Lisa Ross Real Estate

09/23/2026

Cities just wrapped their annual budget processes. This is a year round process with months of discussions, public hearings, citizen input and a lot of work from city staff behind the scenes. Frisco staff has always done an extraordinary job of looking years into the future, not just on an annual basis.

People naturally focus on the expense line items, and that matters. Those choices are real. But building a budget is not just about line items. It is an annual step in a long-term vision of building a community. Often lost in the public discussion each year is how investments in economic development are the engine that makes that vision go.

Here is one way to see part of that story. Compare the city tax bill, and factor in homestead.

On a $500,000 home, City of Frisco TX - City Hall has the lowest city tax bill among these six cities after the general homestead exemption.

That did not happen by accident. It has been a long term plan to grow our tax base so our Homestead Exemption could be implemented and the rate could be lowered.

Over time, Frisco and Plano built more diversified tax bases. Commercial property. Sales tax. Tourism. That mix helps pay for services and amenities residents love. Frisco TX EDC has been a big part of growing that base.

Think about what that engine has helped support:
• The Library
• Northwest Community Park just opened, with real excitement around what it means for everyday Frisco Play Frisco - Parks & Recreation
• Huge progress is being made on Grand Park and the lake is being dug now
• Frisco on the Green is under design
• Neighborhood parks and older park reinvestments that often get less attention but matter just as much
• The Downtown Plaza is now open
• Toyota Stadium is under major renovations and today was the public announcement of a mix use district being planned similar to the outdoor areas like the Star

Tourism is part of that same story. Visit Frisco, TX helped Frisco cross 8 million visitors for the first time last year. These residents help fill our hotels and restaurants and shop in our retailers. It also helps grow our brand across the country. Next year, the eyes of the world will be on Frisco with the PGA Championship.

One distinction that matters to me: every tourism project has always aimed to serve our residents first. Our student athletes get to play at Toyota Stadium, The Star, and PGA Frisco. Our kids will grow up with Universal Kids as part of their daily lives. Kids can be raised here, go to college here, and look for high-quality jobs here.

A lot of people assume the cities with the highest amenities will have the highest taxes. It is usually the opposite. Communities that keep investing in themselves create a self-fulfilling cycle.

Budgets are set and planning already begins for the next year. Now every city is competing on the same question: what’s next?

I am excited to watch what each one comes up with.

09/23/2026

Hello Fall! 🍁

09/10/2026

THE 9 D’S OF REAL ESTATE — WEEK 6

💼 D is for DREAM JOB

You got the dream job.

🎉 More money.
🎉 More opportunity.
🎉 More responsibility.

And then you realize…

Your new dream job is 62 miles from your house.

Well, shoot. 😂

Now you’re spending three hours a day in traffic questioning every decision that brought you here.

So you start looking at houses.

Closer to work.
Different school district.
Maybe a smaller house.
Maybe a bigger one.
Maybe land.
Maybe a completely different city.

Because sometimes getting the job you always wanted creates a real estate problem you never saw coming.

And that’s okay.

Just don’t quit the dream job because you hate the commute.

Let’s figure out the real estate part first. 😉

The 9 D’s — because life changes. Your real estate should be able to change with it.

09/10/2026

🚧 The US 380 Bypass is going to change the McKinney-area real estate map.

If you own land or have been thinking about buying land along the US 380 corridor, this is something you should be paying attention to.

The selected Blue Alternative for the US 380 bypass will run from the Coit Road area, around the north side of McKinney, across the US 75/SH 5 area, and eventually reconnect with US 380 near FM 1827/New Hope Road.

And this isn’t just a line on a planning map anymore. TxDOT has already acquired portions of the right-of-way, while additional parcel acquisitions and ROW work continue.

The project involves hundreds of affected parcels and hundreds of acres of new right-of-way. That means some properties will lose land to the corridor, while others could find themselves sitting very close to a future major freeway, interchange or frontage-road system.

For landowners, developers and investors, the question isn’t simply “Where will the highway go?”

It’s:

What happens to the land around it?

Access. Visibility. Commercial potential. Development pressure. Traffic patterns. And, potentially, land values.

I’ve been digging into the parcel-level information along the corridor from Coit Road to New Hope/FM 1827, including the larger acreage tracts and properties affected by the proposed ROW.

If you own property in this area or you’re considering buying land here,I’d be happy to help you understand where your property sits in relation to the planned bypass.

This is one of those infrastructure projects that could have a BIG impact on the future of McKinney-area real estate. 👀🏡

07/13/2026

THE 9 D’s OF REAL ESTATE
Week 5: Diapers 👶🍼

People don’t always move because they’re looking for a bigger house.

Sometimes… they’re making room for a bigger family. ❤️

One positive pregnancy test can change everything.

That cozy starter home suddenly feels a little smaller. A spare bedroom becomes a nursery. Priorities shift from trendy neighborhoods to great schools, safe streets, parks, and enough space for little feet to run.

The arrival of a baby isn’t just about adding a crib.

It’s about creating a home where new memories will begin.

Whether it’s your first child, twins, or grandchildren moving in, “Diapers” is one of the happiest reasons families call a Realtor.

Buying a home during this exciting season also comes with a lot of questions:
🏡 Should you buy now or wait?
💰 How much house can you comfortably afford?
📚 Which neighborhoods offer the schools and lifestyle you want?
📦 How do you coordinate buying, selling, and preparing for a new baby?

