Moving To North Texas

Category: Relocation Guides

  • New Construction vs Resale Homes in North Dallas

    Every relocating family we talk to eventually asks the same question: should we buy a brand new home or an existing one? In North Dallas, where new communities keep rising next to established neighborhoods, the answer is not automatic. Both paths can work. The right one depends on your timeline, your budget once every cost is on the table, and how much surprise you can handle.

    We work both sides of this market every week, and the families who feel best about the choice are the ones who compared the full picture before they wrote an offer. Here is that picture.

    The Real Differences in Price and Space

    For years, new construction carried a clear price premium over resale. That relationship has flipped nationally. In October 2026, CNN reported that the National Association of Realtors put the September 2026 median existing home price at $417,500, up 1.3 percent from a year earlier and the 39th consecutive month of annual gains, while the Census Bureau put the August 2026 median new home price at $393,700. The new home median now sits below the existing home median in the national numbers, a reversal driven by builders sitting on finished inventory and offering incentives to move it.

    What does that mean in North Dallas? New builds give you the newest floor plans, taller ceilings, and current energy standards, but the base price is only the starting number. Builders price the lot premium, the design center upgrades, the fencing, the window treatments, and the landscaping separately, and those add ons can move the final number well past the advertised price. We break those add ons down with published ranges in our post on the three new construction costs buyers do not expect.

    Resale usually gives you more square footage per dollar, and often a bigger lot with mature trees. The tradeoff is an older roof, older systems, and finishes that may need updating. If you want to see how one fixed budget plays out across two towns, our post on what the same budget buys in Frisco versus Prosper shows how we compare square footage, lot, and home age line by line.

    Lot Size, Trees, and Established Neighborhoods

    Drive an established Plano or west McKinney neighborhood and you will see what resale buys: full tree canopies, real yards, and a streetscape that has been finished for decades. Drive a brand new community in Celina or north Prosper and you will see dirt lots, young saplings on stakes, and streets where half the lots are still under construction.

    New communities eventually grow in, but the first few years mean construction traffic, dust, and amenities that open in phases. Some buyers love watching their neighborhood take shape. Others want the finished version on day one. Neither is wrong, but do not buy a new build expecting the established feel. That comes with time, and the price you pay reflects which side of the tradeoff you are on.

    Either way, drive the neighborhood before you commit. Visit at rush hour and on a Saturday morning. Talk to people who already live there. A map will never tell you what the street feels like at 5 pm.

    Taxes and Special Districts in Newer Communities

    Here is the line item that surprises new build buyers most. New communities are where you most often find Municipal Utility Districts and Public Improvement Districts, which add assessments on top of the regular property tax stack. Older resale homes are often outside MUDs and PIDs, but that is not a rule, so verify the taxing entities for the specific property at the county appraisal district before you compare two homes.

    PIDs are created under Chapter 372 of the Texas Local Government Code, and Texas requires a PID notice in the contract documents under Texas Property Code 5.014. In DFW, 2026 annual PID installments commonly run $1,200 to $2,500, with payoff terms that typically stretch 20 to 40 years. Our post on what a PID assessment adds to the bill explains how they are billed and what payoff looks like, and our post on how Texas property taxes stack up walks through every layer of the bill.

    On resale, ask for the current tax certificate and look at what the seller actually paid, not just the listing sheet. And remember that school district boundaries do not always match city names, so confirm the district and the full taxing stack by address either way.

    Builder Incentives vs Resale Negotiation

    Builders negotiate differently than individual sellers. A builder protects the headline price, because every sale in the community sets the comp for the next one, and negotiates through incentives instead: design credits, closing cost credits, lot premium discounts, and financing incentives.

    The most common financing incentive is a buydown, described in percentage point steps. On a 2 to 1 buydown, the rate you pay is 2 percentage points below the note rate in the first year and 1 percentage point below it in the second year, then it moves to the full rate. Who can pay for it is capped by loan program: FHA allows up to 6 percent in seller concessions including buydowns under HUD Handbook 4000.1, VA caps concessions at 4 percent, and conventional loans cap them at 3, 6, or 9 percent depending on the loan to value ratio under the Fannie Mae Selling Guide. We explain the full structure in our post on how a 2 to 1 buydown works on a Texas new build. Compare incentive packages between builders the same way you would compare prices, and get outside lender pricing in writing before you take the preferred lender offer at face value.

    Resale negotiation works the other way around. Nationally, buyers have more room than they did a few years ago: the National Association of Realtors reported a median time on market of 33 days in September 2026 with 1.60 million homes for sale, and chief economist Lawrence Yun has said sellers need to be realistic about local conditions, which can mean price reductions or other incentives. On resale you can negotiate the price itself, and the inspection gives you a second round of negotiation for repairs or credits. On a new build, the model home agent works for the builder, so bring your own agent from the very first visit. Our post on why your own agent matters on a Texas new build explains how registration works and why visit one is the visit that counts.

    Timeline and Move In Flexibility

    A resale home can close in a matter of weeks once you are under contract. A to be built new home cannot. The National Association of Home Builders reported in September 2026, using Census Survey of Construction data, that the national average time from authorization to completion for single family homes was 8.8 months in 2025, with homes between 1,200 and 3,999 square feet averaging about 9 months. Weather, material delays, and labor backlogs can stretch that further.

    If you need to move sooner, look at inventory homes, sometimes called quick move in homes, which are already built or nearly finished. The same NAHB data shows 31.5 percent of built for sale homes completed in 2025 sold after construction finished, which means builders are sitting on finished homes they want to sell. That is leverage for a buyer who can move fast.

    One more timeline note: inspect new builds too. The city inspects during construction, but your own third party inspector should walk the home before drywall goes up and again at final walkthrough. Most builders include a builder warranty, but ask exactly what it covers and how long it runs before you sign.

    Which Path Fits Your Relocation

    Choose new construction if you can wait several months, you want to pick your finishes, you like having a builder warranty, and you are comfortable with a new community that is still taking shape. Do the full tax stack math first, MUDs and PIDs included, because the base price never tells the whole story.

    Choose resale if your timeline is tight, you want the established neighborhood with the big trees on day one, you want to negotiate on price and inspection findings, and you would rather buy certainty than potential.

    And if you are moving from out of state, the path decision ties into a bigger question: our post on whether to rent first or buy right away helps you decide the order of operations before you pick the house.

    Browse current North Dallas listings with us and tell us your timeline. We will help you decide whether new construction or resale fits your move, run the full cost stack on both, and make sure you are represented from the first visit.

    Arlicia Jones, NMLS 1550570, Elite Lending Solutions, Inc., Company NMLS 1829246

    Luke Jones, REALTOR, eXp Realty, Texas license #793146

    Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services: https://movingtonorthtexastx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/iabs-luke-jones-2026.pdf

  • Moving From Florida to Prosper TX: 7 Mistakes We Made

    We moved from South Florida to Prosper, Texas in 2022. Four years in, Prosper was the right call for our family. The road here was not. We made seven mistakes, some before we ever loaded a truck and some after we unpacked, and every one of them was avoidable.

    If you are relocating to North Dallas, read this before you fall in love with a listing.

