Inside Highland Homes' Palermo Model in First Ranch: Argyle ISD's Newest 3,000-Home Community

It's 102 degrees outside, and I'm standing in front of Highland Homes' highest-end floor plan in a neighborhood where exactly two families currently live. First Ranch sits just south of Argyle on the northwest side of the Metroplex, minutes from I-35E and Northlake, and it's planning for 3,000 total homes. If you've been waiting for a chance to get in early on a community before it fills out, this might be one of the last opportunities at this scale in the DFW area. The Palermo model I'm touring today is roughly 4,300 square feet on a 70-foot lot, and it's packed with the kind of design upgrades that make you forget you're standing in new construction: frameless primary shower glass, vaulted living spaces that stretch two stories, a first-floor entertainment room, and an upstairs speakeasy-style bar and game room.

Highland has two product lines here. You can start on 60-foot lots with their numbered plans (the 213, 217, 216 series that have won several awards) at a base price of $865,000 for around 2,700 square feet. Or you can step up to 70-foot lots like the Palermo, where base pricing starts at $1.31 million. They also have a few inventory homes ready for quick move-in, including one Palermo priced at $1,362,939 that you could close on this year if you're watching this video soon after it posts.

Before we walk through the model, I need to tell you about the tax rate. Flower Mound's base tax rate is around 1.9%, but First Ranch includes a MUD tax that brings the total to 2.71%. That's the trade-off for being this early in a brand-new community with Argyle schools, and honestly, if you didn't pay it in the MUD, you'd just see a higher purchase price on the home. The HOA runs a little over $1,900 per year, and the amenity center isn't built yet, but it's coming with a pool, pond, splash pad, patio, food court, and leisure pool.

Table of Contents

• First Ranch: Early Entry into a 3,000-Home Argyle ISD Community
• Highland Homes' Palermo Model: What 4,300 Square Feet Gets You
• Pricing, Taxes, and Inventory Homes Available Now

First Ranch: Early Entry into a 3,000-Home Argyle ISD Community

First Ranch is technically part of the Flower Mound and Bartonville ETJ area, but it pulls Argyle ISD schools, which is a big reason people are looking here. You're on the northwest side of the Metroplex, just south of Argyle, and from where I'm standing to Terminal A at DFW Airport is 30 minutes. If you travel a lot for work, or if you're commuting into Fort Worth, or if you work at one of the hospitals on this side of town, the location makes sense. You're also close to Grapevine Lake, and you've got quick access to I-35E and Northlake.

Starwood is handling the residential development, and the First Family is doing the commercial side. Right now there's not a lot of commercial built out yet, so you'll be driving a bit for shopping and restaurants in the early years. But that's the trade-off for getting in when only two families live here. I keep telling people: if you want to build equity and watch a community expand around you, this is one of those places where you could actually do it.

You've got seven builders in First Ranch. Highland Homes has the two product lines I mentioned. Drees is here, Shattuck, Coventry, David Weekley, Toll Brothers, and if you want to go really custom with your finishes, Partners in Building. Each builder has their own models and floor plans, so there's a range of styles and price points depending on what you're looking for. Highland's standard features are some of the best in the business, which is why I sell more Highland homes than just about anyone else in the Metroplex. Their customer service is top-notch, and you're not starting from zero when you pick their base plan.

The amenity center isn't open yet because the community is so new, but the plans show a pool, a pond, a patio area, a splash pad, what looks like a food court setup, and a leisure pool. The HOA is a little over $1,900 per year, which is pretty standard for a neighborhood at this price point. You're paying for the future amenities and the Argyle ISD schools, and you're betting on the community filling out over the next few years.

Highland Homes' Palermo Model: What 4,300 Square Feet Gets You

The Palermo is Highland's highest-end floor plan in First Ranch, and it shows. You walk in and immediately notice the tile running all the way to the ceiling in the primary closet and bathroom. That's an upgrade I always recommend if the budget allows, especially in the primary. It gives the space a finished, high-end look that you don't get with tile that stops halfway up the wall. They also chose frameless shower glass in this model, which is not an inexpensive upgrade depending on the builder, but it's worth it in the primary bathroom. I wouldn't necessarily do it in the secondary bathrooms, but for the primary, the frameless glass makes a big difference.

One thing you'll see throughout this model is painted doors. It's a custom idea that looks really pretty, and we did it in our own house, but I would not recommend doing it with your builder. Most builders aren't set up for it, and it's easier to handle post-closing with your own painter. The model also has wallpaper in several spaces, which is back in style even though we all hated it at our grandma's house. Highland uses it to show off what's possible, but remember, this is a model home. They're going to do everything they can to show it off to the nines. You don't have to go this crazy, especially with Highland, because their standard features are already some of the best.

