Stretch Your Money

This is where you'll find the most affordable homes in Dallas-Fort Worth

Priced out of Dallas-Fort Worth? Try Grand Prairie.

Photo courtesy of Grand Prairie Main Street

Feeling a pinch when you pay the mortgage on your Dallas-Fort Worth home? It's not your imagination — Zillow recently calculated that a house payment in DFW takes a 12.6 percent chunk out of residents' income.

Surprisingly, that's less than the 16.1 percent you'll fork over in Lewisville, DFW's most cost-burdened city. But even in this expensive market you can still find pockets of affordability, if you're willing to put up with a few predictable trade-offs, such as fewer amenities and longer commutes.

Zillow determined that the metro-level mortgage burden for the United States as a whole is 14.6 percent, which makes DFW's 12.6 percent and its famous "low cost of living" even sweeter. But if you're looking to be even gentler on your bank account, consider driving a few miles out to Grand Prairie, which emerges as the local pocket with the smallest mortgage burden, at only 10.6 percent.

A good portion of the study focuses on the seemingly out-of-control West Coast markets, where mortgage payments can eat up as much as 75 percent of a homeowner's paycheck (our condolences, Palo Alto). But it all illustrates how hot spots within popular housing markets have caused runaway housing costs that place significant burdens on the people who live and work there, even as the cities next door remain more affordable.

"The Bay Area and other expensive West Coast markets get a lot of attention for being unaffordable, but even they have some areas where the share of income spent on housing is relatively low," says Zillow chief economist Dr. Svenja Gudell. "Of course, buyers have to be willing to make some trade-offs to live in more affordable cities within the metro. Some cities in the most in-demand housing markets across the country have such a high housing burden that they are simply not feasible for buyers with lower incomes. If income growth doesn't keep pace with home value growth, especially as mortgage rates rise, inequality will persist."

The other Texas cities in the study all fall below the national mortgage burden, except for Austin proper and its costly 20.3 percent. That's pretty close to Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim's affordable Lancaster (18.5 percent), which is only a "short" 70 miles from pricey (66.1 percent) Santa Monica. Trade-offs, remember?

zillow reports

farm for sale

Unusual ultra-modern Grapevine ranch is on the market for $7.2 million

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

The Willow Wood Horse Farm in Grapevine is on the market for $7.2 million.

A stunning 10-acre property in North Texas that looks like it was made for an ultra modern cowboy family has just hit the market for $7.2 million.

Called the Willow Wood Horse Farm, this one-of-a-kind equestrian paradise is located on West Kimball Avenue in Grapevine, about 30 miles northeast from downtown Fort Worth.

The ranch is an extraordinary combination of elegant and thoughtful modern design paired with all of the practicality required of a fully functioning farm.

According to the listing, which is held by Burgher-Ray Ranch Group and managed by David Burgher and Harlan Ray, the farm includes several fenced pastures, an enclosed and insulated shop storage building with concrete flooring, and a seven-stall horse barn.

A covered and irrigated riding arena is attached to the barn, every stall has its own turnout, and six of the stalls are 12 feet by 12 feet wide, and the seventh is designated as a foaling stall. An additional turnout for grazing is located adjacent to the barn, as well as a training pen.

Willow Wood Horse Farm in Grapevine, ranch for sale The horse barn has seven stalls with individual turnouts.Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

But the focal point of the entire estate is the 4,353-square-foot, three-story primary residence that sits at the highest point of the gently sloped property. The home was custom-designed and completed in 2022, featuring an exterior made of metal cladding, concrete, durable ipe hardwood, and glass.

Upon entering the front door, guests will notice unparalleled views that lead through the home's living areas and into the 3,000-square-foot back deck, past the 80-foot-long saltwater swimming pool, and out toward the pastures.

The chef's kitchen is outfitted with luxurious Gaggenau appliances, such as a steam convection oven, a conventional convection oven, a coffee machine, stove, dishwasher, a separate paneled refrigerator and freezer, and a warming drawer. A half bathroom and full butler's pantry is located to the side of the kitchen, which is equipped with a prep space and a dishwasher.

Additional features of the home include:

Koi ponds located on either side of the main door that welcome guests to the home
An open concept living space that contains the living room, kitchen, and dining rooms
A primary suite with a spacious walk-in closet and en-suite bathroom
Two additional bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms
Soft opening/closing doors in all main bedrooms
Dynaudio speakers installed throughout the home
Geo-thermal heating/cooling system

A custom-built metal spiraling staircase connects all three levels of the home. The second floor contains a viewing area with floor-to-ceiling windows and access to the covered porch and rooftop deck. The lower level leads to an "acoustically balanced" underground home theater featuring eight-foot concert walls, Dynaudio speakers, an Ember Audio sound system, a 250-bottle wine cooler, and a powder bathroom. The listing notes that this area could be converted into a storm cellar.

Willow Wood Horse Farm in Grapevine, ranch for sale The underground home theater has an impressive Ember Audio sound system with Dynaudio speakers.Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

A detached three-car garage is located next to the home, which contains one EV charging station and two additional outlets for charging. Discreetly designed solar panels are hidden on top of the garage, which are capable of powering the entire residence.

The horse barn, irrigation system, and stock pond all run off of a water well located on the property, while the primary residence uses city water with a filtration system.

"Situated in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, just minutes from Lake Grapevine, Southlake, and an easy commute to DFW International Airport, this property affords someone the ability to have all the comforts of the city, while living just slightly removed from it all," the listing says.

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

The Willow Wood Horse Farm in Grapevine is on the market for $7.2 million.

real estate grapevine dallas fort worth ranches home for sale