    Why We Left South Florida for Prosper

    We left for space, for schools, and for a cost structure that let our money go further. Florida had been home our whole lives. We knew the insurance market was getting painful and the crowds were getting worse. Prosper promised a growing town with strong schools and room to breathe. That promise held up. How we got here is the part we would redo.

    Mistakes We Made Before the Move

    Mistake 1: We treated “no state income tax” as the whole tax story

    Florida has no state income tax either, so Texas felt familiar on taxes. That comfort was the trap. Texas funds its government through property taxes, and in a fast growing town like Prosper your total tax rate stacks up from the county, the city, the school district, and special districts like MUDs and PIDs. We break the full stack down in how Texas property taxes, MUD and PID fees actually work.

    We also lost something leaving Florida: the Save Our Homes cap. In Florida, once you have a homestead exemption, your assessed value can only rise by 3% a year or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower (Pinellas County Property Appraiser). When you sell, the cap resets and the new owner’s taxes are calculated on full market value. We walked away from years of accumulated savings under that cap and started over in a state with no equivalent brake. Nobody explained that tradeoff to us until after the fact.

    Mistake 2: We shopped by school rating instead of school culture and community fit

    We filtered towns by ratings and stopped there. Ratings tell you test scores. They do not tell you whether your kids will fit in, whether the parent culture matches yours, or whether the town around the school feels like home.

    Our fix now: verify school district boundaries by street address, because in North Dallas a single town can feed into more than one district. Then visit on a school night, not just a Saturday.

    Mistake 3: We guessed at commute times instead of driving them

    North Dallas highways change personality between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. A 25 minute drive on a Sunday map can be an hour on a Tuesday. We did not drive our real routes at real times before we committed to a side of town. If you or your spouse works in Dallas, Plano, or Frisco, drive the route at rush hour before you write an offer. Not on Google Maps. In the car.

    Mistake 4: We fell in love with the house and underweighted the community

    The model home will do this to you. Granite, tall ceilings, the staged living room, and suddenly the zip code stops mattering. It always matters. We have watched families buy the perfect house in a community that was wrong for them and spend two years quietly regretting the address, not the floor plan. It is why we tell buyers to study the town of Prosper itself before they study floor plans.

    Mistakes We Made After We Arrived

    Mistake 5: We underestimated HOA rules and amenity realities in a master planned community

    Master planned communities sell a lifestyle, and the HOA enforces it. We did not read the restrictions with relocation eyes. Fence rules, exterior paint approval, parking rules, what the amenity center actually costs to use, how the HOA is run while the builder still controls the board. Read the HOA documents before the option period ends, not after. We were just as blunt about the rest of living here in Prosper TX Downsides: What Realtors Won’t Tell You.

    Mistake 6: We did not respect Texas weather

    South Florida has hurricanes and humidity. North Texas has a different menu: extreme summer heat that lasts months, hail that can total a roof in one storm, and winter ice events that shut the whole metro down. We arrived unprepared for how much weather drives your budget here, from the roof you buy to the insurance you carry to the trees you plant. It is also why we tell every Florida mover to read how homeowners insurance changes when you move from Florida to Texas before they close.

    Mistake 7: We waited too long to build a new circle

    We told ourselves we would make friends after we settled in. Settling in took a year. In a town where most people arrived from somewhere else, everyone is looking for their people, but nobody knocks on your door. Join the thing, the church, the gym, the BNI chapter, the neighborhood group, in month one, not month twelve.

    The Fix for Each Mistake

    1. Taxes: Build your total tax rate from the county appraisal district for the exact address, city, county, school district, and any MUD or PID, before you fall for a price. And price what you are leaving behind: Florida’s Save Our Homes savings reset when you sell, so what you built up there does not travel with you.
    2. Schools: Verify the district by street address, then judge culture in person. Go on a school night, talk to parents, and spend time in the town around the school, not just the campus.
    3. Commute: Drive every real route at rush hour, in the car, on a weekday. A Sunday map time is a fantasy number in North Dallas.
    4. Community: Pick the community first and the floor plan second. Tour the neighborhood on a random Tuesday, check what is built and what is still promised, and ask who lives there now.
    5. HOA: Read the covenants, restrictions, and fee schedule during the option period. Know the fence, paint, and parking rules, and what the amenities actually cost, before you are bound.
    6. Weather: Budget for Texas weather from day one. Get a homeowners insurance quote during the option period, ask about percentage based wind and hail deductibles, and look hard at roof age on any home you tour.
    7. People: Join one group in month one. Church, gym, a business network, a neighborhood group. Community here is built on purpose, not by accident.

    The pattern across all seven: every mistake came from researching listings instead of researching life. Listings are marketing. Life is the tax bill, the drive, the HOA meeting, the July electric bill, and the people.

    What We Would Do Differently Today

    If we moved again tomorrow, here is our exact playbook. Build your total tax rate before you build your budget, using the county appraisal district for the specific address. Verify the school district by address and visit on a weeknight. Drive every commute at rush hour. Tour the community on a random Tuesday, not just the model home on a Saturday. Read every HOA document during the option period. Price Texas homeowners insurance during the option period too, because hail deductibles here are often percentage based and they change the math. And join one community group in your first month.

    Your Checklist Before You Relocate

    1. Pull the total property tax rate for your exact address from the county appraisal district, including any MUD or PID.
    2. Confirm what you are giving up in Florida, including your Save Our Homes savings, which reset when you sell.
    3. Verify school district boundaries by street address.
    4. Drive your real commute at rush hour, in the car.
    5. Read the HOA covenants, restrictions, and fee schedule before the option period ends.
    6. Get a Texas homeowners insurance quote during the option period.
    7. Book one community connection, church, gym, or group, for your first month.

    Want the full version of this checklist plus our town by town breakdown? Download the Start Here guide. New to the site? Our Start Here page walks you through the towns in order.

    Luke Jones, REALTOR, eXp Realty, Texas license #793146 TREC Information About Brokerage Services: https://movingtonorthtexastx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/iabs-luke-jones-2026.pdf Texas Real Estate Commission Consumer Protection Notice: https://www.trec.texas.gov/sites/default/files/pdf-forms/CN%201-2.pdf

  • 2 to 1 Buydown Explained for Texas Home Buyers

    A 2 to 1 buydown is one of the most talked about tools in Texas new construction right now, and one of the most misunderstood. Buyers hear “lower rate” and stop asking questions. On a Texas new build, where the builder may be the one offering it, the questions are the whole point. The buydown is also only one line in the real cost picture, and we walk through the rest in the new construction costs North Dallas buyers do not expect.

    Here is how it actually works, who pays for it, and when you should take the buydown versus asking for something else.

    What a 2 to 1 Buydown Actually Is

    A 2 to 1 buydown is a temporary reduction of your interest rate for the first two years of the loan. It works in percentage point steps off your locked note rate.

    In year one, your rate is 2 percentage points below your note rate. In year two, it is 1 percentage point below your note rate. In year three, it steps up to the full note rate, and it stays there for the rest of the loan unless you refinance.

    Two things buyers miss. First, the money that funds those first two years of savings is deposited at closing into a buydown account and applied to your payment each month. It is real money, paid up front, usually by the seller or the builder. Second, you are generally qualified at the full note rate, not the buydown rate, so the buydown does not help you qualify for more house. Confirm the qualifying rules for your loan program before you write an offer.

