Most new-construction shopping happens at the top of a price range. You find the community you want, then discover the plan you want is $80,000 above where you meant to be.
Plan 1865 is the other direction — the plan that gets you into a master plan you could not otherwise reach. Whether that is a bargain or a compromise depends on numbers the sales office will not lead with.
Plan 1865 is a two-story, roughly 1,800-square-foot D.R. Horton home at Symmetry Bay in Cadence: four bedrooms, two and a half baths, an included upstairs loft, two-car garage. At filming it was red-tagged from the $473,000s to $454,000, with a 2-1 buydown, $5,000 toward closing and appliances included. That is about $46,000 under the Cadence median of $499,900 and $121,000 under Henderson's median new build. The catch is not the house — it is the dirt backyard and the assessments underneath it.
- $454,000 red-tag price sits about $46,000 below Cadence's $499,900 median list.
- Four bedrooms and a loft in 1,800 square feet means smaller rooms, not fewer.
- A 2-1 buydown lowers years one and two only — the year-three payment is the real one.
- The backyard is dirt; Henderson landscaping commonly runs $15,000 to $40,000.
- Check the SID and LID balance on the parcel before you write an offer.
What Exactly Is Plan 1865 at Symmetry Bay?
Plan 1865 is D.R. Horton's compact two-story offering inside Symmetry Bay, one of the actively selling neighborhoods in the Cadence master plan in Henderson. The floor plan runs approximately 1,800 square feet and carries four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, an upstairs loft that is included rather than optional, an upstairs laundry room, and a two-car garage.
The number that matters is the ratio. Four bedrooms plus a loft inside 1,800 square feet is a dense plan. Nothing is missing — but nothing is generous either. That is the deliberate trade this plan makes, and it is why it lands where it does on price.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's Survey of Construction, the median new single-family home completed in the West in recent years has run well above 2,200 square feet. Plan 1865 is meaningfully below that, which is precisely how the price gets to $454,000 in a market where Henderson's median new-build list price is $575,553.
How Does $454,000 Compare to the Rest of Cadence?
This is the question the walkthrough is really about, and it has a measurable answer.
| Benchmark | Median list | Active | Median sold (180d) | Median DOM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan 1865 red tag | $454,000 | — | — | — |
| Cadence master plan | $499,900 | 271 | $490,000 | 32 |
| Henderson, all homes | $543,314 | 2,522 | $490,488 | 28 |
| Henderson, built 2023+ | $575,553 | 496 | $504,970 | 38 |
Three things stand out. Plan 1865's red tag is about $46,000 below the Cadence median and about $121,000 below what the typical Henderson new build is asking. Second, Cadence homes are selling in 32 days against 38 for Henderson new construction generally — this is not a slow corner of the market. Third, the gap between Henderson's median list ($543,314) and median sold ($490,488) is roughly $53,000, which tells you asking prices in this market are negotiated down, not up.
What Is a Red Tag and Why Was This One Discounted?
A red tag is builder inventory the company wants off its books — typically a home that is finished or nearly finished, sometimes a cancelled contract, sometimes simply a spec that has sat. The discount is real. So is the reason for it.
The reduction here was from the $473,000s to $454,000, roughly a $19,000 cut, layered with a 2-1 buydown, $5,000 toward closing costs, and included appliances.
In our experience walking buyers through red-tag inventory, the discount is rarely the deciding factor — the lot is. What you give up is selection. Someone else already chose the flooring, the countertops, the cabinet color, the lot. If those choices happen to suit you, a red tag is one of the better values on a builder's lot. If they do not, you are paying to live with another buyer's taste, and no discount fixes a floor you dislike every day.
We covered the mechanics of red tags in more depth in our walkthrough of Plan 1802 at the same community, which is worth reading alongside this one if you are weighing two D.R. Horton plans against each other.
What Is the 2-1 Buydown Actually Worth?
This is where new-construction buyers most often miscalculate, and the arithmetic is not complicated once someone shows it to you.
A 2-1 buydown reduces your interest rate by two percentage points in year one and one point in year two. In year three it reverts to the note rate — the rate you actually signed for. The builder funds the difference up front into an escrow account.
| Year | Rate effect | Who pays the difference |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Note rate minus 2 points | Builder-funded escrow |
| Year 2 | Note rate minus 1 point | Builder-funded escrow |
| Year 3 onward | Full note rate | You, permanently |
The concession is genuine money and worth taking. The error is qualifying yourself on the year-one payment. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, you should evaluate a temporary buydown against the payment you will carry in year three and beyond, because that is the obligation that survives.
Across the new-construction purchases we have represented in Henderson, this is the single most common place a buyer's budget quietly breaks. Ask the lender for the year-three principal and interest figure in writing, then add taxes, insurance, HOA and any assessments. If that number works, the buydown is a two-year bonus. If it only works in year one, the house is above your budget and the incentive is hiding it.
