on August 19, 2026
Jake Inderman is a Prosper TX Realtor helping buyers relocating to North Texas compare Prosper neighborhoods, builders, property taxes, HOA costs, schools and new construction.
In this Star Trail home tour, Jake toured a Highland Homes model with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, more than 3,400 square feet, multiple entertainment spaces and a large backyard. And there was one feature nobody planned for: a baby bobcat hanging out on the back porch during the tour.
Beyond the unexpected wildlife, this home gives buyers a good look at what luxury living in Star Trail can offer.
**Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/neLn-dBLKRE
Star Trail is a large master-planned community in Prosper, Texas.
For relocation buyers comparing Prosper with Celina or Frisco, Star Trail provides a combination that’s becoming harder to find: newer luxury homes, established community amenities, larger homesites and relatively convenient access to the rest of North Dallas.
Unlike communities that are just beginning development, Star Trail already has a much more established neighborhood feel.
That’s important if you want newer construction but don’t necessarily want to spend the next several years surrounded by an unfinished community.
The model Jake toured was built by Highland Homes.
At the time of the tour, the floor plan had a base price starting around $962,000. Jake specifically points out that this is the base price—not necessarily the cost of recreating the heavily upgraded model home.
That’s an important distinction for anyone shopping new construction.
Model homes frequently showcase structural options, premium finishes, lighting packages and design-center upgrades that aren’t included in the advertised starting price.
Before comparing builders, ask what it would cost to recreate the specific model you’re touring on an available homesite.
The floor plan is a little over 3,400 square feet and was designed heavily around entertaining.
Some of the biggest features include:
What stands out isn’t simply the number of rooms.
It’s how those spaces connect.
The kitchen is one of the strongest parts of this Highland Homes floor plan.
It features an unusually shaped oversized island that provides plenty of room for people to gather without everyone sitting shoulder-to-shoulder.
Other features shown during Jake’s tour include a five-burner gas cooktop, double ovens, oversized sink, extensive cabinetry and a separate coffee or wine-bar area.
The double ovens are particularly useful for buyers who host holidays or larger gatherings.
You can cook at different temperatures or keep one dish warm while another finishes.
That’s the type of feature that sounds minor until you’re hosting Thanksgiving.
The kitchen opens directly into the primary living and dining spaces.
The living room features a coffered ceiling and tile extending vertically around the fireplace, while the dining area remains connected to the kitchen and living room.
For entertaining, that layout makes a lot of sense.
Someone cooking in the kitchen doesn’t feel separated from everyone watching football in the living room or sitting around the dining table.
For holidays, graduation parties and larger family gatherings, the entire downstairs essentially functions as one connected entertainment space.
The primary suite is another standout.
The bedroom features tall ceilings, large windows, upgraded beams and enough room for substantial furniture.
But the bathroom is where the floor plan becomes especially interesting.
It includes:
That laundry-room connection is one of those practical design choices that can make everyday living easier.
Instead of carrying clothes across the house, the primary suite and laundry area are positioned directly beside one another.
Storage is another strength of this floor plan.
Jake specifically highlights the size of the primary closet during the tour.
When comparing luxury homes, closet space can sometimes get sacrificed in favor of oversized bedrooms or bathrooms.
That’s not the case here.
The primary suite feels like a complete section of the house rather than simply a large bedroom with an attached bathroom.
The home includes two bedrooms on the first floor.
That’s increasingly important for buyers looking for multigenerational flexibility.
The secondary downstairs bedroom could work well for:
There’s also a nearby bathroom and good closet space.
For buyers who don’t necessarily need a full multigenerational suite with a separate kitchen, having a second downstairs bedroom can provide enough flexibility.
The downstairs office includes built-in shelving and an upgraded coffered ceiling.
For remote or hybrid workers, this is a significant advantage.
You don’t have to sacrifice one of the four bedrooms to create a workspace.
And because the office is separate from the upstairs entertainment areas, it can remain functional even when other family members are using the rest of the house.
Upstairs is where the entertainment theme continues.
The large game room overlooks the downstairs dining area and provides enough room for multiple uses.
There’s also a built-in desk/flex area that could work as:
This type of secondary workspace is particularly useful for families where more than one person works or studies from home.
