Fort Worth skyline and bridges over the Trinity River at sunset, with cyclists on the path

Buying a home in
Dallas

Q: Does the 2025 Texas law stop a European from buying a home?

Not as such. SB 17, in force since 1 September 2025, bars people and companies linked to 'designated countries' from buying real property in Texas, including homes. The statute defines those countries by reference to US intelligence threat assessments or the governor's designation, and it names no EU or UK state. The point to check is nationality: a citizen of a designated country who lives in a third country can be caught. If that could be you, take Texas legal advice before signing.

Q: Why is the tax bill so high when Texas has no income tax?

Local government is paid for through property tax instead. The city, county, school district, college and sometimes a special district each charge their own rate on the appraised value. In Frisco those rates add up to about 1.68% of value, which is roughly $8,400 a year on a $500,000 home before any exemption. The school district matters most: it is the largest single rate, and neighbouring districts differ by hundreds of dollars a year.

Q: How worried should I be about hail?

Enough to get insurance quotes before you make an offer. In September 2025 NBC DFW reported that complaints to the Texas Department of Insurance about non-renewals rose from 79 in 2023 to 190 in 2024, and that a roof in North Texas can cost $20,000 to $30,000 to replace. Ask the age and type of the roof, whether it is insured at replacement cost or depreciated value, and what the hail deductible is.

Q: Do I need a lawyer to buy in Texas?

Not by law. Closings run through a licensed title company with an escrow officer, and the Texas Land Title Association says an attorney is not required for the transaction itself when the parties deal directly. Title insurance prices are set by the state insurance commissioner and are the same at every company, so you choose on service. Many cross-border buyers still hire their own attorney to read the contract and the title report.

Q: Can I let my Dallas home on Airbnb?

Possibly, but check the address. Fort Worth does not allow short-term rental in residential districts. Dallas adopted zoning and registration rules in 2023, but a court injunction has stopped their enforcement since December 2023 and the case is not closed, so the position can change. Homeowners' associations can forbid letting whatever the city allows. If rental income is part of the plan, do not rely on it.

Dallas-Fort Worth is a market built around employers. Europeans mostly arrive because a company has moved them, and they find homes that cost far less per square metre than on the coasts. What surprises them is the property tax, the hail insurance and a state law on foreign buyers that is narrower than it sounds.

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Everything about buying in Dallas-Fort Worth

Short answers on this page. The full guide has the detail, the figures and the sources.

The purchase and the loan

How a purchase runs here and which loans fit.

How a purchase closes in Texas
The 2025 Texas law on foreign buyers
Financing in Dallas-Fort Worth

Prices, taxes and insurance

What homes cost and what you pay on top.

What homes cost
Property tax is how Texas pays for local government
Homestead exemption and the 10% cap
New communities: MUD and PID charges
Hail, wind and insurance
Taxes if you do not live in the United States

Letting and living

Rental rules, local life and how to get there.

If you plan to let it
Getting home

Read the full guide

Who moves here from Europe

The Dallas Regional Chamber counts 24 Fortune 500 headquarters in the region in 2026. Its economic development guide names Texas Instruments, AT&T, American Airlines, Kimberly-Clark, Toyota and McKesson as household names, and lists regional operations of Ericsson, Nokia, Airbus Helicopters, STMicroelectronics, Atos, UBS, Galderma, Tetra Pak and Hilti. It also lists banks and asset managers such as Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Fidelity, and aerospace firms such as Lockheed Martin and Bell Textron.

That mix of finance, telecoms, aviation and semiconductors explains who arrives. A European employee is usually moved by the employer, either within the same group on an L-1 visa or on an H-1B that a US company sponsors. They come with a US salary and no US credit history, which can still support a conventional loan with preparation. See how your visa decides the loan. Households then choose between Dallas itself and suburbs such as Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Irving and Southlake, and the tax bill depends on which one.

Stone homes with clay tile roofs and landscaped gardens on a quiet street in Dallas, Texas

Dallas-Fort Worth at a glance

Figures last checked: 4 October 2026

This is not a lending decision: a US specialist confirms what applies to your own situation.

Median sale price	$448,703 in the city of Dallas, all home types, three months to August 2026, at about $237 per square foot (Redfin).
Loan limit 2026	$832,750 for a one-unit home in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties (FHFA). Above that is a jumbo loan.
Property tax	In Frisco, the rates listed for fiscal year 2027 add up to about 1.68% of value a year before exemptions (City of Frisco). A homestead exemption and a 10% cap apply only to a principal residence (Texas Comptroller, October 2026).
Short-term rental	Fort Worth: not allowed in residential districts, registration required. Dallas: its 2023 rules are halted by a court injunction (city pages, October 2026).
Foreign-buyer law	Texas SB 17, in force since 1 September 2025, restricts buyers tied to 'designated countries'. It names no EU or UK state (Texas Legislature, enrolled text).
Flights home	American Airlines added nonstops to Athens and Zurich for summer 2026, both seasonal (American Airlines, announced August 2025). Check the airport for the full list.

White arched Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge with a Texas flag and the Dallas skyline

Terraced formal garden with a fountain, hedges and stone steps in Fort Worth, Texas

Stone house with a round tower, tile roof and blossoming tree in Dallas, Texas

Cyclists ride along a paved riverside trail with downtown Fort Worth in the distance

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Before you make an offer in Dallas-Fort Worth

Find the school district and add up every tax rate for the address.
Ask whether the property is in a MUD or a PID and get the notice and annual amount.
Check whether you will qualify for the homestead exemption and when to apply.
Get home insurance quotes, including roof age and the hail deductible, before your option period ends.
Confirm that you are not caught by Texas SB 17, especially if you hold a second nationality.
Choose the title company and consider an independent attorney.
Tell the lender how you will use the home.
Confirm the short-term rental position and the association's rules in writing if you plan to let.
Ask a cross-border tax adviser about US rental income, sale withholding and estate tax.

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Questions people moving from Europe ask

Does the 2025 Texas law stop a European from buying a home?

Why is the tax bill so high when Texas has no income tax?

How worried should I be about hail?

Do I need a lawyer to buy in Texas?

Can I let my Dallas home on Airbnb?

Continue your research

Sources (16)

Figures and rules on this page were checked against these sources on 4 October 2026. Rates, prices and local rules change, so confirm anything you rely on before you commit.

Buying a home inDallas