New Construction Homes in Davie: What Buyers Must Know

What do buyers need to know before signing on a new construction home in Davie?

New construction in Davie is one of the most compelling options in the roughly $1.5 million and up range right now, and that is exactly why you want to walk in prepared. You tour the model, the ceilings are high, the kitchen is the one you pictured, the finishes are flawless, and you want it. Here is what I tell every buyer before they fall for a model home. There are four specific things the builder’s team will not proactively tell you. Not because anyone is dishonest. Because protecting your interests is not their job.

Who does the agent in the model home actually work for?

The agent sitting at the welcome desk has a duty to the builder, not to you. They are required to be honest with you. They are not required to proactively protect your interests. At roughly $1.5 million and up, that difference is not a technicality. It sets up your entire transaction.

Here is how it usually plays out. You ask about the CDD, they quote a number. You ask about the HOA, they quote a number. But nobody at that table is responsible for stacking your mortgage, your Broward County estimated taxes, and your insurance to show you the true monthly carrying cost. That math is on you, or it is on your agent.

So let me be specific about what your own agent does inside a new construction deal. Your agent reviews the purchase contract before you sign it. Builder contracts are written by the builder’s legal team to protect the builder. Deadlines, deposit structure, what happens if construction is delayed, what your cancellation rights are. A buyer’s agent flags every clause that puts your timeline or your deposit at risk. Your agent also runs the concession conversation strategically, coordinates the pre closing inspection and your warranty rights, and reminds you that in Florida you have the right to choose your own title company, which carries real cost based on the purchase price.

This is the most important logistical point in the whole process, especially if you are relocating. If you walk into the sales center without your agent registered as your representative, many Florida builders will not allow one to be added later. Some builders have a 24 hour grace period. Others have zero tolerance. Tour without your agent present and you may have given up professional representation on a seven figure purchase. It happens more than you would think. A buyer researches a community for months, flies into Davie on a random Saturday, decides out of curiosity to walk into the sales center, and the next thing they know they are negotiating a multi million dollar contract with no advocate at the table. Before you visit any Davie new construction, get representation locked in first. That move costs you nothing, and if you are still deciding whether you even need it, I wrote a full breakdown on whether you need a buyer agent in Florida. The National Association of REALTORS spells out how buyer representation agreements work after the 2024 settlement, and the short version is that the overwhelming majority of buyers still choose to have their own advocate.

On how I am paid, there is nothing to hide and nothing that should surprise you at closing. Buyer compensation is settled in writing in your representation agreement before you tour. It can be seller paid, builder paid, buyer paid, or a blend, and we map it out together up front. It is negotiated on every deal, never a set rate. How I am paid has nothing to do with which homes we go after. If you want the mechanics, I lay out who pays the buyer’s agent in Davie.

Why the sign price is not what you will actually spend

The number on the banner is not the number you will spend. When you walk into the model, you are not walking into a base home. You are walking into the fully upgraded version. The flooring, the countertops, the cabinetry, the lighting, the smart home package. The base price is a materially different house.

This is not deceptive. It is how model homes work. But relocators coming from markets where new construction prices differently consistently underestimate how fast that number moves. Here is the realistic cost stack:

• Base price.
• A lot premium for a corner, a larger parcel, a lake view, or a cul de sac.
• Structural options such as an extended covered lanai, an extra garage bay, or impact glass above standard spec.
• Interior selections: flooring, cabinetry, countertops, plumbing fixtures, and lighting.

In a Davie community at this price point, the gap between what you see and what you actually want can run roughly $150,000 to $250,000 or more, depending entirely on your selections. Confirm your real number with the builder’s design center before you anchor on the sign.

Then come the carrying costs. Some South Florida new construction communities sit inside a community development district, which means a CDD assessment on top of the HOA. Where one exists, the CDD repays the bonds that financed the roads, utilities, and amenity center, it appears on your annual tax bill, and it can run for years. Ask the builder in writing whether the community has a CDD and what it costs. Verify the exact figure on any specific home with the Broward County Property Appraiser and understand how special districts work through the Town of Davie. Broward assesses a home based on its status on January 1, so a home finished after January 1 may be taxed mostly as land for that first year and then close to full market value the next. Once it is fully assessed, the combined 2026 operating millage for Davie in the Broward County Property Appraiser millage table adds up to roughly 18 to 19 mills depending on the parcel, which is an estimated $27,000 to $29,000 a year on a $1.5 million assessed value before exemptions and before any voted debt or water control district levy. If this is your primary residence, filing for homestead reduces your taxable value and caps future increases, and you can confirm your estimate with the Broward County Property Appraiser.

Stack the mortgage, the CDD, the HOA, the property tax, and the insurance, and you have your true monthly carrying cost. That is the payment you stress test before you fall for the model, not the price on the billboard. If you want to see every cost line on a new build in one place, I broke down Davie new construction closing costs separately.

Where the real concessions live in a builder deal

You are not going to move a national builder off base price, and you should understand why. Every closed sale in that community becomes a comp. Discount the base price on one home and the builder risks pulling down the appraised value of every other home they are trying to sell. Their pricing protects their own inventory.