Right beside the game room is a wet bar with a mini refrigerator.
That may sound like a luxury rather than a necessity—and it is—but it fits this floor plan extremely well.
If you’re watching a game upstairs or having friends over, you don’t have to constantly walk downstairs to the kitchen.
It effectively creates a second entertainment zone.
The media room sits directly off the upstairs entertainment area.
Because it doesn’t have windows, the room gets extremely dark when the lights are turned off, which is exactly what you want from a dedicated theater space.
It could work for:
Combine the media room with the game room and wet bar, and the entire second floor becomes an entertainment area separate from the main downstairs living room.
The upstairs secondary bedrooms shown during the tour offer good closet space, and one features its own ensuite bathroom.
That gives family members and guests additional privacy.
For a home in this price range, that’s important.
A luxury floor plan should provide functional secondary bedrooms—not simply pour all of its square footage into the primary suite and common areas.
Even with a substantial house, the backyard shown during Jake’s tour still offers a good amount of usable space.
For Prosper buyers, lot size is often one of the reasons to choose the area over denser parts of Frisco.
Depending on the specific homesite, a larger backyard can provide room for:
Of course, buyers should evaluate the exact homesite rather than assuming every property in the community will have the same backyard.
The most unexpected part of Jake’s tour had nothing to do with the house.
There was a young bobcat hanging out in the backyard.
North Texas continues to develop rapidly, but native wildlife still exists throughout the area.
Occasional sightings of bobcats and other wildlife aren’t necessarily unusual, particularly around greenbelts, undeveloped land and natural areas.
If you have small pets, it’s smart to supervise them outside—especially around dawn, dusk and areas bordering undeveloped land.
The bobcat eventually moved along.
Jake wisely decided the backyard tour could wait.
One of the most important numbers from this tour is the property-tax rate.
Jake reported a rate of approximately 1.91% at the time of filming.
For buyers comparing newer North Texas master-planned communities, that’s worth paying attention to.
A difference of even 0.5% in property taxes becomes substantial on a million-dollar home.
At $1 million of taxable value, a 0.5 percentage-point difference represents approximately:
$5,000 per year
or about:
$417 per month.
Actual taxes depend on assessed value, exemptions and applicable taxing entities, so calculate the exact numbers for the home you’re considering.
According to Jake’s tour, this Star Trail property had no MUD and no PID.
That’s a significant consideration for buyers specifically trying to avoid additional special-district assessments.
MUDs and PIDs aren’t automatically bad.
They’re common financing mechanisms in rapidly developing areas of North Texas.
But they affect your overall housing costs, which means you should understand them before buying.
For buyers comparing Star Trail against newer communities with higher effective tax rates or additional assessments, this can make Star Trail particularly interesting.
Jake reported the HOA at approximately $381 per quarter.
That works out to roughly:
$1,524 per year
or approximately:
$127 per month.
HOA dues can change, so buyers should verify the current amount and what’s included before purchasing.
Don’t evaluate an HOA based solely on the annual fee.
Look at the amenities, common-area maintenance and overall community experience you’re receiving in return.
Star Trail is a large community with substantial green space and established amenity areas.
During Jake’s tour, the amenity center was visible directly from the model-home area, and he highlighted the wider streets and overall neighborhood layout.
This is one area where Star Trail can have an advantage over brand-new Prosper and Celina communities.
You’re not simply looking at renderings of what the neighborhood might eventually become.
Much of the community already exists.
The property featured in Jake’s tour is located within Prosper ISD.
For relocation buyers, school-district boundaries should always be verified for the exact address you’re considering.
North Texas city boundaries and school-district boundaries don’t always align.
A Prosper address doesn’t universally guarantee Prosper ISD, just as a Frisco address doesn’t universally guarantee Frisco ISD.
Verify the specific schools before purchasing.
One of Star Trail’s biggest advantages is maturity.
Buyers considering some of Prosper and Celina’s newest communities may have to wait years for:
Star Trail provides a more established environment while still offering newer luxury housing.
The tradeoff is price.
Getting into a community that’s already farther along can cost more than purchasing during the earliest phases of a new development.
This is where relocation buyers need to decide what matters most.
