How builder incentives really work at SeaFlower, and how to stack them

Incentives are the part of new construction that looks generous and is actually a system. Once you understand the system you can work it.

The mechanics

Most incentives are paid through the builder's affiliated lender: Pulte Mortgage for Pulte, M/I Financial for M/I, Grace Home Lending (75% builder-owned) for David Weekley, a preferred bank for Cardel. The builder contributes money toward your closing costs or discount points; the lender books it as an interested-party contribution, which Fannie Mae caps at 3%, 6% or 9% of price depending on your down payment (2% on investment property). A permanent buydown lowers the note rate for the life of the loan. A temporary 2-1 buydown lowers it for the first two years; you must qualify at the full rate. Forward commitments let the builder lock a block of below-market rates months ahead and offer them on specific homes with specific closing windows.

You are never required to use the affiliated lender. The incentive usually disappears if you do not. So the comparison is total cost with the incentive versus an outside lender's rate and fees, not rate versus rate.

What was published in September 2026

David Weekley's 7%-off promotion (up to $40,000) explicitly excluded SeaFlower, with no SeaFlower-specific offer published. Pulte listed "$10,000 in savings" on select quick move-ins and rate offers through Pulte Mortgage's forward commitment. M/I advertised a 4.875% FHA 30-year rate (5.644% APR) on select quick move-ins plus a "Summer Savings" campaign. Cardel offered up to $20,000 toward design options. Issa published nothing. Published offers are the floor, not the ceiling.

What is negotiable, in order

1. Lot premium. Quoted separately, and the most negotiable number on a lot that has been sitting.
2. Closing-cost credit. Often expandable beyond the advertised amount at quarter-end.
3. Rate buydown depth. Points cost the builder less than price cuts and mean more to your payment.
4. Design-center and structural option credits. Cardel's $20,000 design offer is the pattern; others do it quietly.
5. CDD debt paydown. Rare, valuable, and worth asking for on slower lots.
6. Base price. Moves last, and mostly on inventory that has missed its ready date.

Timing

Fiscal quarter-ends: the last two weeks of March, June, September and December. September and December are the strongest because builders clear inventory before year-end reporting. Division managers can approve what on-site consultants cannot request, and the request has to come through your agent to reach them.

Sources: Pulte, M/I Homes, David Weekley and Cardel SeaFlower pages and promotions (Sep 3, 2026); Fannie Mae selling guide sections on interested-party contributions and temporary buydowns.