Mike Browning

Tag: Collin County Land Sales

  • How To Spend A Bunch Of Money And Learn Nothing

    How To Spend A Bunch Of Money And Learn Nothing

    Or maybe they are learning something, just not what they are telling you.

    Last week I had some furniture delivered. Everything went fine. The crew showed up on time, did a clean install, didn’t leave a mess. No issues at all.

    As they were wrapping up, one of them handed me a card and said something like, “You’ll be getting a survey soon. If you don’t mind giving us a 10, we’d appreciate it. Anything less counts against us.”

    You’ve probably heard that line before. Car dealers do it. Appliance installers. Pretty much anywhere there’s a big ticket and a follow-up form.

    It’s almost always the same thing: please fill out the survey, and by the way, if you don’t give us a perfect score, we get dinged for it.

    I get what they’re trying to do, but it’s hard to see how that kind of setup gives you any useful feedback. Once someone frames it that way, most people are going to give the 10 just to avoid causing trouble for the person who asked. Even if the experience was just okay, you don’t want to be the reason they get written up.

    And that’s the problem. If the only acceptable score is a 10, it’s not really a survey anymore. It’s just another checkbox. Nobody’s learning anything from it.

    So why do companies keep doing it?

    Sometimes it’s just corporate box-checking. They want to make sure the tech handed out the card or said the line they were supposed to. Other times, it gives management an easy way to say, “Look at our scores, everything’s great,” whether it actually is or not.

    And it might be something else too. A way to tag the people who respond. Someone who takes the time to leave a score, especially a perfect one, might be more likely to respond to future offers, or more likely to say yes to something else down the road.

    Whatever the reason, I don’t think it’s helping them get better at what they do.

    It’s probably helping them feel better about what they already are.

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  • It’s Not a Vending Machine

    Give, and it will be given back. But not always how you think.

    Luke 6:38 says:

    “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

    That verse is true.

    It’s also one of the most misused verses in the Bible.

    A lot of people read it as a formula.
    Give money.
    Get more money back.
    Preferably a lot more.

    That interpretation sounds appealing.
    It also sounds suspiciously convenient.

    Because if that’s what Jesus meant, the whole thing falls apart under even light scrutiny.

    If giving money reliably produced a guaranteed twenty-fold return, the people preaching it wouldn’t be asking you for money.
    They’d be giving you money.
    They’d be chasing you down to do it.

    The fact that they aren’t tells you something.

    The problem isn’t the verse.
    It’s the assumption that “given back” has to mean “in kind.”

    Jesus doesn’t say you’ll get back the same thing you gave.
    He says it will be given to you.

    Sometimes that’s provision.
    Sometimes it’s peace.
    Sometimes it’s relationships.
    Sometimes it’s freedom from fear, or a loosened grip on money altogether.

    And yes, sometimes it may be financial.
    But that’s not the promise.

    Turning generosity into a transaction misses the point.
    It turns trust into strategy.

    Less scrupulous churches and charities lean on that misunderstanding. Not always maliciously. Sometimes because people want to hear it. But it still takes advantage of the same confusion.

    Giving isn’t a trick to get rich.
    It’s a way of learning who you actually trust.

    If you give expecting a payout, you’re still clinging to control.
    If you give because it’s right, the return takes care of itself.

    Just not always in the way you’d script.

    P.S. If you want to read Scripture regularly, without anyone telling you what to think about it, I also run a separate site called His Word Together. It’s just the readings, posted each week. You can find it here:

    HisWordTogether.com

  • Ideas Are Worthless Without Action

    Ideas Are Worthless Without Action

    Everything starts with thinking, but if you stop there nothing ever happens.

    If you have any interest in personal development or success literature, books about getting better at things, business, or life in general, you have probably heard of Earl Nightingale. He was one of the first people in that space.

    A lot of his material is on YouTube now. Originally, it was on records.

    One of the programs he had was Lead the Field. In it, he talked about the idea that your success, or your compensation, is directly related to the amount of service you give to other people. He also said that if someone spent an hour every day simply thinking about how they could improve their service to others in what they do, they would never want for customers or money.

    That is true as far as it goes. But it is not enough.

    Thinking is not enough. You have to do something.

