When buyers start exploring new construction in Denton County, they tend to focus on the community name, the builder, and the price. Those things matter. But there's a variable that most buyers overlook, and it has a measurable impact on price, lot selection, incentives, and long-term appreciation: the phase of development you're buying in.
Every master-planned community goes through a lifecycle—from the earliest dirt-moving phases where builders are establishing their presence, through the high-activity mid-phases where the community is taking shape, to the final phases where the last lots are sold and the community approaches completion. Each phase offers a distinct set of advantages and trade-offs, and understanding them is one of the most important strategic decisions a new construction buyer can make.
As the Broker of Covenant Heritage Realty, I work across Denton County's major master-planned communities daily—Pecan Square, Harvest, Canyon Falls, Landmark, Treeline, and others. Here's the framework I use to help buyers evaluate which phase is right for their goals, illustrated with real communities and real pricing from the current market.
Why the Phase You Buy In Matters
New construction communities are built in phases, or "sections," for practical and financial reasons. Developers release lots incrementally, builders compete for allocations in each phase, and pricing adjusts based on demand, infrastructure costs, and community maturity. For buyers, this means that the same community can offer meaningfully different experiences depending on when you enter.
Here's a concise overview of what changes across phases:
Phase Comparison at a Glance
No single phase is universally "best." The right choice depends on your timeline, your tolerance for construction surroundings, your budget, and whether you prioritize lot selection, price, incentives, or community maturity. Let me walk through each one with current Denton County examples.
Early Phase: Maximum Choice, Maximum Opportunity
Early-phase buying means entering a community during its first or second section release. This is when builders have the most lots available, floor plans are fresh, and pricing is typically at its lowest point in the community's lifecycle. The trade-off is that you're living in a construction zone. Roads may not be finished, the amenity center may not be built yet, and the community around you is still taking shape.
The best current example in Denton County: Landmark by Hillwood.
Landmark is a 3,200-acre master-planned community at I-35W and Robson Ranch Road in Denton. Phase 1 includes 747 single-family lots with nine builders competing for sales—American Legend Homes, Coventry Homes, David Weekley Homes, Drees Custom Homes, Highland Homes, M/I Homes, Perry Homes, Toll Brothers, and Tri Pointe Homes. Model homes opened in spring 2026, with the first move-ins beginning this summer. Phase 1 pricing starts in the high $300,000s.
At full build-out over a projected 40-year timeline, Landmark will include approximately 6,000 single-family homes, 3,000 multifamily units, and roughly 900 acres of commercial and retail space, including an announced H-E-B grocery store. But right now, in Phase 1, buyers are making decisions based on a vision, not a finished community.
What early-phase buying offers:
- The widest lot selection. In Phase 1 of a large community, you can often choose from dozens of homesites—corner lots, lots backing to green space, lots with specific orientations. That selection narrows dramatically as phases progress.
- The lowest base pricing. Developers typically price early phases aggressively to establish momentum. As subsequent phases are released, base prices increase. This is how appreciation works in new construction—buyers in Phase 1 of Pecan Square, for example, purchased at significantly lower base prices than buyers entering today.
- Aggressive builder incentives. When nine builders are competing for sales in a brand-new community, the incentive environment is at its most favorable. Rate buydowns, closing cost credits, and design center allowances tend to be highest during early phases.
What to watch for:
- Amenity timelines. The community pool, parks, and gathering spaces may be months or years from completion. Visit the site and ask for the developer's amenity construction timeline before you commit.
- Builder track record in new communities. A builder's performance in an established community doesn't always predict their performance in a new one. Ask about their crew allocation, project management, and how they handle the ramp-up phase.
- The full build-out vision vs. current reality. Landmark's 40-year vision includes an H-E-B, 900 acres of commercial space, and 6,000 homes. Phase 1 buyers will experience none of that on day one. Make sure the current phase meets your needs, not just the renderings.
Who early-phase buying is best for: Buyers with flexible timelines, families who prioritize lot selection over community maturity, and investors or early-mover buyers who understand that the best long-term appreciation often comes to those who buy earliest.
Mid Phase: The Established Sweet Spot
The mid phase is where most buyers find the best balance. The community has enough residents that the lifestyle is real—neighbors are in place, the amenity center is operational, the HOA is running events, and you can see what the community actually feels like, not just what the developer promised. Pricing has risen from the early phases but hasn't reached the premium levels of the final sections. And there's still meaningful lot selection available.
The best current examples: Pecan Square and Harvest, both in Northlake.
Pecan Square by Hillwood is in its mid-phase buildout with an eventual total of approximately 3,100 homes. Five builders are currently active—Coventry Homes, David Weekley Homes, Highland Homes, D.R. Horton, and Pulte Homes. Pricing on 50-foot lots starts around $499,990, with 100-foot lots ranging from approximately $934,000 to over $1.2 million. The community's resort-style amenities, village-center design, and high-speed fiber internet are fully operational. Northwest ISD schools serve the community, and Floyd Barksdale Middle School is scheduled to open directly within the community in August 2026.
