66% of builders used sales incentives last month. That's what you're up against.

66% of builders used sales incentives last month. That's what you're up against. Here's the part that doesn't get explained: a builder's low rate is real money for the buyer, but it isn't free. It's bought down, and the cost of it is sitting somewhere in that price. Worth asking what the same home costs without the incentive attached. And the reason you can negotiate when they mostly can't — a builder will usually protect the base price, because that number becomes the comp for every unit they still have to sell. You're one house, not a price sheet. That flexibility is genuinely yours. Which means you can pull the same lever they're pulling. Instead of only dropping your price, you can offer a concession the buyer's lender puts toward buying their rate down. Same money out of your pocket, different headline. That's a conversation for before you list, not after the second price cut — and one for your agent and a lender together. I'm a Realtor, not a lender. Figures: NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, September 2026 — 66% of builders reported using sales incentives, up from 63% in August; 38% cut prices, average cut 6%. National, newly built single-family homes. Kelsey Earl, journalist turned Realtor, born and raised in Utah, Salt Lake to St. George, 801-419-8917, [email protected], Your lifelong friend in real estate 🌟 #utahrealestate #homesellingtips #newconstruction #utahrealtor #sellingyourhome