    You have to act on those thoughts, which is what most people do not do. They come up with big plans about how they are going to serve people, but they never follow through. Most of the time, they do not even do the small things.

    When you look at really successful people, you can usually break it down to one to three things they do every day. Those things are often repetitive and boring. They would drive most people crazy.

    The difference is that these people either love doing them or are willing to do them anyway. Think of an athlete who trains every day, running the same drills over and over until they are great.

    Most of us could not stick with that.

    The same thing shows up in business. One thing I do every day is track comps on lots and acreage in North Texas.

    It is not the most exciting thing in the world. Not necessarily fun. And when there are other pressing matters it is something that would be easy to skip. But I was able to train myself to do it every day where it doesn’t pile up.

    Or at least every weekday.

    After sticking to it and doing it for several years, I now have an invaluable resource. When someone asks me what something is worth, or what has sold around it, I can tell them quickly. I do not have to spend hours digging for answers.

    Which helps landowners too. Which in turn helps me even more. All because I didn’t just have the idea, I acted on it.

    If you own lots or land and want to see it in action, get started here:

    Get Started

    PS – If this was useful, feel free to forward it to someone who might need it.

  • Downtown McKinney Investors: Read This Before the Right Deal Is Already Gone

    Downtown McKinney Investors: Read This Before the Right Deal Is Already Gone

    If this sounds like you, you’ll want to hear this.

    If you’ve been watching what’s happening in and around downtown McKinney, you already know this:

    The deals that matter rarely show up when everyone else sees them.

    They get quietly spoken for.

    They change hands before a listing ever circulates.

    And when they finally surface publicly, the story is already written — usually with someone else’s name attached to it.

    You don’t miss these opportunities because you weren’t interested.

    You miss them because you heard about them too late.

    And if you’re honest, you’ve probably watched at least one downtown redevelopment pick up attention, praise, and momentum… while thinking, “That should have been mine.”

    This message is for a very specific kind of buyer.

    Investors and redevelopers actively focused on downtown McKinney, who understand the value of location, timing, and reputation — not just price per foot.

    People who recognize the advantage of an almost half-acre in-town property, with just under 8,000 square feet, that is usable or leaseable today, producing income to help with carry while redevelopment plans are worked through.

    People with the financial capacity and intent to close a transaction in the $1.5M range, without needing to “circle back,” line up partners, or wait for perfect conditions.

    If that sounds like you, keep reading.

    If you’re a tire-kicker, a dreamer, or someone who needs endless deliberation before acting, stop here.

    This is not a concept.
    It’s not a someday idea.

    And it’s not a speculative land play for people who want upside without decisiveness.

    Here’s what is happening.

    Before any property like this is publicly offered, there is a short window where serious buyers can position themselves to see it Day 1 — quietly, cleanly, and without competition theater.

    That window exists right now for a downtown McKinney property with existing income and meaningful redevelopment upside.

    Details will be made available soon.

    If you want immediate notice when information becomes available, sign up below and put yourself on the priority list:

    This isn’t a listing.
    It’s not promotional.

    It’s simply a way to raise your hand and identify yourself as someone who understands how these opportunities actually trade.

    If you want Day 1 notice — and only if you meet the criteria — enter your info below to place yourself on the priority list.

    Do not wait for a public offering.
    Do not assume you’ll hear about it later.

    Decide if you belong on the list — before someone else is already ahead of you.

    Go now.
    Get on the list.

    Put Me On The List!

    By submitting, I understand I will receive marketing emails and blog posts from Mike Browning Realty and/or associated companies. Unsubscribe at any time.

  • The Market Doesn’t Care What You “Need” It to Be

    The Market Doesn’t Care What You “Need” It to Be

    It’s not personal. It’s just the truth.

    It’s the single biggest reason sellers feel disappointed: they confuse personal math with market math.

    You might want a certain number for completely reasonable reasons:

    • To pay off debt
    • To match what your neighbor got
    • To “at least break even”
    • To fund something else
    • Or because that’s what you planned on getting

    But the market doesn’t ask for your spreadsheet.
    It doesn’t account for sunk cost, family history, or fairness.

    It prices based on what a willing buyer will pay today.
    And ignoring that doesn’t punish the market. It punishes the seller.

