San Antonio Buyer’s Agent Comparisons for New vs Resale
Before you sign with a builder or write a resale offer, expect written side-by-side numbers: the true monthly payment, contract deadlines and exit rights, inspection access at each build stage, and how nearby homes will affect your resale. If those comparisons are missing, the incentive is doing the selling.
What should a San Antonio Buyer’s Agent compare before you choose new construction or resale?
A San Antonio Buyer’s Agent should put four things side by side in writing: the full monthly cost of each home, the contract terms and deadlines, the inspection and warranty access you actually get, and the resale competition around each property. Builder incentives can make a new home look cheaper than a resale home without being cheaper. The comparison is what shows you which one is.
Key Takeaways
- A builder's advertised payment is not your real monthly cost until property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA or amenity charges, and the rate after any temporary buydown ends are added in.
- Texas uses a different TREC contract depending on whether the new home is still being built (TREC Form 23-20) or is completed and never occupied, so the first step is confirming which form applies.
- Earnest money is generally due to the escrow agent by the close of business on the second working day after the contract is executed, unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.
- TREC's new-home contract language lets you choose your own inspector, so a builder's warranty does not replace an independent inspection.
- An incentive is only worth comparing once you have it in writing, including eligible homes, lender requirement, expiration date, and required closing date.
How do builder incentives change the monthly cost comparison?
They change it a lot, because an incentive moves cost around instead of removing it. A credit, a temporary rate buydown, and a permanent rate reduction each affect your payment differently, and none of them show up in a headline price.
When I run this comparison for a buyer, the new home and the resale home get the same line items:
- Purchase price, including lot premiums and upgrade packages on the new build
- Mortgage rate, and whether any rate help is temporary or permanent
- Property taxes, including any tax-district charges on the subdivision
- Homeowners insurance quotes for that specific property
- HOA or mandatory amenity charges
- Lender fees and any negotiated credits
- Expected maintenance: landscaping, irrigation, appliances, HVAC service, pest control, and repairs a warranty excludes
If you're using VA financing, the lender side of this matters even more. I cover that in my post on VA loan strategy for San Antonio home buyers.
What does the incentive offer need to say?
Get it in writing before you compare anything. I want to see:
- Which homes qualify
- Whether you must use a specific lender
- The expiration date
- The required closing date
- Whether the benefit is a credit or a rate adjustment
- What happens if you change lenders or miss the deadline
Whether a builder credit beats a negotiated price on a resale home depends on those terms and on your loan. It's a calculation, not a rule of thumb. I run it with you using the actual figures.
Who handles the closing figures?
In Texas, the title company handles closing and the funds held in escrow. If Chicago Title is handling your closing, I compare the written settlement figures, included services, lender requirements, and any builder credit against what the contract says. Who pays a given charge is often negotiated, so I never treat a builder-designated provider and a resale provider as interchangeable until I've read the actual terms.
What should a San Antonio Buyer’s Agent put in writing on contracts and inspections?
Start with the contract form, then the deadlines, then your inspection access. A new-home contract and a resale contract create different exposure, and the differences are easy to miss when a sales office is moving fast.
Which TREC contract applies?
The Texas Real Estate Commission's rules identify TREC Form 23-20 as the required form for a new home whose construction is incomplete. For a home the builder has finished that no one has lived in, TREC provides the New Home Contract (Completed Construction). I confirm which one applies, and read every builder addendum, before you sign.
What deadlines get calendared?
TREC's frequently asked questions state that earnest money generally must reach the escrow agent by the close of business on the second working day after execution, unless the parties agree to a different deadline in writing. I calendar that separately from your inspection, financing, and closing dates. I also compare the builder's termination rights, construction-delay language, change-order rights, completion standards, appraisal provisions, and default remedies against the resale contract.
What inspection access do you have?
TREC's new-home contract language allows you to have the property inspected by inspectors you select who are licensed by TREC or otherwise permitted by law. That is a reason to schedule independent inspections, not to lean on the warranty alone. TREC also says it does not require a pre-inspection or an employment contract to be signed by the parties to an inspection, per its guidance on earnest money and binding contracts. Access and notice rules are therefore transaction terms I confirm with the builder, not something to assume.
