Buda TX New Construction: Persimmon vs Sunfield
Buda TX New Construction: Persimmon vs Sunfield
Quick Answer: Persimmon and Sunfield are Buda's two biggest new-construction communities, four miles apart in the same school district, and they don't compete for the same buyer. Sunfield has 43 active new builds, with a median list price near $415,000 and seven builders. Persimmon has 8 at a median near $542,000 with one builder. At $3,500 a month, 21 Sunfield homes work, and zero Persimmon homes do.
By Brandon Holley, Broker/Owner, Holley Homes Realty
If you would rather watch than read, the full video is right above.
What is the real difference between Persimmon and Sunfield?
Persimmon sells you land and newness. Sunfield sells you scale and choice. Persimmon's median home is about 2,500 square feet at $237 a foot on larger lots with preserved oaks. Sunfield's median is about 2,200 square feet at $189 a foot with two lazy rivers and seven builders. The $130,000 gap is mostly lot size, tree preservation, and how new the community is.
What does the Buda market actually look like right now?
As of July 2026, per RPR, the median sold price in Buda, Texas is $350,000, inventory sits at 6.39 months, sellers are netting 98 percent of asking, and the median home sits for 57 days.
Back in the spring, Buda was a seller's market. It is not anymore. There were 511 homes for sale in July compared to 353 a year ago, which is 45 percent more inventory on fewer sales. That is leverage you did not have two years ago.
One more number, and I am not going to spin it. The median estimated home value in Buda is down 6.7 percent over the last 12 months. If you already own here, that stings. If you are buying, you are entering at a better price than people who bought in 2024.
What are you actually paying for in Persimmon?
Persimmon sits on FM 967 west of I-35, covers 774 acres, and is the newest master planned community in town, with the first homes completed in late 2025. What you are paying for out there is land: 65-foot lots in many sections, with the 100-year-old oaks and natural creeks preserved instead of scraped. Amenities include a resort-style pool, pickleball courts, a clubhouse, and trails, minutes from downtown Buda with access to the SH 45 toll road.
- Active new builds: 8
- Price range: $470,000 to roughly $600,000
- Median list price: about $542,000 at $237 a foot
- Median size: about 2,500 square feet
- Builder: Milestone, the only builder in the community at the moment
- Property tax rate: 2.54 percent, plus a PID assessment
- Median days on market: 108
Inventory is sitting. One home listed at $880,000 just closed at $760,000. That is a $120,000 discount, so there is real room to negotiate.
What are you actually paying for in Sunfield?
Sunfield is 15 miles from downtown Austin, 3 miles from downtown Buda, and less than a mile from Baylor Scott and White. The amenities are why people know the name: two separate lazy rivers, a newer Lakeside amenity center, a junior Olympic pool, splash pads, dog parks, catch-and-release fishing ponds, and over 12 miles of trails.
- Active new builds: 43
- Price range: about $320,000 to $800,000
- Median list price: about $415,000 at $189 a foot
- Median size: about 2,200 square feet
- Builders: seven, including CastleRock, Centex, Chesmar, David Weekley, DRB, and Taylor Morrison
- Property tax rate: 2.697 to 2.72 percent depending on the MUD district your street sits in
Seven builders means seven price points, seven floor plan libraries, and reps who know you can walk across the street. That is leverage a one-builder community cannot give you.
How many homes can you actually buy at $3,500 a month?
Forget the sticker price on Zillow. Pick a real monthly budget and ask how many homes clear it.
Persimmon | Sunfield | |
|---|---|---|
Active new builds | 8 | 43 |
Median list price | $542,000 | $415,000 |
Price per square foot | $237 | $189 |
Median size | 2,500 sq ft | 2,200 sq ft |
Property tax rate | 2.54% plus PID | 2.697% to 2.72% |
Builders | 1 | 7 |
Homes at $3,500/month | 0 of 8 | 21 of 43 |
Median days on market | 108 | Inventory moving faster |
Resale track record | None yet | About 15 years |
That $3,500 is principal, interest, property taxes at each community's rate, and insurance, assuming 10 percent down and today's going rate.
Zero out of eight is not a tax problem. Persimmon has the lower rate on paper. It is a price floor problem. The cheapest home there is $470,000, and you have to push to $4,000 a month before one appears; the smallest home in the community has been on the market for over 300 days.
What just changed with the schools?
Both communities were rezoned this year, and neither sales office leads with it.
Persimmon moved from Buda Elementary to Carpenter Hill Elementary for the 2026-27 school year. The community is new, so confirm the campus for your specific lot.
Sunfield Elementary sits inside the neighborhood, which is a real selling point. But Hays CISD rezoned six planning units around it this school year. The district stated plainly that without that move, Sunfield Elementary would have hit 200 percent capacity within 10 years. Turner's Crossing got moved off the campus entirely. If a rep tells you your child can walk to Sunfield Elementary, that is a per-address answer that just changed.
What does resale actually look like in each one?
This is the part almost nobody talks about, and it is the exact question I would want answered if I were relocating.
In Sunfield, 36 resale homes closed recently at a median of $171 a square foot. New construction on those same streets closed at $186, so resale is running about 8 percent below new.