    Who Pays for It on a Texas New Build

    On a Texas new build, the buydown is almost always funded by the builder as a seller concession, which the loan guides call an interested party contribution. Builders offer buydowns because a buydown keeps the sales price intact while still lowering what you pay in the early years. A price cut lowers their recorded sales price and every future comp in the community. A buydown does not.

    How much a builder can contribute is capped by your loan program, not by the builder. The current caps: FHA allows up to 6% of the sales price in interested party contributions, and that 6% explicitly includes temporary and permanent buydowns (HUD Handbook 4000.1). VA allows the seller to cover customary closing costs without limit, plus up to 4% in true concessions, which include buydowns. Conventional loans scale with your loan to value: 3% above 90%, 6% between 75.01% and 90%, and 9% at 75% or below (Fannie Mae Selling Guide, May 2025).

    So when a builder offers you a buydown, the right question is not just “how much.” It is “how much room do I have under my program’s cap, and what else am I giving up to get this?”

    Buydown vs Price Reduction vs Closing Cost Credit

    These are the three levers a builder can pull, and they do different things.

    A buydown lowers what you pay in years one and two. It helps most when your budget is tightest early, which is exactly where relocating buyers usually are. You are adjusting to Texas property taxes, new bills, and a new cost of living all at once. If the tax side is new to you, start with how Texas property taxes, MUD and PID fees actually stack up.

    A price reduction lowers the amount you finance for the entire life of the loan. It also lowers your property tax base and can help the appraisal. But builders protect their prices, so deep price cuts are rare on new builds.

    A closing cost credit reduces the cash you need at the closing table. It helps if your challenge is cash to close rather than the early years of payments.

    There is no universal winner. A buyer who is cash tight at closing but comfortable with the long term payment may do better with a credit. A buyer whose first two years are the squeeze may do better with the buydown. A buyer planning to stay a decade may do better pushing for price. Run your own numbers before you choose, on a call, not in the model home.

    When a Buydown Makes Sense and When It Does Not

    A buydown makes sense when your income or budget is expected to grow into the full payment, when you may refinance if rates fall, or when the builder will fund it but will not move on price. On a Texas new build, that last one is common. The buydown is often the concession the builder is most willing to give.

    A buydown is the wrong move when you plan to stay in the home long term and the seller’s concession could have bought you a permanent rate reduction instead. Discount points lower your note rate for the life of the loan. A temporary buydown only lowers it for two years. If you are not going anywhere and the math favors permanent, take permanent.

    It is also the wrong move if the buydown eats your entire concession budget and leaves nothing for the closing costs you actually need covered. The buydown is one line item inside your program’s cap. Treat it that way.

    What If Rates Drop? Do You Lose the Buydown?

    This is the question I get most, and the answer is the reason a temporary buydown is a reasonable hedge. The buydown money was deposited at closing. If you refinance or sell while the buydown is still active, the unused portion is generally credited to reduce your loan balance. You do not lose it. The exact handling follows your buydown agreement, so read it, but the structure is designed so an early refinance does not waste the concession.

    Questions to Ask Before You Accept a Builder Buydown

    Ask these before you sign, in this order.

    1. Who is funding the buydown, and is it inside my loan program’s concession cap?
    2. Am I being qualified at the full note rate or the buydown rate?
    3. What happens to the unused buydown funds if I refinance or sell in the first two years?
    4. What would this same concession buy me as a permanent rate reduction or a closing cost credit instead?
    5. Is the builder’s preferred lender required, and have I compared that offer against an outside lender in writing?

    That last question matters. Builder incentives are real, but so is your right to shop your loan. Get the outside numbers in writing before you decide. Representation matters just as much: read why you need your own agent for a Texas new build before your first model home visit.

    Want to know if a 2 to 1 buydown fits your purchase? Book a North Texas Family Move Strategy Call and we will run your numbers before you write an offer.

    Related reading: Mortgage and Costs | New Construction

    Arlicia Jones, NMLS 1550570, Elite Lending Solutions, Inc., Company NMLS 1829246

    Luke Jones, REALTOR, eXp Realty, Texas license #793146 TREC Information About Brokerage Services: https://movingtonorthtexastx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/iabs-luke-jones-2026.pdf Texas Real Estate Commission Consumer Protection Notice: https://www.trec.texas.gov/sites/default/files/pdf-forms/CN%201-2.pdf

  • Homeowners Insurance in Texas vs Florida: What Changes

    If you are moving from Florida to North Texas, insurance is usually one of the first things you ask us about, and for good reason. Florida has the most expensive homeowners insurance market in the country. Published 2026 analyses put the Florida average premium between about $8,471 a year (insurance.com) and $10,240 a year (MoneyGeek), driven by hurricane exposure, litigation costs, and expensive reinsurance. Texas sits in the expensive group too, with 2026 analyses placing the state average between about $4,582 a year (insurance.com) and $6,854 a year (MoneyGeek), well above the national average. Insurance is only one line of the cost picture. It sits right next to how Texas property taxes, MUD and PID fees stack up on every North Texas home.

    So the honest answer is this: most Florida movers will pay less here, but Texas is not a cheap insurance state. And in North Texas, the price is driven by something Florida buyers rarely think about until their first spring storm.

    Texas Risks: Hail, Wind, and Roofs

    Florida insurance is priced around hurricanes. Texas insurance is priced around hail. Texas recorded more than twice as many hail events as any other state in both 2023 and 2024, and Collin County sits squarely in the hail corridor. Add tornadoes, straight line wind, and the occasional ice storm, and roofs take the beating here the way they do in Florida, just from a different sky.

    That changes what your policy actually covers and what it costs you at claim time. The deductible that matters most in Texas is not the flat dollar deductible you remember from Florida. It is the wind and hail deductible, and in Texas it is almost always written as a percentage of your dwelling coverage, typically 1 percent to 5 percent. In 2026, 2 percent has become the dominant standard across most of the state, with 3 percent common in high risk hail markets, according to analysis from United Policyholders, a national consumer insurance nonprofit. On a $400,000 home, a 2 percent deductible is $8,000 out of your pocket before insurance pays a dollar on a hail claim. On a $600,000 home, it is $12,000. Budget the deductible like a real cost, because it is one, the same way you budget for the 3 costs buyers do not expect on a Dallas new construction home.

    There is one more Texas rule worth knowing before you shop. Under Texas law, your roofing contractor cannot waive, absorb, or pay your deductible for you. Any roofer who offers you a free roof by eating the deductible is asking you to take part in insurance fraud. Budget the deductible like a real cost, because it is one.

    How Roof Age and Deductibles Change Your Quote

    The age of the roof is the single biggest lever on a Texas quote, and this surprises Florida buyers who are used to hurricane straps and wind mitigation credits carrying the weight. In Texas, many carriers shift older roofs from replacement cost coverage to actual cash value coverage, commonly somewhere between 10 and 15 years of roof age. Replacement cost pays what a new roof costs today. Actual cash value pays what your old roof is worth after depreciation. After 15 years of depreciation, an actual cash value payout on an asphalt roof can be thousands less than the replacement bill, and your percentage deductible comes off first.

