on August 18, 2026
I recently toured a three-bedroom new construction home in Legacy Hills with a floor plan starting around $369,000 at the time of filming. The home offers just over 2,100 square feet, 2.5 bathrooms, two separate living spaces, a two-car garage, covered patio, open-concept kitchen and living area, and a surprisingly spacious layout for the price point.
But the house is only part of the story.
Legacy Hills is a massive 3,200-acre development in Celina, Texas. Buyers can find homes at significantly different price points throughout the community, along with planned amenities, golf, and substantial future development.
I’m Jake Inderman, a Celina TX Realtor and North Texas real estate agent helping buyers and relocation clients compare Legacy Hills homes, new construction, builders, taxes, amenities, and communities throughout Celina, Prosper, and Frisco.
If you’re considering moving to Celina TX, here’s what you should know about buying a more affordable new construction home in Legacy Hills.
**Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/BasElN1RDz0
Legacy Hills is one of the largest new master-planned developments in Celina.
At approximately 3,200 acres, this isn’t a small neighborhood that’s going to have a few hundred homes and a community pool.
Legacy Hills is being developed on a massive scale.
That creates opportunities for buyers at several different price points, including people who want to get into Celina without spending $600,000, $800,000, or more on a home.
The community also has golf and planned amenities, while substantial portions of Legacy Hills are still being developed.
That last point is important.
You’re not simply buying the community you see today. You’re also buying into what Legacy Hills is planned to become.
One of the biggest reasons this particular home caught my attention was the price.
At the time of my tour, this floor plan started at approximately $369,000 when building from the ground up.
For new construction in Celina, that’s a compelling entry point.
However, there is an important distinction between a builder’s starting price and what you’ll actually spend.
The home I toured included upgrades.
If you wanted to recreate the finishes and options in the model, I estimated you’d likely end up above $400,000.
That’s why buyers need to be careful when they see a builder advertising a home “starting at” a certain number.
If you see a Legacy Hills home advertised as starting at $369,000, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to walk out with the model home for $369,000.
Your final price can include:
This is one of the biggest mistakes I see new-construction buyers make.
Don’t fall in love with a model home and assume everything you’re looking at is included.
Ask what the house costs as shown.
The home featured in my tour has three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, just over 2,100 square feet, and two separate living areas.
That’s what impressed me most about the floor plan.
A 2,100-square-foot house can feel cramped when the builder tries to fit too much into it.
This one doesn’t.
The layout includes:
For a buyer moving out of an apartment, downsizing from a larger home, or simply trying to get into Celina at a lower price point, it’s a very functional layout.
The downstairs living area is open and has much taller ceilings than I would typically expect at this price point.
You also get an accent wall extending upward toward the second floor.
The upstairs game room overlooks the downstairs living area, which makes the house feel larger and more open.
That’s a major positive aesthetically.
There is one tradeoff.
Because the two living spaces are open to one another, sound can travel between them.
If someone is watching a movie downstairs while someone else is watching television or gaming upstairs, you’re probably going to hear each other.
It’s not necessarily a dealbreaker, but it’s the kind of practical detail buyers should think about.
The model I toured has a much darker interior design than many of the new construction homes I’ve shown throughout Celina.
Personally, I like it.
The home combines darker countertops and cabinetry with gold fixtures and darker accents.
The kitchen also has a black sink, while the primary bathroom continues some of those darker finishes with gold fixtures.
It’s definitely going to be a love-it-or-hate-it design.
But remember: you’re evaluating the floor plan separately from the finishes.
If you love the layout but hate the dark interior, don’t automatically eliminate the home.
Different finish options may be available depending on the builder, inventory, and stage of construction.
The kitchen is another area where this home delivers a surprising amount for the price.
Features shown during my tour include:
One thing it doesn’t have is soft-close cabinetry.
Again, that’s part of the tradeoff when you’re shopping at a more affordable new-construction price point.
I’d rather show buyers what they’re actually getting than pretend every home is perfect.
Storage is surprisingly good throughout the home.
The pantry is larger than I normally expect to see at this price point.
There’s also storage under the stairs, a coat closet, upstairs storage, secondary-bedroom closets, and a good-sized primary closet.
