Buying new construction
at Painted Prairie:
what to expect at every stage.

The new construction buying process doesn't move like a resale transaction. The decisions you make in the first 60 days of the process have an outsized effect on everything that follows. This is the stage-by-stage version of what buying new construction at Painted Prairie actually looks like.

Most buyers who are considering Painted Prairie for the first time have done roughly the same thing: browsed a few builder websites, looked at floor plan PDFs, maybe walked one model home. That's a reasonable start. But it tends to leave buyers optimizing for the wrong things. They're comparing open-concept layouts and counting bedroom square footage before they've settled more fundamental questions: which home type actually fits their life, which builders are active in their price range, and how the purchase process for a new construction home works from the moment you sign a contract to the moment you receive keys.

This guide addresses that gap. It's a walkthrough of the new construction buying process at Painted Prairie, stage by stage, starting with the decisions to make before you ever visit a model home and ending at close.

Start with the home type, not the floor plan

Before touring any model home, settle the home-type question. Painted Prairie offers three structural types: three-story townhomes through Toll Brothers (the Skyview and Horizon collections, from the high $300s), paired villas primarily through KB Home (alley-load duplexes, also from the high $300s), and detached single-family homes through seven of the nine builders (mid $400s and up). The three types carry different HOA structures, different maintenance profiles, different lot layouts, and very different price ceilings.

Touring a beautiful detached home at $650,000, getting back to the car, and realizing your actual target is $450,000 with low-maintenance as a priority is one of the most common first-visit mistakes we see. Start with type. The choice between townhome, paired villa, and detached is actually the most consequential real estate decision in this process, and it deserves dedicated thinking time before you step into any sales office. We wrote a full breakdown of how to make that call in our piece on townhome, paired villa, and detached at Painted Prairie.

Choose a builder before you fall in love with a floor plan

Nine builders are active at Painted Prairie: Century Communities, David Weekley Homes, KB Home, McStain Neighborhoods, Pulte Homes, Remington Homes, Risewell Homes, Toll Brothers, and Tri Pointe Homes. They are not interchangeable. Choosing a floor plan and then shopping for a builder who offers it is the process in reverse. Choose the builder first.

The differences between builders that actually affect your experience as a buyer fall into four categories.

Standard feature packages. What's included in the base price varies significantly by builder. One builder's base price includes hardwood flooring on the main level. Another's includes carpet throughout. Two homes quoted at the same price can have meaningfully different included packages underneath. Always ask for the full included-features list before comparing quotes across builders.

Design center pricing structure. The markup on upgrades varies. Some builders price design center selections close to market rate. Others use the design center as a significant revenue source. The cost variance for identical or comparable upgrades across builders can run into thousands of dollars on the same items.

Contract terms. Earnest money amounts, deposit structures, financing contingency language, and preferred-lender incentive offers all differ by builder. These aren't fine print: they affect your cash requirements at signing, your financing flexibility through the build, and the net cost of the purchase.

Build timelines. Some builders are running faster production cycles than others at any given point in the build-out. A production-focused builder (Century, KB, Pulte) might close a build-to-order home in six to eight months. A builder with more complex finish packages (David Weekley, Toll Brothers) might run nine to twelve months or longer. If you have a lease expiring or a current home to sell, timeline matters as much as price.

Understanding what you're actually being quoted

When a builder sales associate hands you a quote sheet, you're looking at a base price plus anything already pre-loaded on the specific home or lot. That number is not your out-of-pocket. Three additions layer on top: the lot premium (extra charge for a preferred homesite, ranging from nothing to tens of thousands depending on position and builder), design center spend (your upgrade selections made after contract), and closing costs.

Builders also typically bundle their current incentive package into the quote in ways that can obscure the real comparison between options. A closing-cost credit is different from a rate buydown is different from a free finished basement. Each has a different real value to a buyer depending on their specific financial situation and timeline.

We walked through how to read and compare these packages in detail in our piece on reading a builder incentive quote at Painted Prairie. The short version: before making any comparison between options, always get answers to three questions. First, what is specifically included in this home's base price and lot premium? Second, what is the current incentive package, and does capturing it require using the builder's preferred lender? Third, what is a realistic design center budget for this floor plan at a reasonable finish level?

The new construction contract and how it differs from resale

New construction contracts are drafted by the builder's legal team, not drawn from the Colorado standard contract form used in most resale transactions. They are longer, more builder-favorable on certain provisions, and less familiar to buyers who've previously purchased resale. Three specific differences to understand before you sign.

Earnest money and deposit structure

Builders typically require 1% to 3% of the purchase price at signing. Some require additional deposit installments at specific construction milestones (permit issuance, framing completion, etc.). The total deposit amount and the conditions under which it's refundable or nonrefundable depend on the builder and the phase of the community you're buying in. Read the deposit schedule and refundability terms carefully before signing. This is one of the sections where having a buyer's agent review the contract in advance pays off directly.

The preferred lender offer

Most builders offer their best incentive packages (rate buydowns, closing-cost credits) through an affiliated or preferred lender. Using their lender isn't automatically a bad deal: the incentives can be substantial, particularly when interest rates are elevated and a rate buydown has real first-year value. But the right answer depends on your situation. It's worth running the comparison against outside financing before you commit, not after. The difference in total cost can go either direction depending on the current rate environment and the size of the incentive.