    I see it all the time:
    A seller insists on a number because they “need” it.
    Buyers pass.
    Time drags on.
    Other listings get seen.
    Leverage slips.
    Then after months of silence, a real offer finally comes in…
    but it’s lower than it could have been if they’d priced right from the start.

    This isn’t about being cold. It’s about being smart.

    You can absolutely hope for a stronger offer.
    You can wait if the current market doesn’t align with your goals, especially if you’re not living on the land.

    But if selling now would help you accomplish something — lighten your load, free up capital, simplify your estate, close a chapter —
    then the real number is the one worth understanding.

    Realism doesn’t eliminate regret. But it usually reduces it.
    Because unlike optimism, realism leaves you with clarity, clean decisions, and forward movement.

    The market doesn’t argue with you.
    It just waits.

    If you’ve got lots or acreage and want a clear, no-fluff look at where things stand, that’s what I do.

    Not a sales pitch. Just a decision tool.

    Click Here For Lots

    Click Here For Acreage

  • 4+ Acres in the City. Now with More Flexible Timing.

    4+ Acres in the City. Now with More Flexible Timing.

    (Yes, you can still have a horse.)

    I wrote about this one a few weeks ago — but it’s worth your time to take another look.

    Because a few things have changed.

    But first, the basics:

    4.38 acres in Flower Mound — asking $1.249M.

    That number holds up. Check the comps and you’ll see it’s right in line.

    And no, this isn’t one of those “estates” crammed between flag lots pretending to be private.

    There are two flag lots next door — carved off from this tract years ago — but this is the original parcel.

    It lays right, sits right, and has the kind of frontage and build site the others just don’t.

    Perfect for a trophy home or legacy build — the kind you don’t just dream about… you actually plan.

    There’s a house on the property now.
    It’s in decent condition — not a teardown by necessity. But it’s not the play.

    Might make sense as:

    • A guest house
    • Caretaker setup
    • Or temp quarters while you build
    • (all subject to city approval)

    But the draw here is the dirt.

    The Update:

    When this first came to market, the sellers were going to need a long leaseback.

    That’s changed.

    They still need some time, but not nearly as much.
    They’re shopping now, have a plan, and will be buying with cash — likely a new-build, which cuts out a lot of the unknowns.

    The short version?
    This won’t get dragged out.

    And since Flower Mound isn’t exactly known for lightning-fast approvals, there’s plenty of room for your planning window to unfold without conflict.

    In fact, the sellers are fine with construction starting while they’re still there, as long as the city allows it.

    What Hasn’t Changed:


    Showings are by appointment only.

    Do not enter the property without explicit authorization.
    (This isn’t a suggestion.)

    We want you to see it — but the seller deserves notice.

    Bottom Line:

    If you’ve been waiting for land that offers rural feel with real convenience — space, privacy, and no HOA nonsense — this is it.

    No fluff. No gimmicks. Just rare dirt, priced right.

    Get the Full Info Below:
    Drop your name and email (phone optional) and you’ll get:
    ✅ Showing instructions
    ✅ Property info
    ✅ Answers to common questions
    ✅ Direct access to reach out when you’re ready

    Send Me The Info!

    By submitting, I understand I will receive marketing emails and blog posts from Mike Browning Realty and/or associated companies. Unsubscribe at any time.

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  • Is It Finally Time? (Maybe)

    Is It Finally Time? (Maybe)

    Things seem to be looking up in the lot market.

    If you’ve been waiting, watching the market, checking comps, debating whether it’s worth hanging on, this might be the shift you’ve been waiting for.

    A couple years back, the vacant lot market was hot.
    If a lot was priced even close to right, it moved. Fast.

    Then interest rates jumped.
    And everything changed.

    Let’s be clear.

    When someone is dropping $200,000 to $300,000 on a lot, they are not planning a starter home. They are building a custom home, usually north of a million dollars once it is finished. And most of them are borrowing a large portion of that.

    So when rates go up two or three percent, borrowing half a million dollars does not just feel more expensive. It is more expensive. Monthly. Long term.

    That shifts the math quickly.

    And when the numbers stop working, people stop acting.

    Custom homes on acreage still sound great.
    They still look great.

    But no one needs them.

    So buyers pause.
    And most of them stay paused.

    As a result, lot sales slowed.
    Urgency disappeared.
    Activity stalled.

