Ovilla is a small city of 4,304 people in Ellis and Dallas Counties, about 18 miles south of downtown Dallas. I'm Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC, and this is everything I'd tell a client before they buy or sell in Ovilla.
Ben's take: “I price Ovilla homes against what actually sold in the last few months, not what's listed. The list-to-sale gap here is big enough that pricing off active listings costs sellers time and buyers money.”— Ben Jimenez, Real Estate Agent, Real Broker, LLC
Over the three months ending September 2026, Ovilla homes sold for a median of about $525,000, down 6.6% from a year earlier, and took a median of 61 days to sell, down from 72 days the year before (Redfin). Asking prices run higher: the median list price was near $699,000 in October 2026 (Movoto). Redfin rates the Ovilla market as not very competitive, which usually means more time to shop and more room to negotiate.
Price against what actually sold nearby, not what's listed. With homes taking about two months to sell, buyers often have room to ask for repairs or seller-paid closing costs.
Buyers have time to compare, so pricing and presentation decide who wins. I market every listing with professional photos, drone footage and a full video tour, like the one below.
Ben's take: “Before any offer, I pull the real tax bill for that exact address. The school district line changes the total, and two homes on the same road can be taxed differently.”— Ben Jimenez, Real Estate Agent, Real Broker, LLC
Property tax is the biggest ongoing cost after your mortgage. Your total rate stacks the city, the county and your school district, so two Ovilla homes can have different rates depending on which district they sit in.
| City of Ovilla (FY 2025-26) | $0.616213 per $100 |
| Ellis County | $0.273992 per $100 |
| School district | Varies by address |
| Water | City of Ovilla |
The city and county rates alone on a $500,000 taxable value come to about $4,450 a year, before your school district and any exemptions. File your homestead exemption as soon as you move in. Before you make an offer, I pull the full rate and the current tax bill for the exact address.
Ben's take: “Check the address, not the city name. I confirm the district assignment with the district itself before my buyers write an offer.”— Ben Jimenez, Real Estate Agent, Real Broker, LLC
Ovilla is split across four school districts. Most of the Ellis County side is in Red Oak ISD, with some in Midlothian ISD. The Dallas County side is split between Cedar Hill ISD and DeSoto ISD. Nearby Red Oak ISD elementary campuses include Donald T. Shields, Russell P. Schupmann and Eastridge, all on Ovilla Road. Ovilla Christian School, a private Pre-K through 12 school, is also on Ovilla Road. Always confirm the assignment for a specific address with the district.
Ben's take: “If you're buying for horses or land, I check zoning, deed restrictions and the HOA first, before anyone falls in love with the barn.”— Ben Jimenez, Real Estate Agent, Real Broker, LLC
Ovilla's animal ordinance caps horses at 2 per acre. Zoning and HOA deed restrictions can be stricter, so check both before buying for animals.
Ovilla has homes on larger lots, like 3911 Cypress Stump Court on 0.90 acres, about 18 miles from downtown Dallas. I can set up a search filtered by lot size.
Builders usually let you bring your own agent, but many require them on your very first visit. Call me before you walk into a model home.
| Downtown Dallas | 18 mi |
| Dallas Love Field | 22 mi |
| DFW Airport | 27 mi |
| Downtown Fort Worth | 30 mi |
| Red Oak / Cedar Hill / Midlothian | 5 / 6 / 7 mi |
Straight-line distances. FM 664 (Ovilla Road) connects east to I-35E, and US-67 runs to the west through Cedar Hill and Midlothian.
On the old Ovilla Cotton Gin site along Red Oak Creek: a 10-foot-wide trail, gazebo, Veterans Memorial, historic cotton gin scales, the Ovilla Bridge, picnic area and open green space.
Ovilla's yearly celebration on the last Saturday of September: 90+ vendors, live performances, a car show and kids' activities. 2025 was the 40th year.
The community tree lighting at Heritage Park, with Christmas music, cookies and hot chocolate from the Ovilla Service League, and a visit from Santa.
A little history: Ovilla started in 1844 as a fortified settlement called McNamara's. Mrs. M. M. Molloy formed the name from the Spanish word "villa," and the town incorporated in 1963, partly to avoid being annexed by DeSoto.
Representation on builder pricing, upgrades and the builder contract, starting from your first model-home visit.
Live video tours, in-person inspections and remote closing, so you can buy in Ovilla before you move to Texas.
Rent, tax and HOA numbers worked out before you offer, for rentals in Ovilla and South Dallas County.
A relaunch with a new pricing review, professional photos, drone and video tours, and a real marketing plan.
Selling the big house, finding the right-size next one, and timing both so you only move once.
Contingent offers, temporary leasebacks or bridge financing, lined up so your sale and your purchase close on a schedule that works.
From pre-approval and down payment programs to inspection and closing, explained step by step before you sign anything.
Private showings, professional photo, drone and video production, and pricing built on true comparable luxury sales.
