Nothing’s Final ‘Til the Dirt Turns
If you live in North Texas, you know two things: people are always moving here, and traffic keeps getting worse.
The cities, counties, and state can’t build roads fast enough to keep up. And in my line of work—land and lot sales—knowing what roads are planned is part of the job.
Property owners near these proposed roads usually know something’s coming. Once word gets out, their price expectations go up—sometimes way up.
But here’s the catch: just because a road is “planned” doesn’t mean it’s happening any time soon—or at all. Projected dates mean nothing if the money’s not there. And politics can shift everything: the timeline, the location, or whether it gets built at all.
Case in point: the Collin County Outer Loop. It was first announced back in 2010. A few segments are driveable now. The rest? Still on paper.
One of my clients bought land near the “technically preferred alignment” not long ago—well after that 2010 route was released. Fifteen years passed with very little movement. Then, just last month, the county came out with four updated alternatives. Good news: all four ran right by our property. Even better news: it was in a prime spot, potentially on the corner.
So we celebrated—too soon.
Turns out, those four aren’t final. The alignment could still change. And until it’s locked in, we can’t sell. The value depends entirely on where that road ends up.
Another property I handled had a highway interchange announced on it. One proposed route would’ve made the land worthless. The other? Worth millions. Thankfully, it went our way—but it was a stressful ride.
Bottom line: until the dirt is turning, nobody really knows. Not the government, not the engineers, not the landowners—nobody.
Sure, it helps to have the best info you can get. Just don’t bet the farm on it.
Want to know what roads might be planned near your land? I’ll tell you what I know—no charge.
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