Celina, Texas · Collin County · 1,380 acres · ~4,200 planned homes · Celina ISD
Ramble Celina: Homes, Builders, Prices & Buyer Guide
An independent, buyer-first guide to Ramble by Hillwood — the five builders, the real tax and HOA math, what's actually built versus rendered, and what the brochure won't say about living inside a decade-long build-out.
Last reviewed: August 28, 2026
Section 01 · Orientation
Where is Ramble in Celina, and what actually surrounds it?
Short answer: Ramble sits about two miles north of historic downtown Celina along North Preston Road (SH 289), between Preston and Custer in Collin County. It is roughly 1,380 acres of rolling prairie, woodland and wetland that Hillwood Communities purchased as the Eland Ranch and is developing into a planned ~4,200-home community.
Geographically, this is the leading edge of North Dallas growth. To the south is Celina's downtown square and the older core of town. To the east and west are ranch tracts and farmland that are, one by one, becoming master plans. To the north is open country that will not stay open. What buyers tell me after their first drive is some version of the same sentence: "I didn't realize how far north this is." That's not a knock — it's the entire value proposition. You are trading drive time for land, trees, water and a small school district.
The practical anchors: downtown Celina for coffee, dinner and the Friday-night town rhythm; Preston Road for everything else; the Dallas North Tollway corridor to the west for the drive south. Grocery, medical and big-box retail today mostly mean a trip toward Prosper or Frisco. VERIFY: Current status of nearby grocery/retail construction along Preston Rd as of 08/2026
If you want the same nature-forward feel with a shorter drive and a lower total tax rate, read my Aster Park McKinney guide before you fall for a Ramble homesite — the comparison changes some buyers' minds.
Section 02 · Fit
Who Ramble fits
I'd rather lose a client at the research stage than sell them a community they'll resent in year two. Here's who I've seen genuinely thrive here.
You want nature to be the amenity, not a water slide
The whole plan is organized around a seven-mile trailway, roughly 220 acres of parks and about 28 acres of lakes. If your family actually walks, bikes, fishes and wanders, this community is built for you in a way most North Texas master plans are not.
You're buying Celina ISD on purpose
Small-district culture, deep school spirit, and two elementary campuses planned inside the community. Buyers who chose Celina over Prosper or Frisco almost always tell me the district size was the reason.
You have a 2027–2030 horizon, not a 2026 one
The people who will be happiest here are the ones who bought early, tolerated the dirt, and got the parkway or trail-facing homesite before it was priced like a finished neighborhood.
Your commute is flexible or Tollway-north
Hybrid schedules, Frisco/Legacy employers, or a home office. Preston Road north of Celina moves fine at 9:30 a.m. and is a different animal at 5:15 p.m.
You want a builder bake-off inside one gate
Five builders in one master plan means five incentive calendars. That's leverage — if you shop them at the same time instead of falling for the first model you tour.
Who should probably look elsewhere
This section is longer than the one above on purpose. Every one of these is a real conversation I've had with a real buyer.
You need to be in a finished neighborhood this year
The honest answer is that Ramble is early. Models opened in 2026, the first on-site elementary is targeted for 2027, and full buildout of roughly 4,200 homes is a decade-plus project. If unfinished amenities will bother you every single day, buy in an established neighborhood instead.
You commute to downtown Dallas or the Mid-Cities daily
What I've observed: buyers underestimate this drive by 20 minutes. A five-day-a-week downtown commuter from north Celina eventually resents the car. Look at Prosper, Frisco or farther south.
Your total tax tolerance is under about 2.2%
With the Municipal Management District layered in, the published total rate is roughly 2.79%. That is materially higher than communities without a district — including Aster Park in McKinney, which advertises no MUD and no PID. On a $700,000 home the difference is real money every month.
You want walkable restaurants and nightlife
Downtown Celina's square is charming and genuinely fun, but it is a square, not a city. If your best weekends involve dinner within walking distance of your front door, you are a different Dallas neighborhood type and I'll tell you so on the first call.
You need a short-term resale exit
In an actively selling master plan you compete with the builders themselves — and they have incentives, a sales office and new inventory. Buyers who might sell in under five years should think hard before buying new here.
