Who do you represent in this transaction?

Ask it first and ask for the answer in writing. In North Carolina agency has a specific legal meaning, and the onsite agent at Copper Run South is paid to sell Copper Run South.

What is the due diligence fee here, and is any of it credited at closing?

The due diligence fee is nonrefundable and goes to the seller. Get the number, and get it before you fall for the plan.

Is the lot premium inside the base price or on top of it?

On a corner, a cul-de-sac, or anything backing to trees, assume it is on top of the base price until you are told otherwise in writing.

What is standard at this price and what is an upgrade?

Ask specifically about flooring, cabinets, countertops, trim, and the garage. The model home is built to sell, not to spec.

What is the build timeline, and what happens if it slips past my rate lock?

Put the builder's answer next to your lender's lock expiry and see whether the two agree. A due diligence contract has no financing contingency.

What do I give up by not using your preferred lender?

Builder incentives are often tied to financing. That is legal and common — you just need the number so you can compare it against a better rate elsewhere.

Can I bring my own inspector, and at which stages?

Pre-drywall and final are the two that matter. A yes here tells you something about the builder.

What are the HOA dues, what do they cover, and what is still to be built?

In an actively building community, the amenity you are buying for may be three phases out.

What is the warranty, and who honors it?

One year, two, ten — and whether it is the builder or a third-party administrator answering the phone in year three.

Durham new construction

New Homes in Copper Run South, Durham NC

Copper Run South is a new-construction community in Durham, Durham County, North Carolina, built by D.R. Horton. Active homes run from $317,990 to $349,990, with 9 homes selling now. It is one of 19 production new-construction communities we track in Durham. Tim M. Clarke represents the buyer here, never the builder.

Copper Run South at a glance
Town	Durham
County	Durham County
Community type	New construction
Builder	D.R. Horton
Price band	$317,990 to $349,990
Status	9 active homes

Touring Copper Run South? The model-home agent represents the builder.

The agent in the sales office at Copper Run South, Durham is paid to sell that builder's homes and to protect that builder's contract. Tim M. Clarke represents the buyer instead: he reads the contract, the lot premium and the upgrade list with you, and stands in on the walkthroughs. Bring him on your first visit, before you sign a registration card.

Talk to Tim M. Clarke before you tour, or start with New construction in Durham.

Tim M. Clarke is a licensed North Carolina real estate broker, NCREC license #261118.

Homes for sale now in Copper Run South

$319,9901946 Hinesley Drive, Durham, NC 27703, Durham NC 27703

3 beds · 3 baths · 1,699 sq ft

Listed by D.R. Horton, Inc.

$328,9901945 Hinesley Drive, Durham, NC 27703, Durham NC 27703

3 beds · 3 baths · 1,699 sq ft

Listed by D.R. Horton, Inc.

$317,9901948 Hinesley Drive, Durham, NC 27703, Durham NC 27703

3 beds · 3 baths · 1,678 sq ft

Listed by D.R. Horton, Inc.

$334,9901110 Coral Bark Road, Durham, NC 27703, Durham NC 27703

3 beds · 3 baths · 1,678 sq ft

Listed by D.R. Horton, Inc.

$328,9901947 Hinesley Drive, Durham, NC 27703, Durham NC 27703

3 beds · 3 baths · 1,678 sq ft

Listed by D.R. Horton, Inc.

What D.R. Horton is building in Copper Run South

D.R. Horton has 9 homes selling in Copper Run South right now, from $317,990 to $349,990. That band sits under the $428,990 midpoint for new construction in Durham, which is what pulls buyers to Copper Run South in the first place. It is also what makes the paperwork worth reading twice. Entry pricing is where builders lean hardest on incentives, preferred lenders, and what counts as an upgrade — and where the gap between the base price on the sign and the number you actually sign for opens widest.

Before you register at the model home

No builder can stop you from bringing your own agent — that choice is yours and it stays yours. D.R. Horton's Broker Referral Program recognizes your agent only if they are registered on or before your first visit — by accompanying you, by contacting the sales office beforehand, or by you naming them at that visit. Any of the three works. None of them works afterwards. The person in the model home has no reason to raise it.

What to ask before you sign in Copper Run South

Take these to the model home. The answers are all reasonable to ask for in writing.

Who do you represent in this transaction? Ask it first and ask for the answer in writing. In North Carolina agency has a specific legal meaning, and the onsite agent at Copper Run South is paid to sell Copper Run South.
What is the due diligence fee here, and is any of it credited at closing? The due diligence fee is nonrefundable and goes to the seller. Get the number, and get it before you fall for the plan.
Is the lot premium inside the base price or on top of it? On a corner, a cul-de-sac, or anything backing to trees, assume it is on top of the base price until you are told otherwise in writing.
What is standard at this price and what is an upgrade? Ask specifically about flooring, cabinets, countertops, trim, and the garage. The model home is built to sell, not to spec.
What is the build timeline, and what happens if it slips past my rate lock? Put the builder's answer next to your lender's lock expiry and see whether the two agree. A due diligence contract has no financing contingency.
What do I give up by not using your preferred lender? Builder incentives are often tied to financing. That is legal and common — you just need the number so you can compare it against a better rate elsewhere.
Can I bring my own inspector, and at which stages? Pre-drywall and final are the two that matter. A yes here tells you something about the builder.
What are the HOA dues, what do they cover, and what is still to be built? In an actively building community, the amenity you are buying for may be three phases out.
What is the warranty, and who honors it? One year, two, ten — and whether it is the builder or a third-party administrator answering the phone in year three.

How Durham new construction compares

We track 19 production new-construction communities in Durham. Across them the middle of the market sits at $428,990, with active inventory from $264,990 to $789,900. Copper Run South sits below that middle.

That spread is the argument for touring more than one. The onsite agent at Copper Run South is paid to sell Copper Run South, and will not walk you through the three others in Durham where your money buys a different lot, a different plan, or a shorter build. We will.

Talk to Tim's team before your first visit

Get a buyer-side plan in place before you register, tour the model, or sign the builder's paperwork.

Schedule a home consultation