on August 18, 2026
At the time of my tour, this floor plan started around $583,000 and offered multiple bedrooms, four full bathrooms, a dedicated home office, upstairs game room, separate media room, large primary suite, and a surprisingly usable backyard on a 60-foot lot.
But the house itself is only part of the decision.
The Ranch at Uptown also offers quick access to Downtown Celina, community pools, trails, ponds, and parks. On the other hand, buyers need to understand the community’s approximately 2.81% property tax rate referenced during my tour and the impact of its MUD.
I’m Jake Inderman, a Celina TX Realtor and North Texas real estate agent helping relocation buyers compare The Ranch at Uptown with other communities throughout Celina, Prosper, and Frisco.
Here’s what you should know before buying here.
**Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/_4H3B_UyQeE
The Ranch at Uptown is located in Celina, Texas, relatively close to Downtown Celina and Old Celina Park.
During my tour, I referenced both destinations as being approximately five minutes away by car.
That’s one of the things that makes this community interesting.
Celina is growing quickly, but The Ranch at Uptown gives residents relatively easy access to the city’s established downtown area instead of putting you completely removed from it.
Downtown Celina offers local restaurants, coffee shops, businesses, and community events throughout the year.
For relocation buyers who want a newer home but still like having a small-town downtown nearby, this location can be attractive.
The home featured in this tour was built by Taylor Morrison.
At the time of filming, the base floor plan started around $583,000.
However, base price and final price are two very different things when you’re building a new home.
During the tour, I discussed how buyers can easily spend an additional 5%-8% in the design center depending on the selections and upgrades they choose.
Those could include:
That means a home starting around $583,000 could potentially end up in the low $600,000s depending on your selections.
Builder pricing, incentives, upgrades, and inventory change frequently, so always verify current numbers before making a decision.
The biggest selling point of this home is how much functional space you’re getting for the money.
Features shown during my tour included:
For relocation buyers comparing Celina with Prosper or Frisco, this is exactly the type of home that makes moving farther north appealing.
One of the most interesting parts of this particular home isn’t inside.
It’s the lot.
This home sits on a 60-foot homesite, while I had just toured another home next door on a 70-foot lot.
You might automatically assume the 70-foot lot provides the better backyard.
Not necessarily.
The backyard on this 60-foot lot actually felt larger and more usable because of its depth.
That’s an important lesson for anyone shopping for new construction.
Builders commonly market homesites based on width:
40-foot lot.
50-foot lot.
60-foot lot.
70-foot lot.
95-foot lot.
But width doesn’t tell you everything about the actual size or usability of your yard.
A wider lot allows the builder to construct a wider floor plan, which can create larger living spaces and different garage configurations.
But if outdoor living matters to you, lot depth can be just as important—or even more important.
A deep 60-foot lot could potentially give you more usable backyard than a shallower 70-foot lot.
If you eventually want to build a pool, don’t choose your homesite based solely on the advertised width.
Look at:
You could purchase a wider lot and still end up with less usable space behind the house.
The 60-foot lot featured in this tour had a substantial amount of backyard depth.
Another detail I always point out during home tours is which direction the backyard faces.
This particular backyard was shaded during the afternoon when I toured it.
That could be a major advantage if you plan to spend a lot of time outside.
Imagine trying to grill, read, watch TV, entertain, or relax outside during a Texas summer with the western sun beating directly into your patio.
Your home’s orientation can make a surprisingly large difference.
Don’t choose your lot solely based on size.
Think about how you’re actually going to use it.
Inside, the main living area has an open floor plan with a fireplace extending vertically toward the ceiling.
The living room isn’t enormous compared with some larger homes I’ve toured in the community, but the square footage is being used elsewhere—particularly upstairs.
That’s the tradeoff with this floor plan.
You get a slightly smaller primary downstairs living area in exchange for substantial additional entertainment space upstairs.
The kitchen is another highlight.
You have a large island, plenty of counter space, cabinetry, and an open connection with the living area.
One thing I mentioned during the tour was the backsplash.
The model had a square backsplash design that wouldn’t personally be my first choice.
That’s one of the benefits of building from the ground up.
Depending on builder options, you can potentially select finishes that better match your style.
The primary bedroom is located toward the back of the house.
It’s a large room with plenty of space around the bed and additional room for furniture.
