Most people start with the floorplan. It is the fun part. It is also the part that tells you the least about whether you are ready.
Building is a stack of decisions, and the first few set up all the rest. These five questions come up in almost every conversation we have with first-time buyers. Answer them early and everything after this gets simpler.
1. What can I spend, not what am I approved for?
An approval is a ceiling. Your budget is a decision you make somewhere under it.
Your monthly payment is more than the loan. It also includes property taxes, homeowners insurance, and HOA dues if the community has them. Ask your lender for a full monthly estimate, not just a loan amount.
Then pick the number you actually want to live with. Not the biggest one on the letter.
2. How much do I need up front?
This is where most people count themselves out, usually using numbers they got secondhand.
There are three separate questions here. What does it take to reserve the home. What is due at closing. And what assistance is available to you.
Ask all three out loud. You may qualify for more help than you think. You will not find out by guessing.
One example: what The Front Door actually requires
Household income under $95,000
First-time buyer, or no ownership interest in a primary residence in the last 36 months
Meet both and Legacy South pays 100% of your closing costs. A $1,000 deposit reserves your home. That is the whole list. Whoever you build with, ask them for theirs.
3. Should I build from the ground up, or buy one that is already finished?
Both are new construction. The difference is time and choice.
Build to order means you choose the plan, the lot, and the finishes. It takes months. A finished home means the choices are made and you move in sooner.
Ask what is available right now, and ask for the timeline on both paths. For most people the answer comes down to one date: when the lease ends.
4. What is included, and what counts as an upgrade?
Two homes at the same price can be very different once you read the spec list.
Ask for the included features in writing. Then ask what buyers add most often, and what those additions cost.
Ten minutes of this now saves you from a surprise at your design appointment.
5. Who is on my team, and when should I start talking to them?
A builder, a lender, and someone who answers your questions before you ever visit a model home.
Industry research on the new home buyer journey puts the average at around 263 days from first search to signed contract. Most of that happens online, long before anyone walks into a model home. So the honest answer to when you should start is earlier than feels natural.
People wait because they think a conversation means a commitment. It does not. Ask your questions while the stakes are still low.
Screenshot this list. Take it to every builder you talk to, including us.
Get all five answered in one sitting.
Front Door Access is two free sessions with Jenn Chapman of Legacy South and Mackenzie Curtis of Acrisure Mortgage. Come with this list. Leave with your numbers.
In-person workshop. Get preapproved in person. Walk a model home, sit down with Mackenzie and Jenn, and start your preapproval. Appointment recommended. Sunday, Aug 16 · 1–2:30 pm · Model Home Gallery
Virtual Q&A session. Ask us anything, from home. A 30-minute live Q&A on how The Front Door works, what you will need, and the numbers. No camera required. Tuesday, Aug 11 · 6–6:30 pm CT · Online
One quick form. Pick the workshop, the Q&A, or both, and we will send the details.
