New construction in Simi Valley is concentrated in a handful of active communities and the remaining lots in built-out subdivisions. The two largest active programs are Lennar's Sycamore Grove (townhomes and small-lot single-family) and the final phases of Toll Brothers' Big Sky build-out. There's also scattered custom and semi-custom infill in Bridle Path, Strathearn, and Long Canyon. This page covers what's available in May 2026, how builder pricing and incentives actually work, the Mello-Roos and HOA structure on new inventory, and the negotiation and contract differences buyers should expect.
What new construction looks like in Simi Valley today
Simi Valley has run out of large undeveloped tracts. The big master-planned communities of the past 20 years - Wood Ranch, Big Sky, parts of Long Canyon - are essentially built out, with only final-phase inventory and infill remaining. Sycamore Grove on the south side near the 118 freeway is the headline active community in May 2026, a Lennar development of townhomes and small-lot single-family that's been delivering in phases for several years.
Beyond the master-planned activity, new construction in Simi is mostly lot-by-lot custom and semi-custom builds in Bridle Path (where acre-plus lots are occasionally available), Strathearn (where larger lots accommodate custom builds), and infill teardown-and-rebuild scattered across the city. Production builders other than Lennar have limited active inventory.
What this means for buyers: if you want true new construction in a master-planned community with amenities and matching homes, your choices in Simi are essentially Sycamore Grove or the remaining Big Sky inventory. Beyond that, new construction is a custom-builder relationship and a longer build timeline. Plan 12-18 months from lot purchase to keys on a custom build, vs 60-90 days on standing builder inventory.
Sycamore Grove by Lennar - the active townhome community
Sycamore Grove sits on the south side of the 118 freeway between Sycamore Drive and Cochran Street. Lennar has been delivering in phases since the mid-2020s. As of May 2026 the community is in late-stage build with standing inventory typically available each week. Floor plans range from 1,500 sq ft 3BR/2.5BA attached townhomes to 1,900 sq ft 4BR townhomes with loft, all with attached two-car garages.
Pricing starts in the high $700s and runs to the low $900s on the largest plans with premium lots. Mello-Roos applies and currently adds $250-$350/month embedded in property tax. HOA dues run $350-$450/month covering exterior maintenance, common area landscaping, pool, and clubhouse. Lennar's 'Everything's Included' program bundles quartz counters, stainless appliances, smart-home pre-wire, and builder-grade flooring into base price.
Builder incentives currently offered: closing-cost credits (typically $10K-$25K), rate buy-downs through Lennar Mortgage (the in-house lender), and occasional design-center credits ($5K-$15K). Most incentives are tied to using the builder's preferred lender; using outside financing forfeits those incentives. Compare all-in cost both ways - sometimes the builder's lender wins on overall cost, sometimes an outside jumbo with a lower base rate wins. Run both quotes.
Big Sky by Toll Brothers - the final single-family phases
Big Sky's master-planned build by Toll Brothers and other production builders has been in the final phases for several years. By May 2026 the community is essentially built out with occasional standing inventory or resale opportunities from initial buyers. New Toll inventory at this point is typically the largest and most upgraded plans - 3,500-4,500 sq ft single-family homes on premium lots.
Pricing on remaining new Big Sky inventory runs $1.4M-$2M+. Mello-Roos is substantial - typically $500-$800/month embedded in property tax for newer production homes. HOA dues run $180-$280/month for single-family, covering common-area landscaping and slope maintenance. The build quality is high; Toll Brothers homes have a strong reputation for finishes and consistency.
If you want new construction in Big Sky and standing inventory is limited, the alternative is to buy a 2018-2022 resale - same builder, same build quality, essentially the same Mello-Roos rate, and often $50K-$150K cheaper than new because the new-build premium has burned off. Have me check both ends of that comparison before you decide.
Mello-Roos on new construction - what to know
Mello-Roos is a special tax that funds infrastructure (roads, schools, parks) through bonded debt, repaid by property owners via the annual property tax bill. It applies to most new construction in California, and to virtually all newer Simi Valley master-planned communities. The rate is fixed at bond issuance but the annual amount can vary within a defined range, typically increasing 2% per year subject to caps.
For a buyer, Mello-Roos is real money. On a Sycamore Grove townhome at $800K, Mello-Roos adds roughly $250-$350/month - call it $3,000-$4,200/year - on top of base property tax. On a Big Sky single-family at $1.6M, the Mello-Roos can be $500-$800/month - $6,000-$9,600/year. Bond maturity is typically 25-40 years from issuance. After maturity the special tax ends and the only tax is the standard 1% base plus voter-approved bonds.
