Moving To North Texas

Tag: first time buyers

  • Prosper TX Downsides: What Realtors Won’t Tell You

    Why We Still Chose Prosper

    We moved from South Florida to Prosper in 2022 and we still live here. We still help buyers move here too. This post is the honest side of that choice. Prosper is a strong town with real tradeoffs, and you should know them before you fall in love with a floor plan.

    We chose Prosper with our eyes open. We knew growth would bring construction, traffic, and rising costs. We also knew the town fit our family. None of the downsides below surprised us out of Prosper, and none of them would keep the right buyer away. They are the price of living in a town that is growing fast. Read them, weigh them, and decide if the fit is right for you.

    The Cost Downsides: Taxes, HOA, and Special Districts

    Start with property taxes. They are a large part of the cost of owning here, and the total rate depends on the exact address. For a Prosper address on the Collin County side, the 2025 rates from the Collin County Appraisal District stack up like this. The Town of Prosper rate is 0.505 per $100 of value. Prosper ISD is 1.2141 per $100 of value for the 2025 to 2026 school year. Collin County is 0.149343 per $100 of value. Collin College is 0.08122 per $100 of value. Added together, that is about 1.95 per $100 of value before any MUD or PID.

    Prosper also sits in two counties. A Prosper address on the Denton County side uses Denton County rates, not Collin County rates. And a Prosper address does not always mean Prosper ISD. Some Prosper addresses sit in Celina ISD. Verify the school district and the full list of taxing entities by address through the appraisal district before you make an offer.

    Then add HOA dues and special districts. HOA dues vary widely by community, and they depend on what the community maintains. Ask for the dues, what they cover, and whether the community also carries a MUD or PID assessment. Some newer Prosper addresses sit inside a MUD or PID that adds to the total tax picture. The amount varies by district. Our post on how Texas property taxes, MUD fees, and PID fees work walks through how to read the notices with confidence.

    File your homestead exemption after closing, by April 30, and note the May 15 protest deadline. Those two dates save real money over time.

    The Lifestyle Downsides: Growth, Traffic, and Construction

    Prosper is growing fast. World Population Review, using Census estimates, puts Prosper at about 30,829 residents in 2020 and about 45,605 in 2025. Prosper ISD says it welcomed 3,400 new students in one recent year and now serves more than 31,000 students. Growth like that brings new schools, new roads, and new neighbors. It also brings construction.

    Traffic follows the rooftops. Prosper sits about 37 miles north of Dallas, so a Dallas commute is a real drive. Test drive your commute at the hours you would actually drive it, not on a quiet Sunday afternoon. If you work in Dallas, Plano, or Frisco, map the drive from the exact address, not from the town name.

    Road work is part of daily life right now. The North Texas Tollway Authority has begun construction on a bridge that will extend the Dallas North Tollway over US 380 into Prosper, as the first milestone of the Tollway Phase 4 project that will ultimately reach FM 428 in Celina. The project is meant to ease congestion in Frisco and Prosper. The US 380 bypass is also moving forward. Our post on the US 380 bypass explained in plain English covers the route, the 3.27 billion dollar cost, and the timeline. Expect construction years, not construction months, and buy with that in mind.

    What Prosper Does Not Have Yet

    This is the section that changes fastest, so treat it as homework, not as a fixed list. In the newest sections of town, growth is still arriving. Construction, road work, and new schools are part of the landscape while the town builds out. Drive the area around any address you are considering. Note what is open today, what is under construction, and how far you drive for groceries, dining, and daily errands. Then drive it again at night and on a weekend. A town that feels quiet on a Tuesday morning can feel very different on a Saturday afternoon.

    Ask the same question about the community itself. What amenities are open now, and what is still planned? Get the answer in writing from the builder or the HOA, not from a brochure promise. Planned amenities arrive on a schedule you do not control.

    Who Prosper Is Not Right For

    Prosper is not right for every buyer, and that is fine. If you need a short commute to downtown Dallas, Prosper will wear on you. If you want an older neighborhood with mature trees and no construction nearby, look at an established part of McKinney or Frisco instead. If the combined total of taxes, HOA dues, and any special district assessment stretches your budget, do not stretch to make Prosper work. A beautiful house in the wrong budget is not a good buy.

    Prosper fits buyers who want newer homes, more space, and a growing town, and who go in knowing the costs and the construction. If that sounds like you, Prosper can be a great fit. If it does not, a nearby town may fit better, and that is a win too. The goal is the right town, not just a town with a Prosper address.