The location toward the rear also provides separation from some of the activity toward the front of the house.
The primary bathroom is one of the strongest spaces in the home.
Features include:
The shower is particularly spacious.
For a home around this price point, the primary suite feels appropriately sized rather than being sacrificed to create additional bedrooms.
The home also includes a legitimate dedicated office.
This is important because you don’t have to convert one of the bedrooms into a workspace.
For someone working remotely, that allows you to preserve the bedrooms for family members or guests while still having a private work area.
The office shown during the tour was also fairly large.
Another major advantage is having a secondary bedroom downstairs near a full bathroom.
That configuration can work well for:
This has become one of the most common features relocation buyers ask me about.
If you’re planning to stay in the house long term, having additional sleeping space downstairs can provide flexibility as your household changes.
Once you get upstairs, you start to understand where some of the home’s square footage went.
There’s a substantial game room that could easily function as a second living area.
You could use it for:
During my tour, I also mentioned the possibility of adding a wet or dry bar if the builder and floor plan allow it.
Behind the game room is a separate media room.
This is one of my favorite parts of the floor plan.
Instead of trying to make one upstairs room serve as both the game room and movie room, you get two separate spaces.
The media room is large enough for a substantial TV or projector setup and theater-style seating.
Depending on your needs, you may also be able to use this space differently.
Potentially, depending on the specific floor plan, builder options, and whether the space meets the necessary requirements.
During the tour, I discussed the possibility of using it as another bedroom if needed.
That’s something you’d want to verify directly with the builder rather than assuming it can legally or structurally be converted.
But even as a media room, having a separate enclosed space gives the floor plan a lot of flexibility.
The upstairs game room is open to the living space below.
Visually, I like it.
It makes the house feel larger and more connected.
Functionally, there is a tradeoff.
Noise travels.
If children are playing pool or video games upstairs while adults are trying to watch television downstairs, everyone may hear each other.
That’s not necessarily a dealbreaker.
But it’s exactly the type of thing you should think about when touring a model home.
Model homes are designed to look good.
You need to imagine actually living there.
The secondary bedrooms are another area where this floor plan performs well.
The bedrooms shown during my tour had enough space for:
That’s particularly important if you have older children.
A bedroom that works perfectly for a four-year-old may feel completely different when that child is 16.
If you’re planning to stay in the home for years, think about how the rooms will function later—not just today.
At the time of my tour, the HOA was approximately $950 per year.
That works out to roughly $79 per month.
Compared with some amenity-heavy communities throughout Prosper and Celina, that’s relatively manageable.
But the more important question is:
What are you getting for it?
Community amenities discussed during my tour included:
The trail system is one of the bigger advantages.
The Ranch at Uptown was being developed in multiple phases, with the trails intended to help connect the different portions of the community.
For households that like walking, running, biking, fishing, or simply getting outside, that’s a meaningful lifestyle feature.
At the time of filming, this particular area was in Phase 2 with two additional future phases discussed.
That’s important for buyers.
Buying in a developing community can provide opportunities to get in before everything is completed.
But it also means you need to be comfortable with ongoing construction.
Before buying, ask:
Don’t confuse a master plan with something that already exists.
This is one of the most important numbers relocation buyers need to understand.
At the time of my tour, I referenced a property tax rate of approximately 2.81%.
That’s noticeably higher than some other North Texas communities.
Why?
Part of the answer is the MUD.
MUD stands for Municipal Utility District.
MUDs are commonly used to help fund infrastructure in developing Texas communities.
They can help pay for infrastructure necessary to create new neighborhoods, but the additional tax can increase your total property tax rate.
The Ranch at Uptown home discussed during my tour was located within a MUD.
That doesn’t automatically make it a bad purchase.
It means you need to understand what you’re paying.
During my tour, I discussed the MUD component as being approximately 0.8% based on the information I had at the time.
That’s significant enough that buyers shouldn’t ignore it.
If you’re comparing two similarly priced homes and one has a noticeably lower overall property tax rate, your monthly payments could be different even though the listing prices are identical.
This is why I don’t like comparing North Texas homes based solely on price.
Nobody wants to pay more taxes.
But I don’t automatically eliminate every MUD or PID community.
Instead, I ask:
Can we find you the same combination of price, condition, location, floor plan, amenities, lot, and lifestyle somewhere else for a lower total monthly payment?