    One protection Texas buyers do have: on September 29, 2026, the Texas Department of Insurance clarified that an insurer cannot drop your policy or refuse to renew it solely because the roof is old. Age alone is not a legal basis for nonrenewal. That ruling does not change the math above. Getting to keep your policy is not the same as getting a full payout on an old roof.

    When you tour homes, ask for the roof age early, not at inspection. A 14 year old roof on an otherwise perfect house can mean a meaningfully higher premium, a higher wind and hail deductible, or an actual cash value roof schedule. None of that is a dealbreaker. All of it is information you want before you are under contract.

    What the Averages Mean on a Real Move

    Run the two state averages against each other and the gap is real money. The insurance.com pair puts Florida about $3,900 a year above Texas. The MoneyGeek pair puts the gap at about $3,400 a year. That is the honest headline: the average Florida mover pays thousands less per year here.

    But no family pays the state average. You pay the quote on one address, and in North Texas that quote is decided by the two levers above: the age of the roof and the size of the wind and hail deductible. A Texas premium that comes in under the Florida bill can still cost you more in a bad hail year if it carries a 2 percent deductible on a $400,000 home. That is $8,000 out of your pocket on one claim, before the lower premium saves you anything.

    So shop the address, not the average. The state numbers tell you the direction. The roof and the deductible tell you the truth.

    How to Shop a Policy Before You Close

    Get your insurance quotes during the option period on your Texas contract, not after it ends. The option period is your window to walk away for any reason, and insurance is one of the costs that can change your math. Put it on the same checklist as the tax rate and any PID fees on the home, because all three follow you for as long as you own the house. Have the property address, the year built, and the roof age ready, and get at least two quotes so you are comparing coverage terms, not just premiums.

    Ask every agent these questions: what is the wind and hail deductible, stated as a percentage and in dollars on this home; is the roof covered at replacement cost or actual cash value, and does that change with roof age; what discounts apply for impact resistant roofing, monitored alarms, or bundling with auto. Read the answers, not just the price.

    Never assume Texas will be cheaper just because Florida was brutal. For many movers it is. For a hail corridor home with an older roof, it can surprise you. The buyers who do best are the ones who price the insurance before they fall in love with the house.

    Book a call with us before you start touring and we will walk through the full cost picture on any home you are considering, insurance included.

    Arlicia Jones, NMLS 1550570, Elite Lending Solutions, Inc., Company NMLS 1829246

    Luke Jones, REALTOR, eXp Realty, Texas license #793146. Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services (IABS)

  • Frisco vs McKinney Cost of Living: Real Difference

    Frisco and McKinney sit about 15 miles apart on US 75, and buyers compare them constantly. They look similar on a map and they pull from the same buyer pool, but the cost of living difference between them shows up in places most comparison posts skip. We live and work in this corridor every day, so here is where the money actually goes when you pick one over the other.

    Where the Cost Difference Actually Shows Up

    The headline difference is home prices. Everything else, taxes, insurance, HOA, daily spending, either widens that gap or closes it. Most buyers do the price math and stop. The buyers who stay happy did the full stack math before they wrote the offer.

    Home Prices

    Start with the broadest measure. The Census Bureau QuickFacts median value of owner occupied housing units, using the 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, puts Frisco at $642,100 and McKinney at $471,800. That is a gap of more than $170,000 at the median, and it reflects the whole housing stock, from 1990s resale to brand new builds.

    New construction narrows the comparison because both cities are still building, but the pattern holds: Frisco new builds price higher per square foot on average, while McKinney gives you more house for the money, especially on the east side of town. If your budget is fixed and square footage is the priority, McKinney stretches it further. If you want the newest master planned inventory and you can pay for it, Frisco has more of it.

    For a sense of how this plays out at a single budget line, our post on what the same budget buys in Frisco versus Prosper shows how we break a budget down by square footage, lot, and home age.

    Property Taxes and Special Districts

    Texas property taxes are built from a stack of city, school district, county, and college district rates, and the two stacks land very close to each other.

    Using the adopted 2025 rates on the Collin County side, Frisco stacks up like this: City of Frisco 0.425517, Frisco ISD 1.0194, Collin County 0.149343, Collin College 0.08122, for a combined rate of about 1.68 per $100 of value. McKinney stacks up like this: City of McKinney 0.412284, McKinney ISD 1.1043, Collin County 0.149343, Collin College 0.08122, for a combined rate of about 1.75 per $100 of value.

    Two details move the needle beyond the rates. Frisco offers a 20 percent city homestead exemption while McKinney offers no general city homestead exemption, according to a 2026 McKinney property tax guide, which means the effective bill on a homesteaded home runs higher in McKinney than the rate gap alone suggests. And in both cities, parts of town sit in a different school district than the city name implies: McKinney addresses can fall in Frisco ISD, Prosper ISD, or Allen ISD, and Frisco addresses can fall in Prosper ISD, Lewisville ISD, or Little Elm ISD. Always check the actual taxing entities by address before you compare two homes.

    Newer communities in both cities can also carry MUD or PID assessments on top of the stack. Our post on how Texas property taxes stack up walks through every layer of the bill, and our post on what a PID assessment adds to the bill covers the assessment buyers confuse with MUDs most often.

    HOA and Insurance

    HOA dues in North Dallas master planned communities commonly run $50 to $300 a month, per the new construction cost guide we quoted in our post on the three new construction costs buyers miss. Both cities have plenty of HOA neighborhoods, but McKinney has more established non HOA pockets, especially west of US 75 and near the historic core, which is one more line item where McKinney can come in lower.

    Insurance is the sleeper cost. Collin County sits in the Texas hail corridor, and published 2026 analyses put the Texas average homeowners premium between about $4,582 a year (insurance.com) and $6,854 a year (MoneyGeek), well above the national average. Your quote will move with roof age and the wind and hail deductible, which is typically written as 1 percent to 5 percent of dwelling coverage, with 2 percent the dominant standard in 2026 according to United Policyholders. Get quotes during the option period, not after it, so the insurance number is real before you are committed.

    Everyday Costs: Groceries, Dining, Activities

    Day to day spending is where the two cities feel most alike. Both have the same major grocery options, similar gas prices, and the same suburban activity menu of youth sports, parks, and weekend errands. The difference is dining and entertainment depth. Frisco is further along in its build out, with an established restaurant and entertainment scene that does not require a drive. McKinney pairs its historic downtown square with fast growing development on the east side, so the everyday options are strong and still expanding.

    The practical version: if walkable dining and entertainment near home matters to your weekly routine, Frisco has the edge today. If you mostly cook at home and your entertainment is kids activities and parks, you will not feel a cost difference either way.

    Which Town Stretches Your Budget Further

    Frisco McKinney
    Census median home value (2020 to 2024 ACS) $642,100 $471,800
    Combined 2025 tax rate per $100 About 1.68 About 1.75
    City homestead exemption 20 percent None (general)
    Main school district Frisco ISD McKinney ISD
    New construction premium Higher per square foot More house for the money
    Non HOA pockets Fewer More, especially west and central

    Pick Frisco if you want the most built out city, the deepest dining and entertainment options, and the lower effective tax bill on a homesteaded home, and your budget covers the higher home prices. Pick McKinney if you want more house for the money, a lower purchase price with a similar tax stack, and a historic downtown plus growth still coming, and you are comfortable verifying the school district by address.