Build timeline as an estimate, not a deadline

Builder contracts almost universally specify that completion dates are estimates and that the builder is not liable for delays within defined ranges. Delays happen: weather, permitting backlogs, material delivery, subcontractor scheduling. A realistic planning range for a build-to-order home at Painted Prairie is six to twelve months from contract, with the faster end for production-focused builders and the slower end for builders with more complex finish packages. Quick move-in homes (already built or near-complete at time of contract) can close in thirty to sixty days.

Build your personal timeline buffers (movers, lease-end dates, temporary housing arrangements) around the realistic range, not the optimistic estimate. A buyer who leases an apartment ending the same month as their estimated close date is taking a risk that most agents would advise against.

The design center appointment

For most buyers, the design center appointment is the decision point that matters most and the one they're least prepared for. It's a multi-hour session (some builders schedule two appointments: one for structural options, one for finish selections) where you choose everything that differentiates your home from a base-model spec: flooring, cabinetry, countertops, tile, appliances, lighting packages, exterior color, and structural add-ons like finished basements, added bedrooms or bathrooms, or reconfigured garage layouts.

The design center experience is optimized to make every upgrade look appealing. The samples are well-lit, the upgrades are presented in small increments, and the upsell from standard to premium feels modest in isolation. Buyers who go in without a plan regularly spend $50,000 to $100,000 above their base price. Some of that spend is well-considered. A significant portion often is not.

Two principles that produce better outcomes:

Set a design center budget before you walk in. A reasonable planning range is 5% to 15% of the base price, depending on how turnkey you want the home at move-in. If the base price is $500,000, plan for $25,000 to $75,000 and set a ceiling you'll hold to before you sit down.

Prioritize structural options over finish upgrades. Structural selections (adding a finished basement, reconfiguring a bathroom, bumping out a room) are impossible or very expensive to change after construction. Finish selections (countertop material, cabinet color, light fixtures) are either replaceable by a competent contractor post-move-in or upgradeable over time out of pocket. Spend your budget where the choices are permanent. Design center finishes are the most emotionally engaging choices in the process; they are often the least financially efficient ones.

Construction milestones and site visits

After contract and design center, the build proceeds in phases. Most builders at Painted Prairie provide structured progress updates and allow buyer visits at specific milestones.

Framing walk. Typically offered once framing is complete and rough mechanicals (plumbing, HVAC, electrical) are in place but before drywall. This is the best opportunity to verify that structural selections are being built as specified and that rough-in locations (electrical outlets, plumbing stub-outs, gas lines) match your design center choices. Bring your selection documentation to this walk.

Pre-drywall inspection. Some builders allow you to bring an independent inspector at this stage. Others do not. If your builder allows it, use it. Issues caught before the walls close are significantly cheaper and faster to address than issues discovered after drywall is installed and finished.

Orientation walk (blue tape walk). Scheduled one to two weeks before close. The builder's representative walks the finished home with you, you document cosmetic issues or incomplete items, and they note what will be addressed before close or shortly after. Go slowly. Test everything that can be tested. This walk is your formal record of any outstanding items, so being thorough here matters.

Closing on a newly-built home

The mechanics of closing on new construction resemble resale: title company, loan officer (if financing), documentation, and a final walkthrough. A few points specific to new construction.

Certificate of occupancy. The city issues a certificate of occupancy before you can close. If your builder is running behind schedule, the CO won't be issued, and the close date will move. This is not something a buyer can negotiate around or work ahead. Build buffer into your personal timeline.

Final walkthrough. Do it. Even if the orientation walk was thorough. Conditions can change between the orientation walk and close. Go through every room, run every faucet, test every outlet, and compare to your orientation walk notes to verify that all documented items were addressed.

Warranty documentation. New construction at Painted Prairie typically comes with builder warranty coverage: a one-year workmanship and materials warranty, a two-year systems warranty covering HVAC, plumbing, and electrical, and a ten-year structural warranty. Document any post-close warranty items in writing to the builder's warranty department. Email creates a paper trail that a phone call does not.

New construction at Painted Prairie, honestly assessed

The new construction process is harder than resale in some respects. The timeline uncertainty is real: a six-to-twelve-month build window means your life circumstances will very likely shift between contract and close. Make sure your financing is underwritten against the rate environment you expect at close, not the rate available today. And treat the deposit structure as a genuine cash commitment, not a placeholder.

It's easier in others. You're choosing your finishes. You're starting with a builder warranty. You're not inheriting anyone else's deferred maintenance or taking on a pre-owned home's mechanical history. At Painted Prairie specifically, the competition among nine active builders creates pricing pressure that works in buyers' favor in a way that a single-builder or resale market doesn't. When one builder increases its concession package, the others feel it. That dynamic is your leverage, provided you understand how to use it.

The buyers who get the best outcomes at Painted Prairie are the ones who understand the process before they walk into a model home. Know your home type before you go. Know your builder shortlist before you visit design centers. Know your design center budget before the appointment begins. Confirm your financing position before you get emotionally committed to a particular lot.

If you're ready to start evaluating Painted Prairie, we're glad to walk through the current builder lineup: who has available lots in your price range, which builders are running the most relevant incentive packages right now, and which contract terms are worth paying close attention to. Reach out through the tour page to set up a conversation, or call 720-408-7409 directly.