Mike Browning

Tag: North Texas real estate

  • You Don’t Get Something for Nothing

    You Don’t Get Something for Nothing

    Cheap Thinking Is Expensive

    You’d have to be blind not to notice how much gambling and daily fantasy sports have exploded. Sports leagues used to go out of their way to avoid any association with gambling. Now they’re running straight into its arms because of the money involved.

    It’s not like gambling wasn’t happening before. And there’s nothing inherently wrong with it. My brother and I play daily fantasy sports at a very cheap level, purely for entertainment. We don’t think we’re ever going to win any real money. I suppose it could happen, but it probably won’t.

    I’ve never withdrawn money from my account, so I guess I’ve never really won anything. I’m just happy I haven’t had to deposit money to keep playing in over a year.

    The problem with gambling is how a lot of people think about it. They treat it like the lottery. A way to get something for nothing. That’s not how it works.

    If you don’t put anything in, you don’t get anything out. If you don’t pay, you don’t get paid. You get what you pay for.

    A good rule of thumb is this: if someone thinks they can make actual money gambling, as opposed to just having a little fun, you should avoid getting tied to them financially. It’s usually not a question of if they run into a problem later. It’s when.

    So what does that have to do with real estate?

    A lot, actually.

    There are plenty of people who want top-end service and real expertise, but don’t want to pay for it. One thing real estate has going for it, from a customer’s perspective, is that you generally don’t pay anything until something actually happens. You’re not paying upfront for a result that may never come. When it works, you know what you’re getting.

    Even so, people ask me all the time if I can discount my fee.

    The answer is no.

    I don’t do business with people who want something for nothing. In my experience, those are exactly the people who end up causing the most trouble later.

    Or look at it this way. If I can’t defend my fee structure with you, am I really the person you want negotiating on your behalf?

    That doesn’t mean nothing is free, though.

    I offer a free, no-obligation analysis of any acreage or lot property. You get real data showing relevant sales, plus other information that affects the value and desirability of your property. I’ll also update it for free later if you ask.

    There are no upfront costs to list, either. You can get pretty far down the road for “free,” even with me.

    When it sells, it’s at the customary fee I charge. That part isn’t negotiable.

    By then, you understand that the peace of mind of working with a real professional, and the possibility that you may come out ahead compared to using a discount broker, more than outweighs any so-called discount.

    You can get your free report below:

    Start here.

  • Two Papers In One!

    Two Papers In One!

    They’ll call it “nuance,” but it sure sounds like wanting it both ways.

    In mid-2025, the Dallas Morning News editorial board explicitly defended local authority and criticized state laws that prevent cities from going beyond state minimums. They argued that state preemption undermines local accountability and prevents communities from tailoring policy to local needs.

    Their words:

    “Different communities have different needs… and the state’s blanket-ban approach to restricting local control hurts the ability of elected representatives closest to the people to address those needs.”

    Fair enough. Even if you don’t agree with the conclusion, there’s a legitimate question there about where the line should be.

    Now fast-forward.

    In an editorial last week, that same board was worked up about how the City of Frisco responded to a new state law requiring high-density residential use in certain commercial zones.

    Here’s how they described it:

    “Frisco pulled a different trick. Senate Bill 840 exempts industrial areas, so Frisco changed its zoning code to permit heavy industry in commercial zones.”

    And:

    “Instead of opening the door to new development, this move inserts potential roadblocks.… Texans deserve more choices, not clever zoning tricks that leave workers and families scrambling for options.”

    Same paper. Same mechanism. Very different attitude.

    When the state blocks cities from doing more than state law allows, that’s an attack on local control.
    When a city uses state law exactly as written to protect itself, that’s a “trick.”

    At that point, it’s hard to pretend this is about principle.

    It’s not really local control they care about. It’s outcomes.

    When local authority produces results they like, it’s democracy.
    When it doesn’t, it’s obstruction.
    When state preemption limits cities they agree with, it’s tyranny.
    When it overrides cities they disagree with, it’s a helpful “tool.”

    Frisco didn’t defy the law. It complied with it. The state rewrote the rules. Frisco responded within those rules to limit exposure and protect its planning assumptions. That’s what rational actors do when mandates come from above and the costs stay local.

    If the legislature didn’t like that outcome, that’s a drafting problem.

    Calling it a “clever zoning trick” isn’t analysis. It’s frustration that the law didn’t force obedience.

