Prosper vs. Celina?? (Dallas, McKinney, Frisco: section 8, apartments, rentals)

[Austrian2]

I really don't see the point in moving that far from rest of the DFW but your mileage may vary. My SIL lost her job in Plano and new employer is in Irving. Her commute to Irving from Celina is a major pain in the a$$. Now she misses location of her previous house in Richardson, that gave her easy access to both directions.

[TheTXGuyHere]

In your price range you can get a very good house in Prosper. With that budget I do not see a reason why you would need to go to Celina when you can get all you want and better school district in Prosper.

Comparing light farms to Windsong ranch

1. Both of them are Prosper ISD
2. Both of them are priced the same
3. Toll way extension construction is approved and is predicted to start this year 2015. It might take a good 2 - 3 years to complete.
4. Light Farms has MUD tax.

I bought in Windsong ranch because I had a similar requirement as yours. My primary reason was with 423 expansion almost done, I am 7 minutes away to Elderado and DNT intersection which has almost everything that I need. Kroger is build right in front of Windsong and I like how quickly I can get to DNT anytime of the day. The most compelling part was
Light Farms has houses in various price ranges and the product is across board but Windsong has almost all of them upscale products by the same builder and looks good because of some of the developer enforced requirements such as Wood on Wood fencing, Tennis Courts etc.

Both of the are good communities but it would be good to visit and feel the vibe and decide on what you like.

[MckinneyOwnr]

Originally Posted by LoneStar23

We are relocating back to the North Dallas area from NY. We've narrowed our search down to Prosper and Celina. Looking for space, .5 acre+ in the 400-600 range. Want enough area for a pool and room for kids to play. Will be working in Legacy area. We have two kids 3 and 10. As I research looking for any advice, thoughts around which location would be better? Thanks!

Finding a home in Prosper for that price range with that size lot isn't going to be easy. The home will either be a bit on the smaller end, or an older, non-updated home, or both.

Originally Posted by TheTXGuyHere

In your price range you can get a very good house in Prosper. With that budget I do not see a reason why you would need to go to Celina when you can get all you want and better school district in Prosper.

Not with a .5 acre+ requirement. The vast majority of homes that were built in the last decade with those size lots are now going for over $600k. Right now, only 11 homes on realtor.com meet that criteria within budget. Of those, 6 of them are under 4000 sq ft, most of those being low 3000 sq ft.

There are plenty of homes in that budget available, but once you start looking for half acre and up lots, the choices narrow considerably.

All that being said, Prosper would be the better choice for home value appreciation, as it is the next area to see a lot of retail/commercial development. Buying in Prosper now would be the smartest move vs Celina.

[Austrian2]

Prices in Prosper are already on high end so not as much appreciation as what you'll get in Celina. Just keep in mind that these towns wouldn't appreciate much once they ran out of new construction as buyers don't want to do long commute for used homes. If market went south then selling these homes isn't going to be easy.

[MckinneyOwnr]

Originally Posted by Austrian2

Prices in Prosper are already on high end so not as much appreciation as what you'll get in Celina. Just keep in mind that these towns wouldn't appreciate much once they ran out of new construction as buyers don't want to do long commute for used homes. If market went south then selling these homes isn't going to be easy.

I disagree. One thing that really sets Prosper apart from Celina is all the planned retail and commercial stuff off 380. Right now, there is literally NOTHING in Prosper... and yet homes are still able to command high prices even though shopping and commuting can be a pain.

Once 380 takes off, it's going to become a lot more desirable. When you factor in the larger than average lot sizes vs Frisco or McKinney, yet will soon have the same retail and other conveniences, the upside is huge compared to Celina.

Hell, Prosper doesn't even have a grocery store yet! That alone is going to make living here a lot more convenient for people.

[Austrian2]

I understand your loyalty but Celina offers more "bang for the buck" and appreciation would be higher as they haven't peaked yet. These are the major factors that attract buyers to newer towns. I'm sure eventually both Prosper and Celina would get access to basic amenities.