None of these features are going to make a great real estate thumbnail.
But they’re the features you appreciate after you’ve lived in the house for six months.
The primary bedroom is located on the first floor near the front of the home.
It’s a large room with enough space for substantial bedroom furniture.
The location at the front of the house will be a preference issue.
Some buyers don’t care.
Others strongly prefer the primary suite to be positioned toward the rear of the home for additional separation from the street.
This is exactly why touring a floor plan in person matters.
A floor-plan drawing doesn’t always communicate what it actually feels like to live in the space.
The primary bathroom continues the darker design theme.
It includes a walk-in shower with both a rain shower head and a standard shower head, gold fixtures, dark finishes, and a walk-in closet.
One thing I would have liked to see is a built-in shower bench.
Depending on the builder and construction stage, that may be something worth asking about as an upgrade.
The second living area is upstairs.
This could work as a:
For a three-bedroom home at approximately 2,100 square feet, having a legitimate second living area gives the floor plan much more flexibility.
That’s one of the biggest reasons I like this house.
The other two bedrooms are upstairs.
They share a spacious bathroom with one sink.
The bedrooms aren’t enormous, and the closets are smaller than the primary closet, but they’re functional.
One bedroom also benefits from additional natural light.
Again, you’re going to make some compromises at this price point.
The important question isn’t whether every bedroom is perfect.
It’s whether the overall floor plan gives you the features that matter most to your household.
The laundry room was another surprise.
It’s substantially larger than I expected for a home in this price range.
There’s room for full-size appliances, shelving, and additional storage.
You also have a convenient drop-zone/hanging area when entering from the garage.
These are small functional features that can make a home much easier to live in every day.
The home has a standard two-car garage.
Two vehicles can fit, but depending on what you drive, space for opening doors and moving around may be tight.
That’s common in many North Texas new construction homes.
If you drive a full-size truck or large SUV, don’t assume a “two-car garage” automatically works for you.
Measure it before you buy.
Despite the lower price point, you still get a decent backyard and covered patio.
The yard wraps around the home and provides usable outdoor space.
The home also has a rear-entry garage configuration.
For buyers with dogs, children, or anyone who simply doesn’t want to give up having a yard to get into a lower-priced new construction home, that’s a meaningful advantage.
Legacy Hills isn’t simply a collection of affordable homes.
The larger development includes golf and planned community amenities.
That’s important because the long-term vision for Legacy Hills is much bigger than what buyers may see during an initial drive through the neighborhood.
The tradeoff is timing.
Legacy Hills is still developing.
Some buyers love the idea of getting into a community early.
Others would rather pay more to move into a neighborhood where everything is already complete.
Neither approach is wrong.
During my tour, I referenced the HOA as being around $1,200 per year, although I specifically noted that I wanted to double-check the figure.
For that reason, I would not treat $1,200 as a guaranteed current HOA amount.
HOA dues can also vary by section.
Before purchasing any Legacy Hills home, verify:
The exact address matters.
One of the biggest advantages Legacy Hills has is the range of housing options.
If you’re shopping in Celina around the $400,000 price point, you’re looking at a very different set of communities and homes than someone shopping at $800,000 or $1 million.
Legacy Hills gives buyers the ability to consider a major master-planned development without necessarily starting at the luxury price points associated with some other Celina communities.
Other communities I would potentially compare include:
The right comparison depends on your budget.
This is probably one of the most important questions for relocation buyers.
Legacy Hills is farther north than many popular Celina communities.
That’s part of the reason buyers may be able to get more home for their money.
You’re trading some convenience for value.
If you work from home, that may not matter much.
If you’re commuting to Prosper or Frisco, it may still be manageable depending on your workplace.
If you’re commuting to Dallas every day, that’s a very different conversation.
In my tour, I specifically noted that a Dallas commute could exceed an hour each way.
If you’re relocating to North Texas and working in Dallas, I wouldn’t choose Legacy Hills solely because you can get a newer or larger home for less money.
Drive the commute first.
Actually get in the car during the hours you’d be traveling.