    Most people don’t mind hearing arguments they disagree with. What they don’t like is watching someone argue both sides of the same principle while acting like they’re above the conflict.

    If bypassing long-established rules is smart, explain why.
    If local control matters, defend it consistently.

    Anything else isn’t nuance. It’s just convenience.

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  • Ready or Not, Here Comes the Sun

    Ready or Not, Here Comes the Sun

    We don’t always want to, but things tend to work better if we keep pushing forward.

    Earlier this week I had one of those mornings.

    I got up and my daughter’s car would not start. I immediately assumed it was going to be something expensive. At the same time, it was time to take my other daughter to buy her college books.

    I knew both things were coming. The car had a few issues that needed attention, but nothing urgent, so I had been putting it off. Same with the books. None of it was a surprise. But when it all landed at once, it felt like it was put right in my face.

    On top of that, I was busy at work.

    I felt pinched for time. I felt pinched for money. You know how that goes.

    I thought I was going to have to deal with all of it at once. Then it turned out the car problem I thought was major was not a major issue at all. It cost me zero dollars to fix.

    And instead of the school books being around six hundred dollars, they came in at a little over two hundred.

    So it turned out pretty good. Especially considering I got to spend a couple of hours with my daughter going to the college bookstore.

    It reminded me of something I have told my kids before when they feel overwhelmed or upset because things are not going right. I ask them how many times they have felt like they were not going to make it.

    Then I ask them to compare that with the number of times they actually did not make it.

    Which is zero.

    You just have to keep going.

    The sun will come up tomorrow. Most times, things improve. Some things even turn out better than you expect. That’s what happened to me.

    We tend to forget about those moments faster than the bad ones. That’s just how people are.

    None of this means you never stop, reassess, or change course. Sometimes getting smacked in the face is a sign you need to do one of those things.

    But minor adversity is not a reason to curl up into a ball.

    God has you. God knows what you need. He knows better than you do.

    Just keep going like it’s going to work out. Partly because that’s often the most productive thing you can do. Mainly because it usually does work out.

    You just don’t see it yet.

    PS- I 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’s nothing to buy.
    Nothing to pay.
    No analysis.
    No commentary.
    No pressure.

    You just 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.

    Up to you.

    It’s here:

    HisWordTogether.com

  • New Grayson County Acreage Near US-82

    New Grayson County Acreage Near US-82

    (If You Know, You Know)

    I just listed two tracts in Grayson County that are worth paying attention to if you’ve been watching what’s happening north of Sherman.

    They’re just north of US-82, west of Preston Road, and very close to the future Tollway corridor.

    The key word there is future.

    The exact route isn’t set in stone yet. What exists today is a line on a map. I’ve seen multiple versions—one shows the tollway just east of these tracts, another shows it cutting through one of them.

    So no, I’m not going to tell anyone this has “tollway frontage.” That would be premature.

    What I will say is that when it happens, it’s likely going to be close.
    When it happens is a separate question.

    Same ownership. Same general area. Different sizes and frontage.

    They can be sold separately. Some buyers may want one. Some may want both.

    The same family also owns additional land adjacent to both tracts. That acreage isn’t being actively marketed, but it could matter to the right buyer. Worth knowing it’s there.

    One tract is about 30 acres on Wright Road with long road frontage, an ag exemption in place, fencing, and a small pond. It’s currently being grazed, so carrying costs are low.

    The other is about 14 acres on Keyes Road. Smaller, ag-exempt as well, and easy to understand as a homesite, a hold, or part of a larger position if someone wants to control more ground in the area.

    Both sit in the same general growth corridor that’s seeing increased attention due to major industrial investment nearby. Whether that matters to you now or later depends on how you think about land.

    I’m not trying to sell anyone on a story here. If you’re familiar with the area, you already know the story.

    These are simply solid tracts in a great location.

    The map is below so you can see where everything sits.

    If you want more information, including a short brochure, aerials, and photos, just click below and I’ll send them over.

    No pitch. Just details so you can decide if it’s worth digging into further.

    Get More Info

  • 4.38 Acres in Flower Mound (Yes, You Can Have a Horse)

    4.38 Acres in Flower Mound (Yes, You Can Have a Horse)

    A rare mid-sized tract with room to build and a realistic timeline.

    This one just went live, and it’s a little different than what you usually see in this part of Flower Mound.

