TX
Living in Celina, Texas
At the far north end of Collin County.
Living in Celina
Celina is at the far north end of Collin County, on Preston Road, which is Highway 289, the same road that runs down to Dallas. It's one of the places in the metroplex with the most construction going on right now, and it still keeps a real town square, with shops that open onto the street.
That downtown square has been the city's gathering place for more than 110 years. Celina was named a Main Street city in 1996 by the Texas state historical agency together with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and in 2025 its downtown received national and state recognition for that restoration work. The city turns 150 in 2026.
Celina's neighborhoods range from those old streets around the square to huge planned communities built on land that was ranch land not long ago.
How I work Celina
I'm Veronica Yeary, REALTOR® with All City Real Estate DFW. I've worked the whole Dallas-Fort Worth area since 2010, alongside more than 450 families.
I cover all of Celina, both resale and new construction, at any size. The home we look for is the one that works for you.
If you're buying new here, bring me in from your first visit to the model home. The person who greets you there works for the builder, not for you, and that's no secret: it's their job. Mine is to read the builder's contract with you, check what's included and what costs extra, follow the build as it goes, and do the final walkthrough with you before closing. It's explained in new construction.
If you're selling in Celina, your home competes with homes that still smell like fresh paint, and that completely changes how it has to be presented. It gets professional photography, video or drone depending on the property, its own website, paid ads on Facebook and Instagram, emails to my buyer list, postcards to the homes around you, and an open house, with a weekly report on what the people who came to see it said.
If you'd like me to handle all of it, that's how we'll do it, and I explain the process and every document you'll sign, clearly.
Celina's neighborhoods
The historic downtown is the square and the streets around it, with local shops, restaurants and events much of the year.
Light Farms is a planned community of about 1,070 acres west of Preston Road, designed with a small-town feel: several pools, more than thirteen miles of trails, a lake with a beach, dog parks, and a market with a coffee shop inside the community itself.
Mustang Lakes sits between Celina and Prosper, with its entrance on Frontier Parkway, a couple of miles east of Preston Road. It was built on what used to be a working ranch, so it kept the big trees and rolling hills, and it has a 20-acre central park with its own lake.
Old Celina Park is the longtime park where the city's events happen.
Depending on where you are: new construction in Celina, buying a home in Celina, selling your home in Celina, luxury homes in Celina, moving up in Celina, or what your Celina home is worth.
What kind of home you'll find
Most of what's in Celina is recent, in planned communities with a clubhouse, pool and trails. Around the square there are older homes on lots you won't see again, and at the edges of the city there are still properties with acreage.
Here I work just as often with someone coming from another state who wants to start brand new as with someone already in the metroplex moving north for more land than they can get farther south. If you're coming from out of town, start with moving to Dallas-Fort Worth.
For your home's number, with comparables from your own street: what your home is worth.
What's around
Preston Road connects Celina south to Prosper, Frisco and the rest of the metroplex. The Dallas North Tollway runs parallel a few miles west and has been stretching this way year after year, which is a big part of why Celina grew the way it did.
A lot of city life still happens on the square: markets, festivals, and Friday night games, which here are still a whole-town affair.
Celina is north of Frisco and McKinney, and it's common to compare all three before deciding. Here are all the cities I work in, and to talk about Celina, reach out: call or text 469-441-8890, or email veronica@veronicayeary.com.
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth having my own agent if I'm buying new construction?
It is, a lot. The builder wrote the contract, and it protects the builder. I read it with you, tell you what's included and what costs extra, follow the build while it goes up, and go with you to the final walkthrough before closing. What matters is bringing me in from your first visit to the model home.
How far is Celina from Dallas?
Celina has no rail, so here you drive. Preston Road runs straight south and the Dallas North Tollway is a few miles west. Before choosing a neighborhood, it's worth driving the commute yourself, at the time of day you'd actually make it.
Is there still land in Celina?
There is, mostly toward the edges of the city, which is why new construction keeps coming. What changes year to year is where. When we talk, I'll tell you what's opening up right then instead of what was opening up last year.
Will you walk me through the whole process in Celina?
Yes, the whole process if you'd like: the conversations with the builder, a clear explanation of the process and every document you'll sign, and the negotiation.
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Ready to talk about your move?
Or email veronica@veronicayeary.com