    What To Do Before You Buy In Prosper

    • Verify the school district by address. A Prosper address does not guarantee Prosper ISD.
    • Look up the full tax rate for the exact address through the appraisal district, including any MUD or PID.
    • Ask for HOA dues in writing, plus what they cover.
    • Test drive the commute at real commute hours.
    • Drive the area at night and on a weekend.
    • Read our Prosper town guide and our mortgage and costs page before you tour.

    We still live in Prosper, and we still recommend it to the right buyer. Go in with the numbers, the drive times, and the tradeoffs clear, and you will make a good decision. If you want help weighing Prosper against a nearby town, Book a call with us.

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

  • Dallas New Construction: 3 Costs Buyers Don’t Expect

    Walk into any model home in Prosper or Celina and the price on the sign looks almost reasonable. Then the real numbers show up, one at a time, long after you have fallen in love with the kitchen. We watch buyers get surprised by the same three costs over and over, so here they are up front, with real ranges, before you sign anything.

    Why the Base Price Is Not Your Real Price

    The base price buys you the floor plan with the builder’s most basic finishes on a standard lot. No upgrades, no premium lot, no extras. Almost nobody buys that house. The model home you toured is loaded with options. The lot you want costs extra. And the tax bill in year two looks nothing like year one. Budget for the real price from day one and the whole process stays fun.

    Cost 1: Design Center Upgrades

    The model home is the bait. Every beautiful finish you touched, the flooring, the counters, the light fixtures, the appliances, is an upgrade with a price tag. Luke’s new construction cost guides put the average buyer spend at $50K to $100K or more in design center upgrades.

    The fix is simple. Ask for the complete option price sheet before you write an offer. Decide your upgrade ceiling in advance. Every upgrade either raises your loan amount or your cash to close, so pick the upgrades you will touch every day and skip the ones you will never notice.

    Cost 2: Lot Premiums

    Love the cul de sac lot backing to greenbelt? That lot has its own price. Lot premiums in North Dallas new communities typically run $10K to $50K or more depending on location, and the premium is added straight to the base price. Corner lots, larger lots, and lots with a view all carry one. Ask to see the lot premium map for the community so you can compare what each homesite really costs before you pick.

    Cost 3: The Year 2 Tax Trap

    This is the one that wrecks budgets. In year one, your tax bill is based on the land or a partially completed home, because the appraisal district values the property as it stood on January 1. In year two, the district appraises the finished home at full market value and your tax bill jumps. Your escrow was set from year one numbers, so the lender recalculates and your escrow jumps with it.

    You cannot avoid the jump, but you can blunt it. File your homestead exemption with the county appraisal district by April 30 of your first year in the home. Texas now gives every homeowner a $140,000 school district exemption, raised by voters in November 2025, and once the exemption is on record your taxable value cannot rise more than 10 percent a year. If the appraised value looks high, protest it by the May 15 deadline. We covered special districts in our MUD and PID guide, so check whether your community adds one of those on top.

    What the Base Price Usually Leaves Out

    Even after upgrades and lot premiums, the base price skips a list of things resale homes include. Typical ranges from Luke’s cost guides: fencing $3K to $8K, window treatments $2K to $5K, landscaping $5K to $15K. None of it is in the base price.

    Then there are the recurring costs. HOA dues commonly run $50 to $300 a month in master planned communities, and a MUD or PID assessment can add to your tax bill every year the bonds are outstanding. Learn how new construction financing and costs work before you fall in love with a floor plan.

    How to Budget for All Three Before You Sign

    1. Get the full option sheet and the lot premium map in writing before you sign. Add upgrades, premium, and base together. That total is your real price.
    2. Price fencing, window treatments, and landscaping into your cash plan now, not after move in.
    3. Ask for the complete tax picture on the exact lot: base rate, any MUD or PID, and HOA dues. Look the address up at the county appraisal district.
    4. File your homestead exemption by April 30 and calendar the protest deadline every spring.
    5. Bring your own agent on your first visit to the model home, and get an independent inspection even on a new build. In an upcoming post we will break down exactly what you can negotiate with Texas builders.

    Book a Call

    Buying new construction in North Dallas? Book a free strategy call and we will walk through the real numbers on the community you are considering. Touring new construction communities is more fun when you know the full price before you go.

    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

  • Is Princeton TX Worth It? An Honest Buyer Look

    If you have been scrolling new construction listings in McKinney and wincing at the prices, someone has probably told you to look at Princeton. We hear it from relocating buyers every week. Princeton sits about 20 minutes east of McKinney on US 380, it is growing at a pace few American cities can match, and the price gap with McKinney is real. So is it worth it? Here is our honest take, with real numbers and the tradeoffs nobody puts in the builder brochure.