You want a big, private, flat back yard
Most early homesites are roughly 50 and 60 feet wide. There is enormous open space in the community, but it is shared open space. If your dream is an acre behind the house, this isn't it.
You want to write your own contract terms
Builder contracts are the builder's paper. If you're the kind of buyer who expects to negotiate inspection and remedy language line by line, know that going in — leverage here lives in price, incentives and upgrades, not the form.
If two or three of those landed, the fix usually isn't a different builder — it's a different submarket. Prosper's Park Place solves the commute complaint; Aster Park solves the tax-rate complaint. My Aster Park vs. Park Place comparison walks through that trade-off side by side.
Section 03 · The flagship table
Ramble builders, homesite widths and price bands
Ramble's announced lineup is American Legend Homes, Coventry Homes, Drees Custom Homes, Highland Homes and Perry Homes, marketed collectively from the $400s to more than $1 million. Early releases are concentrated on roughly 50-foot and 60-foot homesites in the first village. Everything below is my read of the market — the "approximate starting range" column is an estimate, not a quote, and pricing in an actively releasing community changes weekly.
| Builder | Homesite width | Approx. starting range | Floor-plan range | Customization level | Quick move-in availability | Best fit | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Homes | 50' and 60' | Est. $500s – $800s | Approx. 2,000 – 4,000 sq ft | Moderate — broad design center, limited structural changes | Likely once models open; limited in early phases | Move-up family that wants a proven North Texas plan and an organized warranty process | 08/2026 |
| Perry Homes | 50' and 60' | Est. from the $540s (50') / $600s (60') | Approx. 2,187 – 4,016 sq ft | Low to moderate — fixed plan set, strong standard spec | Perry typically carries inventory; ask for the current list | Budget-disciplined buyer who wants square footage per dollar and a predictable, low-drama build | 08/2026 |
| American Legend Homes | 50' and 60' | Est. $500s – $800s | Approx. 2,200 – 4,000 sq ft | Moderate — good elevation and finish variety | Occasional specs; heaviest incentives land on standing inventory | Buyer who wants a regional builder's attention with mainstream pricing | 08/2026 |
| Coventry Homes | 50' and 60' | Est. $500s – $800s | Approx. 2,300 – 4,200 sq ft | Moderate to high — deeper structural option list than most production builders | Varies by phase release | Buyer who wants to modify a plan (extended patio, bed-down layout) without going custom | 08/2026 |
| Drees Custom Homes | 60' and wider homesites | Est. $700s – $1M+ | Approx. 2,800 – 5,000+ sq ft | High — the most true structural flexibility in the community | Rare; Drees is mostly build-to-order here | Executive or second move-up buyer who wants a semi-custom home on a premium trail or lake homesite | 08/2026 |
[Last Verified: 08/2026] — Prices, plan availability and homesite releases at Ramble change constantly. Tommy re-verifies this table monthly with each builder's on-site sales office. VERIFY: Each builder's current base price, released homesite widths and QMI count as of 08/2026
Tell me your budget, timing and preferred homesite size. I'll help you compare Ramble's builders, available homes and current incentives before you register.
Show Me Current Ramble OptionsSection 04 · The money
Tax rate, HOA dues and the MMD nobody explains in the model home
Short answer: the developer publishes a total rate of approximately 2.785864% per $100 of valuation. That number includes a Municipal Management District, and it is the single most important figure on this page.
| Taxing jurisdiction | Rate per $100 |
|---|---|
| Celina ISD | 1.208900% |
| City of Celina | 0.576401% |
| Collin County | 0.149343% |
| Collin College | 0.081220% |
| Municipal Management District No. 2 | 0.770000% |
| Total | 2.785864% |
VERIFY: Total tax rate and MMD No. 2 rate for the specific homesite as of 08/2026
What is an MMD, in plain English?
A Municipal Management District is a special district created by the State of Texas to finance infrastructure — water, sewer, drainage, roads — and to maintain right-of-way landscaping. Functionally it does what a MUD or PID does elsewhere: it lets the developer build the community now and repay the cost through an assessment on your tax bill. At Ramble that district (MMD No. 2) carries a 0.77 rate, which is roughly 28% of your total tax bill.