Here is how I lay out the comparison:
| Comparison area | New construction: what I document | Resale: what I document |
|---|---|---|
| Contract form | Correct TREC new-home form plus builder addenda | Standard resale contract and any seller addenda |
| Inspections | Access at foundation or framing, pre-drywall, near completion, and before closing | Independent inspection and negotiation of findings |
| Warranty | Builder warranty process, manufacturer warranties, punch-list procedure | Any home warranty offered, plus your own maintenance reserve |
| Delays and exits | Construction-delay language, termination rights, default remedies | Closing date flexibility, financing and appraisal terms |
| Incentives | Written conditions: lender, deadline, credit versus rate adjustment | Negotiated price or seller credits in the contract |
How do you compare resale competition and ongoing costs?
You compare what you'd be competing against when you sell, plus what the home costs to own after the incentive is gone. A new home in a subdivision with unsold builder inventory and future phases faces different resale conditions than a resale home on an established street.
For each property, I look at:
- Nearby completed builder inventory and future phases
- Builder-owned or builder-controlled listings
- Lot premiums and upgrade packages, and whether the next buyer will value them
- HOA restrictions, amenity fees, and tax-district charges
- Lot orientation and commute time to your workplace
- Condition and pricing of comparable resale homes nearby
I pull comparable sales from the MLS and check them against the monthly figures the San Antonio Board of REALTORS® publishes on total sales, average sales price, and median sales price. Corridor by corridor, conditions differ, which is why I compare a specific subdivision to its actual neighbors rather than to a citywide average. You can see the same series on the SABOR market statistics page.
Your answer depends on your timeline, your loan, and how long you plan to stay. A local comparison using your numbers is the only way to settle it.
Why work with Tara Medina as your San Antonio Buyer’s Agent?
Because these comparisons are what I do every week, and my background fits the two situations where they matter most: new construction and VA-financed purchases.
- New construction is a specialty. With a new build, you need someone protecting your interests from lot selection through the final walkthrough, not just the builder's sales rep. I go deeper on that in New Construction in San Antonio: Protect Your Interests and walk through the process in How to Buy A New Construction Home.
- VA loans are a core part of my practice. I know how a lender requirement tied to an incentive interacts with VA financing, and I help you weigh it before you commit.
- I understand PCS deadlines from the inside. I'm a 25-year Navy spouse, and I've helped 100+ clients. A builder's completion date and your report date have to agree, and I build the comparison around that.
- My record is public. I rank among the Top 1.5% of agents nationwide per RealTrends, I'm a Top 1% Elite agent at Real Broker, and I have over 100 5-star reviews on Google.
- I cover the whole region. That includes Stone Oak, Cibolo, Schertz, La Vernia, Boerne, Helotes, New Braunfels, Universal City, and the areas around Fort Sam Houston, Randolph AFB, and Lackland AFB, so I can compare a new subdivision to the resale homes next to it. I lead the Medina Realty Group team.
I don't rank builders, and I don't steer you toward new or resale. My job is to put the facts in front of you so the choice is yours.
FAQ
Can I use my own inspector on a new construction home in Texas?
Yes. TREC's new-home contract language allows you to have the property inspected by inspectors you select who are licensed by TREC or otherwise permitted by law. Builders set their own access procedures and notice requirements, so I confirm which stages you can inspect before you sign.
What should my buyer's agent review in a San Antonio builder contract?
Your agent should confirm the correct TREC new-home form and read every builder addendum. I look at earnest-money deadlines, termination rights, construction-delay language, change-order rights, completion standards, financing and appraisal provisions, and default remedies. I explain each one before you sign.
What happens to my earnest money if a builder delays completion?
That depends on the delay and termination language in your specific contract. Earnest money is generally due to the escrow agent by the close of business on the second working day after execution, unless you agree otherwise in writing. I review how the contract handles delays and your exit rights before you deposit anything.
Are builder closing-cost incentives really better than negotiating the resale price?
Not automatically. A credit, a temporary buydown, and a lower price affect your cost differently over time. I compare each offer in writing, including lender requirements, deadlines, and what happens if you change lenders, so you see the true monthly and long-term difference.
How can I compare a new home's HOA, taxes, and maintenance with an older home?
Compare them line by line using the builder documents, HOA materials, inspection reports, and real insurance quotes. A new home may carry tax-district charges and amenity fees, while an older home may carry more repair risk. I build both into the same monthly and multi-year view.
Ready to compare your options?
The right choice between new construction and resale comes down to written numbers and contract terms, not the sales office pitch. As your San Antonio Buyer’s Agent, I'll put both options side by side using your loan, your timeline, and your goals. Schedule a consultation with me and let's run the comparison together.
Equal Housing Opportunity. Real estate licensees in Texas are regulated by the Texas Real Estate Commission. This article is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice; confirm your own numbers with your title company, tax advisor, or lender.
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