Wellington Estates, TRE Building's community in Macomb Township, puts its offer at the top of its homepage: a free three-car garage, "Phase I Close Out Promotions," and a rate "as low as 5.99% through our preferred lenders." Right after that comes "Some restrictions apply." The page doesn't say what kind of loan the rate applies to, how long it lasts, or when the offer ends.
That one line shows how new construction in Macomb Township is being sold this fall. Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate was 7.03% for the week of September 24, 2026. A year earlier it was 6.30%. With rates there, the strongest tool a builder has is the loan, not the list price. A buyer who compares a new build and a resale home by sticker price alone is comparing the wrong numbers.
The fine print
A builder's financing offer usually depends on which lender you use. "Through our preferred lenders" means the low rate comes with that lender's approval process, fees and timeline. Builders don't set terms like these to trick anyone. The incentive gets paid inside the loan, so the builder needs some say over the loan.
M/I Homes spells out its terms in more detail than most, so it's a useful reference for what these programs can look like. Its Metro Detroit "Game Time" campaign offers a 2/1 FHA buydown on selected quick-move-in homes. The rate is 3.25% in year one, 4.25% in year two, and 5.25% for years three through 30, with a 6.012% APR. To get it, you need a new contract signed between September 14 and October 11, 2026, a closing by December 18, 2026, financing through M/I Financial, and either 3.5% down with a 640 minimum credit score on the FHA version or 5% down with a 720 minimum on the conventional version. The campaign page doesn't say where the selected homes are, so treat it as an example of how these offers are built and confirm with M/I whether any Macomb Township home qualifies.
Look at the APR before the headline rate. The 3.25% lasts twelve months, and the 6.012% APR is closer to what the loan costs over its life. Offers like this also run on deadlines. A contract window that ends in October and a closing deadline in December give a buyer with a home to sell, or a buyer still comparing communities, very little room.
Why builders cut the rate and leave the price alone
Here's what the builders are advertising in Macomb Township right now, based on their own websites as of September 30, 2026:
| Community | Builder | Advertised starting point | Financing offer shown on the site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stillwater Crossing | Lombardo Homes | From $415,990 | None shown |
| Sheffield Forest | Lombardo Homes | From $438,990 | None shown |
| Deerbrook | Pulte | From $478,990 | None shown |
| Wellington Estates | TRE Building | No price listed | As low as 5.99% through preferred lenders |
| Olejnik Acres | M/I Homes | "From the $400s," Coming Fall 2026 | Home-to-Sell program |
If a Lombardo or Pulte page shows no incentive, that doesn't mean the sales office has nothing to offer. It means the website lists none. Builder prices change often, and these were checked on September 30.
The resale numbers look very different. Realcomp's August 2026 figures put Macomb County's median sale price for residential and condo combined at $280,000. That's almost unchanged from $279,200 in August 2025. Inventory rose to 2,534 homes, up 20.4% from a year earlier, and closed sales fell to 979 from 1,021. These are countywide figures. We didn't find a township-level report for August.
So resale supply is rising and the median is flat, and a homeowner who needs to sell has one main lever, which is price. A builder has two. It can lower the price, or it can pay to lower the buyer's rate and keep the advertised "from" price where it is. A price cut shows up on every remaining lot in the subdivision. A rate subsidy stays inside one buyer's loan.
That also makes the public data harder to read. GMAR's county statistics note that their sale prices don't account for concessions. When a builder gives a buyer a lower rate, the recorded price can stay put while the buyer's real cost drops. The flat county median and the steady "from" prices on builder pages may both understate how much negotiating is going on.
What a rate is worth in dollars
Some simple math shows why builders favor this approach. This covers principal and interest only and isn't a quote. On a $400,000 30-year loan, the monthly payment at 7.03% comes to about $2,669. At 5.99% it's about $2,396, a difference of roughly $270 a month. To get the same $2,396 payment at 7.03%, the loan would have to drop to about $359,000. In other words, a lower rate can do as much for the monthly payment as a price cut of about $40,000.
