If your company just told you the job is in DFW and you are looking at homes around Southlake, here is the honest picture. A first-quarter move is one of the harder ones. School is in session, your job starts before your house is ready, and Texas has a Jan. 1 tax date that does not care about your start date. None of that is a reason to panic. It is a reason to do things in the right order.
This timeline assumes you are starting now and your family is moving sometime between January and the end of March 2027. Everyone's dates are different, so move the pieces around as needed.
Ask HR what is covered: temporary housing, movers, closing costs on your old home and your new one, and home-sale help. Then ask how it is taxed. IRS Publication 15-B says federal law has permanently eliminated the exclusion for moving expense reimbursements, except for active-duty military and certain intelligence community employees. So for most executives, ask your CPA and HR whether your package is taxable and whether it is grossed up. I would not assume.
At this price you may be over the conforming limit, which is $832,750 at the baseline for a one-unit home in 2026. FHFA had not announced the 2027 limit when I wrote this and last year announced in late November, so ask your lender for the number that applies to your closing date. Jumbo loans work differently. Ask how the lender treats a brand-new job, a relocation offer letter, bonus and stock compensation, and a home you still own. Ask those questions early, because the answers can change your budget.
Texas has no state income tax. It has no state property tax either, but local property taxes are the largest single funding source for community services. Do not let the first fact make you skip the second. Ask for an estimate on any specific home, using the right method, not the seller's bill.
Tell me your commute, your budget, your must-haves and what you would give up. I will not rank schools or tell you where you should live. That is your call, and you should make it from official sources. I can help you compare the practical differences between areas like Southlake, Westlake and Trophy Club.
Since a 2025 change to Texas law, TREC says a license holder needs a written agreement with a prospective buyer before showing residential property. Read it before you sign. It should cover the services, the end date, whether it is exclusive and how compensation works.
Texas appraisal districts value homes as of Jan. 1. If you close after that date and the seller received a homestead exemption for that year, you generally cannot claim yours until the next year. For a 2027 purchase, that may mean no general homestead exemption until 2028. If the seller did not receive it that year, you may be able to get it for the rest of the year. Ask the appraisal district for that county. On a large home, include that year in your budget.
January is also when I would plan a focused trip. Tour by video first, narrow the list, then fly in. If you can, have the inspections and insurance plan lined up before you write an offer.
Your sale matters too. If you own a home elsewhere, decide your order now: buy first or sell first. The downside to buying first is carrying two houses. The downside to selling first is moving twice.
The Texas Education Agency says enrollment is a local process, and each district decides what documents show residency. Districts may ask for a lease, a utility bill or another document, plus immunization records and records establishing your student's identity. So call the district directly and ask.
Here is a detail worth knowing if you are looking at Carroll ISD. Carroll High School says campus tours are by appointment and limited to enrolled students and families with an executed lease or contract on a property within district boundaries. You may not be able to tour that campus before you have a contract. Other campuses and districts set their own rules, so ask each one.
Do not assume a city name tells you the school district. Verify the assignment for the exact address with the district before your option period ends. This matters more than usual right now: Carroll ISD says it will close Durham Intermediate and move to two 6th through 8th grade campuses in August 2027, and that middle school boundaries change with it. So ask which school an address feeds into for 2027-28, not just this year. This post covers what enrollment takes after you buy, and this one covers Carroll ISD.
Once you are under contract, the option period is where the real checking happens. Use it for the inspections and for a real insurance quote, especially on the roof.
A purchase can take a month or more from accepted offer to closing, so a February contract can easily mean a March closing. If you are financing, your lender must give you the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing. The moment you have a closing date, start your Texas list. The order matters more than people expect.
The first quarter is doable. Most of it comes down to knowing which deadline depends on which, and starting early. You can also start with my Southlake guide.
TxDMV says new residents have 30 days to register a vehicle, and Texas allows up to 90 days to keep using a valid out-of-state license. DPS says to register your vehicle first. Check the agencies for your situation.
IRS Publication 15-B says the moving expense reimbursement exclusion was permanently eliminated, except for active-duty military and certain intelligence community employees. Ask your CPA and HR how your package is handled, and whether it is grossed up.
That depends on the district. TEA says enrollment is a local process and each district sets its residency documents. Call the district while you are under contract and ask what they need.
Got a start date? Book a time with me and we can build your timeline around it, or begin with my Southlake area guide.
REALTOR® · BHHS PenFed Realty Texas
I help buyers and sellers across the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex — Fort Worth, Burleson, Southlake, Crowley and Keller, and the surrounding Dallas area. I write these because they are the questions I answer on the phone every week, and most people never get a straight answer to them. If you have one I have not covered, ask me — I will probably turn it into the next post.