    Why Everybody Is Suddenly Asking About Princeton

    The U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimates rank Princeton as the third fastest growing American city with more than 20,000 residents. It grew 18.1 percent from July 2024 to July 2025.

    The North Central Texas Council of Governments puts the 2025 growth even higher, about 30 percent, roughly 10,000 new residents in a single year.

    Zoom out and the arc is remarkable. Princeton counted 17,501 residents in 2020. World Population Review estimates 48,362 in 2026.

    That growth is not an accident. Princeton sits in the path of the US 380 corridor expansion and about 20 minutes from McKinney National Airport, where a new 46,000 square foot passenger terminal is under construction and commercial flights are expected to begin late 2026. We covered the airport story in depth here: Homes Near McKinney Airport: Why Princeton, TX Is the Move Before the New Terminal Opens.

    What Your Money Buys Compared With McKinney

    Here is the number that starts the conversation. The Census Bureau’s 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey puts the median owner occupied home value in McKinney at $471,800. In Princeton, the same survey vintage puts it at $294,071, via HomeSnacks.

    That is a gap of about 178,000 dollars at the median. In plain terms, Princeton runs roughly 38 percent less than McKinney at the median home value.

    Those are survey averages, not today’s list prices, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote. If you want to see what is actually for sale right now, start with current McKinney area listings and compare side by side.

    Most of Princeton’s housing stock is new. Builders stay active along the 380 corridor, which means you will see new construction incentives that rarely exist in McKinney’s established neighborhoods.

    The Honest Tradeoffs: Traffic, Dining, and Growing Pains

    Princeton is largely a bedroom community. The average commute runs 33 minutes, and about 23.7 percent of residents work outside Collin County.

    US 380 is the road that ties Princeton to McKinney, and it is also the road TxDOT plans to bypass with an 8 lane freeway around north McKinney. We explain the route, the 3.27 billion dollar price tag, and the timeline in plain English here: The US 380 Bypass Explained in Plain English. Until that freeway exists, drive 380 at your real commute hours before you commit to an address. A Saturday afternoon test drive tells you nothing about Tuesday at 7:30 in the morning.

    Dining and retail are the other honest tradeoff. Princeton added roughly 10,000 residents in a single year. Restaurants, coffee shops, and everyday retail are still racing to catch up with that kind of growth. McKinney’s historic downtown and its restaurant row are a short drive west, and plenty of Princeton buyers make that drive gladly. But if a walkable dinner scene is a must have on your list, spend a Friday evening in Princeton before you decide.

    Schools are scaling fast too. Princeton ISD has added nearly 1,000 students recently. Always verify campus assignment by street address before you buy, and never shop by a rating you saw on a national website.

    One more check before you fall in love with a floor plan: Texas stacks property tax with MUD or PID assessments in many new communities. Our plain English breakdown of how those work is here: Texas Property Taxes, MUD and PID Fees Explained.

    The Loan Programs Princeton Buyers Ask Us About

    Because so much of Princeton is new construction, most of our buyer conversations start with the same three loan programs: conventional, FHA, and VA. Each one treats new builds a little differently, especially around timelines, appraisals, and what the builder can contribute toward your costs.

    A quick note on how we talk about money here. We never quote rates, payments, or down payment amounts on the blog, because the right numbers depend on your credit, your income, and the loan program. What we can do on a call is run your real numbers against two or three Princeton floor plans and show you the true side by side.

    If you are relocating and buying before you sell your current home, tell us early. The strategy changes, and the earlier we map it, the smoother your move goes.

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

    Who Princeton Fits, and Who Should Keep Looking

    Princeton fits buyers who got priced out of McKinney or Frisco and still want a new home in Collin County. It fits first time buyers who want new construction and room to grow. It fits commuters headed to McKinney or the 380 corridor who would rather trade drive time for square footage.

    Keep looking if you need a short commute into Dallas every day. Princeton will wear on you. If you want mature trees and established neighborhoods, look at east McKinney instead. If nightlife within walking distance matters, this is not your town yet.

    Our bottom line: Princeton is worth a serious look for buyers who want new construction in Collin County at a real discount to McKinney, and who go in with eyes open about the commute and the growing pains. Drive the corridor, spend an evening there, verify the campus and the tax picture by address, and then decide.

    Ready to see what is out there? View homes in the McKinney area. New to the area entirely? Download our free Start Here guide or start at the homepage.

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