    Either way, run the full stack before you decide: price, taxes by address, HOA, insurance quote, and the commute you will actually drive. Test the drive at rush hour. The map never tells the truth about US 75 at 5 pm.

    Book a call with us and tell us your budget and your must haves. We will run the real numbers on Frisco and McKinney side by side and help you pick the town that fits your family and your wallet.

    Arlicia Jones, NMLS 1550570, Elite Lending Solutions, Inc., Company NMLS 1829246

    Luke Jones, REALTOR, eXp Realty, Texas license #793146

    Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services: https://movingtonorthtexastx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/iabs-luke-jones-2026.pdf

  • Frisco vs Prosper TX: Same Budget, Way More Home

    You have a $900,000 budget and you are trying to decide between Frisco and Prosper. We took that exact budget and filmed what it buys in each town, home by home. Same budget, two very different answers.

    Watch the full walkthrough here:

    What $900,000 Buys in Frisco

    In Frisco we toured the Hazelwood neighborhood, right in the heart of the city. The home we featured is the Genevieve floor plan. Four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, nearly 3,600 square feet, priced at $915,000 in the video.

    What you get for that money:

    • Four bedrooms plus a dedicated study on the main level
    • Game room upstairs that stays open to the downstairs living area
    • A dedicated movie theater room with French doors
    • In law suite at the front of the home with 20 foot ceilings in the formal living space
    • Butler pantry, built in microwave and oven section, and a big open kitchen that flows into the family room
    • 55 foot lot, which still leaves room for a small pool or plunge pool out back

    The location is doing a lot of the work here. The home sits seconds from the new HEB in Frisco and about 5 minutes from the PGA headquarters. Frisco is the established city with the shopping, dining, and entertainment already built out around you.

    What $900,000 Buys in Prosper

    Then we drove up to Prosper and walked through Cambridge Estates. The home we featured is five bedrooms, four baths, 3,900 square feet, priced at $927,000 in the video.

    What you get for that money:

    • Five bedrooms, so one more bedroom than the Frisco home
    • Nearly 300 more square feet of living space
    • Dedicated study, plus both a media room and a game room upstairs
    • Curved staircase that makes a real first impression
    • Double oven in the kitchen plus the butler pantry
    • Hers vanity in the primary bath with real storage space, plus a tiled walk in closet
    • 80 by 150 foot lot, deep enough for a full size pool, a pergola, and a summer kitchen with room left over for the kids to play

    That backyard is the headline. Twelve thousand square feet of lot in Prosper versus the 55 foot lot in Frisco. When Arlicia walked into that backyard she called it a no brainer, and honestly she was not wrong.

    The Tax Difference

    Here is the part that does not show up in the listing photos. Property taxes are built from a stack of city, school district, county, and college district rates, and the stack is taller in Prosper.

    Using the adopted 2025 rates on the Collin County side, Frisco stacks up like this: City of Frisco 0.425517, Frisco ISD 1.0194, Collin County 0.149343, Collin College 0.08122, for a combined rate of about 1.68 per $100 of value. Prosper stacks up like this: Town of Prosper 0.505, Prosper ISD 1.2141, Collin County 0.149343, Collin College 0.08122, for a combined rate of about 1.95 per $100 of value.

    That gap is the real difference between the two homes, not the square footage. Same budget, similar homes, but Prosper costs more to own year after year. If you want the full breakdown of how Texas taxes stack, our post on Texas property taxes, MUD and PID fees walks through every layer of the bill.

    One note: parts of Frisco sit in Denton County instead of Collin County, and parts of Frisco fall in Prosper ISD, Lewisville ISD, or Little Elm ISD instead of Frisco ISD. Always check the actual taxing entities by address before you compare two homes.

    Square Footage, Lot Size, and Home Age Side by Side

    Frisco: Hazelwood Genevieve Prosper: Cambridge Estates
    Price in the video $915,000 $927,000
    Bedrooms 4 5
    Bathrooms 4.5 4
    Square footage Nearly 3,600 3,900
    Lot 55 foot lot 80 by 150 foot lot
    Study Yes Yes
    Game room Yes Yes
    Media or movie room Movie theater Media room
    Combined 2025 tax rate About 1.68 per $100 About 1.95 per $100

    What Costs More in Prosper

    The Prosper home gives you more bedrooms, more square footage, and a lot that is more than twice as deep. The tradeoff is the higher tax stack, which compounds every year you own the home. Over a decade that difference adds up to real money.

    Frisco gives you the established city: HEB at your back door, the PGA headquarters five minutes away, and dining and entertainment that does not require a drive. Prosper gives you space, newer builds, and a quieter feel, with growth and construction still filling in around you.

    We wrote an honest breakdown of the downsides of living in Prosper that pairs well with this comparison, because the growth story cuts both ways.

    Which Buyer Should Pick Which Town

    Pick Frisco if you want walkable convenience, an established city with everything already open, and the lower tax stack. The Hazelwood home is proof you can still get a true theater room and a game room at this budget in the heart of Frisco.

    Pick Prosper if you want more house and more land for the same money and you are comfortable paying more in taxes each year for it. If a big backyard is high on your must have list, Prosper wins this one outright.

    Either way, bring your own agent to the builder before the first visit. Many builders require agent registration on visit one, and having representation lined up protects you for the whole build. Our post on why you need your own agent for a Texas new build explains how that works.

    Prices in the video were the listing prices when we filmed. Listings change, so browse current homes in Frisco and current homes in Prosper to see what your budget buys right now. And if these are new builds, remember the base price is not the real price: our post on the three new construction costs buyers miss shows where the extra money goes.

    Book a call with us and tell us your must haves. We will help you figure out whether Frisco or Prosper fits your family, then go find the home that proves it.

    Luke Jones, REALTOR, eXp Realty, Texas license #793146

    Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services: https://movingtonorthtexastx.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/iabs-luke-jones-2026.pdf

  • PID Fees in Texas: What Home Buyers Need to Know

    If you are shopping new construction in North Dallas, you have probably seen the letters PID in the fine print of a community brochure or a builder price sheet. Most buyers skim right past it. That is a mistake, because a public improvement district can add thousands a year to the real cost of owning the home, and it is one of the few housing costs you can sometimes pay off entirely.

    What a PID Is and How It Differs From a MUD

    A PID is a public improvement district. A city or county creates it under Chapter 372 of the Texas Local Government Code, and it lets a community pay for infrastructure and amenities through special assessments instead of folding every dollar into the price of the homes.

    A PID pays for the visible stuff: roads, sidewalks, street lighting, landscaping, parks, trails, and public recreation. A MUD pays for the underground stuff: water, sewer, and drainage pipes. Different statutes, different jobs.

    Here is the distinction that matters for your wallet. A MUD charges a tax, a rate applied to your appraised value, every year for as long as the district exists. A PID levies an assessment, a fixed obligation attached to your lot, based on the special benefit to that parcel. It is often set per lot or by front footage, not on what your home appraises for. That is why MUD charges move with your home value and PID charges do not.