Harvest, also developed by Hillwood, spans Northlake and Argyle and offers one of the broadest ranges of new construction in Denton County. Townhomes start in the high $200s, single-family homes range from the $400Ks to the $700Ks, and estate homesites exceed $1 million. Builders include CB JENI Lifestyle Homes, Coventry Homes, David Weekley Homes, Drees Custom Homes, Highland Homes, Taylor Morrison, Toll Brothers, and Tri Pointe Homes. The working farm, trail systems, and Harvest Town Center—anchored by a Tom Thumb grocery store that opened in March 2026—are creating a genuine live-play-learn environment.
What mid-phase buying offers:
- Proven community identity. You know what the neighborhood feels like. You can walk the trails, visit the amenity center, attend a community event, and talk to current residents. The uncertainty of early-phase buying is gone.
- Appreciation momentum. Mid-phase buyers benefit from the price increases that have occurred since the early phases. At Pecan Square, for example, pricing on 50-foot lots has increased meaningfully since the community's first releases. That appreciation trajectory supports your long-term investment.
- Active builder competition. With multiple builders still selling, you have real choice. At Pecan Square, five builders are competing for the same buyer pool, which creates meaningful incentive leverage if you know how to use it.
What to watch for:
- Premium lot depletion. The best lots in a community—those backing to green space, on corner positions, or with superior views—tend to sell first. By the mid phase, the remaining lots may have trade-offs. Evaluate each homesite individually, not just the community as a whole.
- Ongoing construction. The community isn't finished. You'll have new neighbors moving in over the next several years, and there will be construction traffic and activity. This is manageable, but it's a reality to plan for, especially if you have young children or work from home.
- Compare incentives across builders, not across communities. Within Pecan Square alone, five builders are offering different incentive packages. The only way to evaluate them fairly is to compare final pricing—base price minus all incentives—side by side. Headline incentives can be misleading.
Who mid-phase buying is best for: Most relocating families, move-up buyers in the $600K to $1M range, and anyone who wants a proven community with active amenities but still has meaningful lot and floor plan options available.
Final Phase: Proven Value, Builder Concessions, and Urgency
When a community enters its final phase, it means the developer has released the last section of lots. The community is essentially complete—amenities are mature, neighbors are established, resale values are proven. For buyers, the final phase offers a unique combination of benefits and constraints that can represent strong value if approached strategically.
The best current examples: Canyon Falls and The Ridge at Northlake.
Canyon Falls, a 1,242-acre community spanning Flower Mound, Northlake, and Argyle, is approaching sellout. In January 2026, the Flower Mound Town Council approved a final 27-acre residential development comprising 65 homes. Active builders include Coventry Homes, Drees Custom Homes, and Windmiller Custom Homes. The median listing price is approximately $798,000 as of mid-2026, with homes ranging from the $400s to the mid-$900s. The community's natural setting—rolling terrain, mature trees, and creek corridors—gives it character that newer communities haven't had time to develop.
The Ridge at Northlake is also in its final phases, with builders David Weekley Homes and Taylor Morrison offering remaining inventory. Homes range from approximately $560,000 to over $746,000, with active builder concessions as the community approaches sellout.
What final-phase buying offers:
- A complete community. There's no guessing about what the finished product will look like. The trails are established, the parks are mature, and the neighborhood has an identity. Canyon Falls' creek corridors and natural landscaping have had years to develop—something no rendering can replicate.
- Proven resale values. When a community is near sellout, there's a track record of resale transactions. You can evaluate what homes have actually sold for, not just what they're listed for. This data reduces your investment risk significantly.
- Builder concessions. This is the phase where builders are most motivated to close out remaining inventory. They need to sell the last homes to move on to their next project. That motivation translates into meaningful negotiating leverage—deeper price reductions, larger closing cost credits, and more aggressive incentive packages than you'll find in earlier phases.
What to watch for:
- Limited lot selection. The remaining homesites may not be the ones you would have chosen first. Evaluate each lot carefully—orientation, proximity to amenities, traffic patterns, and views all matter for both livability and resale.
- No future phases. When the community sells out, there are no more new sections coming. That means your appreciation ceiling from new-phase momentum is capped. The community will appreciate based on market conditions and resale demand, not on the release of new, higher-priced sections.
- Tax structure matters. Canyon Falls spans multiple jurisdictions—the Flower Mound section has no MUD or PID taxes, while the Northlake side includes MUD taxes. These differences affect your monthly cost significantly and should be part of your evaluation.
Who final-phase buying is best for: Buyers who prioritize community maturity over lot selection, families who want to see exactly what they're getting before they commit, and value-conscious buyers who are willing to work with remaining inventory in exchange for builder concessions and proven resale data.
