About a third of my buyer business is relocation. Most of these clients are arriving from California, New York, Illinois, or the Pacific Northwest, and almost all of them are making the single largest purchase of their lives in a region they have visited two or three times. The asymmetry of information in these transactions is significant and some of what you need to know, most agents will not volunteer.
First: property taxes in Texas are the honest cost of there being no state income tax. Expect an effective combined rate (county, city, ISD, MUD, PID) in the 1.9% 2.6% range of assessed value in most of the North Dallas luxury submarkets. On a $1.5M home that is $28,500 $39,000 per year. Run the real math before you compare Texas to California on headline price.
Second: MUD and PID districts are common in newer master-planned communities and they materially affect your total tax bill. Always ask specifically. The MLS does not always surface this clearly and your agent should be pulling the actual tax breakdown from the county appraisal district, not quoting a rounded number.
Third: foundation issues are a real and specific Texas concern. The clay soil in North Texas expands and contracts with moisture cycles, and foundation movement is common in homes over 15 years old. A general home inspection is not enough. Insist on a separate structural/foundation inspection with an engineer, especially on resale properties in Plano and older parts of Allen.
Fourth: HOA and community document review matters more here than in most states. Deed restrictions in the luxury DFW communities can be unusually specific. From landscaping requirements to short-term rental prohibitions to architectural review processes. Read them during the option period, not after closing.
Fifth: the option period (typically 7 to 10 days of unrestricted termination rights for a small negotiated fee) is the most important clause in your Texas contract. Use it aggressively for inspections and for renegotiation based on findings. It is your most valuable piece of leverage and many out-of-state buyers underuse it.
Sixth: school district boundaries do not always align with city boundaries. A home with a Frisco mailing address may feed into Lewisville ISD or Little Elm ISD. If schools matter to your family and in North Dallas luxury, they almost always do. Verify the specific feeder pattern for the specific address, not the city.
Seventh: closing timelines in Texas are generally 30 to 45 days, but the real constraint is often appraisal turn-time on jumbo loans and underwriting review of out-of-state income. Start the financing conversation before you are under contract, not after.