    The time horizon differs too. A MUD tax can keep going indefinitely. A PID assessment runs a defined term, often 20 to 40 years, and then it ends. Once the bonds are paid off, the assessment goes away. For the full breakdown of both districts, read our guide to Texas property taxes, MUD fees, and PID fees.

    How PID Assessments Are Billed

    You will see your assessment in one of three places: as a separate line on your county property tax bill, as a separate bill from the PID or its billing agent, or collected through your HOA if the HOA handles billing for the district.

    A DFW brokerage summary from 2026 puts typical annual PID installments at $1,200 to $2,500, but your number comes from your specific district’s service and assessment plan, so confirm the figure for your address. Two homes in the same zip code can sit in different districts with different assessments. The fee is predictable year to year and rarely goes up, which is one of its few comforts.

    Paying It Off vs Paying Over Time

    Here is the part almost nobody knows: you can pay off a PID assessment in full at any time. Because the obligation is tied to the bonds that paid for the improvements, an early payoff removes future interest and administrative costs from the picture, the same way paying down any debt early would.

    Some buyers negotiate a payoff at closing. Whether that is possible depends on the district’s documents and current practice, so ask. If you plan to stay in the home long term and the cash is available, running the payoff math is worth an afternoon. Ask the city that created the PID for a written payoff quote and the remaining term before you decide.

    How a PID Affects Your Monthly Budget

    A PID assessment belongs in your true housing cost, right next to property taxes, insurance, and HOA dues. It is not in the sale price, so buyers who budget from the price alone get surprised.

    Lenders often count recurring assessments when they qualify you and when they set up escrow, especially when the assessment appears on the county tax bill. That is one more reason to know the number before you write the offer, not after. See our breakdown of the 3 costs North Dallas buyers do not expect on a new build for how these line items stack up.

    How to Find Out if a Home Is in a PID

    Texas law is on your side here. Before a contract on a single family home can bind you, the seller must hand you a written Notice of Obligation to Pay Improvement District Assessment. That duty comes from Texas Property Code Section 5.014. After North Texas buyers complained that builders never told them about PID assessments, the legislature strengthened the notice requirements and the penalties for skipping them, effective September 1, 2021.

    If the seller never delivers the notice, you can terminate the contract before closing. If you already closed, the law gives you legal remedies. Do not accept a vague answer at the model home as a substitute for the actual document.

    Do not rely on a single source anyway. Check the PID line on the property tax bill, look up the address with the county appraisal district, and read the city’s service and assessment plan for the district, which lists the assessment on each parcel. On a new build, ask the builder’s agent for the PID notice early, and have your own agent confirm the remaining term and the payoff amount. Here is why you want your own agent before you walk into the model home.

    Our Take

    A PID is not a reason to reject a neighborhood. It is the mechanism that built the parks, trails, and streets you fell in love with, paid for by the homeowners who use them instead of baked into a higher price. What you cannot do is ignore it. Get the notice, read the plan, know the term and the payoff number, and then decide with your eyes open. If you are weighing newer communities, our look at how Prosper and Celina compare for families is a good place to start.

    Book a Call

    Book a free strategy call with us before you buy into a PID community. We will walk through the assessment, the term, the payoff math, and how it fits your full budget.

    Luke Jones, REALTOR, eXp Realty, Texas license #793146. Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services (IABS)

  • Do You Need Your Own Agent for a Texas New Build?

    Walk into any model home in Prosper, Celina, or McKinney and someone friendly will hand you a cookie and ask for your name. That person works for the builder. They are not your agent.

    That one distinction changes everything about how the rest of the purchase goes. Here is how it actually works on a Texas new build, and why who you bring on visit one matters more than anything else you do that day.

    Who the Model Home Agent Really Works For

    The salesperson inside a model home is paid by the builder. Their job is to sell that builder’s homes at the best price and terms for the builder. Nothing about that is wrong. It is just the job.

    But it means every answer you get inside a model home is builder advice. The lot premium is “standard for this community.” The incentive is “the best they have ever offered.” The timeline is “no problem at all.” Sometimes all of that is true. Sometimes it is not. You have no way to know which is which unless someone on your side of the table is reading the fine print.

    When Luke tours a model home with a buyer, he is reading what the salesperson skips.

    What Your Own Agent Actually Does on a New Build

    Most buyers think an agent just opens doors. On a new build, your own agent does the work that protects your money.

    Your agent compares incentives across builders instead of taking one builder’s word. A builder can offer upgrades, closing cost credits, or buydown structures, and the mix changes month to month. An agent who watches several builders knows when an offer is real and when it is dressed up marketing.

    Your agent reads the builder contract and flags the parts that favor the builder. Builder contracts are long and one sided by design. Cancellation terms, earnest money rules, delay clauses, and warranty language all live in there, and most buyers never read a word of it.

    Your agent coordinates independent inspections. Yes, even on a brand new home. A third party inspection before drywall and another at final walk through catches what the builder’s own quality checks miss.

    Your agent negotiates the parts buyers do not realize are negotiable: lot premiums, design upgrades, closing costs, and timing on spec homes. For the full picture of where new build money hides, read our breakdown of the 3 costs North Dallas buyers do not expect on a new build.

    And your agent registers as your representative, which is the step most buyers skip entirely.

    Who Pays Your Agent on a New Build

    Here is the part most people get wrong: do not assume the builder always pays your agent.

    Some builders offer buyer agent compensation. Some do not. And since the August 2024 NAR settlement, offers of buyer agent compensation no longer appear in the MLS, so nobody can just look it up on the listing anymore. Compensation gets worked out in writing, off the listing, between you, your agent, and the seller or builder.

    Since that same settlement, buyers also sign a written buyer representation agreement before touring homes with an agent. That agreement spells out exactly what the agent is paid and by whom, in plain language, before anyone walks through a front door. That is the new standard nationwide. It protects you, because you know the fee arrangement up front, and it protects the agent, because the terms are clear.

    Know how your agent is paid before you sign anything inside a model home. Ask the question directly. There is no awkward way to ask it, and any good agent answers it plainly.

    The First Visit Rule: The Step Most Buyers Miss

    This is the single most important thing in this whole post.

    Many builders require your agent to be present, or at least registered, at your very first visit. Walk in alone on a Saturday, sign the guest register solo, and that builder may not honor your agent later even if you hire one the next day. You would be buying without representation, through no fault of your own, because of one signature.

    Builder policies differ, so confirm each builder’s policy before you visit. But the safe move is simple: talk to Luke before you set foot in a single model home. One call before the first tour protects your right to representation for the whole build.

    This is especially true if you are buying from out of state. If you are still deciding whether to rent first or buy right away when you relocate, get the agent relationship in place first either way. It costs you nothing to have the conversation early, and it can cost you real money to have it late.

    Questions to Ask the Builder Before You Sign

    Bring these to every model home visit, and bring your agent with you.