How Builder Incentives Change Across Phases
Understanding the incentive lifecycle is one of the most practical benefits of thinking in terms of phases. Here's the pattern I see consistently across Denton County communities:
Early Phase Incentives
Builders use incentives to generate early momentum. Expect competitive rate buydowns (sometimes permanent buydowns to the 4.9%–5.25% range), closing cost credits of $20,000 to $50,000, and design center allowances. The goal is to fill the first section quickly so the developer can release the next phase at higher prices. Nine builders competing in Landmark's Phase 1, for example, means each builder has strong motivation to win your business.
Mid-Phase Incentives
Incentives are still available but tend to be more selective. Builders focus their incentives on inventory homes (completed or near-completed) and are more disciplined on build-to-order pricing. At Pecan Square, Coventry Homes, Highland Homes, and David Weekley are all actively offering rate buydowns and closing cost credits on select homes, but the depth of concessions varies by inventory level and sales velocity. This is where having an agent who can compare final pricing across builders becomes most valuable.
Final Phase Incentives
This is where incentives tend to be most aggressive on remaining inventory. Builders need to close out their allocation and move to the next community. At The Ridge at Northlake, David Weekley and Taylor Morrison are offering meaningful concessions on remaining homes as the community approaches sellout. At Canyon Falls, builders are pricing competitively to move the last inventory. The key is evaluating the net price, not the incentive headline, to ensure you're getting genuine value.
The Total Cost of Ownership Changes by Phase Too
One factor many buyers overlook is that the total cost of ownership—including property taxes, HOA fees, and community assessments—can differ meaningfully between phases and communities. A home priced at $600,000 in one community may cost $200 or more per month in additional carrying costs compared to a similarly priced home in another community, depending on the tax structure.
In Northlake, the town's property tax rate of $0.295 per $100 of assessed valuation is one of the lowest among home-rule municipalities in North Texas. But individual communities may carry MUD (Municipal Utility District) or PID (Public Improvement District) assessments that add to the base tax rate. HOA fees also vary: Pecan Square's annual dues are approximately $2,260, while Harvest's are approximately $2,070.
What I provide for every client: A complete monthly cost-of-ownership analysis that includes the base home price, estimated property taxes (including any MUD or PID), HOA dues, and insurance estimates. This analysis reveals the true monthly investment, not just the sticker price, and it's one of the most important tools for making a strategic decision across communities and phases.
How to Evaluate Lot Selection Within Any Phase
Within any phase, not all lots are created equal. The homesite you choose affects your daily living experience, your home's long-term value, and your satisfaction with the purchase. Here's what I evaluate when helping clients select a lot:
A Framework for Making the Decision
Rather than defaulting to one phase or another, I recommend buyers use this framework to evaluate their options:
1. Define your timeline first
If you need to move within 60 to 90 days, a quick move-in home in a mid or final phase is your most realistic option. If you have 8 to 12 months, a build-to-order home in an earlier phase gives you more customization and lot selection. Be honest about your timeline before you start touring communities.
2. Prioritize what you can't change
You can upgrade finishes. You can add a pool. You can't change your lot orientation, your school assignment, or your commute. Start with schools, commute, and lot characteristics. Then evaluate community phase, builder, and price in that order.
3. Think about resale from day one
Every new construction purchase is also a future resale. Communities with strong developer backing (Hillwood's portfolio, for example), active lifestyle programming, and desirable school districts tend to hold value well across all phases. But lot selection, floor plan, and upgrades all affect your specific home's resale performance. I help clients evaluate these factors before they commit.
4. Don't skip the inspections
New construction doesn't mean perfect construction. Pre-drywall and pre-closing inspections are two of the most important steps in protecting your investment, regardless of which phase you're buying in. As a Broker with deep contract expertise, I review builder agreements and attend every inspection with my clients.
The Bottom Line
Every master-planned community in Denton County offers something different, and the phase you buy in shapes that experience just as much as the community name or the builder. Early-phase buyers get maximum choice and appreciation potential but accept more uncertainty. Mid-phase buyers get the balanced sweet spot of proven community and remaining options. Final-phase buyers get mature neighborhoods and builder concessions but limited remaining inventory.
The families who make the best decisions are the ones who understand these trade-offs and align their choice with their specific priorities—timeline, budget, lifestyle, and long-term goals. That strategic clarity is what I bring to every new construction consultation.
Whether you're evaluating Landmark's early-phase opportunity, comparing builders at Pecan Square, or considering a final-phase home at Canyon Falls or The Ridge, I'll help you cut through the noise and make a confident decision for your family's next chapter.
Want to hear the latest new construction incentives? Let's talk.
Theresa De La Rosa
Broker · New Construction Specialist
Covenant Heritage Realty, LLC