Rate context matters too. The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey publishes the weekly average 30-year fixed rate, and it is the benchmark to compare any builder's advertised rate against — including whether the note rate itself is competitive before the buydown is applied.
What Does the Backyard Actually Cost?
The video pauses on this deliberately, and it is the single most underestimated line item in Las Vegas and Henderson new construction.
The backyard is dirt. Not partially landscaped, not seeded — dirt. In most D.R. Horton deliveries in this market, front-yard landscaping is included to satisfy the HOA and the rear is left to the buyer.
| Backyard scope | Typical Henderson cost |
|---|---|
| Basic desert landscaping, gravel and drip irrigation | $8,000 – $15,000 |
| Mid-range with pavers, some turf and lighting | $15,000 – $30,000 |
| Full build with covered patio extension and BBQ stub | $30,000 – $60,000+ |
| Pool added later | $60,000 – $120,000+ |
Two practical notes. First, water-efficiency rules matter here — according to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, non-functional turf is restricted and conversion rebates are available, so design to the rules rather than around them. Second, if you are financing, landscaping is generally not covered by a standard purchase loan, so it comes out of savings in the first year of ownership when you have the least cash.
In our experience the buyers who are happiest a year after closing are the ones who treated the backyard as part of the purchase price rather than a project for later. Budget it into the purchase decision, not the someday list.
What Are SIDs and LIDs, and Why Do They Matter in Cadence?
Special Improvement Districts and Local Improvement Districts are assessments attached to a parcel to fund infrastructure — roads, sewers, utilities — that the developer put in. They are repaid by the homeowner over years, and they are separate from property tax and separate from HOA dues.
They are also frequently missed, because they do not appear in a listing price and they may not come up in a sales-office conversation unless you ask directly.
Check the parcel yourself through the Clark County Treasurer and the Clark County Assessor, and ask the builder in writing whether the specific lot carries a balance and what the annual payment is. On some Henderson parcels the answer is zero. On others it is a four-figure annual obligation for a decade or more.
The distinction is worth real money at resale too — a buyer comparing two otherwise identical homes will discount the one carrying an assessment.
How Much Are the Taxes and HOA Dues?
Nevada's property tax structure is genuinely favorable, and it is one of the reasons the relocation math works for buyers coming from California.
According to the Nevada Revised Statutes, Nevada caps annual increases in the tax bill on an owner-occupied primary residence at three percent through the partial abatement in NRS 361.4723, with a higher cap on other property. The Nevada Department of Taxation publishes the current rates by district, and the Clark County Assessor applies them to your assessed value.
The practical version: on a $454,000 home in Henderson you should model the tax line from the district rate rather than a rule of thumb, then confirm the HOA dues for Symmetry Bay specifically — master-plan communities frequently carry both a sub-association and a master association, and buyers routinely budget for one and get billed for two.
Ask for both figures in writing before you are under contract.
Does the Included Loft Change How the Plan Lives?
Yes, more than the square footage suggests.
In a 1,800-square-foot two-story plan, an upstairs loft is the flex space that makes four bedrooms workable. Without it, four bedrooms in this footprint would feel like a hallway with doors. With it, you get a second gathering area that absorbs the overflow — homework, video games, a home office that is not a bedroom.
It matters that it is included rather than an option. On many competing plans in this price band, the equivalent space is an upcharge or a conversion of a bedroom. Getting it standard is a genuine content advantage for the plan, and it is the main reason this house can serve a family that would otherwise be shopping 2,200 square feet.
The upstairs laundry placement is the other quiet win. Laundry on the bedroom level is where the laundry actually is, and moving it downstairs is one of the more expensive regrets in a two-story home.
There is a resale argument here as well. A four-bedroom home priced beneath its community median tends to draw the widest buyer pool when it eventually returns to market, because it clears the most common affordability filters — four bedrooms is a search checkbox for families, and a price under the neighborhood median is a search checkbox for nearly everyone. Plans that are unusual, oversized, or priced at the top of their community typically wait longer for the right buyer. That does not make the largest plan a bad purchase; it does mean the compact plan carries a liquidity advantage that rarely shows up in a sales-office comparison sheet.
The counterweight is honest: smaller rooms are smaller every day you live in them, and no resale statistic compensates for a primary bedroom that does not fit your furniture. Walk the model with a tape measure if the dimensions are close to your limit.
What Should You Know About Appliances Before Signing?
The video flags this at the two-and-a-half-minute mark and it deserves the emphasis.
Builder appliance packages vary by plan, by incentive, and by whether the home is a red tag. On this home, appliances were called out as included. On another home in the same community that may not be true, and the gap is not small — a refrigerator, washer and dryer commonly run $2,500 to $5,000 to add after closing.