    • Which lots carry premiums, and how much are they? Ask for the number on the specific lot you like, not the community range.
    • What incentives are on the table right now? Ask what changes if you use your own lender instead of the preferred lender.
    • What is the timeline from contract to closing? Ask what happens to your rate lock and your lease if the build runs long.
    • What are the monthly HOA dues, and what do they cover? Ask whether the dues are set or still in the developer controlled phase.
    • Is this community in a MUD or a PID? These special districts change your total tax picture in a big way. Our explainer on how MUD taxes change your total rate walks through what to look for.
    • What is the earnest money and cancellation policy? Ask exactly what you lose if you walk away at each stage.
    • Who handles warranty claims, and for how long? Get the warranty company name in writing.

    How We Would Do It

    If we were buying a new build in North Dallas today, here is the order we would do it in.

    Interview your agent first. Sign the written representation agreement so everyone knows the terms. Then tour, with your agent registered at visit one. Tour two or three builders before you fall in love with one. Compare the full picture: price, lot, incentives, timeline, HOA, and special districts, not just the pretty kitchen.

    Corridor towns like Princeton TX are worth a look too. Fast growth, new communities, and prices that stretch further than the established suburbs. Wherever you land, the process is the same: your agent first, the model home second.

    Ready to Tour the Right Way

    Book a free strategy call with us before your first model home visit

    We will walk through your timeline, your budget, and the builders worth touring for your situation, and Luke will be registered and ready before you ever sign a guest register. You can also download our Start Here guide: download our Start Here guide

    Luke Jones, REALTOR, eXp Realty, Texas license #793146. Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services (IABS)

  • Prosper vs Celina TX: Which Fits Your Family?

    We get this question from relocating families almost every week. Prosper or Celina. They sit next to each other in Collin County, they both feed the same tollway corridor, and from a listing photo their new builds can look identical. The differences show up in the numbers and in what your daily life feels like. We live in Prosper and we show homes in both towns, so here is the honest side by side, with real figures and the tradeoffs nobody puts in the builder brochure.

    Quick Verdict: Who Each Town Fits

    Buy in Prosper if you want more established streets, more dining and shopping built out today, and a town that is further along in its growth story. Expect a higher entry price and less builder inventory to choose from.

    Buy in Celina if you want newer inventory, more builders competing for your business, and a lower entry point. Expect to live around construction for a few years while the town keeps building out.

    One rule before anything else. Never pick a town by the school district you assume it has. School boundaries here follow the street address, not the city name. Some addresses inside Celina city limits sit in Prosper ISD, and parts of Prosper feed other districts. Districts rezone as new campuses open, so verify the campus for your exact address before you write an offer.

    Home Prices and Lot Sizes

    Here is the number that starts most of these conversations. The Census Bureau’s QuickFacts, using the 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, puts the median value of owner occupied homes in Prosper at $823,700. In Celina, the same survey vintage puts it at $509,600.

    That is a gap of about $314,100 at the median. In plain terms, Celina runs roughly 38 percent less than Prosper at the median home value.

    Treat those as the shape of the market, not a quote on any house. They are survey averages across every owner occupied home, not today’s list prices. Celina skews toward newer construction, where builders are still releasing phases, while Prosper carries more established resale with mature landscaping. If you want to see what is actually for sale right now, compare current Prosper area listings against current Celina area listings side by side.

    Taxes, MUDs, and HOA Costs

    Texas property tax is the line item that surprises relocating buyers most, and this comparison has a twist. Here are the 2025 adopted rates per $100 of assessed value, from the Collin County Appraisal District, the cities, and the school districts.

    Prosper: Town of Prosper 0.505, Prosper ISD 1.2141, Collin County 0.149343, Collin College 0.08122. Combined, that is about 1.95 before any MUD or PID assessment.

    Celina: City of Celina 0.576401 (adopted 2025), Celina ISD 1.2089, Collin County 0.149343, Collin College 0.08122. Combined, that is about 2.02 before any MUD or PID assessment.

    So the city rate runs a touch higher in Celina, the school rate runs a touch lower, and at the combined level the two towns land in the same neighborhood. Neither one is the clear tax winner. Your exact address matters more than the town name, because many new communities add a MUD tax or a PID assessment on top of these base rates. One concrete example: the official Service and Assessment Plan for Windmore, a Celina community, shows an annual PID assessment of about $2,300. Always ask for the seller’s MUD or PID notice and look up the parcel on the appraisal district site before you buy. We explain how those notices work and where the charges hide in our plain English guide to Texas property taxes, MUDs, and PIDs.

    HOA dues vary community by community, so get the number from the builder or the resale documents for the exact neighborhood, never from a town wide average.

    Schools and Growth

    Both districts are growing fast, which means new campuses, rezoning, and crowded timelines. Prosper ISD serves more than 31,000 students and added 3,400 new students in a single recent year. Celina ISD is smaller, with 1 high school, 2 middle schools, and 5 elementary schools per the Celina Economic Development Corporation’s fast facts sheet.

    The growth arc behind those numbers is striking. The Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimates put Celina at 64,427 residents in July 2025, up from 16,739 in the 2020 Census, a jump of 276.8 percent. Prosper grew from 30,174 in 2020 to an estimated 45,605 in July 2025, up 51.2 percent.

    What that means for your family: in both towns, the campus your child attends can change as new schools open. Verify assignment by street address, and do it for the current year and the next one. And never shop by a school rating you saw on a national website. Ratings lag the reality on the ground in districts adding thousands of students a year.

    Commute, Shopping, and Daily Life

    The three towns of Frisco, Prosper, and Celina stack along the Dallas North Tollway corridor, with Celina sitting north of Prosper. From Celina, the EDC’s fast facts sheet lists Dallas Love Field at 38.6 miles, about 45 minutes, and DFW International at 37.4 miles, about 45 minutes. Prosper sits about 37 miles north of Dallas. Your real drive depends on your office and your hours, so test the route at your actual commute times before you commit. A weekend drive tells you nothing about Tuesday morning.

    Daily life is where the build out gap shows. Prosper has more restaurants, grocery options, and everyday services open today. Celina is catching up quickly, with a historic downtown square and new retail following the rooftops, but if a full restaurant row within ten minutes matters to you right now, Prosper has the edge. We wrote honestly about what Prosper still lacks in our look at the honest downsides of living in Prosper. The same growing pains lens applies to Celina, just at an earlier stage.

    One more cost reality for the new construction heavy side of this comparison. Builders quote a base price, and the real price includes lot premiums, design center upgrades, fencing, window treatments, and landscaping. We break down the three costs Dallas area buyers miss most on new construction, and most of it applies double in Celina’s newer phases.

    The Side by Side

    Prosper Celina
    Median owner occupied home value, ACS 2020 to 2024 (Census QuickFacts) $823,700 $509,600
    Combined 2025 property tax rate per $100, before MUD or PID About 1.95 About 2.02
    City tax rate, 2025 Town of Prosper 0.505 City of Celina 0.576401
    School district tax rate, 2025 Prosper ISD 1.2141 Celina ISD 1.2089
    Population, 2020 Census to July 2025 estimate 30,174 to 45,605, up 51.2% 16,739 to 64,427, up 276.8%
    School district scale Prosper ISD, 31,000 plus students Celina ISD, 1 high school, 2 middle schools, 5 elementary schools
    Build out stage Further along, more established streets Earlier, more new phases and construction
    Daily convenience today More dining, shopping, and services open Catching up fast, historic downtown square
    Special districts Verify MUD or PID by address Verify MUD or PID by address; Windmore PID about $2,300 a year per its official plan

    Our Take From Next Door

    We live in Prosper, so we are not neutral about our own town. But we show homes in Celina every week, and the right answer depends on your family, not our address.