    But Here’s What’s Changed

    Since the start of the year, we are seeing a pulse again.

    Refinance activity is ticking up.
    Buyers are starting to sniff around again.
    And yes, I have resumed my direct mail, so you may already recognize my name.

    None of this means we are in a full-blown turnaround. We may not be.

    But the conversation is shifting.

    And if you own a lot that has just been sitting there, racking up HOA dues, taxes, and maintenance costs, it may be time to re-run the numbers.

    Not because the market is booming.
    But because it may finally make sense again to try to sell.

    What I Do, and Who I Do It For

    I specialize in lot sales inside custom home communities, particularly:

    • Waterstone Estates
    • Creekview Landing
    • High Point Lake Estates
    • High Point Ranch
    • Bridges at Preston Crossing

    That said, I can help with lots in most custom or acreage communities.

    I have handled well over 100 of these transactions and focus on what buyers are actually paying, not what sellers hope they will pay.

    Get the Real Numbers, and See If It’s Even a Fit

    I offer a free, no-fluff valuation based on real data, real comps, and real market behavior.

    Before you receive the valuation, I will also send you a short guide called “Who This Is Right For.”
    It is designed to help you decide up front whether this is likely to be a good fit at all.

    Request your free lot valuation and get the “Who This Is Right For” guide:

    Get Started Here!

    PS – If this was useful, feel free to forward it to someone who might need it.

  • Faith Comes First. Understanding Follows.

    Faith Comes First. Understanding Follows.

    With God, you do not understand your way to belief. It is the opposite.

    Faith is believing in things unseen.

    That is not a poetic line. It is a description of how belief actually works.

    You do not start with full understanding.
    You start with trust.
    You learn as you go.

    Deep down, most people already know this.

    There is a part of you that wants to believe.
    A part of you that recognizes the truth in what the Bible says about Jesus.

    But doubts get planted.

    Not by God.
    By people.

    Questions framed as sophistication.
    Skepticism treated like intelligence.
    Hesitation praised as wisdom.

    Those doubts do not make you thoughtful.
    They keep you from growing.

    Belief comes first.
    Understanding can come after, if you are willing to look for it.

    Although it is not even necessary.

    Jesus commanded us to believe.
    Not believe, then study for some theology test you have to pass.

    You might say that if you really believe, you would become curious about understanding everything.
    You would probably be mostly right.

    But that is not what the Word says.

    Think about how most people live their lives.

    Most people could not explain how to wire lights in a house.

    They do not know how electricity works.
    They do not understand the panel, the circuits, or the load.

    But they have no problem believing that when they flip the switch, the light should come on.

    And if it does not?

    They do not conclude that electricity is fake.

    They assume something is wrong with the setup.

    A burned out bulb.
    A loose wire.
    A tripped breaker.

    The failure does not disprove the reality.
    It points to a problem that needs attention.

    The same is true with cars.

    You do not need to know what is under the hood to turn the key, or push the button, and expect it to start.

    You trust that it will.

    And if it does not, you do not abandon the idea of engines.
    You look for what is broken.

    Faith works the same way.

    You do not wait until you understand everything to believe.
    You believe, and understanding grows as you stay with it.

    Reading Scripture is not about mastering theology.
    It is about choosing to trust what God has already revealed.

    Growth does not start with certainty.
    It starts with belief.

    And belief is not the end of the journey.

    It is the beginning.

    PS. I also run another site that offers a simple weekly reading plan to help you read through the Bible in a year.

    It just started, so you could begin at the beginning and catch up without much trouble. Or you can jump in where we are. The plan repeats every year, so you will get it all either way.

    There is nothing to buy.
    Nothing to pay.
    No analysis.
    No commentary.
    No pressure.

    You read on your own and let it meet you where you are.

    If you want the weekly readings emailed to you, you can sign up.
    If not, you can just check the site.

    Either way works.

    It is here:

    HisWordTogether.com

    (This is public. Share it if it helps someone.)

  • Aggressive, Not Reckless

    Aggressive, Not Reckless

    The way my wife describes my driving.

    I’m working on a deal involving some lake acreage in Fannin County. I have part of it under contract for a few of my clients.

    We’re under contract at a price we believe is solid relative to the market. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be buying it as investors. Even so, I’m always researching the area. I watch new listings and recent sales to make sure the numbers still make sense and that we’re doing the right thing.

