CHAD SELLERS REALTOR® · JBGOODWIN REALTORS®

Your Roadmap · New Construction in San Antonio

How You'll Buy New Construction in San Antonio

New construction isn't a resale with fresh paint — it's a different process, with a different contract, different risks, and a builder's sales team sitting across the table instead of a homeowner. This roadmap covers both ways to buy new: a spec home the builder already finished, and reserving your own lot in a builder's community before construction starts — choosing from their models and a list of customizations.

Chad Sellers, REALTOR® · JBGoodwin REALTORS® · Retired Air Force Officer & Pilot · Military & Civilian Buyers

Spec Home or Dirt Build? They're Not the Same Purchase

Same end result — a brand-new home — but very different processes, risks, and timelines to get there.

Spec / Inventory Home

Built by the builder, on the builder's lot and plan, before or as a buyer is found.

Typical Timeline30–120 days, contract to close
Design ControlLimited to none — the builder already decided most of it
Lot SelectionStandard lots; premium and corner lots are often held for custom buyers
Cost PredictabilityMostly fixed at contract — few surprises before closing
FinancingA standard mortgage, often with a builder-preferred lender incentive
Your Day-to-Day InvolvementLow — tour, choose, close
Best Fit ForBuyers who want new-construction quality with speed and certainty

Pre-Construction "Dirt" Build

A builder's own lot inside a master-planned community, reserved before construction starts, built from one of their model plans.

Typical Timeline4–9 months, reservation to move-in
Design ControlChoose from the builder's model plans and options list — more input than a finished spec home, but within their menu
Lot SelectionChoose an available lot within the community before it's assigned — premium and corner lots often open at this stage
Cost PredictabilityMostly fixed like a spec home, plus your selected options — the builder still controls pricing and the contract
FinancingA standard mortgage, same as a spec home — no owner construction loan, often with a longer or extended rate lock
Your Day-to-Day InvolvementModerate — a design-studio selection appointment and a few milestone check-ins, no draws to manage yourself
Best Fit ForBuyers who want more say than a finished spec home offers, without managing a true custom build

Choose Your Path

Pick the path that matches your purchase — the roadmap below updates to match.

Click any phase to open the full breakdown below.

Thinking New Construction? Let's Talk Before You Visit a Model Home

Register your representation before your first visit, and I'll walk the entire process with you — spec or custom, contract to closing to warranty. No pressure, no obligation.

Call or Text · 325.514.2297 [email protected]

JBGoodwin REALTORS® · 607 E Sonterra Blvd., Suite 108, San Antonio, TX 78258