    Pick Prosper if daily convenience matters most right now, you want more established neighborhoods, and your budget stretches to the higher entry point. Pick Celina if you want the newest inventory, more builders to choose from, and a lower entry price, and you are comfortable with construction trucks and new phases for a few years while the town finishes growing up.

    Either way, judge the address, not the city. Verify the school district, the tax rate with any MUD or PID, and the commute by street address. And if you are still deciding whether to rent first or buy right away, our breakdown of renting versus buying when relocating to Dallas suburbs walks through the tradeoffs by buyer type.

    Ready to compare real listings? View homes in the Prosper area and view homes in the Celina area. New to North Texas entirely? Download our free Start Here guide or start at the homepage.

    Luke Jones, REALTOR, eXp Realty, Texas license #793146 TREC Information About Brokerage Services Texas Real Estate Commission Consumer Protection Notice

  • Where to Live Near McKinney National Airport: Princeton, East McKinney, and the 380 Corridor

    If you fly a lot for work, the airport you live near shapes your whole week. Commercial passenger service begins at McKinney National Airport on November 11, 2026, and we are already hearing from corporate travelers and remote workers who want to be close to the terminal. Here is how we would narrow the map: three areas worth a real look.

    The airport in 60 seconds

    McKinney National Airport is opening a brand new 46,000 square foot passenger terminal with 4 gates, expandable to 6. Avelo Airlines signed on as the first carrier and launches 9 nonstop destinations, starting with Fort Myers on November 11 and adding Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Denver, Nashville, and New Orleans through December. It becomes the first commercial airport in Collin County and the third commercial airport in the Dallas Fort Worth region. Parking opens with 980 spaces, and the airport projects about 200,000 passengers in its first year of commercial service. The address is 1910 FM 546 in McKinney, about 30 miles north of downtown Dallas. For the full rundown, read our full McKinney airport relocation overview.

    East McKinney: closest to the terminal

    If your priority is the shortest possible trip to the gate, east McKinney is the obvious first look. You are minutes from the terminal instead of counting highway time. East McKinney also puts you near historic downtown and the parts of McKinney that feel established, with older neighborhoods and tree lined streets mixing with new construction on the edges. The tradeoff is that homes closest to the airport run older and smaller in some pockets, while newer communities price higher. School assignment varies by address here, so verify the district for any home you like. Start with our McKinney area guide to get a feel for the different sides of town.

    Princeton: about a 20 minute drive on US 380

    Princeton sits on US 380 east of McKinney, about a 20 minute drive from the terminal, and it carries the fastest growth story in the corridor. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Princeton grew 18.1 percent from July 2024 to July 2025, making it the third fastest growing US city with more than 20,000 residents. The North Central Texas Council of Governments estimates Princeton grew about 30 percent in 2025, adding roughly 10,000 residents. Population climbed from 17,501 in 2020 to an estimated 48,362 in 2026. It is largely a bedroom community, with an average commute of 33 minutes and about 23.7 percent of residents working outside Collin County, while local employment is projected to grow. Princeton ISD added nearly 1,000 students recently, so check campus assignment per address. On taxes, Collin County Appraisal District 2025 rates work out to roughly 1.80 per 100 of value before MUD or PID assessments, combining the city, the school district, and the county. We wrote a deep dive on this town, so read our Princeton relocation guide before you tour.

    Farther east along US 380: Farmersville and Greenville

    East of Princeton, US 380 keeps running through smaller towns that some airport area buyers love for the extra space and lower price points. Two are worth knowing by name.

    Farmersville sits where US 380 meets State Highway 78 in east Collin County, between Princeton and Greenville. The terminal is about 17 miles west of town, roughly a 25 to 30 minute drive. Kids attend Farmersville ISD. It is a genuine small town with a historic downtown and Lake Lavon next door for weekends, and the median home value sits around $289,400. The honest pro: space and small town life on the 380 corridor without leaving Collin County. The honest con: plan on driving west for the terminal, for big errands, and for most date nights.

    Greenville is the next town east on US 380, in Hunt County, and the largest town farther east on the corridor. The terminal is roughly 45 minutes west. Kids attend Greenville ISD. It has the hospital, the shopping, and the most housing variety of the farther east towns. The honest pro: the most town for the money out here. The honest con: the longest drive to the terminal of the four, and anything in Collin County is a hike.

    On taxes out east: Farmersville runs about 2.17 per 100 of value for 2025 (city 0.725 plus Farmersville ISD 1.2150 plus Collin County 0.149343 plus Collin College 0.08122), before any MUD or PID assessments. Greenville runs about 2.08 per 100 for 2025 (city 0.5680 plus Greenville ISD 0.9669 plus Hunt County 0.3332 plus the Hunt Memorial Hospital District 0.2072), before any MUD or PID assessments. Verify the exact taxing entities for any address before you offer.

    Side by side: the four areas

    Princeton East McKinney Farmersville Greenville
    Drive time to the terminal About 20 minutes Minutes; closest to the terminal About 25 to 30 minutes Roughly 45 minutes
    School district Princeton ISD; check campus per address Varies by address; verify before you offer Farmersville ISD Greenville ISD
    Tax picture Roughly 1.80 per 100 before MUD or PID (CCAD 2025) About 1.75 per 100 in McKinney ISD (2025), before MUD or PID About 2.17 per 100 (2025), before MUD or PID About 2.08 per 100 (2025), before MUD or PID
    HOA and special districts Check per community before you buy Varies by neighborhood; verify per address Often none outside newer subdivisions; verify per address Often none outside newer subdivisions; verify per address
    Distance to the planned bypass corridor East of where the planned corridor ends, at US 380 near FM 1827 The corridor wraps north McKinney; northern neighborhoods sit closest East of where the planned corridor ends East of where the planned corridor ends

    A note on the bypass: TxDOT selected the Blue Alternative route for the US 380 bypass, an 8 lane freeway wrapping around north McKinney at an estimated cost of 3.27 billion dollars. It matters for this decision because it will reshape commute patterns along the whole corridor. Read the US 380 bypass explained in plain English and test drive 380 at real commute hours before you commit to an area.

    How we would choose

    Match the area to your actual life. Fly weekly and want the terminal in your rearview mirror? Lean east McKinney. Fly a few times a month and want newer construction with room to grow? Princeton earns the look. Working from home most days and chasing space? Start with Farmersville to stay in Collin County, or look at Greenville for the most town for the money if you can live with the drive. Map your real week first: office location, school priorities, and how often you will actually be at that terminal.

    Ready to talk it through? Book a free strategy call with us at https://calendly.com/loansbyarlicia/movetontx, download our Start Here guide, and search McKinney homes here. If you are still comparing towns, our Prosper area guide covers the suburb we call home, about 30 minutes northwest of the airport.

    Luke Jones, REALTOR, eXp Realty, Texas license #793146. Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services (IABS)