Thursday, August 27, 2026 / by Lauren Kerschen
Beyond your down payment, southern DFW buyers routinely face inspection packages, option money, survey fees, title company charges, HOA resale certificates, and utility deposits, costs that rarely appear in the listing price but can add up significantly before you get the keys.
What are the hidden costs of buying a home in Dallas–Fort Worth's southern suburbs?
Beyond your down payment and mortgage, buyers in southern DFW's suburbs typically encounter several overlooked line items: inspection packages (base fee plus add-ons), a separate option fee paid to the seller, a potential new survey, title company charges, HOA resale and transfer certificates, and utility deposits at move-in. None of these appear in the listing price, but together they represent real cash you'll need on hand before, and at, closing.
Why These Costs Catch Southern DFW Buyers Off Guard
I walk every buyer through a full cost picture before we write an offer. The purchase price is just the headl ...
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Wednesday, August 26, 2026 / by Lauren Kerschen
Property taxes in southern DFW are driven by a stack of county, city, school district, and special-district rates that vary sharply by location. Dallas County's 2025 adopted rate is $0.2155 per $100, but Dallas ISD adds $0.9938 and the City of Dallas adds $0.6988, making the combined bill one of the highest in the region. Texas homestead exemptions, including a $140,000 school-district exemption, can meaningfully reduce your taxable value.
How much are property taxes in Johnson, Ellis, and Dallas County for southern DFW buyers?
Property taxes in southern DFW are not a single number. They are a layered stack of rates set by your county, city, school district, and sometimes special districts. Depending on exactly where you buy, two homes at the same price can carry annual tax bills that differ by thousands of dollars. The Texas homestead exemption and the state's 10% appraisal cap can reduce what you actually owe over time, but only if you file correctly and only on a primary r ...
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Friday, August 7, 2026 / by Lauren Kerschen
Why do the first two weeks matter so much when selling a home in DFW?
The first two weeks your home is on the market are the highest-traffic window you'll ever get. Buyer interest peaks the moment a listing goes live, then drops off fast. Price it right, show it beautifully, and have your paperwork in order, and you capture that momentum. Miss any one of those, and you're already in recovery mode.
According to the most recent data from the National Association of Realtors, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro posted a median existing-home sales price of $421,300 and a median of 53 days on market in June 2026. That's the most current metro-level figure available. Texas REALTORS® reported a statewide median of 58 days on market that same month, with 71,196 active listings competing for buyers' attention across Texas. In a market with that much supply, the homes that win are the ones that make a sharp first impression in that opening window.
I always tell sellers: pricin ...
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Monday, April 20, 2026 / by Lauren Kerschen
Comparing Burleson and Kennedale for your next home? Here's an honest side-by-side of what life looks like in both southern DFW communities.
If you're searching for a home in the southern DFW area and you've landed on Burleson or Kennedale as possibilities, you're in good company. Both communities get overlooked in the national DFW narrative — everyone's talking about Frisco and McKinney — but buyers who actually know this side of the Metroplex understand that the southern corridor offers something genuinely different.
The question isn't whether these are good communities. They are. The question is: which one is a better fit for you?
Let me break it down.
The Basics: Size, Location, and Feel
Burleson is a city of roughly 50,000+ people sitting at the junction of I-35W and Wilshire Boulevard, about 15–20 miles south of downtown Fort Worth. It has its own downtown district, strong retail corridors, a Walmart, a ...
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Tuesday, April 14, 2026 / by Lauren Kerschen
DFW Housing Market Update: What Buyers Need to Know This Spring
What is the housing market doing in DFW in 2026? The Dallas-Fort Worth housing market is seeing more inventory than buyers have had in years, but well-priced homes in Arlington, Mansfield, and Fort Worth are still moving fast. Buyers who are prepared have the advantage right now.
Here's the honest truth about this market: it's neither the frenzy of 2021 nor a buyer's paradise. It's something in between — and that in-between is actually a really good place to be if you know how to work it.
If you've been sitting on the sidelines waiting for prices to crash, I need to tell you something: that's not what's happening in the southern DFW Metroplex. What IS happening is a shift in leverage, and buyers are getting more of it than they've had in a long time. More homes to choose from. More sellers willing to negotiate. More room to ask for concessions.
That's not a market to fear. That's a market to move in.
More Inve ...
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