A $50,000 savings on a house may sound fantastic until you’re spending two or more hours every weekday commuting.
Your time has value.
The equation changes if you work in Frisco or Prosper.
You’re still farther north, but your commute isn’t necessarily as significant as someone traveling all the way into Dallas.
This is where Legacy Hills becomes much more compelling for certain buyers.
You may be able to trade some commute time for:
That’s a reasonable trade for the right person.
Another major reason to consider new construction is builder incentives.
Builders sometimes offer incentives on inventory homes that aren’t available when building from the ground up.
Depending on the builder and current market, incentives could potentially include:
In my video, I shared an example of helping a family negotiate $15,000 off the list price along with $25,000 in builder credit on a transaction.
That does not mean every buyer will receive the same deal.
Builder incentives change constantly.
But it demonstrates why you shouldn’t simply walk into a sales office, see the advertised price, and assume that’s the end of the negotiation.
There are two primary ways to buy new construction.
You can build from the ground up, or you can purchase a builder inventory/spec home.
Building gives you more control over selections and options.
But it may also come with a higher finished price and fewer incentives.
A completed or nearly completed inventory home may give you less customization but potentially stronger incentives if the builder wants it sold.
Neither option is always better.
It depends on your timeline, priorities, and the builder’s current inventory.
I strongly recommend having your own representation when buying from a builder.
The builder has representatives working for the builder’s interests.
Your Realtor can help you evaluate:
And importantly, we can help compare the builder’s deal against other builders and communities.
A $20,000 incentive sounds great until you discover another community gives you a better home and monthly payment without needing the incentive.
Legacy Hills may be a strong fit if you want:
It may be less attractive if you need to commute into Dallas every day or want to live in a completely finished and established community.
Legacy Hills is a large master-planned development in Celina, Texas.
The development is approximately 3,200 acres based on the information discussed in my home tour.
Yes. At the time of my tour, the featured three-bedroom floor plan started at approximately $369,000 before upgrades. Pricing changes, so buyers should verify current builder inventory.
The Legacy Hills floor plan featured in my tour started below $400,000 at the time of filming. Whether options remain available below that price today depends on current builder pricing, inventory, lot premiums, and incentives.
Golf is part of the Legacy Hills community discussed during my tour.
The home had three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, two living areas, and just over 2,100 square feet.
Potentially. Buyers who work remotely may be able to take advantage of Legacy Hills’ farther-north location and lower entry prices without dealing with a daily commute south.
It depends on your tolerance for commuting. In my tour, I noted that the drive could exceed an hour each way. I’d recommend testing the commute during actual work hours before purchasing.
Builder incentives may be available depending on the builder, home, inventory, lender, and current promotion. They can change frequently.
For the right buyer, I think Legacy Hills offers an interesting value proposition.
You’re getting access to a massive Celina master-planned community while still having home options at price points below some of the area’s more established or luxury communities.
The specific home I toured demonstrates that well.
Just over 2,100 square feet, three bedrooms, two living areas, tall ceilings, a large kitchen, upstairs game room, covered patio, backyard, and modern finishes at a floor-plan starting price around $369,000 at the time of filming is compelling.
But don’t buy based solely on price.
You have to decide whether the farther-north location works for your daily life.
If you’re saving money on the home but adding hours to your weekly commute, the tradeoff may not be worth it.
If you work remotely or commute into Prosper or Frisco and want newer construction at a lower entry point, Legacy Hills could make a lot of sense.
I’m Jake Inderman, a Celina TX Realtor and North Texas real estate agent helping buyers and relocation clients navigate Legacy Hills and other communities throughout Celina, Prosper, and Frisco.
I help buyers compare new construction, inventory homes, builders, builder incentives, property taxes, PID/MUD costs, HOA dues, amenities, commute times, lot sizes, and the true monthly cost of buying a home in North Texas.
If you’re moving to Celina TX in the next 9 days or 9 months, reach out. I can help you compare Legacy Hills homes with other Celina communities and determine which home and neighborhood actually fit your budget and lifestyle.
Jake Inderman | Celina TX Realtor
Call/Text: 469-343-2008
Email: jake.inderman@gmail.com