D.R. Horton Homes in the Denver Metro

Every home in the grid below names D.R. Horton as the builder, and the prices run $450K to $650K. D.R. Horton is the largest homebuilder in the country by closings, building on the Front Range through its Express, Freedom and Emerald lines, and around Denver it builds entry and first-move-up plans in Severance, Windsor, Brighton and Aurora, with a small luxury line. What changes the payment most is not the plan, it is the city and its metro district; the snapshot below shows both.

D.R. Horton builder snapshot, Denver metro

Counts and prices come from the listings on this site and refresh with the weekly pass; the grid above is the live list on any given day. Finished homes, to-be-built homes and resales of D.R. Horton-built homes all appear when the listing names the builder.

What a D.R. Horton home costs per month: a worked example

The example uses the average D.R. Horton listing price on this site, 5 percent down on a conventional loan at a 7 percent note rate, in a community with a metro district. The assumptions are on the chart so you can swap in your own.

Before you visit a D.R. Horton sales office

• Register your agent on the first visit. D.R. Horton pays the buyer agent; walking in alone removes your negotiator, not the commission.
• Ask for the quick move-in list with days on market. Finished homes that have sat carry the credits; to-be-builts carry design allowances.
• Get two loan quotes. DHI Mortgage and one outside lender, both with the metro district tax in the payment.
• Inspect twice during construction. Pre-drywall and final, your own inspector.
• Read three documents before the deposit. The purchase agreement, the warranty booklet, and the metro district disclosure.

Questions Denver buyers ask about D.R. Horton

Can I compare DHI Mortgage with an outside lender?

Yes, and you should. The incentives usually require DHI Mortgage, so compare the whole package: rate, points, closing-cost credit, and the payment in year one and year five. Take the lower year-five payment.

What will taxes, HOA dues and metro district charges add to my payment?

In a metro-district community the effective tax rate runs about 0.9 to 1.3 percent of value, roughly double an older neighborhood without a district. HOA dues in D.R. Horton communities run $50 to $150 a month. Ask for the total mill levy and the district debt before you compare with a resale.

What should I know before visiting a D.R. Horton sales office with my own agent?

Register the agent on the first visit, in person or on the online form. D.R. Horton pays the buyer agent; walking in alone does not lower the price. Bring the quick move-in question: which finished homes have sat past 60 days.

What does the advertised base price leave out?

The lot premium, the design-center upgrades, the metro district tax, the HOA and closing costs. On a D.R. Horton home the lot and upgrades add $15,000 to $80,000 to the price, and the tax, insurance and dues add $900 to $1,300 a month to the mortgage payment.

What inspections should I arrange during construction?

Pre-drywall, after framing, plumbing, electrical and HVAC rough-in and before insulation, and a final inspection with a sewer scope before the walk-through. Your own inspector, $450 to $800 each. The warranty repairs what you find; it does not find it for you.

How do deposits, upgrades and cancellation terms work?

Earnest money at contract, often $5,000 to $10,000, plus a design-center deposit when upgrades are selected. Cancellation terms live in the purchase agreement, and the upgrade deposit is the part buyers lose; read that section before signing and have the contingencies written in.

what every builder is giving right now, all new construction homes for sale, and what closing costs are that the credits pay. Call or text 303-955-4220 with the community name. A live person answers and sends the current incentive, the mill levy and the two-lender comparison the same day.