Moving To North Texas

Tag: relocation

  • 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)

  • 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

  • Texas Property Taxes, MUD & PID Fees Explained

    When we moved from South Florida to Prosper in 2022, we thought we understood what a house costs. Florida taught us to watch insurance. Texas taught us something different: the price on the listing is only part of the story.

    Here is the short version. Two North Texas homes at almost the same price can cost very different amounts every year, because of the property tax rate for that exact address and any MUD or PID fees attached to the neighborhood. If you only compare prices, you can miss the number that actually shapes your monthly budget.

    This guide walks through how Texas property taxes, MUD taxes, and PID fees work, and what we check on every home before a family we help makes an offer.

    Why Texas Property Taxes Feel Higher

    Texas has no state income tax. Local services like schools, roads, and public safety are funded largely through property taxes, so the rate carries more weight here than in many states.

    Your property tax rate is not one number. It is a combination of every taxing unit that covers your address, which can include:

    • School district (usually the largest share)
    • City
    • County
    • Community college district
    • MUD, if the neighborhood has one

    That is why two homes in the same city, or even on opposite sides of the same road, can have different rates.

    We saw this firsthand when we compared two new builds at nearly the same price in Frisco and Prosper. At the time we filmed, the Frisco home carried a combined tax rate of about 1.63% and the Prosper home about 1.92%. The houses were close in price. The tax rate is what created the gap in the monthly cost.

    Prosper is the town we call home, and taxes are only part of what it costs to live here. We wrote the honest downsides of living in Prosper TX as the companion guide every buyer should read.

    How Your Tax Bill Is Calculated

    The basic formula is simple:

    Appraised value, minus exemptions, times the combined tax rate.

    The appraisal district sets the value. In most of North Dallas that is the Collin Central Appraisal District or the Denton Central Appraisal District, depending on the address.

    Three things relocating buyers often miss:

    1. New construction taxes can jump in year two.
    If you buy a new build, the first tax bill may be based on the land or a partially completed home. The next year, the county taxes the finished home. Your escrow account adjusts, and your payment can rise. We always estimate taxes on the full completed value so there is no surprise. That year two tax jump is only one of three costs Dallas new construction buyers do not expect.

    2. The homestead exemption is not automatic.
    Once the home is your primary residence, you file for the homestead exemption with the appraisal district. It lowers your taxable value for school district taxes by $140,000 (raised from $100,000 by voters in November 2025, effective for the 2025 tax year onward) and adds protection on future increases.

    3. The homestead cap protects you after year one.
    With a homestead exemption in place, the taxable value of your home generally cannot rise more than 10% per year, even if the market value rises faster.

    What Is a MUD?

    A MUD is a Municipal Utility District. Developers use MUDs to pay for water, sewer, and drainage in new communities, often in areas the city has not fully built out.

    The MUD issues bonds to pay for that infrastructure, and homeowners in the district repay those bonds through a MUD tax rate added to their property tax bill.

    What to know:

    • The MUD rate is added on top of your other tax rates
    • It can decrease over time as bonds are paid down and more homes are built, but that is not guaranteed
    • Texas requires the seller to give you a MUD disclosure notice before closing
    • Homes in a MUD are not a bad buy. They just need to be priced with the full rate included

    What Is a PID?

    A PID is a Public Improvement District. It funds improvements inside a specific neighborhood, like roads, trails, parks, entry features, or landscaping.

    Unlike a MUD tax, a PID is usually an assessment:

    • Often a set annual amount rather than a rate
    • Usually runs for a fixed number of years
    • Some PIDs allow you to pay off the balance early
    • It may appear on your tax bill or be billed separately
    • Texas requires the seller to disclose the PID before you sign

    For example, in the Windmore community in Princeton, the PID assessment runs about $2,300 per year for a typical 60-foot lot, based on the Windmore PID’s 2025-26 assessment roll. The exact amount varies by lot size and improvement area, so confirm the figure for the specific property on its disclosure. That is a real line item in a monthly budget, and it is one we see left out of early builder estimates.