    The property is 4.38 acres on Hawk Road, asking $1.249M. The size matters, because it’s large enough to allow a horse on the property under current city rules.

    If you’ve spent any time looking in Flower Mound, you already know how rare that is. Most listings are either smaller acreage that won’t qualify, or much larger tracts that come with a very different price tag.

    The value here is in the land. That’s the honest way to say it.

    There is an existing house on the property, but most buyers will be looking at this as a future new-build site.

    Between planning, design, permitting, and approvals, it’s not unusual for that process to take a year or more anyway. Because of that, the seller’s situation is unlikely to slow a serious buyer down.

    The seller will need a leaseback on the existing house for up to one year (at no rent) while they locate and purchase a new home. They fully intend to move sooner if possible.

    Importantly, the seller is not opposed to a buyer beginning construction on a new home during the leaseback period, subject to city approval, as long as the existing house remains accessible.

    That flexibility is a big part of why we don’t see this as a deal killer for the right buyer.

    From a practical standpoint, many buyers would not be able to take possession and start building immediately anyway. This simply aligns the timeline with reality.

    A new survey will be required, and the survey will be a buyer’s expense with an acceptable offer. The seller will retain any minerals owned and will execute a surface waiver.

    If you’re an agent, please review the full offer guidelines before submitting. If you’re a buyer, your agent should already be walking you through those details. Either way, it will save everyone time and prevent misunderstandings.

    Showings are by appointment only. Do not enter the property without explicit authorization.

    That’s not a suggestion.

    The seller is still living there, and we intend to keep disruptions to a minimum. Showing instructions are available and should be followed exactly.

    This is one of those listings where the details matter. The acreage matters. The leaseback matters. If you understand how those pieces fit together, this is a very compelling opportunity in an area where land like this almost never comes up.

    And if you’re looking for a place in Flower Mound where you can build, have room, and even keep a horse, this is one you should not ignore.

    If you want to see it, click below for showing instructions and offer guidelines. Share those with your agent, and they’ll know what to do.

    If you don’t have an agent, I’m happy to help walk you through it.

    Click Here to Get Started

  • Most People Misunderstand the Business They’re In

    Most People Misunderstand the Business They’re In

    The NFL doesn’t make that mistake. Newspapers do.

    Yesterday I was talking about the Dallas Morning News, and how a lot of the people there don’t really know what business they’re in.

    And the people who did know what business they were in are either gone, or they know the business is dead anyway, so it doesn’t matter.

    Contrast that with the NFL.

    Their product isn’t really football. Football is the engine. It’s what pulls in the eyeballs. The real product is selling those eyeballs to network television for huge amounts of money in exchange for broadcasting the games.

    Add in corporate sponsorships, the ability to get cities to subsidize stadiums, and everything else layered on top.

    It’s a money printing machine.

    And you can be absolutely certain the people at the top know exactly what business they’re in. Unlike the newspaper people.

    They’ll talk like they’re in another business. They’ll say it’s all about winning. And it’s not that they don’t want to win.

    But it’s also not really about creating perfectly fair competition.

    If it were, teams wouldn’t play on different amounts of rest. Travel wouldn’t be wildly uneven. Schedules wouldn’t tilt the way they do.

    And the rules wouldn’t constantly change.

    But they do. All the time.

    Not to make the game more fair, but to increase viewer interest.

    That’s the business.

    Real estate isn’t that different.

    Most agents think they’re in the brokerage business. In reality, many are in the tell-the-seller-what-they-want-to-hear business, followed by the put-up-a-sign-and-hope business.

    That’s not how I operate.

    I’ll tell you what I actually think, not what I think will get me hired. Being aggressive on price can make sense, and I’m fine with that. But it still has to connect to reality.

    That’s why I think of this as the trust business.

    Things don’t always work out the way we want. Markets change. Buyers disappear. But you’ll never feel like you weren’t dealt with honestly.

    I offer a free, no-obligation analysis of non-residential property. You may not be ready to sell, and that’s fine.

    But can it really hurt to know where things actually stand?

    Almost everyone says they want the truth. Not everyone actually does.

    If you’re one of the ones who does, click below to get your free valuation report.

    Get Started Here

  • If the Paying Customers Leave, You’re Already Done

    If the Paying Customers Leave, You’re Already Done

    Most people don’t know what business they’re actually in.

    I’ve been reading articles in the Dallas Morning News lately that feel even more unhinged from reality than they used to.

