The salespeople will have the best info on where you are on the priority list - the loan guys don't usually keep track. Your best bet is just to be chummy with them and ask them outright. You can usually tell by tone if you have a good chance at getting a home at the next phase release. The other thing you can do is sneak a peek at their list - it's usually lying around on a clipboard
From what I observed with Shea is that it will keep on increasing prices as long as the homes are selling - not sure what the pace will be though. They'll either increase the base price of the house or attach a lot premium to certain lots. The other annoying thing they do is - split phase releases so they can get more $$ for the second half of the phase. So if there's 8 homes planned for Phase 3, they may release 4 in a Phase 3A at price X and then release the remaining 4 homes in a Phase 3B at price X+Y. I've asked why they do this and it seems like most of the salespeople hate it but corporate makes them do it this way.
FWIW: In one of Shea's extremely popular tracts in Irvine, they've raised prices about $100k from its Phase 1 to Phase 5 (4 month span). Granted these are $1M homes to begin with but gives you an idea of what they do if the tract is popular.