A white two-story house with black roof accents, a covered front porch, and a green lawn in front of trees. — Peachtree Residential’s White Post on Lanier community home at 9110 Greenway Court in Gainesville appears in a company photo. The property is not one of the Cumming homes with the largest price cuts in this story.

Peachtree Residential has reduced prices on two homes in its Hillshire community in Cumming by more than $160,000 each over time, as the properties remain available more than a year after being offered for sale.

The figures provide a closer look at the builder’s efforts to sell completed homes ahead of a year-end closing deadline. While its current promotion advertises savings of up to $100,000 on move-in ready homes, the larger totals reflect a series of adjustments rather than a single promotional cut.

“They didn’t all happen at once. It has been a trickle effect,” Carol Morgan, responding to questions on behalf of Peachtree Residential, told North Atlanta Star.

The Cumming properties

At 3350 Hillshire Drive, homesite 16, the builder reports a total reduction of $162,579 “from conception.” At 3310 Hillshire Drive, homesite 20, the reported cumulative reduction is $164,900.

Morgan said both properties have been available for more than a year. Her response did not specify when individual reductions occurred or provide the original advertised and current asking prices needed to calculate percentage declines.

A third property, at 9155 Greenway Court in the White Post community in Gainesville, has been reduced by $307,500 over time, according to Morgan. That home also has been available for more than a year.

The totals describe the pricing histories of these individual homes; they do not establish how much home values have changed across Cumming or the surrounding market.

Lower prices instead of financing incentives

Morgan said price reductions have become more common across Peachtree Residential’s communities as the builder works to persuade hesitant buyers.

“Instead of offering discounted financing through a buydown, Peachtree Residential is reducing home prices,” she said.

A price reduction lowers the purchase price, while a mortgage-rate buydown reduces borrowing costs under the terms of a financing offer. Buyers comparing the two still need to consider the loan terms, cash required at closing and monthly payment.

The current promotion requires buyers to close by Dec. 31, according to the email exchange with Morgan.

For buyers considering the Hillshire homes, the cumulative reductions offer a reason to take another look. The next comparison is the current asking price against similar available homes, rather than the size of the advertised savings alone.