We have seen this go wrong often enough to treat it as a standing rule: get the appliance list in the purchase agreement by name and model, not as "appliances included." The distinction between a stove and a full package is thousands of dollars, and verbal assurances from a sales office do not survive a change of personnel.
Does a New Construction Home Still Need an Inspection?
Yes, and the walkthrough is right to make the point.
A new home is built by people, inspected by a municipal inspector working from a code checklist, and delivered on a schedule. None of that guarantees your specific house is free of defects. Independent inspectors routinely find HVAC ducting issues, roof flashing gaps, grading problems, and missed insulation in brand-new homes.
The two moments that matter are the pre-drywall walkthrough, when the framing, plumbing and electrical are still visible, and the final walkthrough before closing. According to the Nevada State Contractors Board, a builder's license status and any disciplinary history are public record — check both before you sign.
Across the new builds we have represented, an independent inspection has produced a punch list worth several times its cost often enough that we now treat it as standard rather than optional. Pay for your own inspector. It is a few hundred dollars against a $454,000 purchase, and the report is leverage while you still have some.
What Is Around Symmetry Bay Day to Day?
Cadence is a large master plan on Henderson's east side, and the amenity list is the reason people shop there. Central Park anchors it, with trails, event lawn, and community programming. Henderson Hospital is close. Cowabunga Bay is minutes away for families. Retail and everyday services along the Boulder Highway corridor cover the ordinary errands.
Henderson itself is the draw underneath the neighborhood. According to the City of Henderson, the city consistently ranks among the safer large communities in the country, and CCSD school assignments should be verified by address rather than by community name — boundaries move, and the school serving one Cadence neighborhood is not necessarily the school serving another.
For a broader picture of how Henderson compares with the valley's other master plans, our Henderson buyer's guide covers the tradeoffs in more detail.
Who Is Plan 1865 Actually Right For?
The plan sorts buyers cleanly.
| Buyer | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-time buyer wanting new construction | Strong | Lowest realistic entry into Cadence with a builder warranty |
| Family needing four bedrooms on a budget | Strong | Four bedrooms plus loft at $454,000 is rare in Henderson |
| Buyer who wants a large primary suite | Weak | 1,800 square feet across four bedrooms constrains every room |
| Buyer planning to entertain outdoors | Conditional | Add $15,000 to $40,000 for the backyard before it functions |
| Investor seeking rental yield | Conditional | Run the year-three payment, not the buydown year, against market rent |
The honest summary: this is a strong plan for a buyer whose priority is address and warranty rather than space. If you want to be in Cadence, want a new home, and $454,000 is your number, this is one of the few doors in. If you want room to spread out, the same money buys more square footage in a resale elsewhere in Henderson — where the median sold price is $490,488 and the typical home is larger.
It is also worth pricing the alternatives before you commit. At $454,000 you are shopping beneath the Las Vegas new-build median of $610,000, so cross-valley comparisons rarely favor moving; the same budget in Las Vegas generally buys an older resale rather than a warranty. Buyers who want newer construction across a wider set of communities should scan the full new construction inventory before narrowing to one builder, and anyone weighing a master-plan lifestyle against a more established neighborhood should compare Cadence with Summerlin on commute, amenity dues and resale depth. According to Las Vegas REALTORS, valley-wide inventory and days-on-market have both normalized from the extremes of recent years, which means a buyer today has time to compare rather than an obligation to decide in an afternoon.
One more piece of arithmetic worth doing before you sign. Add the red-tag price of $454,000 to a realistic $20,000 backyard, and you are at $474,000 — still under the Cadence median of $499,900, and still roughly $100,000 under Henderson's median new build. That comparison, not the sticker alone, is the one that tells you whether this plan is genuinely the budget buy it appears to be.
What Should You Ask Before You Write an Offer?
A short list, in order:
- What is the year-three principal and interest payment after the buydown expires?
- Does this specific parcel carry a SID or LID balance, and what is the annual amount?
- What are the HOA dues, and is there both a sub-association and a master association?
- What appliances are included, by name and model, written into the agreement?
- What is the builder's current incentive if I use my own lender instead of theirs?
- What is included in the rear yard — is there any grading, drainage or fencing?
That last one matters more than it sounds. Fencing and grading are sometimes included and sometimes not, and on a dirt lot the difference is several thousand dollars before a single plant goes in.
If you are early in the process and still deciding between neighborhoods rather than plans, it is worth widening the search before narrowing it. Our buyer resources walk through financing sequence and contingency strategy, and the Henderson community pages cover the master plans that compete directly with Cadence on price. Buyers relocating from out of state often find that North Las Vegas and Boulder City price differently for similar square footage, and a single afternoon comparing three cities usually saves more money than negotiating hard on one house.