Incentives are a different story. Builders at this price point in Davie and greater Broward generally offer closing cost credits, interest rate buydowns through their preferred lenders, prepaid HOA, and design center credits you can put toward finishes. The mix changes by community and by month, and these options are on the table far more often than buyers realize. Most buyers never ask, because they walked in focused on the base price the builder was never going to move. I keep a running read on what is actually being offered in my Davie builder incentives breakdown.

Davie single family communities in this range have been moving. That changes how you approach the incentive conversation. You cannot wait for the perfect day on the calendar, but you can show up prepared, know which credits you can ask for, and have that conversation early while the builder is still working toward sellout. A community with more homes left to sell is almost always more flexible than one with a waiting list. The buyers who capture the most value are not the ones who waited. They are the ones who showed up most informed.

How the builder controls your resale value

This is the one I want you to sit with the longest. As long as the builder is still selling homes in your community, they effectively control your resale value through the comps.

Here is what that means in real numbers, as a hypothetical. Say you buy at around $1.5 million, and two years later something in your life changes and you need to sell. Your agent pulls the comps, and the most relevant sales are other homes in your community. But the builder is still actively selling phase two and three. They are not cutting the sticker price. Instead they are adding, say, roughly $50,000 in closing credits and rate buydowns to move inventory without touching the sales price. The effective price those buyers paid works out to around $1.44 million. Your competition becomes a brand new home with a fresh builder warranty and about $50,000 in incentives, and you are holding a two year old home with none of that. That gap is yours to solve while the developer still controls the inventory.

The good news in Davie is that single family demand has been strong, so this plays out more gently here than in a soft market. I cannot predict the future, and anything can happen, but this is not unique to Davie. It is how new construction works everywhere. It just matters more at this price point, because the exposure if you need to sell before the community absorbs is significant.

Two practical ways to think about it. First, look at where the community is in its sellout cycle before you buy. A community that is roughly 80 percent sold carries very different resale risk than one that just opened in phase one, because the builder’s influence on your comps has a shorter runway. Second, be honest about your ownership horizon. New construction in Davie at this price point as a seven to ten year hold is a very different conversation than a two to three year plan. Know your timeline before the deposit hits the table. If you want to see how finished new construction stacks against existing homes, compare it with resale in Davie and with what the top of Davie new construction looks like.

New construction in Davie at roughly $1.5 million and up is a real option, and for the right buyer it makes complete sense. The product is strong and the communities being built right now are worth serious consideration. Two of mine to watch are Turnberry and Marigold, and you can see the full picture of every Davie new construction community in one place. Just walk in knowing who the agent works for, know the cost stack before you tour, know where the concession conversation actually lives, and know how long you are prepared to hold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the builder’s sales agent represent me when I buy new construction in Davie?

No. The agent in the model home works for the builder and owes their duty to the builder, not to you. They must be honest, but they are not required to protect your interests, stack your true carrying cost, or flag risky contract clauses. For a seven figure purchase, bring your own representation.

Can I bring my own agent to a Davie new construction community?

Yes, but you usually have to register your agent on your first visit. Many Florida builders will not let you add representation after you tour alone. Some allow a 24 hour grace period and others have zero tolerance, so lock in your agent before you ever walk into the sales center.

How much more than the base price will a Davie new construction home cost?

Plan for more than the sign. Lot premiums, structural options, and interior selections can add roughly $150,000 to $250,000 or more depending on your choices, and that is before carrying costs. Confirm your specific number with the builder’s design center rather than assuming the base price.

What is a CDD and will I pay one on a new Davie home?

A community development district assessment repays the bonds that funded your community’s roads, utilities, and amenities. Some new construction communities carry one on top of the HOA and some do not, so ask the builder. Where one exists, it shows up on your annual tax bill, and you can verify the exact amount on any home with the Broward County Property Appraiser.

Is new construction in Davie a good resale risk?

It depends on your timeline and where the community is in its sellout. While the builder is still selling phases, they shape your comps through incentives on new inventory. A community that is mostly sold out carries less resale risk than one still in phase one, and a longer ownership horizon reduces your exposure.

Talk to a Davie Real Estate Expert

Anthony Spitaleri is a Broker Associate, REALTOR with Coldwell Banker Realty and a Davie native who walks buyers through the full carrying cost and the builder contract before they sign, not after the surprises show up at closing. If you have not signed with an agent yet, that is the conversation. If you are already under an agreement with another agent, a second opinion is fair game and talking you into leaving them is not my style. If you are planning to go it alone, know that you end up leaning on the builder’s agent, who works for the builder. Schedule a free 15 minute strategy call and walk into your Davie new construction decision with every number known.

Anthony Spitaleri

Broker Associate, REALTOR | Coldwell Banker Realty

Creator of Living in Davie, Florida

Davie, Florida | Serving Davie, Weston and surrounding Broward markets

954-235-5783

Florida License BK3281907

@livingindavieflorida

Written by Anthony Spitaleri, Broker Associate, REALTOR with Coldwell Banker Realty and a Davie native. More about Anthony