By Jason Gruner, , updated
Builder published data as of Oct 7, 2026. Offers whose published end date has passed are left out. Offers and prices change, so always confirm with the builder.
If you are shopping for a new construction home around Nashville this fall, you have probably noticed that almost every builder website has a banner promising something. A lower rate, help with closing costs, money for upgrades, savings on a home that is ready now. Some of those offers are worth a lot of money. Some come with strings that matter more than the headline.
I keep a database of every new home community I can find across Davidson, Williamson, Maury, Sumner and Wilson counties, and on Oct 7, 2026 I went through the builder pages one by one and recorded each offer exactly the way the builder published it. This post walks through what I found, with real examples, and the questions I ask before I let a client lean on any offer. I left out any offer whose published end date has already passed.
Half of the Communities I Track Show an Offer
I track 286 communities, and some have more than one builder, so I check 312 builder pages in all. When I pulled them on Oct 7, 164 of those builder pages showed a published incentive, covering 152 of the 286 communities. That is more than half. When I sorted those offers by what they actually promise, most fell into four groups.
Of those 164 builder pages, 79 mentioned a rate offer or a buydown. 53 mentioned help with closing costs. 50 mentioned design money, options money or flex cash. 29 advertised savings on homes that are ready now or close to it. Many offers fit more than one group, which is why the numbers add up to more than 164.
You can see every current offer, town by town, on my builder incentives page.
Rate Offers
Rate offers were the most common type on my list. Two builders stood out with the same headline number.
Smith Douglas Homes listed a limited time 4.99% 5/1 ARM on select homes, with closing cost assistance through its preferred lender. I saw it at communities including Laurelwood Park in Gallatin and Hampshire Hills in Columbia, where the builder described it as an FHA or VA 5/1 ARM at 4.99% (6.636% APR) through Ridgeland Mortgage, with rates as of Sept 3, 2026.
Regent Homes listed limited time below market rates on homes closing in 30 days, including a 4.99% 7/1 ARM. That offer showed up at several Regent communities, including Marlon's Creek in Columbia and Harvest Point in Spring Hill.
Here is what I want every buyer to notice. Both of these are adjustable rate mortgages. A 5/1 ARM holds its rate for the first five years and a 7/1 ARM for the first seven, and then the rate can change. That can still be a smart choice, especially if you expect to sell or refinance, but it is not the same thing as a 4.99% fixed rate for 30 years. Always ask what the rate does later and what the APR is.
Closing Cost Help
53 communities mentioned help with closing costs. Two examples show how wide the range is.
Ole South Properties advertised $99 total closing costs, including escrows, discount points and prepaids, when you finance with First Community Mortgage, as a limited time offer. I saw it at Hobson Park in Antioch and Brandon Woods in Spring Hill, among others.
Toll Brothers listed $15,000 in closing costs at Franklin Ridge in Franklin with Toll Brothers Mortgage Company, on top of 50% toward options up to $30,000.
Notice the lender in both of those. Closing cost help from a builder very often requires the builder's own or preferred lender. That is not a bad thing by itself, but it means you should compare the full loan, the rate, the fees and the APR, against an outside lender before you decide the offer is the better deal.
Design Money
50 communities mentioned money toward design, options or flex cash. For a buyer building from the ground up, this is often where an offer quietly saves the most, because options and upgrades add up fast.
Drees Homes listed up to $30,000 toward structural options or Design Center upgrades on build contracts through Nov 22, 2026, with First Equity Mortgage. That offer appeared at 13 Drees communities on my list, including Heritage Green in Columbia, Carothers Glen in Franklin and Arcadia in Brentwood.
Toll Brothers listed 50% toward options, up to $100,000, plus $10,000 in closing costs with Toll Brothers Mortgage Company at August Park in Spring Hill. Fifty percent toward options means you still pay the other half, so the real value depends on how much you plan to add.
Savings on Ready Homes
29 communities advertised savings on homes that are finished or nearly finished. Builders want those homes closed, so this is often where the biggest headline numbers show up.
Ashton Woods advertised savings of up to $150,000 on select homes ready now. That banner runs across the builder's site, and I saw it on communities such as Cades Bluff in Lebanon and Willow Landing in Mt. Juliet. Up to means the top of the range, on select homes, so ask which homes qualify and what the savings is on the one you like.
Terrata Homes listed $25,000 flex cash on completed homes under contract by Dec 31, 2026. I saw it at Springbrook Reserve in White House and Hickory Knoll in Lebanon.
These apply to select homes, not every plan. If a ready home fits what you need, the savings can be real. If it does not, a smaller offer on a home you actually want is usually the better deal.
How I Read a Builder Offer
Before I let a client count on any offer, I get answers to four questions, in writing.
Which homes qualify? Many offers apply only to select homes, ready homes or build contracts, not both.
Is a lender required? A lot of the best offers depend on the builder's preferred lender. Compare the whole loan, not just the incentive.
When does it end? Some offers end on a contract date, some on a closing date, and some do not publish a date at all. Builders change them often.
Is the rate fixed or adjustable? A low rate that adjusts after five or seven years is a different product from a fixed rate. Ask for the APR and what the payment could become.
This is general guidance, not a quote, and every deal is different. Everything above comes from builder published data I collected on Oct 7, 2026. Offers and prices change, so confirm any offer with the builder before you sign, or ask me and I will check it for you.
All illustrations by Jason Gruner, Coldwell Banker Southern Realty. Numbers and offers come from builder published data I collected on Oct 7, 2026, and are shown the way each builder published them.
Communities in This Post
- Hampshire Hills, from $374,990
- Laurelwood Park, from $309,990
- Marlon's Creek, from $459,900
- Harvest Point, from $422,100
- Hobson Park, from $384,990
- Brandon Woods, from $419,990
- Franklin Ridge, from $1,654,995
- August Park, from $799,990
- Heritage Green, from $373,000
- Carothers Glen, from $1,100,000
- Arcadia, from $1,700,990
- Cades Bluff, from $435,490
- Willow Landing, from $545,499
- Springbrook Reserve, from $449,900
- Hickory Knoll, from $474,900
Keep Reading
- Every current builder incentive near Nashville
- New construction prices by town
- Final homes and closeouts
- All new construction communities
Builder offers change often, and I track them so you do not have to. Many builders ask that your agent come with you on your first visit, so reach out to me before you tour and I will help you compare offers, review the contract and track deadlines.
Contact me at GrunerTN.com or see every community on the map.