Frequently Asked Questions

We build new construction homes across two markets: the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Texas and the greater Atlanta area in Georgia — with communities in cities like Celina, Melissa, Forney, and Waxahachie in Texas, and Suwanee, Hoschton, Hiram, and Bethlehem in Georgia.

Our simplified process can have you in your dream home in as few as 175 days. You get pre-qualified, choose your homesite and a base floor plan, then personalize finishes at the design center. From there our team manages pre-construction, construction, and a final walkthrough before handing over the keys — keeping you informed at every step.

A Quick Move-In home is already built or nearly complete, so you can move in much sooner — typically around 30 days after completion. Browse current move-in-ready homes on our Find a Home page.

Every UnionMain home is backed by a comprehensive new-home warranty: a 2-Year Mechanical Warranty covering the home’s mechanical systems, and a 10-Year Structural Warranty protecting the major structural components. Full details — including state-specific emergency service contacts — are on our Warranty page.

Absolutely. We value our Realtor partners and offer a competitive commission. Register your client on their first visit to protect your representation — see our Realtors page for details.

Use the “Schedule a Tour” button on any page, or visit our Contact page. Our New Home team is available seven days a week, and many communities offer both guided and self-guided tours.

Yes. Many of our move-in-ready homes offer self-guided touring through GoTourNow. After a quick one-time identity verification, you receive a secure code to unlock the home and tour at your own pace — on your schedule, seven days a week, during available hours. Prefer a personal touch? A New Home Consultant is always happy to walk you through in person.

Walk-ins are welcome at our model homes during posted hours, but booking ahead means a consultant can have homesites, pricing, and quick move-in options ready for you. Self-guided GoTourNow access lets you visit eligible homes even outside staffed hours.

UnionMain Homes finances through its preferred lender, UMH Mortgage (NMLS #2744531), which offers a full range of loan programs: Conventional (15- and 30-year), FHA (down payments as low as 3.5%), USDA (zero-down for eligible rural buyers), and VA loans for current and former military (often no down payment). They also offer dedicated First-Time Home Buyer programs, Fixed-Rate and Adjustable-Rate (ARM) mortgages, Jumbo loans, and buy-down options — for primary residences, second homes, and investment properties. Get pre-qualified at umhmortgage.com or call (469) 382-1761.

Pre-qualification can take just minutes once you start the application — you’ll get an estimate of what you can borrow right away. A full pre-approval, which carries more weight, generally takes one to three business days after UMH Mortgage reviews your income, assets, and credit. Starting early means you can shop and reserve a home with confidence.

It depends on the home’s construction stage. A move-in-ready (spec) home can close in as little as 30–45 days, while a semi-custom build still under construction typically takes 4–6 months from contract to close. Working with UMH Mortgage, the preferred lender, helps avoid delays since they already coordinate directly with UnionMain’s sales and closing teams.

No — you’re free to use any lender. That said, as UnionMain’s preferred lender, UMH Mortgage knows our floor plans, timelines, and closing process inside and out, which often means smoother coordination, faster closings, and access to builder incentives. Many buyers compare it side-by-side with their own lender.

Yes. UMH Mortgage offers First-Time Home Buyer programs plus low- and no-down-payment loans — FHA (as little as 3.5% down), USDA (zero down for eligible areas), and VA (often zero down for veterans and active-duty military). A loan expert can walk you through which program fits your goals and budget.

With our semi-custom approach you start from a proven floor plan and elevation, then make it yours at the design center — choosing everything from the cabinetry in your kitchen to flooring, countertops, fixtures, trim, and beyond. A design consultant guides you through curated selections so the home reflects the way you live.

Structural options change the home’s footprint or layout — think a covered patio extension, a bedroom-in-lieu-of-study, additional windows, or garage configurations. Because they affect the build, they’re chosen first, during pre-construction. Design selections are the finishes and fixtures (cabinets, counters, flooring, lighting, hardware) chosen at the design center after your contract.

Structural options are locked in before construction begins, and design-center finishes are selected shortly after contract so they can be ordered and scheduled into the build. Once an option is released to construction it generally can’t be changed, which keeps your timeline and pricing on track — your consultant will give you clear deadlines for each decision.

Each plan has its own catalog of options with set prices, so you can mix and match to fit your budget — and see how each choice affects your total before you commit. On move-in-ready homes, popular upgrades are often already included. Ask your consultant for the options list and pricing for your specific plan and community.

Yes — energy efficiency is built into every home, not added on. Tighter building envelopes, modern insulation, high-performance HVAC, and efficient windows work together to keep your home comfortable while lowering monthly energy bills compared with a typical resale home.

HERS stands for the Home Energy Rating System — the industry-standard measure of a home’s energy efficiency, scored by an independent third-party rater. The lower the number, the more efficient the home: a typical existing home scores around 130, and a standard new home is set at 100. Our homes are built to score well below 100, which translates directly into lower utility costs. (HERS is a whole-home efficiency rating — different from an appliance’s ENERGY STAR label.)

Every point below 100 represents roughly a 1% reduction in energy use versus a standard new home, so a lower HERS score means measurably smaller heating and cooling bills year after year. It’s also a third-party-verified number you can point to when comparing a UnionMain home to an older resale home.

Texas has no state income tax, so local property taxes fund schools, cities, counties, and special districts. Your total tax rate is the sum of every taxing entity for your address — typically the school district (ISD), county, city, and sometimes a special district like a MUD, PID, or ESD. Your home’s value is set each year by the County Appraisal District (CAD).

A Municipal Utility District is a special district that finances the water, sewer, and drainage infrastructure needed to develop a new community — often before a city annexes the area. The cost is repaid through a MUD tax included in your property tax bill. MUD rates are usually highest when a community is new and decline over time as more homes are built and the debt is paid down.

A Public Improvement District funds enhanced community features and infrastructure — amenities, landscaping, trails, or entry monuments. It’s repaid through a PID assessment on your tax bill (sometimes payable in a lump sum or over time). PIDs are common in amenity-rich master-planned communities.

An Emergency Services District is a taxing district that funds fire protection and emergency medical services, most often in areas outside city limits. It’s typically a small portion of the overall tax rate that ensures the community has dedicated fire/EMS coverage.

The County Appraisal District is the government office that appraises the market value of every property in the county each year — the value your taxes are calculated on. If you believe your appraised value is too high, you have the right to protest it with the CAD. Note the CAD sets the value; the individual taxing entities set the rates.

An Independent School District is a locally governed public school district with its own elected board, boundaries, and budget — funded in large part by the ISD portion of local property taxes. Your home’s address determines which ISD (and which specific schools) your children are zoned to. This differs from charter schools (publicly funded but independently run, with no attendance zone) and private schools (tuition-based and not tax-funded).

There are two common rating systems. In Texas, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) issues official A–F accountability ratings to districts and campuses based on student achievement, academic growth, and college/career readiness — an “A” is the top tier. Separately, third-party sites like Niche and GreatSchools assign their own letter grades, where an “A+” reflects strong academics, test scores, and parent/student reviews. Each community page notes the assigned school district so you can research the specific schools for that address.