Waterstone

Here's my take on Waterstone — it's a D.R. Horton community in Tampa starting in the mid-$400s, which puts it at an interesting price point for the builder. D.R. Horton built their reputation on entry-level volume pricing, so when you're looking at their product above $400k, you're typically getting more square footage and a better lot situation than their Express line, but you're still getting the same construction approach and finish level underneath it all. That's not necessarily a knock — it just means you need to go in with clear eyes. Concrete block construction, functional layouts, and a full amenity package with the pool, fitness center, clubhouse, dog park, and trails checks the boxes for buyers who want the new construction lifestyle without paying Westshore or South Tampa prices. If you're commuting to MacDill AFB, the VA, or anything along the Selmon Expressway corridor, Tampa's location keeps you reasonably connected without pushing you all the way out to Wesley Chapel or Riverview. On negotiation: D.R. Horton won't budge on base price — that's just not how they operate. What they will flex on is closing cost assistance, especially if you use their preferred lender, DHI Mortgage. Run the numbers carefully there. Get a competing Loan Estimate from an independent lender before you commit, because a $10,000 closing cost credit tied to a rate that's 25–50 basis points higher than market can cost you more over 30 years than the credit is worth. Where you can push back is on lot premiums — corner lots, pond-facing lots, and conservation views can add $10,000 to $30,000 or more to the base price depending on what's available, and those premiums are negotiable more often than the sales team will let on, particularly if the community has been open long enough that some of those premium lots are sitting. Ask specifically which lots have been on the market the longest and start there. A few things to watch as you dig in: confirm whether Waterstone carries a CDD fee, because many newer Hillsborough County communities do, and it can add several hundred to over a thousand dollars annually to your tax bill on top of the HOA — it shows up as a line item on your property tax notice, not your HOA statement, and buyers get surprised by it every single time. D.R. Horton's construction timelines have stabilized post-COVID, but still budget for 8–12 months from contract to close and don't give notice on your lease until you have a solid close date confirmed in writing. For day-to-day life, Tampa's a big city with real traffic — your drive time to Downtown Tampa, Channelside, or Ybor depends heavily on which part of Tampa this sits in and how you're accessing I-275 or I-4. Schools in Hillsborough County are worth verifying directly at the district level since attendance zones have shifted in recent years. Bottom line: if the price works and the commute pencils out, this is a solid, predictable new construction buy — just know what you're getting before you sign.

Barrett Henry, REALTOR®

Broker Associate at REMAX Collective · 23+ years of real estate experience