    Part of the problem is obvious. They don’t seem to employ enough editors. I read something a while back that more or less admitted they don’t review a surprising percentage of what gets posted online.

    What they do seem to employ is a lot of young people who think they’re there to save the world, without the life experience to realize they’re repeating feel-good ideas that don’t work in the real world.

    When you talk to people about this, they’ll usually say, “That’s why newspapers are going out of business. They’re not serving their audience.”

    That’s not really true.

    Newspapers were never truly in the news business. They were in the advertising business.

    More accurately, the eyeballs business.

    The reporting existed to attract an audience. The audience’s attention was the product. Advertisers bought classified and print ads to access it. That’s where the money was. Always was.

    It’s the same model Facebook and other online businesses use today. Anytime something is free or very cheap, you’re probably the product, not the customer.

    Even back then, plenty of reporters thought they were saving the world. From a business standpoint, journalism was a loss leader. It supported the real business, which was ads.

    At the time, those ads were a cash machine. Big enough that management could afford to indulge that delusion.

    Now the ads are gone.

    Nobody buys classifieds anymore. Circulation is down, so print ads don’t matter. The economic engine that supported the whole thing is dead.

    What’s left is a shell. And the people still inside it are often the ones who never really understood what business they were in.

    If there’s a lesson here, it’s simple. You have to know what business you’re actually in. And if that business no longer exists, you don’t fix it by pretending harder.

    You get into a different one.

    Real estate brokerage is what I do, but it isn’t my main business. I’m in the trust business. And I’m in the marketing business.

    When the market is roaring, anyone can look competent. Most of those people disappear when things get tough.

    But when you’ve built trust over decades with repeat clients, you can withstand market swings.

    You may not be looking to sell today. You may think you’re never going to sell.

    A surprising number of people who say that eventually do.

    The time to prepare for a big decision is when you’re not under pressure. It may never happen. But if it does, you don’t want to start from zero.

    I offer a free, no-obligation analysis on any non-residential property. It includes real sales relevant to your property, market trends, and nearby development information when applicable.

    It’s updated for free anytime you ask.

    And it comes from someone who does what he says, doesn’t exaggerate to get listings, and will still be in business if things change later.

    Would it hurt anything to take a look?

    Click here to get started.

  • No Wonder They Keep Losing

    No Wonder They Keep Losing

    Don’t apologize for what worked, even if you don’t always agree

    Winning and then apologizing is one of the fastest ways to give power back.

    Last week I read an opinion piece in The Dallas Morning News that stuck with me.

    Not because of the policy details. If you know me, you know I don’t spend much time arguing minutiae like that. I have a business to run.

    What stood out was how it revealed a misunderstanding of power. Even by people who should know better.

    A local Republican official publicly criticized a Trump-era policy that affected his family. He framed it around service, loyalty, and merit. I don’t doubt his sincerity.

    But sincerity isn’t the issue.

    Posture is.

    The broader platform he’s distancing himself from just delivered real wins. Big ones. Not narrowly. Not accidentally. It won by drawing clear lines, showing contrast, and refusing to apologize for what it stood for.

    It won every battleground state. Donald Trump still finds a way to mention that in almost every media appearance.

    When you win, you gain leverage.

    What you do next matters.

    Running to a hostile audience after a victory to explain why your own side went too far isn’t nuance. It’s signaling. And it’s a bad signal.

    This isn’t really about immigration. Or about Trump. It’s about coalition math and basic negotiation reality.

    You don’t gain power by trying to reassure people who cannot, or will never, say yes to you.

    Urban Democrats aren’t waiting for Republicans to sound slightly less Republican so they can switch teams. Identity comes before policy. Always has.

    All this kind of signaling does is weaken trust with the people who actually might vote for you.

    Urban Republicans aren’t meaningfully more “moderate” than Republicans elsewhere. There are just fewer of them. That’s a numbers problem, not an ideology problem. And numbers don’t change when you blur contrast. They change when you give aligned voters a reason to show up.

    I see this same mistake in business often.

    A seller prices correctly, gets traction, then starts explaining themselves when someone objects. Serious buyers notice. Leverage erodes. The deal gets harder, not easier.

    Same pattern here.

    Minorities don’t gain power by dilution. They gain it through discipline.

    That means accepting that some people will never like you. It means being willing to irritate your opponents. And it means understanding that respect doesn’t come from apology tours.