The selling point of these newer Highland models is the big, vaulted living space. You walk into the main living area and the ceiling stretches up two stories with wood beams running across. It's the money shot of the newer Highland floor plans. The kitchen opens to the living room, and there's a breakfast nook space right off the kitchen, plus a separate dining room in the living area. I think most people would use the breakfast nook more than the formal dining space, but you could set up the dining room with a six-person table and use the rest of the living room as an elongated seating area. The windows are great, the beams are necessary in a space like this, and they even have sliders that open to the covered patio. I could honestly do without the sliders because it's Texas and I know how hot it gets here. My watch says 102 today, so if you're coming to Texas, just know that July, August, and into September gets brutal in the heat.

One of the things I love about this floor plan is the first-floor entertainment room. If we were going to build a two-story house, I would absolutely want the media room on the first floor instead of upstairs. I think it's way more usable than putting it upstairs. You still get tons of space upstairs for a game room and bedrooms, but having the entertainment room on the first floor just makes more sense for how people actually live. This model has it set up with a big screen and dark, moody finishes. There's also a closet under the stairs, which is always a nice touch for extra storage.

The primary bedroom is on the first floor, and Highland always does a good job making sure there's enough space for a king-size bed, two nightstands, and a dresser, even without adding the additional sitting area. This model has the sitting space, which could be really nice, but let's be honest, that's where the laundry is going to end up. The primary bathroom has a coffered ceiling, and they did the assembly-line car-wash shower with the soap niche hidden at the bottom. The closet has good-size built-ins, and the options for what you can do at this level of Highland Homes are extensive. This is their highest-end product, so there are a lot of things we can accomplish in terms of customization.

Upstairs you've got a spiral staircase with wood treaded stairs and wallpaper all the way up. That's another one of those upgrades that's kind of pricey but well worth it for a really nice look. At the top of the stairs, bedroom three is directly across with its own bathroom. They did a penny round tile in there and tiled to the ceiling, which is another interesting thing if you're wanting to elevate your secondary spaces. They chose to keep the tub in this bathroom, which you don't have to do in your secondary spaces if you're designing. I like it if the budget allows, but it's not super cost prohibitive depending on the tile you pick.

The game room area is upstairs, and then bedroom four is off to the side with its own closet, reading area, and bathroom. Every bedroom in this plan has its own bathroom, which is a big selling point if you've got kids or guests. There's also a powder bath upstairs, which is nice if you're going to have these entertainment spaces. And then there's the speakeasy bar setup. It's a hangout space where you could play cards, play poker, make a drink, or make a chocolate milk. I'm a big chocolate milk fan. They've leaned into a horse theme in this area, which I just noticed, but the other cool thing you don't see very often is the vaulted ceiling on the second floor. Because you've got such high ceilings downstairs, you get this secondary vault up here. The media room is downstairs, so this could be a totally kids' hangout space. Although I don't know, giving your kids a bar might not be the best idea. Maybe not a bar, but a playroom or something.

There's also an attic walkout upstairs, and I'm wondering if there's an option on the plan to put a fifth bedroom there or a study center if you didn't want to give your kids an alcohol problem. The model has it locked, but I've seen the pricing sheet, and it looks like you could add a bedroom number five if you wanted.

Pricing, Taxes, and Inventory Homes Available Now

Base pricing in First Ranch starts at $865,000 if you want to go with Highland's 60-foot-wide lots. That gets you around 2,700 square feet in one of their numbered plans: the 213, 217, 216 series. All of those plans are Highland's higher-end plans, and some of them have won several awards. If you want to step up to a 70-foot lot like the Palermo, base pricing right now is $1.31 million and a little bit of change. The Palermo is 4,300 square feet, and you can add options like a study center upstairs or a fifth bedroom depending on how you want to use the space.

Highland also has a couple of inventory homes available if you don't want to wait for a build. The Palermo I'm touring today is listed at $1,362,939, and depending on when you're watching this video, you could close on it this year. Inventory homes are a good option if you need to move quickly or if you don't want to go through the design process.

The one downside you need to be aware of is the tax rate. Flower Mound as a whole has a base tax rate of around 1.9%, but First Ranch has a MUD tax on top of that. I know a lot of people don't like MUD taxes, but here's the thing: if you didn't pay it there, you would just get an even higher price in your home. The builder would bake that cost into the purchase price. Total tax rate for this neighborhood is 2.71%. That's a little pricey on the taxes, but you are getting Argyle schools, you're right outside of Flower Mound, and you're close to Grapevine Lake. The HOA is a little over $1,900 for the year, which is kind of what you'd expect in a neighborhood like this.

If you're looking at First Ranch and you're thinking about Highland, I would love to help you. Call or text me at 469-707-9077 or book a FREE consultation here. There are very few people that sell more Highland homes than I do, and I love having clients do business with them. Their customer service is top-notch, and they build a great home. But if you're like, hey, this is not for me, we don't have that kind of budget, that's okay. I want to help you find something that works. First Ranch is going to be one of the premier neighborhoods on the northwest side of the Metroplex, and getting in early could be a smart move if you're looking to build equity over the next few years.