That is not a knock on Sunfield. It happens in almost every master-planned community: you pay a premium up front for untouched finishes, and the second owner does not. The difference is that Sunfield has closed data to prove what that spread looks like, so you can plan for it.
In Persimmon, that number does not exist yet. There are zero resale listings because nobody has lived there long enough to put a sign in the yard. That is not a reason to avoid it. It is a reminder to know what kind of bet you are making.
If you would like to see a related video on this topic, the one above (or below) is a great next watch.
Who does each community fit best?
Sunfield fits you if: your monthly target is under $3,500, you want real inventory at that payment, and the amenity package matters to how your family spends weekends.
Persimmon fits you if: your budget is $500,000 or more, you want a larger lot, mature trees, and the newest product in town, and you can wait for the next phase if none of the eight floor plans work.
Look elsewhere if neither lands. The Colony at Cole Springs, Turner's Crossing (closest to downtown Austin), and Willow Springs are all worth a look.
I am working with a relocation buyer from California right now who is torn between Sunfield and The Colony at Cole Springs. Persimmon dropped out weeks ago because the base price pushed her past her monthly budget, though it may come back as the deals improve. There is no wrong answer between the two she is weighing, only the one that matches how she actually lives.
Why buy new construction when values are down 7 percent?
Fair question. Right now the builders are under pressure, not you.
The five recent closings in Persimmon came in at a median of 3 percent below list, including one that closed $120,000 under asking. In Sunfield, 29 new construction closings came in about 2 percent under list, while resale sellers only budged 1.8 percent. Builders are far more motivated to negotiate than existing homeowners.
I will not list current promotions, because builder specials change every 30 days. What matters is that builder money is flexible: a price reduction, closing cost help, a rate buydown, an appliance package. Which one saves you the most depends on your financing, and the biggest number on the flyer is often not the best deal.
What is the one question to ask before you sign?
On paper, Persimmon's 2.54 percent beats Sunfield's 2.7 percent. Except Persimmon sits entirely inside a public improvement district. The City of Buda approved that PID across all 774 acres in late 2024 to fund roughly $250 million in infrastructure, recovered through a special assessment on each parcel.
On Persimmon's median home, the lower tax rate saves about $868 a year. If your lot's annual PID assessment is $1,000, that advantage is gone. If it is $2,000, Persimmon becomes the more expensive community to own every month.
So the first sentence out of your mouth in that sales office is this: what is the certified PID assessment on this lot, in dollars, and can I see it in writing? If the rep pulls it in 60 seconds, wonderful. If not, that tells you everything.
Never rely on a tax rate quoted on a sales flyer. In Sunfield alone, your bill changes with the MUD district boundary your street falls into. That is why Buda, TX, new construction has to be priced lot by lot, never community by community.
Before you tour, I have a free Buda relocation guide with commute tables and campus-by-campus school data, a Buda new construction guide covering builder negotiation, and a Buda buyer's guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Persimmon or Sunfield cheaper to own each month? Sunfield, for most buyers. Persimmon has the lower tax rate at 2.54 percent versus 2.697 to 2.72 percent, which saves about $868 a year on Persimmon's median home. But Persimmon's PID assessment can erase that entirely, and its median list price is roughly $130,000 higher. At $3,500 a month, 21 Sunfield homes qualify, and zero Persimmon homes do.
What is a PID and why does it matter in Persimmon? A public improvement district is a special assessment levied on each parcel to repay public infrastructure costs. The City of Buda approved one across all 774 acres of Persimmon in late 2024 to fund roughly $250 million in infrastructure. It is charged on top of your property tax rate, and the amount varies by lot, so you'll need to request the certified figure in writing.
Which schools serve Persimmon and Sunfield? Both are in Hays CISD. Persimmon was rezoned from Buda Elementary to Carpenter Hill Elementary for the 2026-27 school year. Sunfield Elementary sits inside Sunfield, but the district rezoned six planning units around it this year to avoid hitting 200 percent capacity. Verify by exact address, not by neighborhood marketing.
Who builds in Sunfield? Seven builders are active, including CastleRock, Centex, Chesmar, David Weekley, DRB, and Taylor Morrison. That gives you seven price points and seven floor plan libraries in one community. Persimmon currently has one builder, Milestone, though that may change as the community adds phases.
Are Buda home values still falling? The median estimated home value in Buda is down 6.7 percent over the last 12 months, per RPR as of July 2026. Inventory sat at 6.39 months in July, with 511 homes for sale versus 353 a year ago. That is a balanced market rather than a falling one, and it gives buyers negotiating room that did not exist in 2024.
About the Author
Brandon Holley is the Broker and Owner of Holley Homes Realty in Austin, Texas. He works with first-time homebuyers, new construction clients, and relocation buyers moving to Central Texas from across the country. Brandon hosts a recurring segment on American Dream TV and runs the YouTube channel Your Austin Home Guide, where he breaks down communities, builders, and neighborhoods across Austin, Buda, Kyle, Bastrop, and the surrounding suburbs.
Have a question or thinking about a move to Central Texas? Reach out anytime.
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