Move farther north into Celina and you may find:
Stay in Prosper and a community like Star Trail may provide:
Neither is universally better.
It depends on your priorities.
Suppose you’re comparing a $950,000 home in Star Trail with an $850,000 home farther north.
At first glance, the $850,000 house appears substantially cheaper.
But now compare:
Property taxes
MUD/PID/MMD assessments
HOA
Commute
Tolls
Builder upgrades
Lot premium
Amenities
Resale competition
The cheaper purchase price may still be the better deal.
Or it may not.
This is why Jake Inderman recommends relocation buyers compare the entire cost and lifestyle, rather than simply sorting Zillow from lowest price to highest.
Star Trail has several compelling advantages.
Established master-planned community: You’re able to see much more of what you’re actually buying into.
Luxury home options: Builders such as Highland Homes provide larger, upgraded floor plans.
Lower tax rate than some newer communities: Jake reported approximately 1.91% at the time of this tour.
No MUD or PID: That’s particularly attractive for buyers trying to minimize special assessments.
Prosper ISD: The featured property is located within Prosper ISD.
Entertainment-focused homes: The model demonstrates the type of larger floor plans available in the community.
Green space and wider streets: These contribute to the neighborhood’s overall feel.
There are tradeoffs.
Higher home prices: This isn’t an entry-level Prosper community.
HOA costs: Approximately $1,524 annually at the time of Jake’s tour should be included in your ownership budget.
Model-home upgrades: The advertised base price won’t necessarily recreate the model.
Less buying power than farther north: Your budget may purchase more house or a larger lot in parts of Celina.
Commute still matters: Prosper is north of Frisco, so buyers commuting south regularly need to test the drive during actual rush hour.
Star Trail may be a strong fit if you:
Star Trail may not be the best fit if you:
The goal isn’t to find the neighborhood everyone says is “best.”
It’s to find the neighborhood that works best for how you actually live.
Star Trail is a master-planned community in Prosper, Texas.
The home featured in Jake Inderman’s tour was built by Highland Homes.
The floor plan had a base price of approximately $962,000 at the time of Jake’s tour. The model contained upgrades, so buyers shouldn’t assume the base price recreates the model exactly.
Jake reported an approximately 1.91% property-tax rate at the time of filming. Buyers should verify current taxes for the exact property they’re considering.
According to Jake’s tour, the featured property had no MUD and no PID.
Jake reported approximately $381 per quarter, or roughly $1,524 annually, at the time of filming.
The property featured in Jake’s tour is in Prosper ISD. Buyers should verify current attendance boundaries for their specific address.
The Highland Homes model Jake toured is particularly well suited for entertaining, with an open kitchen and living area, formal dining, game room, wet bar, media room and large backyard.
Wildlife can occasionally appear throughout North Texas, especially near greenbelts and undeveloped areas. During this particular tour, Jake encountered a young bobcat resting and hunting in the model home’s backyard.
For the right buyer, Star Trail’s biggest advantage isn’t simply the house.
It’s the combination of luxury housing, an established master-planned environment, Prosper ISD, a relatively attractive tax rate and no MUD or PID on the property featured in Jake’s tour.
The Highland Homes model itself delivers a lot:
Four bedrooms.
Two bedrooms downstairs.
Dedicated office.
Open kitchen and living space.
Spa-like primary suite.
Game room.
Wet bar.
Media room.
Large backyard.
And, apparently, the occasional unexpected visitor.
But when deciding whether Star Trail is right for you, don’t get distracted by the model home—or the bobcat.
Look at the numbers and the lifestyle.
Compare the total monthly cost, commute, lot, builder, amenities and surrounding area against the other communities you’re considering.
That’s ultimately what determines whether Star Trail is worth the premium.
Jake Inderman is a Prosper TX Realtor helping buyers relocating to North Texas compare Star Trail and other communities throughout Prosper, Celina and Frisco.
Whether you’re 9 days, 90 days or 9 months away from moving, Jake can help you compare Star Trail with other North Texas options based on your:
Jake Inderman can also help you compare available homes and builder options before you make a trip to North Texas.
Jake Inderman | Prosper TX Realtor
Call/Text: 469-343-2008
Email: jake.inderman@gmail.com