After helping North Texas families through every stage of life for decades, I understand that this isn’t just another transaction.

It’s the beginning of your family’s next chapter.

If “Diapers” are changing your future, I’d be honored to help you find the place where your story grows.

📞 Let’s talk about what’s next.

— Lisa Ross, REALTOR®

06/10/2026

The 9 D’s of Real Estate — Week 4: Downsizing

This one surprises people. Because downsizing isn’t about giving something up. It’s about making room for what’s next!

Over the years, I’ve met people who thought they were leaving behind a home they loved. What they discovered was that they were gaining something even more valuable: freedom.

Less maintenance.
Less cleaning.
Less expense.
Less time spent taking care of things.

More time for family.
More travel.
More experiences.
More living.

The truth is, a home that was perfect for one season of life isn’t always the right fit for the next.

And that’s okay.

Downsizing isn’t a step backward.

It’s often one of the most intentional and empowering decisions people make.

If you’ve been looking around your house lately and wondering whether it’s still serving your lifestyle, it may be time for a conversation.

Not because you have to move.

But because it’s worth knowing your options.

— Lisa Ross
Brokered by JPAR
8560 Bellevue, Suite 215
Plano, TX 75024
📞 214-718-6000

06/01/2026

People don’t usually say it out loud.

But debt changes everything.

It changes how people sleep at night.
It changes conversations at the kitchen table.
It changes what feels possible
and what feels stuck.

After years in North Texas real estate, I’ve seen this version of the “move” more than most people realize!

Sometimes people aren’t moving toward something better.
They’re moving because staying has become too heavy.

We call it Debt
the third of the 9 D’s of Real Estate.

It doesn’t always look dramatic from the outside.
Sometimes it’s credit cards.
Sometimes it’s medical bills.
Sometimes it’s business pressure.
Sometimes it’s just years of catching up that never quite happened.

And eventually, the house becomes part of the equation.

Not because it’s the problem.
But because it’s where the solution has to start.

For some people, selling becomes a reset.
A way to breathe again.
A way to simplify.
A way to stop surviving month to month and start rebuilding something stable.

There’s no shame in that.

Just reality.

And if you’re there, or close to there, you’re not alone in it.

Over the next few weeks, I’m continuing through the 9 D’s with honest conversations about what actually drives people to move here in North Texas.

Pull up a chair. We’re talking about the real stuff now.

— Lisa Ross, the real estate agent formally known as Lisa Carroll.

05/28/2026

I totally agree…enough is enough!

The argument that property taxes fund schools and roads and services is true.

The argument that an 85-year-old on a fixed income should be paying $15,000 a year to keep living in their own paid-off house is where that logic starts to break down.

Property taxes are one of the oldest and most stable sources of government funding in America. They pay for things that matter.

Public schools, local infrastructure, emergency services, and community resources are all largely funded by property tax revenue. That part of the system is real and it works.

But the system has a flaw that nobody designed intentionally and almost nobody is fixing.

Property tax bills go up as home values go up. Assessments rise with the market. And the person living in that home doesn't have to have sold anything, made anything, or received any new income for their bill to increase. Their wealth is theoretical. Their tax bill is due in January.

A retired couple who bought their home in New Jersey in 1988 for $120,000 is now sitting in a house assessed at $650,000.

Their property tax bill has climbed from $2,000 a year to $12,000. Their Social Security income is $2,800 a month combined.

They are paying $1,000 a month in property taxes on a house they own outright and haven't changed in 30 years.

They're not rich. They're house-rich and cash-poor. And the bill keeps going up.

Most states have some version of senior property tax relief. Homestead exemptions, senior freezes, circuit breaker credits.

The problem is that these programs are income-limited, require active enrollment, are chronically underfunded, and get quietly cut when state budgets tighten.

The people who need them most are often the least equipped to navigate the paperwork to access them.

You can believe in property taxes as a funding mechanism and still believe the system needs meaningful reform for people on fixed incomes who have nowhere left to go.

Those two things are not in conflict.

05/21/2026

The 9 D’s of Real Estate Week 2: Death

This one is difficult.

People don’t move because they want to. Sometimes they move because life changed in a way they never wanted or expected.

Losing someone you love changes everything.

And when a home becomes part of that process, it can feel overwhelming. A house isn’t just walls and square footage…it holds holidays, routines, memories, and pieces of a life that mattered.

One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that people going through this season rarely need pressure.

They need patience.
They need information.
They need someone who can help them understand what comes next.

If you or someone you know is navigating this chapter, know this: you don’t have to have all the answers today.

Sometimes the next step is simply having a conversation.

— Lisa Ross, Realtor
📞 214-718-6000
📍 8560 Bellevue, Suite 215 | Plano, TX 75024
Brokered by JPAR

05/12/2026

The condo market has become a lot more complicated than people think. Between lending changes, insurance issues, and HOA requirements, these deals can look very different today than they used to. Passing along an article with some helpful information for agents trying to navigate it all. ✨

If you’ve got condo buyers or sellers in your pipeline, there are some significant federal rule changes coming that could directly affect whether deals close. These aren’t hypothetical. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac published updated guidelines on March 18, 2026, with specific effective dates, and ...