We are also happy to simply pull the numbers and send them over. You can reach the team directly if you would rather see the SID balance, HOA structure and comparable closings for a specific lot before you visit a sales office at all — that order of operations tends to produce better decisions than the reverse.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is Plan 1865 at Symmetry Bay?
At the time of the walkthrough, the red-tagged home was reduced from the $473,000s to $454,000, with a 2-1 buydown, $5,000 toward closing costs and appliances included. Builder pricing, incentives and availability change by lot and by release, so confirm the current number with us or the sales office before relying on it. For context, the Cadence median list price is $499,900 and Henderson's median new-build list is $575,553.
How big is Plan 1865?
Approximately 1,800 square feet across two stories, with four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, an included upstairs loft, an upstairs laundry room and a two-car garage. That is a dense plan — four bedrooms and a loft inside 1,800 square feet means efficient rooms rather than large ones, which is exactly the trade that gets the price where it is.
Is the backyard included?
No. Rear landscaping is almost never included on D.R. Horton deliveries in this market — the yard is delivered as dirt. Budget $8,000 to $15,000 for basic desert landscaping with gravel and drip irrigation, $15,000 to $30,000 for a mid-range build with pavers and lighting, and considerably more for a covered patio or pool. It is not financeable through a standard purchase loan, so plan it as cash in year one.
What does the 2-1 buydown actually save me?
It reduces your rate by two percentage points in year one and one point in year two, then reverts to the full note rate in year three permanently. The builder funds the difference into escrow up front. It is real money and worth accepting — but qualify yourself on the year-three payment, not the year-one payment, or you will have bought a house you can afford for twenty-four months.
Are there SIDs or LIDs on homes in Cadence?
It depends on the specific parcel, which is why you check rather than assume. Special and Local Improvement Districts fund the infrastructure the developer installed and are repaid by the homeowner separately from property tax and HOA dues. Look the parcel up through the Clark County Treasurer and ask the builder in writing for the balance and annual payment on your lot.
Do I need a home inspection on a brand-new house?
Yes. Municipal inspection is a code check, not a quality guarantee, and independent inspectors routinely find HVAC, flashing, grading and insulation issues in new homes. Book your own inspector for the pre-drywall walkthrough while framing and mechanicals are still visible, and again before closing. A few hundred dollars against a $454,000 purchase is inexpensive leverage.
Is Plan 1865 a good value compared to a resale in Henderson?
It depends on what you are optimizing for. At $454,000 it is roughly $46,000 under the Cadence median and $121,000 under Henderson's median new build, with a warranty and nobody else's deferred maintenance. A resale at Henderson's $490,488 median sold price will generally give you more square footage and a finished yard. New construction wins on condition and incentives; resale wins on space and landscaping already paid for.
How fast are homes selling in Cadence?
Cadence homes have been selling in a median of 32 days over the trailing six months, against 38 days for Henderson new construction generally and 28 days for Henderson homes overall. That is a functioning market — not frantic, not stalled. It also means a red tag that looks attractive to you likely looks attractive to somebody else.
Ready to Walk Symmetry Bay in Person?
If you are weighing Plan 1865 against another plan, another Cadence neighborhood, or a resale elsewhere in Henderson, we can pull the actual numbers on any specific lot — the SID balance, the HOA structure, the incentive currently on the table, and what comparable homes have genuinely closed at.
Builder representatives work for the builder. We work for you, and there is no cost to you for buyer representation on a new-construction purchase — but you generally need us involved at your first visit for that to hold.
Call or text (702) 637-1759, or start with the current Henderson listings to see how the resale market compares.
Which Sources Inform This Plan 1865 Guide?
Market figures were pulled live from the GLVAR feed on 2026-08-08: Cadence 271 active listings at a $499,900 median with 315 closings and a 32-day median over the trailing 180 days; Henderson 2,522 active at a $543,314 median with a $490,488 median sold and 28-day median; Henderson homes built 2023 or later 496 active at a $575,553 median with a $504,970 median sold and 38-day median. Plan specifications, red-tag pricing and incentive details are as stated at the time of filming on 2026-07-24 and are subject to change by lot, release and buyer qualification.
- U.S. Census Bureau — Characteristics of New Housing
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Owning a Home
- Freddie Mac — Primary Mortgage Market Survey
- Clark County Treasurer
- Clark County Assessor
- Nevada Department of Taxation
- Nevada Revised Statutes 361 — Property Tax
- Nevada State Contractors Board
- Southern Nevada Water Authority
- City of Henderson
- Clark County School District
- Las Vegas REALTORS — Market Statistics
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Las Vegas Area Economic Summary
