By Robert Ramirez, Truvi Realty
For the first time in a while, Los Banos buyers have three active new-home communities to choose from at once. Lennar is building in Sierra Heights, D.R. Horton is in its second phase at Harvest Hills, and Legacy Homes is underway at The Pointe at Stonecreek. That's good news if you've been priced out of resale bidding wars or you just want a warranty and modern finishes without a renovation project. But three builders means three different price points, floor plans, and sales processes, and it's easy to get details crossed between them. Here's an honest side-by-side, based on what each builder currently has listed.
Sierra Heights, on the north side of Los Banos, is Lennar's all-electric community here, meaning no natural gas hookups — homes run on electric appliances and HVAC, which is worth knowing if you're used to a gas stove or gas water heater. As of late September 2026, floor plans range from a 3-bedroom, 2-bath Residence 1 around 1,469 square feet starting near $459,880, up to larger 4- and 5-bedroom plans priced higher. A couple of move-in-ready homes have recently been priced above the community's earlier price points depending on lot and finish level. Lennar's pricing shifts fairly often based on incentives, so treat any number here as a starting point, not a quote.
D.R. Horton's second phase at Harvest Hills has listed pricing in the roughly $499,000 to $572,000 range, with plans up to about 2,530 square feet, 5 bedrooms, and 2- or 3-car garage options. This pocket sits within a couple of miles of several Los Banos Unified schools, which makes it a common ask from families relocating with school-age kids — confirm your specific school assignment by address rather than assuming based on the community name. D.R. Horton also tends to run its own in-house lender incentives, so it's worth asking what rate or closing-cost help is currently on the table before you assume the list price is the real cost of ownership.
Legacy Homes' community on Dolomite Drive has four floor plans starting in the low $500,000s, running from roughly 1,818 square feet up toward the mid-2,000s and beyond depending on the plan. It's a smaller, locally-based builder compared to Lennar and D.R. Horton, which can mean more flexibility on selections but a slower build pace. HOA details for this community weren't published at the time of writing — that's a question to ask the sales office directly at 1678 Dolomite Drive, not something to assume either way.
Sticker price is the easy number to compare and the least useful one on its own. A few things worth digging into before you pick a community: price per square foot once you back out any current incentive, whether the incentive is a rate buydown or straight cash toward closing costs (they affect your monthly payment very differently), HOA dues and what they cover, and how close the specific lot is to Highway 152 or a future phase of construction, since homesites at the edge of a still-building community can mean months of dust and traffic before the neighborhood is finished. Mortgage rates have also been moving around quite a bit this fall — reported averages for a 30-year fixed loan have ranged from the high-6% range to the mid-7% range depending on the week and the source, so a builder's advertised rate buydown can matter more than the base price of the home.
None of this means one builder is “better” than another — it means the right fit depends on your budget, your timeline, and whether you need a school within walking distance or you're fine with a slightly longer drive for a lower price. If you'd like, I can pull the current available lots and pricing across all three communities and walk through which one actually pencils out for your situation.
Pricing and availability noted above reflect builder-published information as of late September 2026 and are subject to change; confirm current details directly with each builder before making decisions.