    So far, so good.

    Yesterday a new listing popped up on a tract that’s fairly similar. Small parts of it are definitely better because it’s actual waterfront instead of just near the lake. A large portion of it, though, is very comparable to what we have under contract.

    The asking price on that tract is roughly twenty times what we’re paying.

    I like to think I’m a good negotiator, but I’m not going to claim I’m getting my guys in at 5% of market value. Our price is good, but this example is really about something else.

    It shows what a lot of listing agents will do just to get a listing. They’ll take it at almost any price the owner wants, no matter how unrealistic, and worry about walking them back later.

    I don’t operate that way. I don’t have the time, and besides it doesn’t make sense to spend money on signs, marketing, drone shots, professionally done brochures etc. for something that has no hope of performing as advertised.

    And if it does sell, it usually happens at a steep discount from what the owner was originally told, which leads to frustration and bad feelings.

    Of course this doesn’t mean I’m not aggressive, or I only list properties that are at no-brainer prices. Higher prices are good for me of course, partially because of commissions but more because the more I sell your property for the more likely it is your neighbors might want to sell too.

    So I push it as much as I can, within reason. But you’re going to hear what I think the market is going to bear before we do it, so you’re not surprised or upset.

    If you want an honest analysis of what a property might be worth, not a computer-generated estimate, you can reach out. Anything non-residential. I’ll do it for free and update it as needed within reason.

    Click here to start

    PS – If this was useful, feel free to forward it to someone who might need it.

  • Accurate Thinking Beats Positive Thinking

    Accurate Thinking Beats Positive Thinking

    Mindset matters, but only if it’s grounded in reality

    Your mindset is simply the way you look at things and how you approach them.

    It matters more than most people want to admit.

    If you believe you can learn, adapt, and figure things out, you’ll usually do better than someone who believes they’re stuck or destined to fail. Not because belief is magic, but because it determines how you act, what you try, and what you dismiss before you ever start.

    Most of this runs below the surface.

    We hear things that sound right and let them in without much resistance. Over time, those ideas start running our decision-making on autopilot. We rarely stop to ask where they came from or whether they actually hold up in the real world.

    Television, social media, teachers, friends, coworkers. All of them install things into our operating system. Sometimes intentional, sometimes not. Either way, it doesn’t matter.

    Once something is installed, we stop treating it like a suggestion and start treating it like reality. We act as if it’s true. And when it’s wrong, we often move backward while feeling justified the entire time.

    A simple example.

    Roughly two-thirds of college students say socialism is better than capitalism. Setting politics aside, ask the obvious question: what evidence did they use to reach that conclusion?

    They didn’t test it.
    They didn’t analyze outcomes.
    They didn’t reason their way there.

    It was told to them by someone they trusted. It sounded compassionate. It felt sophisticated. So it went in unchallenged.

    Installed.

    Now it quietly influences how they think about money, work, responsibility, and incentives. Often in ways that run directly against their own long-term interests.

    This happens everywhere.

    Business is full of unexamined beliefs:

    “Everything is a numbers game.”
    “The early bird always wins.”
    “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

    Some of these ideas are partially true in narrow situations.

    Others are sloppy generalizations people repeat because they sound wise.

    Bad experiences don’t automatically make you stronger. Plenty of people are damaged by them. Strength comes from how someone responds afterward, not from trauma by default. Believing otherwise can actually lead people to seek chaos or failure as if it’s a growth strategy.

    That’s not resilience. That’s bad thinking.

    Here’s the core point.

    Your belief system governs your outcomes more than tactics ever will. If your beliefs about yourself, money, work, or success are flawed, you’re operating with a handicap.

    The fix isn’t positive thinking.

    The fix is accurate thinking.

    That means slowing down when you hit resistance in your own beliefs and asking hard questions. Where did this idea come from? What evidence supports it? Where does it break?

    Anything added to your belief system should earn its place.

    If a belief can’t survive contact with reality, it doesn’t deserve to run your life.

    If you value clear thinking and straightforward talk, you can get more like this in your inbox here:

    Sign Up Here!

    PS — If you know someone who might benefit from this kind of thinking or straightforward real estate talk, feel free to forward it.