New Construction Financing Guides
Plain-English answers on construction-to-permanent loans, builder lenders, appraisals, rate locks, and everything else that makes financing a new build different — from the Cook Brothers Mortgage Team at Cornerstone First Mortgage.
All Guides
Buying New Construction · 7 min read
New Build vs. Existing Home: How the Mortgage Differs
Financing a new build differs from an existing home in timeline, deposits, appraisal, and rate lock. Here is what changes — and what stays the same.
Buying New Construction · 7 min read
Builder Preferred Lenders: Do You Have to Use Them?
No — you cannot be required to use a builder's preferred lender. But incentives can make it worth considering. How to compare the whole deal, not the headline.
Process · 7 min read
How the New Construction Appraisal Process Works
New construction appraisals are done from plans, "subject to completion," then verified at the end. The steps — and what if the value comes in low?
Process · 6 min read
Rate Lock Timing for a New Construction Home
When should you lock a mortgage rate on a home that isn't built yet? Extended locks, extensions, and float-downs — the mechanics, without the guesswork.
Buying New Construction · 7 min read
Down Payment on New Construction: How It Really Works
Builder deposits, design-center money, land equity, gift funds — where your cash goes on a new build, and how deposits get credited at closing.
Process · 7 min read
Construction Loan Draws and Inspections, Explained
Draws release construction loan funds in stages; inspections verify the work first. The full sequence — schedule, lien waivers, and the final draw.
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