When pricing new vs resale, the Mello-Roos comparison matters. A 10-year-old Big Sky home carries the same Mello-Roos rate as a brand-new Big Sky home in the same CFD - the bond doesn't change ownership. So the Mello-Roos itself isn't a reason to prefer new vs resale within the same community. But comparing Big Sky (with Mello-Roos) to a non-CFD older Simi tract (without) is a meaningful cost difference.
Builder incentives - what they actually are and what they cost you
Production builders offer incentives to move inventory at quarter-end and year-end, and to compete with resale at the price point. The standard incentives in Simi new construction in May 2026 are: closing-cost credits ($10K-$30K), interest rate buy-downs through the builder's preferred lender (1-2-1 buy-down structure or permanent rate reduction), design-center credits ($5K-$15K) for upgrade selection, and occasionally appliance package upgrades.
Almost all incentives require using the builder's preferred lender (Lennar Mortgage for Lennar, similar in-house lenders for others). The trade-off: the builder lender may have a slightly higher base rate but the incentives net out to a lower all-in cost. Sometimes they don't. Run a side-by-side quote: builder's lender with incentives vs your outside lender at their best rate. Compare APR and total interest plus closing costs over your expected hold period.
Quarter-end and year-end are when builders are most flexible. If you can be flexible on your close date, asking what's movable at the end of June, September, or December typically produces better incentives than asking in mid-quarter. Bring a buyer's agent to those negotiations - the incentives don't cost the builder more to offer to a represented buyer, but they're more carefully extracted by an agent who's negotiated against the same sales office before.
Builder contracts - how they differ from the standard California RPA
Production builders in California typically use their own purchase contract, not the California Association of Realtors Residential Purchase Agreement. The builder contract is drafted to favor the builder: limited buyer contingencies, arbitration clauses, restrictions on disclosing the contract to third parties in some cases, and broad rights for the builder to extend close dates and make design changes.
Things to read carefully in a Lennar or Toll Brothers contract: the warranty language (typically 1-2-10 structure - one year fit and finish, two years systems, ten years major structural), the arbitration clause and class action waivers, the close-of-escrow extension rights for the builder, and the design center selection deadlines and change-order policies.
Bring your buyer's agent to read the contract before you sign. I have a checklist of clauses I want flagged or initialed in a Lennar PSA - some items are negotiable, others aren't, but my client should know which is which before they sign. There is no contingency-removal date in the same form as a resale RPA; instead the buyer has very limited cancellation rights, typically tied to the loan approval process or specific contract breach by the builder.
Inspections on new construction - yes, you still do them
New construction is built by humans in a complex sequence with hundreds of subcontractors. Defects happen. Skipping the inspection because 'it's new' is the most common mistake I see new-construction buyers make. Schedule a pre-closing (blue-tape) walkthrough with a qualified third-party home inspector - cost is $400-$700 - and produce a punch list the builder will work through.
Common new-construction inspection findings: cosmetic items (paint touchups, minor drywall imperfections, scratched fixtures), plumbing leaks at fittings, HVAC balancing issues, grading and drainage at exterior walls, missing weather stripping at doors and windows, and electrical issues with outlets or fixtures. Most are minor; the inspection catches them while the builder is still on the hook.
Schedule a one-year warranty inspection before your 12-month builder warranty expires. Settling cracks, HVAC issues that didn't surface in the first 90 days, and many cosmetic items qualify for warranty repair if you document and report them before the warranty deadline. Don't miss this - the warranty is non-renewable.
- Pre-closing (blue tape) inspection: walk with the builder, mark issues with tape
- Third-party home inspection ($400-$700): independent review before close
- 30-day post-move-in walkthrough: catches what you find living in the home
- 11-month warranty inspection: BEFORE 12-month warranty expires
- 10-year structural warranty: requires major defect documentation; keep records
Custom and semi-custom builds in Simi Valley
Beyond the master-planned communities, Simi's custom-build market exists primarily in three places: Bridle Path (where acre-plus lots occasionally come available for build-to-suit), Strathearn (where larger custom homes are scattered through the tract), and infill teardown-and-rebuild on existing lots in central and west Simi.
Custom build timeline runs 12-18 months from lot purchase to occupancy: 3-6 months for design and permitting, 9-12 months for construction. Lot purchase is itself a negotiation, and lots in Bridle Path and Strathearn that accommodate custom builds are uncommon. Construction loans (typically 12-month interest-only construction loans that convert to permanent financing) require strong financials and 20-30% down on the total project cost.
Custom building in Simi Valley is a relationship-driven process. Pick the architect and the builder before you pick the lot - or at least concurrently. Confirm the builder's local references, walk completed projects, and verify license and insurance status. The City of Simi Valley Building Division has a permit history database that lets you see what a builder has actually completed locally.
The five-question new-construction checklist
Before signing a purchase contract on Simi Valley new construction, I want these five answers.
- 1. What is the Mello-Roos rate and bond maturity year on the specific lot and plan?
