Townhome or single-family home: which should you buy at Firefly?

What is the difference between a townhome and a single-family home at Firefly?

A Firefly townhome shares at least one wall with a neighbour on a smaller footprint; a single-family home stands on its own lot. The townhomes are the community's lowest entry prices, and the single-family plans are larger.

How much does each cost?

Townhomes: $369,990 – $399,953 for the 5 available (Wasatch, Cottonwood, Cascade and Sierra). Single-family: $519,581 – $723,871 for the 8 listed today. The least expensive townhome is $149,591 below the least expensive single-family home.

The total price, not the per-foot figure, is what your mortgage is written on.

• Lowest single-family: the Monarch on Lot 630, 3,543 square feet, $519,581
• Highest single-family: the Sun Valley on Lot 720, 4,425 square feet, $723,871
• Per square foot: townhomes average $182, single-family $149, because a kitchen and two and a half baths cost roughly the same whether they sit in 1,934 – 2,269 square feet or 3,150 – 4,518
• Monthly, on the estimator's default inputs: about $2,398 for the Wasatch on Lot 919 against $3,367 for the Monarch, before HOA dues

Which incentives apply to each?

Both get Candlelight's closing-cost contribution with a preferred lender, in different amounts: up to $8,000 on a townhome and up to $10,000 on a single-family home.

Utah Housing's first-time buyer assistance — up to $20,000 at 0% interest, no payments until sale or refinance — applies to newly built homes priced $450,000 or less. At today's prices that program applies to every available townhome ($369,990 – $399,953); the single-family homes on the list are above the $450,000 ceiling. Your lender walks a qualifying first-time buyer through it.

How much space do you actually get?

Townhomes are 1,934 – 2,269 square feet with 3 bedrooms; the single-family homes listed are 3,150 – 4,518 square feet with 3 or 4.

Every available home's published floor plans include a basement level, labelled “Opt. Basement”; the square footage on each listing is the builder's figure for that home.

What is inside a Firefly townhome plan?

The Wasatch, Cottonwood, Cascade and Sierra plans: 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths over a main and an upper floor, plus a basement level (“Opt. Basement”) on the published plans.

Each townhome's page shows its floor plans full-size and runs the payment estimator on its price.

On a listed home, ask your New Home Specialist which selections are made. On a build-to-order home, you choose cabinets, countertops, flooring, lighting and fixtures with a consultant at the Carpet Diem design center; design assistance is free.

Who is the townhome for?

A first home, a household that wants Firefly at the lowest published price, or anyone who would rather not maintain a large lot. The basement level on the plans gives a townhome a way to grow without changing the footprint.

• Entry price: $369,990, the lowest at Firefly today
• Priced under Utah Housing's $450,000 ceiling for up to $20,000 in assistance for qualifying first-time buyers
• Same trails, courts, parks and Activities Director as every Firefly home

Who is a single-family home for?

A household that needs a fourth bedroom or more floor space. Every single-family Candlelight home includes the smart-home package — doorbell, thermostat, locks, garage control, lighting, Nest Hub and Wi-Fi — professionally installed before you move in.

• 8 available single-family homes from $519,581; ask your New Home Specialist where each one stands in its build
• 3 – 4 bedrooms, 3,150 – 4,518 square feet
• Windows designed to flood every room with light
• Up to $10,000 toward closing costs with a preferred lender

What does Firefly offer outside either home?

The same 350+ acres, whichever home you buy. Firefly is Utah's only Active Family Community, built so the most fun thing to do is outside, and the region's only full-time Activities Director plans the week.

• A pump track, downhill mountain-bike trails and a skate and wheels park
• Basketball and pickleball courts and sports fields
• Playgrounds, splash pads and Leap Frog Park for the youngest kids
• Trails and equestrian paths through the open space
• Events: youth sports leagues, scavenger hunts, nature walks, food trucks, holiday parties and outdoor movie nights

What is the same either way?

The buying process. Candlelight carries the construction financing, so a townhome and a single-family home both close on one standard mortgage when the home is finished.

• The same three preferred lenders: Northpointe Bank, First Colony Mortgage and Guild Mortgage
• A fully underwritten approval before you place a deposit, and the closing-cost contribution confirmed by the lender
• The first-year workmanship warranty, long-term structural coverage and the Homeowner's Manual
• Firefly's 350+ acres, and the same HOA dues toward them