    MUD vs. PID vs. HOA

    MUD PID HOA
    What it pays for Water, sewer, drainage Neighborhood improvements Amenities, common areas, rules
    How it is charged Tax rate on your value Annual assessment Monthly or annual dues
    Where you see it Property tax bill Tax bill or separate bill Paid to the HOA
    Does it end? When bonds are paid off After a set term Ongoing

    A single neighborhood can have all three.

    How These Fees Affect Your Mortgage

    On the mortgage side, Arlicia, NMLS 1550570, qualifies buyers on the full monthly payment, not just principal and interest. That includes property taxes, MUD taxes, PID assessments when they are escrowed, homeowners insurance, and HOA dues.

    This matters for two reasons:

    • A higher tax rate or a PID can change how much home you qualify for
    • If a fee is missing from an early estimate, it shows up later in your escrow and your payment

    The goal is to know the real number before you fall in love with the house, not after.

    What We Check Before You Buy

    Here is the list we run on every home:

    1. The combined tax rate for the exact address, not the city average
    2. Whether the home is in a MUD, and the current MUD rate
    3. Whether there is a PID, the annual amount, years remaining, and payoff option
    4. HOA dues and what they cover
    5. For new construction, taxes estimated on the completed value
    6. A reminder to file the homestead exemption after closing
    7. The seller and title disclosures for MUD and PID before the option period ends

    What We Would Tell a Friend

    Property taxes are not a reason to avoid North Texas. They are a reason to plan well. We believe big decisions should be made with clear eyes and a settled heart, and that starts with seeing the whole number.

    If you are comparing Prosper, Frisco, Celina, McKinney, or Princeton, compare the full yearly cost of each home, not just the price. That one habit will protect your budget more than any negotiation.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Are property taxes higher in Texas than in Florida?
    Texas rates are generally higher, but Texas has no state income tax, and insurance and other costs differ. The fair comparison is your total yearly housing cost in each place, not the tax rate alone.

    Is it bad to buy a home in a MUD?
    No. Many great North Texas neighborhoods are in a MUD. The key is including the MUD rate in your budget and comparing it to similar homes outside a MUD.

    Can I pay off a PID?
    Some PIDs allow early payoff. Ask the title company or the PID administrator for the payoff amount and terms on the specific property.

    Get Your Real Numbers

    Want to see the full yearly cost of a specific home or neighborhood before you commit?

    Book a free North Texas Family Move Strategy Call:
    https://calendly.com/loansbyarlicia/movetontx

    Free North Texas Tools

    Find Homes Near North Dallas:
    https://form.jotform.com/262324094991058

    Frisco vs. Prosper Family Relocation Scorecard:
    https://form.jotform.com/262325200354041

    Frisco vs. McKinney Family Fit Check:
    https://form.jotform.com/262507498373063

    Watch on YouTube: Moving to North Texas | Relocation, Homes, & Money (@MovingToNorthTexasTX)

    About Us

    Luke and Arlicia Jones moved from South Florida to Prosper, Texas in 2022 and now help families relocating to North Texas with both the home and the mortgage.

    Luke Jones, Texas REALTOR®, Relocation Buyer Specialist, eXp Realty, TX License #793146
    Arlicia Jones, NMLS 1550570, Licensed Texas Mortgage Broker
    Elite Lending Solutions, Inc., Company NMLS 1829246

    Call or Text: 305 747 9311
    Email: HomesByLukeJones@gmail.com
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dallas_home_collection

    This article is general information, not tax, legal, or lending advice. Tax rates, exemptions, and fees change each year. Verify figures for any specific property with the appraisal district, title company, and your lender.

    eXp Realty, LLC, Texas Broker License #603392
    Texas Real Estate Commission 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/forms/consumer-protection-notice

    Equal Housing Opportunity.