- 2. What does the HOA cover, and is there a master-vs-sub-association structure with separate dues?
- 3. What builder incentives are available, and what is the all-in cost using builder lender vs outside lender?
- 4. What are the warranty terms (1-2-10 typical) and the punch-list completion timeline?
- 5. What is the contract's close-of-escrow extension language - how long can the builder push?
What I tell new-construction buyers
New construction in Simi Valley is a legitimate option but it's not always the best value. The new-build premium runs 5-10% over a recent resale in the same community. Mello-Roos applies. The contract is the builder's contract. The punch list takes 6-12 months to clear. None of that is bad - but all of it is different from a resale transaction, and buyers should know what they're signing up for.
If you're set on new, run the side-by-side comparison: new Lennar townhome at Sycamore Grove vs five-year-old resale Sycamore Grove townhome. The math often favors resale. Where new wins is when standing inventory has been on the market longer than the builder wants and incentives have grown to make the all-in cost competitive with resale, or when you genuinely value the warranty and zero deferred maintenance more than the price difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What new construction is available in Simi Valley in 2026?
The two active master-planned new-construction communities are Sycamore Grove by Lennar (townhomes and small-lot single-family on the south side near the 118 freeway, prices from the high $700s) and the final phases of Big Sky by Toll Brothers (single-family homes from $1.4M-$2M+, mostly larger plans on premium lots). Beyond these, new construction in Simi is custom and semi-custom builds in Bridle Path, Strathearn, and scattered infill teardowns. Production builder volume has slowed as Simi has run out of large undeveloped tracts.
How much does new construction cost in Simi Valley?
Townhomes at Sycamore Grove start in the high $700s and run to the low $900s for the largest plans on premium lots. Single-family new construction in Big Sky's remaining phases runs $1.4M-$2M+. Custom builds in Bridle Path or Strathearn typically run $400-$700 per square foot of finished space, plus lot acquisition. Add Mello-Roos to all of these (typically $250-$800/month embedded in property tax depending on community), plus HOA dues ($180-$450/month).
Are builder incentives worth using the builder's lender?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Builder lenders typically offer closing-cost credits, rate buy-downs, and design-center credits worth $15K-$40K, but require slightly higher base rates than the best outside lenders. The all-in math depends on your loan amount, hold period, and current rate environment. Run a side-by-side quote: builder lender with full incentives vs your outside lender at their best rate, comparing APR plus total interest plus closing costs over expected hold. Sometimes builder wins by $5K-$15K; sometimes outside wins by $5K-$10K.
Do I need a buyer's agent for new construction?
Yes, and the builder pays the commission. Builder sales offices are professional and helpful but they represent the builder, not you. A buyer's agent reads the contract, negotiates incentives, walks the punch list, and provides leverage you don't have as a solo buyer. Important: register your agent at your first visit to the sales office. If you walk in alone and try to bring an agent later, most builders (including Lennar) will not recognize the agent and your representation evaporates.
What is the builder warranty on new homes in Simi Valley?
Most production builders in California offer a 1-2-10 warranty structure: one year on fit and finish (cosmetic, paint, drywall, fixtures), two years on systems (HVAC, plumbing, electrical), and ten years on major structural defects. Toll Brothers has historically offered slightly broader coverage. Schedule an 11-month warranty inspection before the 12-month fit-and-finish window closes - many items qualify for warranty repair if reported in time, but the deadline is firm.
Should I buy new or a recent resale in the same community?
Run the math. A 3-5 year old resale in Big Sky or Sycamore Grove typically prices $50K-$150K below comparable new inventory in the same community. The original buyer absorbed the new-build premium and the punch-list cycle. You inherit the same Mello-Roos rate, the same HOA, the same builder warranty (if structural still in window), and a home that's been lived in and refined. Where new wins is on warranty, latest finishes, and zero deferred maintenance. Plan 7+ year hold to make new worth the premium.
How long does it take to close on new construction?
Standing inventory typically closes in 30-45 days, similar to a resale. Build-to-order custom homes through a production builder run 6-9 months from contract to close. Custom builds on private lots run 12-18 months from lot purchase to occupancy (3-6 months design and permitting, 9-12 months construction). Lennar contracts include broad builder rights to extend close-of-escrow if construction runs behind; factor this when coordinating with the sale of an existing home.
Does new construction in Simi Valley have Mello-Roos?
Almost always yes. Sycamore Grove, Big Sky, and most newer master-planned construction in Simi Valley sit in Community Facilities Districts that fund infrastructure through bonded debt. Mello-Roos rates currently add $250-$800/month to housing cost depending on community and plan, embedded in the annual property tax bill. Bonds typically mature 25-40 years from issuance; verify the maturity year and remaining balance for the specific lot before writing. Custom builds on private lots in older areas (Bridle Path, parts of Strathearn) often have no Mello-Roos.