That comparison only holds if the lower rate lasts the full 30 years. The Wellington Estates page doesn't say whether it does. A temporary buydown that steps up after two years, like the M/I structure above, is worth much less than a permanent rate. Comparing a new build and a resale home depends on the answer to that question.
Supply is part of why builders hold price
Builders can keep their prices firm partly because there isn't much new construction coming to Macomb Township right now.
- Windemere Farms, a Lombardo community in 48044, is listed as sold out.
- 22550 and 22600 24 Mile Road were rezoned from agricultural to R-1 for Lombardo Homes, and the Board of Trustees approved it on June 10. According to C&G Newspapers, Lombardo expects development to start around 2028.
- Springs at 23 Mile is a 17.26-acre Continental Properties site on the north side of 23 Mile Road west of Romeo Plank Road. Continental withdrew its application on February 10, 2026 after a new geotechnical report came in.
- Beck Heritage Farms covers 47 acres near Hayes Road just south of 25 Mile Road and is planned for 118 or 119 homes. In January, the township authorized a lawsuit against Consumers Energy over gas-line easements affecting the preferred access road, as the Macomb Daily reported. We couldn't confirm what has happened since.
- Olejnik Acres at 51720 Card Road is still listed by M/I Homes as "Coming Fall 2026," with no lot count posted.
When fewer new lots are on the way, each one is worth more to the builder, and lowering the advertised price costs more. That gives builders another reason to offer help through the loan. It also means a buyer set on new construction has a small number of active communities to choose from this fall.
The program aimed at your resale buyer
The move-up buyer gets the least attention in these comparisons, and M/I's Home-to-Sell program is aimed at that buyer. M/I lists Olejnik Acres as a participating community. Here's how M/I describes it:
"Our exclusive Home-To-Sell program offers your buyers 3% of your current home's selling price."
Your buyer can put that money toward a rate buydown, closing costs, or both. The conditions are significant. You need an active M/I contract, both you and your buyer have to use M/I Financial, and your buyer has to be approved and close within 180 days of your M/I closing.
With Macomb County inventory up 20.4% this August, a resale listing that comes with financing help can stand out. But the buyer of your current home would also have to use the builder's lender. That narrows who can use the incentive, and the sale of your current home and your new-build closing now depend on the same lender and timeline.
How to compare the two
Ask for these numbers in writing before you compare a new build with a resale home:
- The net purchase price after all credits, upgrades and promotions, not the "from" price.
- The rate, the APR, and how long the rate lasts. Find out whether it's fixed for 30 years or steps up after a year or two.
- The lender requirement. Find out what happens to the offer if you finance somewhere else.
- The contract and closing deadlines, and whether they work with the sale of your current home.
- The resale seller's room to negotiate. In a county where inventory rose about a fifth over the past year, ask what price or credit a resale seller will accept to match the payment the builder is offering.
Run both homes through the same payment calculation. Whichever has the lower monthly cost and fewer conditions is the better deal, whatever the list price says.
FAQ
Does a builder's rate offer always beat a resale home? No. A temporary buydown that steps up to the full rate in year three may cost more over time than a resale home bought at a lower price. Compare APRs and the full-term payment.
Are the Lombardo and Pulte prices final? They're starting prices on undated builder pages, checked September 30, 2026. Confirm current pricing and any sales-office incentives directly with the builder.
Is Macomb Township's own median different from the county's? Probably, but we didn't find a township-level August 2026 report. The $280,000 figure is for Macomb County as a whole.
As a licensed realtor and NMLS mortgage originator, Joan King can put a builder's preferred-lender offer and a resale seller's best price next to each other and show you the payment, APR and timeline for both before you sign. If you're weighing a new build against a resale home, or thinking about how a Home-to-Sell incentive might work with selling your current home, Joan Schinderle King can run those numbers with you. Schedule a consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
