In late October 2026, a move-in-ready home in Oaklawn, on Van Alstyne's growing edge, was advertised at $302,950. The builder lists the community from the $290,000s. Before a buyer signs a binding contract on a home like that, Texas law requires the seller to hand over a written notice. The notice says the property sits inside a water district that can levy its own tax. Oaklawn's district is Van Alstyne Municipal Utility District No. 3, and its listed 2026 rate is $1.00 per $100 of valuation. On a $302,950 home, that comes to about $3,030 a year before any exemptions, and the list price doesn't include it.
That notice is a normal part of buying new construction in Van Alstyne. Across town, a different neighborhood pays for its streets through a different legal tool, the city's Public Improvement District. Its preliminary numbers come out almost the same. What separates the two bills is whether a city tax bill sits on top of the district charge.
Two Notices, Two Statutes
Texas uses separate rules for the two kinds of districts, and each puts its own paperwork in front of a buyer before the contract binds.
- MUD property: Texas Water Code §49.452 requires the seller to give written notice before the sale contract is binding. It also covers the buyer's acknowledgment and the recording of that notice at closing.
- PID property: Texas Property Code §5.014 requires the seller to give written notice of the assessment, and §5.0141 sets the timing at before a binding purchase contract.
This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm how these rules and charges apply to a specific property with a real estate attorney, tax professional or lender.
The notices are where the carrying cost first shows up on paper. The district records explain why the numbers look the way they do.
Mantua's Rate Stayed at a Dollar While the Mix Underneath It Changed
Mantua is a master-planned community of about 2,000 acres along US 75, developed by Risland Mantua LLC. It is split between Van Alstyne MUD No. 1 of Grayson County and Van Alstyne MUD No. 2 of Collin County. MUD No. 1 lies entirely within the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction, north of Panther Parkway on both sides of US 75. Mantua Point is built inside it. The district's September 2025 bond statement named David Weekley Homes, Highland Homes, Perry Homes and Risland Homes as active builders. At that time, home prices ran from about $450,000 to $800,000.
Here is how MUD No. 1's rate has moved:
| Tax year | Maintenance and operations | Debt service | Total per $100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $0.245 | $0.755 | $1.00 |
| 2025 | $0.38 | $0.62 | $1.00 |
| 2026 | $0.3675 | $0.6325 | $1.00 |
The total stayed the same for three years while the split between the two parts moved. Debt service is the part that repays bonds for water, sewer, drainage and roads. The 2025 bond statement shows what that piece depends on. At the January 2025 taxable value of $181.6 million, the district would need a debt rate of $0.71 to cover its average yearly debt service from 2026 through 2050. At the July 2025 value estimate of $214.2 million, it would need $0.60. Rising home values and new rooftops keep the debt rate manageable. The statement also says the district depends on the developer to pay its taxes on time while it still owns land.
Build-out still has a long way to go. As of July 1, 2025, Mantua had about 435 completed homes, with Phases 3A, 3B and EM under development. Roughly 1,615 acres were developable but not yet developed. Next door, MUD No. 2 also lists a 2026 rate of $1.00 per $100.
Churchill and Oaklawn work the same way at a larger scale. Van Alstyne MUD No. 3 covers 757 Churchill Development's 817-home Churchill and 772-home Oaklawn. In January 2026, ORIX USA reported buying $22.07 million in MUD receivables to repay the developer for roads, water and sewer. Homeowners repay those infrastructure costs over time through the district's $1.00 rate.
Lone Tree Prices the Same Infrastructure Per Lot
Lone Tree uses the city's version of the same arrangement. Phase 1 is a 185-lot single-family subdivision south of the FM 121 and Jim Jones Road intersection, with JBZ Lone Tree LLC as owner of record. Instead of a tax rate, a PID places a fixed assessment on each lot and collects it in yearly installments.
