Buying a home in Celina while the city grows? What to check

• Celina sits in two counties, Collin and Denton. The county decides which appraisal district values the home and where you file your homestead exemption.
• Many new homes sit inside a MUD or a PID. If the home is in a MUD-type water district, Texas law requires the seller to give you a written notice before you buy.
• The empty lot next door will not stay empty forever. What can be built there is set by city zoning and plans, not by the model-home rep.
• The tax bill on the listing is not your tax bill. On new construction it is often based on the lot alone or without a homestead.
• The builder's sales rep works for the builder. You can bring your own agent from the very first visit.

Celina is a home-rule city that lies in both Collin County and Denton County. Two homes in the same city can sit in different counties, and that changes three things:

• The appraisal district that values the home for taxes: Collin or Denton.
• Where you file your homestead exemption once you live there: with the appraisal district of the county where the home sits.
• Which taxing units bill that address: county, city, school district and, if it applies, a MUD or PID.

You check this by exact address on the county appraisal district's site. Here's what that means for you: do not compare two Celina homes as if they carry the same taxes until you have seen each one's list of taxing units.

1. Confirm the address and county with the appraisal district. You will see every taxing unit on that property.
2. Ask whether it is in a MUD or a PID. A MUD (municipal utility district) funds water, sewer or roads with its own tax. A PID (public improvement district) charges a separate assessment. If the home is in a water district, the seller has to give you the statutory notice in writing. Read it before you sign.
3. See what is planned around it. The city publishes zoning maps and land-use plans. That is where you learn whether the field behind the house is planned for homes, retail or a new road. If the property is outside city limits, the rules change; confirm with the city and the county.
4. Check the flood map. Where creeks and new development meet, look up the address on FEMA's official map.
5. Check school assignment on the official map. In growing cities, attendance lines can change. Use the school district's official map, not a listing description.
6. If it is new construction, read the builder contract. Completion dates, what is included, what happens if it runs late, and the conditions on any incentive, especially if it depends on using the builder's lender.
7. Get an insurance quote before you offer. That keeps your monthly number honest.

Here's what happens next: if Celina is on your list and you want to go through this calmly, let's talk for 30 minutes before you sign anything with anyone.

A built-out city already has its roads, its shopping and its lots filled in. A growing city is still deciding. That has an upside: new homes, floor plans you can choose, room where there used to be pasture. It also has things to check: road projects that last months, empty land that changes use, and services that arrive in phases.

None of that is good or bad on its own. What matters is knowing it before you buy, so the home you pick is still the home you want once the lot next door is no longer empty.

• Is this home inside a MUD or a PID? Can I have the written notice today?
• What completion date does the contract state, and what happens if it slips?
• What is included in the price, and what is an upgrade?
• Does the incentive depend on using your lender or your title company? What are the written conditions?
• What warranty does the builder provide, for how long, and what does it cover?
• What is planned for the empty lots on this street and behind this home?

Ask for the answers in writing. If it is not in the contract, it does not count. That is one of the main reasons to have your own agent read it with you before you sign.

• Estimating your payment from the listing's tax bill. On new construction, that bill is often for the lot alone. Read why the tax bill on the listing will not be yours.
• Skimming the MUD or PID notice. That page tells you there is another tax or assessment. Understand how MUDs and PIDs work before you sign.
• Trusting the model-home site plan about what goes next door. City zoning is what counts.
• Walking into the model home alone. People used to assume the builder's rep represented them. The rep works for the builder. You can bring your own agent from the first visit.
• Choosing a lender only for the incentive. Compare the full terms. The incentive comes with conditions, and you should read them.

Picture two professionals moving from Plano to Celina for a newer home with more room. They liked two similar homes in the same city. When we looked up the addresses, one sat in Collin County and the other in Denton County, and only one was inside a MUD. The list of taxing units was different.

Then they checked the zoning map: the empty land behind one of the homes was planned for retail. With that, an insurance quote and the builder contract read line by line, they chose with numbers instead of model-home excitement. This is an example, not a real client; every home and every contract is different.

On the moves Veronica Yeary guides in Dallas-Fort Worth, these checks happen before anyone signs with a builder, not after.

• County and taxing units: the Collin or Denton appraisal district, by exact address.
• MUD or PID notice: the seller or builder provides it; read all of it.
• Zoning and city plans: the City of Celina's planning pages.
• Flood risk: FEMA's official flood map.
• Schools: the school district's official attendance map.
• Insurance: a real quote before you offer.
• The city overall: see the Celina page.

Is Celina, Texas in Collin County or Denton County?

Both. Celina lies in Collin and Denton counties, so each address is checked with its own county appraisal district. That changes where you file your homestead and which taxing units bill the home.

What is a MUD and how do I know if a home is in one?

A MUD is a district that funds water, sewer or roads with its own tax. The appraisal district lists it among the taxing units, and if the home is in a water district the seller must give you a written notice before you buy.

How do I find out what will be built on the empty land next to a home?

Through the city's zoning maps and land-use plans. They show whether that land is planned for homes, retail or something else. The builder's sales office does not decide that.

Do I need my own agent to buy new construction in Celina?

It is not required, but the model-home rep works for the builder. Your own agent reviews the contract, incentives and timelines on your side. It helps to bring one from the first visit.

Is the tax bill in the listing what I will pay?

Often not. On new construction it may reflect the lot alone, and on a resale it may include the prior owner's exemptions. Your bill is figured from the value and the taxing units on that address.

If Celina is on your list, let's go through the homes you like with this checklist before you sign with a builder or write an offer.

Let's talk for 30 minutes about your situation, not houses: veronicayeary.com/en/book

Call or text 469-441-8890 · veronica@veronicayeary.com