If yes, we should seriously consider it.
If no, then the higher tax structure may be worthwhile because you’re getting something you can’t easily duplicate elsewhere.
There’s another question too.
Could you spend more on the purchase price in a lower-tax community and still have approximately the same monthly payment?
If the answer is yes, that community deserves consideration.
That’s how I encourage buyers to evaluate MUDs and PIDs.
Imagine two $600,000 homes.
Home A is in a higher-tax MUD community.
Home B has a lower property tax rate.
They’re both $600,000.
But they don’t necessarily cost the same amount every month.
Your actual housing payment can include:
For relocation buyers coming from states where these districts aren’t common, understanding this before making an offer is extremely important.
Ramble is another Celina community buyers frequently compare with The Ranch at Uptown.
Ramble has a different HOA structure and amenity package, including services such as lawn maintenance and internet referenced during my tour.
That means simply comparing HOA dues doesn’t tell the whole story.
One HOA might cost more but include significantly more.
Compare what you’re actually receiving.
Windsong Ranch in Prosper is another example of why HOA comparisons require context.
Windsong Ranch is known for its extensive amenity package, including its large lagoon.
You’re paying for a different type of community experience.
The Ranch at Uptown offers more traditional master-planned amenities at a lower HOA figure referenced during my tour.
Which one is better?
It depends on whether you’ll actually use what you’re paying for.
If you’re considering this community, I would also compare options such as:
The right answer depends on:
There isn’t one Celina community that’s best for everyone.
This home is a great example of why I wouldn’t automatically say 70 feet.
A 70-foot lot gives the builder more width.
That can allow for:
But if your priority is the backyard, a deep 60-foot lot may actually serve you better.
Don’t buy the lot dimension.
Buy the usable space.
This type of home could be a strong fit if you:
It provides a lot of functional space for the price point.
I’d compare other options if:
Again, none of those automatically make this a bad home.
They’re reasons another home may fit you better.
The floor plan featured in my tour started around $583,000 at the time of filming. Final pricing could increase based on design-center selections and upgrades.
This particular Taylor Morrison home was on a 60-foot homesite.
It can be. This particular homesite had substantial depth and a surprisingly large usable backyard. Lot dimensions and home placement matter more than width alone.
I referenced approximately $950 per year at the time of my tour.
Amenities discussed included pools, walking and biking trails, ponds, a fishing pond, parks, and connected common areas.
Yes, the home featured in my tour was within a MUD.
I referenced an overall rate of approximately 2.81% at the time of filming. Buyers should verify the current tax rate for the exact property they’re considering.
Yes. Downtown Celina was approximately five minutes away by car based on the information discussed during my tour.
Yes. The home featured both an upstairs game room and a separate enclosed media room.
Yes. The floor plan included a secondary bedroom downstairs near a full bathroom.
For buyers shopping around the $600,000 range, this Taylor Morrison home shows why Celina continues attracting relocation buyers.
You’re getting a newer home on a 60-foot lot with a substantial backyard, multiple bedrooms, four full bathrooms, a dedicated office, large primary suite, game room, separate media room, and access to community pools, trails, parks, and ponds.
The biggest consideration is the tax structure.
An approximately 2.81% property tax rate can materially affect your monthly payment compared with a community with a lower tax rate.
That’s why the right question isn’t:
“Is a MUD bad?”
It’s:
“Does this home give me enough additional value to justify the total monthly cost?”
If we can find the same home, lot, location, amenities, and lifestyle somewhere else for less each month, that alternative deserves a serious look.
If we can’t, The Ranch at Uptown could make a lot of sense.
I’m Jake Inderman, a Celina TX Realtor and North Texas real estate agent helping relocation buyers compare The Ranch at Uptown, Ramble, North Sky, Legacy Hills, Light Farms, and other communities throughout Celina, Prosper, and Frisco.
I help buyers understand new construction, builders, lot sizes, design-center upgrades, property taxes, MUD/PID/MMD assessments, HOA costs, amenities, commute times, and the real-world differences between North Texas communities.
If you’re moving to Celina TX in the next 9 days or 9 months, reach out. I can help you compare communities, builders, homes, taxes, and monthly payments to determine which option actually fits your lifestyle.
Jake Inderman | Celina TX Realtor
Call/Text: 469-343-2008
Email: jake.inderman@gmail.com