Bucks for Buildings

This is the salary you need to buy a house in Dallas right now

Dallasites need to earn a lot to afford a home.

Photo courtesy of Ebby Halliday Realtors

Mortgage resource HSH.com has crunched the numbers to find the yearly salary needed to afford the principal, interest, taxes, and insurance payments on a median-priced home in Dallas, and it's one of the higher figures in the nation.

The country's 50 most populous metropolitan areas were analyzed, and Texas makes a three-city showing on the 25 most expensive list.

Dallas is No. 18 overall and the second-priciest city in Texas, with residents having to bring in $61,039.97 a year in order to afford a $255,200 median-priced home. Nationally, workers have to earn $56,159.89 to afford a home that'll cost them $255,600.

How did HSH.com arrive at the numbers? It used 2017 second-quarter data for median home prices from the National Association of Realtors, national mortgage rates derived from weekly surveys by Freddie Mac and the Mortgage Bankers Association of America (for 30-year fixed rate mortgages), and available property tax and homeowners insurance costs. It also used the standard 28 percent "front-end" debt ratios and a 20 percent down payment subtracted from the NAR’s median-home-price data to determine its figures.

A 10 percent jump in home prices between the first and second quarters of 2017 can also be felt nationwide, though Dallas is actually faring a little better with its 7.9 percent increase.

Dallas' current salary figure is $2,249.84 higher than what was required during the year's first quarter. If homebuyers in the Dallas metro put 10 percent down instead of 20 percent, the required salary would increase from $61,039.97 to $69,301.44.

Austin — No. 13 overall and the most expensive metro in Texas — requires $69,952.75 a year of its workers, while No. 22 Houston demands a $57,346.12 salary in order to net a home. A nearly 6 percent home-price increase in Houston is a little easier to swallow than Dallas' almost 8 percent and Austin's 8.5 percent.

California residents are surely feeling the pressure, with San Jose taking the title of most expensive and San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles helping to fill out the top five. In San Jose, the required salary is nearly five times the national — $221,363.63 — because a home usually costs around $1.18 million.

If you want to make your money stretch, San Antonio is a good choice. The Alamo City makes the list of the 25 least expensive metros, though its home prices are rising faster than any other city in Texas. You should expect to earn at least $53,829.14 to afford a $222,600 home there.

But it's Pittsburgh that'll let you earn the least: $35,329.29. Though if you're looking to buy there, you may want to do it soon — right now the median home price is $145,000, but that's already up nearly 21 percent from the first quarter of 2017.

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Extraordinary modern ranch in Grapevine trots onto market for $7.2 million

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

The Willow Wood Horse Farm in Grapevine is on the market for $7.2 million.

A stunning, 10-acre North Texas property that's fit for a modern cowboy has just hit the market for $7.2 million: Called the Willow Wood Horse Farm, the equestrian paradise is located on West Kimball Avenue in Grapevine, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Dallas.

The ranch is a combination of elegant and thoughtful modern design paired with all of the practicality required of a fully functioning farm.

According to the listing, which is held by Burgher-Ray Ranch Group and managed by David Burgher and Harlan Ray, the ranch includes several fenced pastures, an enclosed and insulated shop storage building with concrete flooring, and a seven-stall horse barn.

A covered and irrigated riding arena is attached to the barn, every stall has its own turnout, and six of the stalls are 12 feet by 12 feet wide, and the seventh is designated as a foaling stall. An additional turnout for grazing is located adjacent to the barn, as well as a training pen.

Willow Wood Horse Farm in Grapevine, ranch for sale The horse barn has seven stalls with individual turnouts.Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

But the focal point of the entire estate is the 4,353-square-foot, three-story primary residence that sits at the highest point of the gently sloped property. The home was custom-designed and completed in 2022, featuring an exterior made of metal cladding, concrete, durable ipe hardwood, and glass.

From the front door, guests will see views that lead through the home's living areas and into the 3,000-square-foot back deck, past the 80-foot-long saltwater swimming pool, and out toward the pastures.

The chef's kitchen is outfitted with luxurious Gaggenau appliances, such as a steam convection oven, a conventional convection oven, a coffee machine, stove, dishwasher, a separate paneled refrigerator and freezer, and a warming drawer. A half bathroom and full butler's pantry is located to the side of the kitchen, which is equipped with a prep space and a dishwasher.

Additional features of the home include:

Koi ponds located on either side of the main door that welcome guests to the home
An open concept living space that contains the living room, kitchen, and dining rooms
A primary suite with a spacious walk-in closet and en-suite bathroom
Two additional bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms
Soft opening/closing doors in all main bedrooms
Dynaudio speakers installed throughout the home
Geo-thermal heating/cooling system

A custom-built metal spiraling staircase connects all three levels of the home. The second floor includes a viewing area with floor-to-ceiling windows and access to the covered porch and rooftop deck. The lower level leads to an "acoustically balanced" underground home theater featuring eight-foot concert walls, Dynaudio speakers, an Ember Audio sound system, a 250-bottle wine cooler, and a powder bathroom. The listing notes that this area could be converted into a storm cellar.

Willow Wood Horse Farm in Grapevine, ranch for sale The underground home theater has an impressive Ember Audio sound system with Dynaudio speakers.Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

A detached three-car garage is located next to the home, and has one EV charging station and two additional outlets for charging. Discreetly designed solar panels are hidden on top of the garage, which are capable of powering the entire residence.

The horse barn, irrigation system, and stock pond all run off of a water well located on the property, while the primary residence uses city water with a filtration system.

"Situated in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, just minutes from Lake Grapevine, Southlake, and an easy commute to DFW International Airport, this property affords someone the ability to have all the comforts of the city, while living just slightly removed from it all," the listing says.

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty

The Willow Wood Horse Farm in Grapevine is on the market for $7.2 million.

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