What the brochure won't say: districts like this typically stay in place for decades until the bonds are retired, and the rate can be adjusted. Ask for the district's current bond position and rate history in writing. VERIFY: MMD No. 2 bond term, remaining balance and any scheduled rate step-downs
HOA dues and what they cover
Published dues run roughly $163 to $217 per month depending on neighborhood, and they cover front-yard maintenance on every home, amenity and common-area maintenance, and on-site staff — including the lifestyle programming that is genuinely one of Hillwood's strengths. Every home also includes a gigabit fiber connection billed separately at about $65 per month. VERIFY: Current HOA monthly fee and transfer/capitalization fees as of 08/2026
Section 05 · Reality check
What a $700,000 Ramble home actually costs per month
Sample scenario only: $700,000 purchase price, 10% down ($70,000), 30-year fixed at 6.5%, no homestead exemption applied in the first year. Every figure below is an estimate for illustration — your lender, your insurance carrier and the appraisal district decide the real numbers.
| Principal & interestFluctuates most$700,000 price, 10% down ($630,000 loan), 6.5% fixed 30-year | ≈ $3,795 |
| Property taxesFluctuates most$700,000 × 2.785864% ÷ 12, before any homestead exemption | ≈ $1,625 |
| Homeowners insuranceFluctuates mostNorth Texas hail country — shop this early | ≈ $290 |
| Mortgage insurance (10% down)Drops off once you reach 20% equity | ≈ $260 |
| HOA duesPublished range $163–$217/mo depending on neighborhood | ≈ $190 |
| Gigabit fiber (included, billed separately)Per the developer's published FAQ | ≈ $65 |
| Utilities (electric, water, trash)Fluctuates mostNew, well-insulated home; summer electric and irrigation swing this hard | ≈ $400 |
| Estimated all-in monthly | ≈ $6,625 |
The three lines that move most: interest rate (a half point is roughly $200/month here), property taxes (the MMD assessment is already inside the 2.785864% rate, and your first-year bill may be based on land value only before the improved value catches up in year two — budget for the jump), and insurance, which has moved sharply in hail country. Homestead exemption will lower the tax line once you file, but only after you occupy.
Want the same math at your price point across several communities? Run it on my Dallas cost calculator and property tax map.
Section 06 · Drive times
How far is Ramble from where you work?
These are honest peak-hour ranges, not off-peak map estimates. My standing advice: before you sign anything, drive your actual commute at your actual departure time, both directions, on a weekday.
| Dallas North Tollway (northern terminus area)The single biggest driver of your daily experience. Verify the current terminus and any extension timing. | Approx. 10–15 min |
| Legacy / Frisco employment corridorAdd 10–15 minutes in a true 5 p.m. peak. | Approx. 30–40 min |
| Downtown DallasRealistic peak-hour range, not the map's off-peak estimate. | Approx. 55–75 min |
| Downtown Celina squareTwo miles south on Preston. This is the everyday errand and dinner run. | Approx. 5–8 min |
| DFW International AirportFrequent flyers should drive it once at the hour they'd actually leave. | Approx. 55–70 min |
| McKinney / US 75 corridorRelevant if one spouse works east and one works west. | Approx. 30–40 min |
VERIFY: Current Dallas North Tollway extension terminus and construction timeline as of 08/2026 The Tollway's northward progress is the biggest single variable in Celina's long-term commute story — and in its property values.
Section 07 · Context
What's being built around Ramble that buyers should know about
Short answer: a lot, and quickly. Celina has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and Hillwood alone has multiple master plans here — Ramble is its fourth Celina community.
What that means for you, practically: the pasture across the road is not a permanent view. The two-lane road you drive today is a future six-lane arterial. Schools that feel roomy now will be rezoned. And the retail you're waiting on will show up — usually at the intersection that's currently a stop sign.
This is the "frontier suburb" pattern I describe in my five Dallas neighborhood types: you're buying tomorrow's neighborhood at today's price, and the cost of admission is living through the construction of everything around you.