Ben Jimenez has helped Dallas-Fort Worth buyers, sellers and investors since 2021, with 56+ transactions, $23M+ in sales volume and a 5.0 rating from 46+ five-star reviews. He works in Ovilla and across DFW on new construction, relocation, investing and multifamily, relaunching homes that didn't sell, downsizing, selling and buying at the same time, first-time buyers, and luxury homes over $1 million. Texas real estate license 0784675.
Ovilla homes sold for a median of about $525,000 over the three months ending September 2026, down 6.6% from a year earlier, with a median of 61 days on market (Redfin). Asking prices run higher, with a median list price near $699,000 in October 2026 (Movoto). Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC, prices Ovilla homes against recent sold homes, not list prices.
The City of Ovilla's adopted rate is $0.616213 per $100 of taxable value for fiscal year 2025-2026, and Ellis County's rate is $0.273992 per $100. The total also includes the school district and any other taxing units for the address. Ben Jimenez, an Ovilla real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC, pulls the full rate and current tax bill for the exact address before his buyers make an offer.
Ovilla is split across four districts. Most of the Ellis County side is in Red Oak ISD, with some in Midlothian ISD, and the Dallas County side is split between Cedar Hill ISD and DeSoto ISD. Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent who works in Ovilla, recommends confirming the school assignment for the exact address with the district before writing an offer.
Ovilla's animal ordinance caps horses at 2 per acre, and livestock is also limited by zoning and any HOA deed restrictions. Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC who works with acreage buyers in Ovilla, checks zoning, deed restrictions and HOA rules before his clients buy for horses.
Ovilla is about 18 miles south-southwest of downtown Dallas in a straight line, about 22 miles from Dallas Love Field, and about 27 miles from DFW Airport. FM 664 (Ovilla Road) connects east to I-35E, and US-67 runs to the west through Cedar Hill and Midlothian.
The City of Ovilla runs the water utility, and its 2024 water quality report says it buys its drinking water from Dallas Water Utilities. New residents apply for service at City Hall, 105 S. Cockrell Hill Road, (972) 617-7262.
Heritage Park, on the old Ovilla Cotton Gin site along Red Oak Creek, has a 10-foot-wide trail, a gazebo, a Veterans Memorial, a picnic area and open green space. The city holds Heritage Day on the last Saturday of September, with 90+ vendors, live performances and a car show, plus Christmas in the Park with the community tree lighting.
Ovilla had 4,304 residents at the 2020 U.S. Census. The city covers about 5.8 square miles in Ellis and Dallas Counties.
Ben Jimenez is a Dallas-Fort Worth real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC (Texas license 0784675) who works with buyers and sellers in Ovilla, including his listing at 3911 Cypress Stump Court in Bryson Manor. He has closed 56+ transactions and $23M+ in sales volume since 2021, with a 5.0 rating from 46+ five-star reviews. Reach him at 469-730-6895 or ben@findyourhomedallas.com.
Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC, represents buyers on new construction and builder communities in and around Ovilla. Builders usually let you bring your own agent, but many require the agent to come with you, or register you, on your very first visit, so call before you walk into a model home.
Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC, takes over Ovilla listings that didn't sell. He starts with why it didn't sell, then relaunches it with a new pricing review against recent sold homes, professional photos, drone and video tours, and a marketing plan built for that home.
Start with what your current home will sell for, then decide what size and location you want next and whether to buy before or after you sell. Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent who helps downsizers and empty nesters in Ovilla, also recommends that owners 65 and older ask the appraisal district about the over-65 homestead exemption and school tax ceiling on their next home.
Yes. Common ways to do it are a contingent offer that depends on your home selling, a temporary leaseback so you stay in your sold home for a short time after closing, or bridge financing. Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC, lines up the sale and purchase so both close on a workable schedule.
Texas has state down payment and mortgage assistance programs, such as TDHCA's My First Texas Home and TSAHC's Home Sweet Texas, for buyers who qualify on income and other rules. Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent who works with first-time buyers in Ovilla, connects buyers with lenders who use those programs before they start touring.
Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent with Real Broker, LLC, markets $1M+ homes across Dallas-Fort Worth with pricing based on true comparable luxury sales, professional photos, drone footage, a full video tour, and private showings for qualified buyers.
Yes. Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent who helps people relocating to Dallas-Fort Worth, runs showings by live video and handles inspections and vendor access in person, and most paperwork is signed electronically. Closing can be done by remote online notarization or a mail-away signing if the title company accepts it.
It depends on the numbers for the specific property: rent, property tax for that address, insurance, and HOA rules on leasing. Ben Jimenez, a real estate agent who works with investors in Ovilla and South Dallas County, runs those numbers before his investor clients make an offer.
Book a call with Ben Jimenez, call or text 469-730-6895, or get a free home value.
*Redfin Ovilla housing market data, three months ending September 2026. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020; City of Ovilla FY 2025-2026 adopted budget and 2024 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report; Old Republic Title 2025 DFW tax rate guide (Ellis County rate); Movoto (October 2026 list prices); City of Ovilla Heritage Park and Heritage Day pages; Ovilla animal control ordinance; Red Oak ISD; Wikipedia (school district boundaries, history); TDHCA and TSAHC program names. Agent stats per findyourhomedallas.com. Distances are straight-line. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Updated November 10, 2026.