    People don’t judge intent. They judge posture.

    When your first instinct after a win is to explain yourself to people who already oppose you, you aren’t broadening your coalition. You’re signaling that pressure works.

    And once you signal that, you invite more of it.

    Clarity beats comfort. Contrast beats consensus.

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  • Truth > Loyalty

    Truth > Loyalty

    Love your family. Don’t hand them veto power over truth.

    Jesus sometimes says things that seem pretty harsh.

    Like this:

    “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.”
    (Luke 14:26)

    People usually rush to soften that.

    “He didn’t really mean hate.”
    “It’s just a figure of speech.”
    “It means love less.”

    All of that may be technically true. But it also misses the point.

    Jesus wasn’t confused. And He wasn’t careless with words.

    This is shock language. On purpose.

    He’s talking about priority, not abandonment.

    In first-century culture, family loyalty was everything. Your family defined your identity, your protection, your future.

    There was no higher authority.

    So Jesus takes the strongest possible human loyalty and says: That doesn’t get veto power over truth.

    If following Him ever comes into conflict with pleasing your family, your answer is already supposed to be decided.

    That doesn’t mean neglecting your family. It doesn’t mean being cruel or dismissive.

    It doesn’t mean going out of your way to create conflict.

    It means nothing outranks truth.

    That’s the part people don’t like.

    We’re comfortable saying we love God.

    We’re less comfortable saying what we’ll do when loyalty costs us something.

    Most people don’t reject truth outright. They let something else sit above it quietly.

    A spouse.
    A parent.
    A child.
    A reputation.
    A job.
    A church.

    Eventually that thing becomes the final filter.

    “Is this true?” turns into “Will this upset them?”

    And once that happens, truth is no longer in charge. It has conditions.

    Jesus is cutting through that before it happens.

    He’s saying: decide now. Before the pressure shows up.

    Because when allegiance is unclear, it always resolves itself under stress.

    And it rarely resolves in favor of truth.

    What He said isn’t harsh when you look at it this way.

    It’s merciful.

    He’s telling you the cost upfront.

    PS- I’ve mentioned a few times that I run another site that offers a free weekly guide to help you get through the Bible in a year.

    You don’t have to buy anything.
    You don’t have to pay anything.

    You won’t get analysis from me or anyone else.
    No moralizing.
    No pressure.
    No “here’s what to think.”

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

    If you sign up, you’ll get the weekly readings in your email.
    Or don’t sign up and just check the site.

    Up to you.

    If you want to see it, it’s here:

    Check It Out

  • That’s Right!

    That’s Right!

    When someone tells you that in business, you’ve done your job well.

    Yesterday I talked about Jim Camp’s book Start With No and made the point that negotiation is one of the most important skills you can have.

    It affects everything you do. Business, yes. But also how much vacation you get, how much you get paid, whether you can get extra time off for your kids, getting your kids to do what you need them to do, and even figuring out where to eat.

    Just about anything you can think of involves some form of negotiation.

    That’s why it’s a mistake to think of this as something that only applies to land deals or car deals. If you get better at negotiation, you’re not just improving one narrow skill. You’re improving your life across the board.

    Another book I strongly recommend, and one I’ve talked about before, is Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss.

    It’s not totally different from Jim’s book, even if that isn’t obvious at first. They actually track along the same lines in a lot of ways. What is obvious is that neither one follows the typical “win-win” or “get to yes” approach you see in most negotiation books.

    Jim’s framework is built around the idea that the only safe place to operate is in your adversary’s world. Your questions and actions have to be about them, almost all the way to the very end.

    In Chris’s book, he talks about something he calls Tactical Empathy. And empathy is not sympathy. It’s not about agreeing or giving in. It’s about understanding what the other person is thinking, being able to articulate that back to them, and doing it so well that they say, “That’s right.”

    When people feel understood, a lot of resistance goes away. And when you understand someone’s motivations well, you have a better chance of finding a solution that works for everyone. You get there by asking good questions and by being honest.

    No tricks. No pretending.

    I’m not going to explain the whole system here, but I will say this. It’s another book I reread every year.

    If you’re serious about getting better at negotiation, and by extension making a lot of everyday things easier,

    I highly recommend it.

    You can find it on my recommended reading page, check it out now.

    Recommended Reading

    Disclosure: Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend books I’ve read and genuinely believe are worth your time.