[MckinneyOwnr]

Originally Posted by Austrian2

I understand your loyalty but Celina offers more "bang for the buck" and appreciation would be higher as they haven't peaked yet. These are the major factors that attract buyers to newer towns. I'm sure eventually both Prosper and Celina would get access to basic amenities.

I'm not "loyal" to any particular town. But I've got a pretty good idea of what the next "hot" areas will be, considering I've lived in Plano, McKinney, and now Prosper. Prosper certainly hasn't peaked, not at all. If it had, I wouldn't have been able to afford it.

You have to look at where developers are building, or have plans to build soon. Those are the areas to move to before prices start to jump. Celina may appreciate... but that's going to be at least a decade or more away. The next major push for development is along the 380 corridor, and that's going to affect Frisco, McKinney, and Prosper. Celina is going to miss that boom completely.

[Austrian2]

If we follow your example of moving from Plano to McKinney and McKinney to Prosper then once Prosper is built out then wouldn't buyers move to Celina for new construction? Dallasite still think that Prosper is out in the boonies but Prosper buyers don't care. Buyers would ignore Prosper for new construction in Celina.

[MckinneyOwnr]

Originally Posted by Austrian2

If we follow your example of moving from Plano to McKinney and McKinney to Prosper then once Prosper is built out then wouldn't buyers move to Celina for new construction? Dallasite still think that Prosper is out in the boonies but Prosper buyers don't care. Buyers would ignore Prosper for new construction in Celina.

They're both out in the boonies.

You're exactly right... but you can still get new construction in Prosper. That's why it's the better place to buy over Celina. And about 5-10 years later, it will be Celina's turn, assuming that their ISD can improve by leaps and bounds as well.

Prosper has just started being built. (I mean really, no grocery store in the entire town?) If you're in a neighborhood that is close to 380/Preston area, I can practically guarantee a good spike in home values once all the plans for 380 go into effect, and for the surrounding homes in existing developments with larger lots, they are going to be sought after as well.

There is a poster on the board who used to recommend Prosper all the time whenever someone asked where they should buy, Plano, Frisco, or McKinney. This was 4-5 years ago, and Frisco and McKinney still had a lot of construction going on because they were the "it" areas at the time. Now, we're just starting to see the shift to Prosper a bit, but Celina isn't really on the map yet at all. Buying new construction in Celina is just asking to take a loss IMO, because by the time that area does start to appreciate, it will no longer be a new home, and you'll be lucky to break even for the premium that was paid for new construction in an area that isn't experiencing the rise in home values as much as other cities.

[CREW747]

Originally Posted by MckinneyOwnr

I disagree. One thing that really sets Prosper apart from Celina is all the planned retail and commercial stuff off 380. Right now, there is literally NOTHING in Prosper... and yet homes are still able to command high prices even though shopping and commuting can be a pain.

Once 380 takes off, it's going to become a lot more desirable. When you factor in the larger than average lot sizes vs Frisco or McKinney, yet will soon have the same retail and other conveniences, the upside is huge compared to Celina.

Hell, Prosper doesn't even have a grocery store yet! That alone is going to make living here a lot more convenient for people.

Agreed...The median home price in Prosper is what,$450,000?The median income is currently $118,000.That already surpasses most other DFW suburbs including Frisco,Mc Kinney,Allen etc.Prosper will always be a town never more than about 60,000 people.Couple that with a strong school district and overall large lot sizes,convenience to major employment ,tollway access....At this point ,I suspect Prosper will be in between Flower Mound&Southlake as far as median income and home prices eventually....

Really random comment to you McKinneyOwnr....What do you think of the new light posts?We had visitors from out of state this weekend.They really liked all the new light posts the town put up.I was just telling my spouse how impressed I was with the choice.
I think the brown color and the elegant fixtures look really fantastic and different than anything else I have seen in the area.Yay for lights on Preston!