuts on all Cele specs	—	$448K–$595K. Negotiate price.
Ashton Woods — Trails at Carmel	"Up to $70,000 in discounts"; FHA 2/1 buydown from 3.99% (4.23% APR)	Banner dated through 31 Oct	Footnote is still 2023 text; get terms in writing.

Hutto

Builder / community	Offer	Window	Notes
Tri Pointe — Flora	"Value of Now": $30,000 closing credit or FHA 5.25% fixed (5.81% APR); free appliance package at Oct open houses	Contracts 1–31 Oct, close by 18 Dec	QMIs $358K–$449K. The cleanest fixed-rate offer in Hutto.
Meritage — Prairie Winds	4.49% + $10,000 tagged on select homes	Monthly window	40 homes, 17 ready, $327K–$517K.
Trophy Signature — Prairie Winds	3.99% tagged on select homes	Monthly window	42 homes, 22 ready, $316K–$491K.
Ashton Woods — Rolling Glen	3.99% + $6,500 on select homes (likely FHA 2/1 buydown)	—	$353K–$447K.
Empire — Flora	4.99% program on select homes	Likely mirrors Villas at Rowe's 1 Oct–31 Dec window	$325K–$527K, 11 ready.
Perry — Flora	5.49% on select homes	—	$470K–$684K.
David Weekley — Flora / Emory Crossing	No rate promo; $2,500 Hometown Heroes design credit	Through 31 Dec	$340K–$535K.
Highland — Flora	"$60K or 4.99%" / "$12K to lower your rate" per plan, undated	—	$525K–$648K.
Lennar — Cotton Brook, Firefly Pointe, Winfield Park	Same weekly Lennar windows as Pflugerville	Rolls every Monday	Firefly Pointe from $214K at a 1.74% tax rate; Winfield Park from $210K.
Taylor Morrison — Emory Crossing	$15K off tagged QMIs (September); 4.99% conv fixed w/ 3.99% year one	October terms	From ~$280K.
CastleRock — Brooklands	4.99% fixed (5% down) or 3.99% FHA on select inventory, undated	—	$295K–$389K, to-be-built.

Nearby (Manor, Round Rock, Taylor)

• D.R. Horton — Carillon / Palomino / Monarch Ranch (Manor): FHA 30-year fixed 4.50%–4.99% (≈5.5–5.7% APR), DHI Mortgage, close by 30 Oct; red-tag cuts end 1 Nov. Specs from $249K.
• M/I Homes — Carillon (Manor): FHA 2/1 from 3.25% (6.0% APR) or 7/6 ARM 4.875% (5.73% APR); October window ended 11 Oct, November terms.
• Century — Hollows at Avery Centre (Round Rock): two move-in-ready homes ~$60K under plan price; 4.875% for 5 years.
• Coventry — Castlewood (Taylor): $19K–$47K off, $250K–$330K.

Calendar

• 27–28 Oct: FOMC meeting; a hike makes every buydown more expensive for builders to fund.
• 30 Oct: D.R. Horton close-by. 31 Oct: Tri Pointe contracts, Pulte flex cash and lot-premium waiver, Ashton Woods banner, Starlight contract window.
• 30 Nov: Starlight close-by. 18 Dec: Tri Pointe close-by. 31 Dec: Empire, Chesmar, DRB close-by; David Weekley credit ends.

What I would do with this list

1. If you are FHA and under $400K: Starlight (Carmel), Villas at Rowe, Lennar's weekly tags, Tri Pointe's 5.25% fixed in Flora.
2. If you are conventional with strong credit: Taylor Morrison's 4.99% fixed (Lisso / Emory Crossing) and Chesmar's 5.375% fixed are real 30-year rates, not buydowns.
3. If you want the lowest payment for the price: Lakeside Meadows, Meadowlark Preserve, Prairie Winds, Rolling Glen, Kuempel Estates. The tax rate beats the rate special.
4. Always get an outside loan estimate on the same lock date. If the builder's lender is 0.25% above market, that costs ~$75/mo on $450K and offsets a $10K credit in about 11 years.