Bye Bye Valley Ranch?

Where Tony Romo goes, do the Dallas Cowboys follow?

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and his wife, Candice, are building a new house in Glen Abbey, a lush, gorgeous and oh-so-secure gated community in Far North Dallas. Really, where else would they build their dream home?

Oil magnate Clint Murchison Jr., longtime owner of the Dallas Cowboys, bought the acreage that is now Glen Abbey for his personal estate, so he could raise his family there. His son’s wife, Lupe Murchison, sold the land to former mayor Bob Folsom to develop.

Glen Abbey, which abuts the Bent Tree Country Club, sits smack in the middle of Keller Springs Road, Westgrove Drive, Dallas North Tollway and Preston Road. So it makes sense the Dallas Cowboys would draw a line north from Romo’s home to their new practice facility.

Nothing has been confirmed, but my source, Frisco agent Brad Holden, says the Cowboys’ new training facility will land at Frisco Station, at the northwest intersection of the Dallas North Tollway and Warren Parkway. Holden says the football action will take place on a 317-acre site.

That’s where Houston-based Hines Development recently unveiled plans for 4.5 million square feet of office space, 40 acres of retail, two hotels (one full service and one limited service), single-family homes, and apartments and townhomes.

And, now, America’s team?

Word is that when the indoor facility is built, the Cowboys will share the complex with the Frisco Independent School District. This news has Frisco real estate agents fired up like firecrackers. FISD athletics can practice when the team’s not there, and they can hold playoff and championship games in the facility, as they do currently at the FC Dallas Stadium.

This, says Holden, will help Frisco lure large tournaments, playoff games and possibly bowl games.

Although Holden seems certain about this news, other news outlets are reporting this more cautiously. According to WFAA-TV Channel 8:

The land in Frisco that could become the next home of the Cowboys is located just off the Dallas North Tollway at Warren Parkway, not far from the Stonebriar Centre Mall. It would be the latest jewel in a Frisco sports crown that already includes the Dallas Stars, Frisco RoughRiders and FC Dallas.

Over at the Dallas Morning News, talk is when, not if:

Sources said work remains before the team severs ties with its home of 28 years at Valley Ranch in Irving to travel north. It’s doubtful an announcement will be made in the next few days or weeks. ... Preliminary indications are the Cowboys would make the move before the start of the 2016 season.

Seems like all the athletes are leaving Irving. The Cowboys built their new stadium in Arlington, and now the Byron Nelson is moving to a new golf course in South Dallas. Meanwhile, Frisco’s hot.

The original Murchison estate in Glen Abbey, where the Romos are building, is listed with Allie Beth Allman for $6,900,000.

Murchison estate in Glen Abbey in Far North Dalals

Photo courtesy of Allie Beth Allman & Associates

The original Murchison estate in Glen Abbey, where the Romos are building, is listed with Allie Beth Allman for $6,900,000.

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Dallas neighbor declared No. 1 Texas city for first-time homebuyers

Photo courtesy of Arista McKinney

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The Dallas housing market may not be for everyone, but one shining suburb is a cut above the rest. McKinney has been named the best market for first-time homebuyers in Texas, and it's among the 100 best in America, according to a new study.

WalletHub's new study — which analyzes the affordability, quality of life, and real estate market in 300 U.S. cities — ranks McKinney No. 70 overall in the U.S. to buy your first home. And, when broken down by city size, WalletHub ranks McKinney No. 31 out of 102 mid-sized cities in America.

McKinney's outstanding real estate market and quality of life are the biggest appeal for first-time buyers, with affordability its main detractor, according to the report's findings.

The Dallas suburb ranks 9th out of all 300 U.S. cities studied for its housing market, and its quality of life is 61st nationally. The report found McKinney also boasts the second-lowest property crime rates in the U.S. The city's affordability ranking, however, is among the 50 worst, at No. 258, but that wasn't enough to outweigh its stellar performance in the other main categories.

Overall, the Lone Star State has taken a tumble among the best places for first-time buyers. McKinney is the only city in Texas to appear among the top 100, with a total of 20 Texas cities ranking below that section of the report.

For 2026, Dallas plummeted as the second-worst housing market for first-time homebuyers in Texas, ranking No. 233 nationally. Dallas' real estate market is the 60th best in the U.S., but its poor quality of life and affordability scores — No. 248 and No. 252, respectively — significantly brought down the city's overall performance.

This is how WalletHub ranked first-time homebuyer appeal across other cities in North Texas:

No. 106 – Plano
No. 110 – Grand Prairie
No. 111 – Denton
No. 130 – Fort Worth
No. 134 – Frisco
No. 148 – Allen
No. 170 – Richardson
No. 177 – Garland
No. 184 – Arlington
No. 189 – Irving
No. 194 – Carrollton
No. 202 — Mesquite

Laredo (No. 200), San Antonio (No. 208), and Houston (No. 271) join Mesquite and Dallas as the five worst housing markets for first-time buyers in Texas.

First-time buyers across the country are entering the housing market at a difficult time, the report says. The National Association of Realtors reported the share of first-time homebuyers sank to an all-time low in 2025, to 21 percent, whereas the historic national average is 40 percent.

"Buying a home for the first time is an exciting and important milestone for many Americans, but achieving that milestone is getting more difficult as prices and interest rates continue to rise," the report's author wrote. "People willing and able to invest in a house this year must balance what they want and need with what they can afford. Often, people begin searching for their dream home without a realistic idea of market prices, interest rates or even their eligibility for a mortgage."

wallethub real estate housing market first time homebuyers reports

Bye Bye Valley Ranch?

Where Tony Romo goes, do the Dallas Cowboys follow?

The original Murchison estate in Glen Abbey, where the Romos are building, is listed with Allie Beth Allman for $6,900,000.

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Welcome Home

Dallas neighbor declared No. 1 Texas city for first-time homebuyers