The preliminary plan was presented to the City Council on September 8, 2026. According to Citizen Portal's summary of that meeting, it showed:
| Lone Tree PID Phase 1, preliminary | 50-foot lot | 60-foot lot |
|---|---|---|
| Total assessment per lot | $57,805.13 | $63,889.88 |
| Approximate annual installment | about $4,628 | about $5,116 |
The PID administrator gave a project cost of $12,857,196, a bond par amount of $11,272,000, and a tax-rate equivalent of $0.97.
A tax-rate equivalent of $0.97 is three cents below the MUD rate in Mantua, Churchill and Oaklawn. The council approved the final service and assessment plan on October 13, 2026, and the city posted it to its public notices page. Citizen Portal reported that the vote was unanimous and also authorized Phase 1 special-assessment bonds. The figures above come from the preliminary plan, so the final per-lot numbers belong in the PID notice a seller provides.
City-created PIDs also differ from ETJ MUDs in a way the per-lot table doesn't show. A home inside Van Alstyne city limits also owes the city's property tax. Citizen Portal reported that the council set the FY 2026–27 rate at $0.553713 per $100 on September 8. On a $400,000 home inside city limits, that adds about $2,215 a year before exemptions. A home in Mantua's MUD No. 1 sits outside city limits, so that line does not appear on its bill.
The City Is Writing Rules for the Next Wave
These arrangements will keep coming. On August 11, 2026, the council adopted a formal PID policy, Citizen Portal reported. It raised the petition and review fee from $5,000 to $15,000 and discussed a per-lot community benefit fee. Staff suggested $2,500 per single-family lot as a middle figure. That fee was discussed but not set, so its effect on future lot prices is still open.
Several more projects are already moving:
- Solara, about 176 acres on FM 121 east of Hackberry Road. Council approved its annexation and plans in June, KXII reported. The plans allow 453 lots, 10,000 feet of trails and a nine-acre city park. Citizen Portal reported that the TIRZ No. 3 board recommended a 35-year financing plan with 46.5% city participation on the M&O rate and about $21.4 million in projected revenue.
- Creekline, a 64-lot subdivision of roughly one-acre lots, annexed and zoned in 2018. Council voted 7–0 in August to create its PID, according to Citizen Portal's account of the August 11 meeting, and the PID will fund on-site paving and infrastructure.
These are the same rooftops that will help pay down existing district debt and support the long-planned US 75 and FM 121 intersection expansion. KXII reported that the project's estimated cost is $67.2 million, with construction possibly starting as early as the fourth quarter of 2027 if funding is in place.
Why the Yearly Number Carries More Weight This Fall
The wider market gives buyers room to compare. The Texas Real Estate Research Center's figures for the Sherman–Denison area, which covers Grayson County, show 178 MLS sales in September 2026. That is down 12.32% from 203 a year earlier. The September 2026 median price was $289,945, compared with $319,000 in September 2025. Inventory reached 7.37 months, up from 7.23. Those figures cover the whole metro area and include both new and resale homes. They are not Van Alstyne figures specifically.
With that much inventory, two new homes at similar prices can come with very different yearly costs. Compare a $450,000 home in Mantua Point with a 60-foot lot in Lone Tree. The Mantua Point home's 2026 MUD levy is about $4,500 before exemptions. The Lone Tree lot carries a preliminary installment of about $5,116, plus the city rate if the home is inside city limits. Price cuts and rate buydowns tend to get the most attention in a slow market. The district charge stays with the home for years after closing, so ask for the MUD or PID notice early, before price negotiations begin.
A Few Questions Buyers Raise
Is a MUD rate fixed? No. The district sets it each year. MUD No. 1's total has been $1.00 for three years, but the split between operations and debt changed each year.
Where do I find a PID's per-lot figures? In the city's service and assessment plan. Van Alstyne posts final plans, including Lone Tree's, on its public notices page.
If you're weighing Mantua Point against Lone Tree or Oaklawn, Monument Realty TX agents can pull each home's district notice and set the yearly carrying costs side by side before you make an offer. Contact Us to start that comparison.
