Dallas–Fort Worth Home Loans

The DFW Property-Tax Reality (read this first, especially in Collin County)

DFW's median home price is around $415,000, second only to Austin among big Texas metros, but the number that decides your real payment in the northern suburbs is the tax rate. Texas has no state income tax, so it taxes property, and the combined rate stacks county + school district (ISD) + city + any special district. In DFW that runs from roughly 1.8% in older, built-out Dallas and Tarrant neighborhoods to 3%+ in newer Collin and Denton County master-planned communities carrying fresh infrastructure-bond debt (through MUDs or, common in this metro, PIDs, Public Improvement Districts).

Collin County, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, is where this bites hardest, because it tops the metro price stack AND many of its newest communities layer a PID or MUD on top of already-high school rates. Two homes at the same price in Frisco or McKinney can carry meaningfully different tax bills depending on the district, and a new-construction community on fresh bond debt can run a full point higher than an established neighborhood down the road. On a $600,000 Frisco home, the difference between a 2.1% and a 3.1% rate is about $500 a month, real money in your qualification. As with MUDs, these special-district rates typically decline over time as the bonds are repaid. Here's how I protect you: I pull the full combined rate for the specific address (not the county average) before we set your budget, flag any PID/MUD, and make sure you file the Texas homestead exemption after closing, which lowers your taxable value and caps annual increases.

Fort Worth — the Best Big-City Value in DFW (conventional, FHA & VA)

Fort Worth (“Cowtown”) is the value play of the Metroplex, homes typically run $50–80K less than comparable Dallas properties with the same DFW Airport access. Historic neighborhoods like Fairmount (1920s bungalows), the TCU area (university energy, walkability), Ridglea, and Westover Hills anchor a strong conventional and FHA market, and Fort Worth is consistently the best DFW entry point for first-time buyers (TSAHC + FHA combinations are common, closings in the low-$200s to $380s). Tarrant County's median (around $349K) is among the metro's most affordable, and VA is strong given the region's military and defense workforce.

Frisco & McKinney — Collin County's Growth and Price Leaders (conventional, jumbo & VA)

Frisco is DFW's price and growth leader (median around $695K), built on the “$5 Billion Mile” of corporate development, the PGA of America headquarters, the Dallas Cowboys' Star, and among the top-rated schools in Texas. It's largely a conventional and jumbo market, and it's where the PID/MUD tax dynamic is most pronounced, new communities on fresh bond debt carry the highest rates. McKinney offers Collin County growth at a relative discount to Frisco, fast-appreciating, family-oriented, with new-construction communities (some, like Trinity Falls, in their own MUD). Both are strong relocation and move-up markets; I model the true carrying cost (including the special-district rate) so the monthly number is honest, and handle jumbo for the higher price points.