← Back to All Articles Downsizing

Where Should Empty Nesters Downsize in McKinney, TX? 2026 Options Compared

Empty nesters downsizing in McKinney, TX usually choose between Del Webb at Trinity Falls, the city's main 55+ new-construction community (mid $300Ks to mid $700Ks, per 55places), small resale 55+ patio homes like Fireside Village, townhomes, or a single-story home in a regular neighborhood. McKinney's median sale price was $502,627 in May 2026 (Redfin data).

Thinking about living in McKinney? Read my McKinney, TX neighborhood guide: home prices, property taxes, schools and things to do.

Which 55+ communities are actually in McKinney?

There are two age-restricted options inside McKinney: Del Webb at Trinity Falls, which is still building, and Fireside Village, a small resale community. Several others people mention are in nearby cities.

Del Webb at Trinity Falls

Del Webb is the 55+ section of the larger Trinity Falls master plan in north McKinney. 55places lists homes from the mid $300Ks to the mid $700Ks, with HOA dues listed at about $120 to $152 a month. Listings describe a clubhouse of about 10,000 square feet with a lifestyle director, pickleball and bocce, a pool and spa, a fitness center and trails, plus access to the wider Trinity Falls amenities.

More is coming. A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing lists a new Del Webb at Trinity Falls amenities building with an estimated cost of $8.5 million and a planned completion of December 31, 2027.

Two things to know before you tour. Listings place the community in McKinney ISD. And Trinity Falls homes carry a Municipal Utility District (MUD) tax. Del Webb's own brochure puts the combined tax rate at about 2.41%, with roughly 1.05% of that from the MUD. That is a big number on a fixed income, so price it in from the start.

Fireside Village

Fireside Village is a 55+ community of 48 single-family homes that started construction in 2017 (Community Impact). Floor plans run about 1,325 to 2,274 square feet, and the HOA covers outdoor maintenance like mowing, irrigation and landscaping. With only 48 homes, resale listings come up rarely, so if you want in, it helps to be ready when one does.

Nearby, not in McKinney

Del Webb at Legacy Hills is in Celina, and Gatherings at Twin Creeks is in Allen. Both come up in McKinney searches. Each city has its own tax rates and exemptions, so do not assume McKinney numbers apply.

Should I pick a 55+ home, patio home, townhome or single-story new build?

Choose based on stairs, yard work and total monthly cost, not just price. A 55+ community trades a higher monthly cost for amenities and neighbors at the same stage of life, while a single-story home in a regular neighborhood keeps your options open for resale.

Option in McKinney	Stairs	Yard work	What to watch
Del Webb at Trinity Falls (55+)	Check each plan	Varies by section; ask what the HOA covers	MUD tax, about 1.05% per the builder brochure, plus HOA
55+ patio home (Fireside Village)	Single-story	Covered by HOA	Very few homes, so rare listings
Townhome	Usually two stories	Small or none	Stairs to the bedrooms; HOA rules and dues
Single-story new build in a regular subdivision	None	Yours, unless you pay a service	PID or MUD, lot size, HOA
Single-story resale in an older neighborhood	None	Yours	Age of roof, HVAC and plumbing

What about townhomes near downtown McKinney?

New townhomes within walking distance of the historic downtown square are scarce and expensive. A newly completed luxury townhome across from The Yard was listed at $974,900 in 2026. Most new townhome communities are farther out, like D.R. Horton's Westridge Townhomes, advertised from $393,990, and Ridgeline Towns, where 2026 new-construction listings ran from about $471,900 to $513,900.

Most of these are two stories with bedrooms upstairs. If stairs are a concern now or in ten years, ask for a plan with a first-floor primary suite, or skip townhomes.

Say you're a couple selling a two-story family home and you want to walk to dinner on the square. Price the walkable townhomes against a single-story resale a short drive away. The single-story often gives you more space and no stairs for less money, while the townhome buys you the walk.

How do the over-65 tax breaks work in McKinney?

Texas gives homeowners 65 and older a larger school tax exemption and a school tax ceiling, and the City of McKinney adds its own exemption. Together they can cut the bill on a downsized home a lot, but only if you file.

• School homestead exemption: $140,000 for all homesteads, plus another $60,000 for owners 65 or older, after Texas voters approved both increases in November 2025 (Texas Comptroller). That is $200,000 off your school taxable value.
• School tax ceiling: once you qualify at 65, your school taxes on that home cannot rise above the amount in the year you qualified, unless you add on to the home. They can go down (Texas Comptroller).
• City of McKinney: a $90,000 exemption for owners 65 or older or disabled, which the council kept at $90,000 for 2025 (Community Impact). The city held its rate at $0.412284 per $100 for fiscal year 2026-27 (City of McKinney).
• McKinney ISD: the district's adopted 2025 rate was $1.1043 per $100 (McKinney ISD).

Here's a hypothetical. Say you're 67 and buy a $450,000 home in McKinney ISD. After the $200,000 school exemption, the school district taxes $250,000. At $1.1043 per $100, that is about $2,760 a year in school taxes, instead of about $4,970 with no exemption. The city's $90,000 exemption takes about $370 more off the city portion.

Does my tax ceiling move with me?

Yes, as a percentage. If you already have a school tax ceiling on your current Texas home, you can transfer the same percentage of tax savings to your new homestead anywhere in Texas. You request a transfer certificate from the appraisal district where you had the ceiling, then file a new homestead application with the 65+ exemption on the new home (Texas Comptroller). A MUD is a separate taxing unit, so ask the MUD directly what exemptions it offers.

Should I sell the big house first or buy the smaller one first?

Most downsizers in McKinney are better off lining both up so they close close together, because selling first can leave you without a place to live and buying first can leave you carrying two homes. Which way to lean depends on your equity and how fast your home will sell.

McKinney homes sold in a median of 41 days in May 2026, at 98.1% of list price, with 3.6 months of supply (Redfin data). Add 30 days or more to close, and you are looking at roughly two to three months from listing to closing on a home that is priced right.

Approach	How it works	Best when
Sell first, lease back	Sell, then rent your old home from the buyer for a short period while you buy	You need the sale money for the next purchase
Buy first, contingent offer	Your purchase depends on your current home selling	The seller or builder will accept the contingency
Buy first with a bridge loan or HELOC	Borrow against your current equity to buy before you sell	You have strong equity and can carry two payments for a few months
New build timed to your sale	Sign on a home under construction and list yours as it nears completion	The builder gives a firm completion date

One more piece for empty nesters: if you have owned and lived in your current home for at least two of the last five years, federal law lets you exclude up to $250,000 of gain from capital gains tax, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly (IRS Publication 523). Check your numbers with a tax professional before you list.

If you're ready to downsize in McKinney, talk to Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC who works in McKinney, before you list the house you raised your family in. He prices your current home against recent closed sales, maps the 55+, patio home and single-story options against your budget, pulls the exact tax bill including any MUD, and times both closings so you only move once. Call 469-730-6895 or email ben@findyourhomedallas.com.

AI-assisted research and drafting, reviewed and approved by Ben Jimenez before publishing.