Before you pick a homesite, ask the sales counselor — and then verify independently with the City of Celina — what is zoned for the parcels adjacent to the community, especially anything along Preston Road, and where future commercial, multifamily and school sites are designated on the city's future land-use map. VERIFY: Adjacent parcel zoning, planned arterial widenings and future commercial pads near Ramble as of 08/2026
Section 08 · Amenities
What's actually built, what's under construction, and what's still a rendering
Site plans show the finished community. You will live in the unfinished one. Here's the honest split as I understand it — and yes, this is exactly the list I'd want re-verified before you write a check.
Open / delivering
- Model home park in the first village (models opened spring 2026)
- First phase streets, trailheads and initial parkway landscaping
- Full-time on-site lifestyle programming (Lifestyle by Hillwood events calendar)
Under construction
- Turtle Club — pool, fitness, event space, playscape and fishing pond
- West Lake village park, first lake segments and initial trailway miles
- Additional phase infrastructure and second builder release sections
Planned only (no delivery date you should rely on)
- Two on-site Celina ISD elementary schools — first targeted 2027
- Full seven-mile Ramble Trailway and roughly 30 miles of secondary trails
- Four nature stations: Prairie, Wetland, Woodland, Floodplain
- Later amenity centers, Ramble Coffee House and future village parks
- Remaining lake acreage across roughly 220 acres of parks and open space
VERIFY: Construction status and target opening dates for Turtle Club, West Lake park and trailway phase 1 as of 08/2026
Section 09 · Trade-off
New build at Ramble vs. resale in Celina and Prosper
Short answer: buy new at Ramble if you want warranty coverage, a current floor plan and the builder's financing incentives, and you can wait. Buy resale if you want a finished yard, blinds, a fence, mature trees and a lower total tax rate on day one.
What new actually gives you here: a structural warranty, mechanical systems with a decade of life ahead of them, energy performance that shows up in the summer electric bill, and — the underrated one — builder incentive dollars that a resale seller simply cannot match, usually delivered as a rate buydown or closing costs.
What new costs you here: the MMD assessment inside a ~2.79% rate, a build timeline measured in quarters, and thousands of dollars of post-close work nobody warns you about — fencing, window coverings, landscaping beyond the base package, and gutters. Budget VERIFY: Realistic post-close finish-out budget for a comparable Celina new build
The submarket-specific wrinkle: in an actively selling master plan, your resale competition is the developer. If you buy in phase one and need to sell in year three, you are listing against a builder with a model home, a sales team and incentives. Established Celina and Prosper resale neighborhoods don't have that problem. That's not a reason to avoid Ramble — it's a reason to buy here only if you plan to stay.
Section 10 · Upgrade economics
Why the finished price is never the advertised price
The model home you fall in love with is not the house on the price sheet. It is the base plan plus a professionally merchandised upgrade package, on a premium homesite, with furniture that isn't included. Here's how to think about the gap.
Base price is a marketing number
The advertised 'from' price is the smallest plan, on the least desirable homesite, with the base elevation and base finishes. What I've observed across North Dallas: buyers land 12–22% above base once the lot premium, structural options and design center are in.
Structural first — it's the only irreversible money
Extended primary suite, bed-down plan, media room framing, 3-car garage, extended covered patio, additional windows on a trail-facing lot, plumbing and electrical rough-ins. These must be decided before the structural deadline and cannot be added later at any price.
Design center is where discipline dies
Flooring, cabinets, counters, lighting and tile are real money, and the studio is engineered to move you up a tier at every station. Set a written selections ceiling before your appointment and bring it with you.
Things to buy after closing, not from the builder
Window coverings, fencing upgrades, landscaping beyond the base package, closet build-outs, epoxy garage floors, media wiring and most smart-home packages. Nearly always cheaper from a local trade.
Lot premiums are the most negotiable line on the page
Trail-facing, lake-adjacent, greenbelt and cul-de-sac homesites carry premiums. Premiums soften on lots that have sat and at quarter-end. Base price almost never moves; premiums and incentives do.
The on-site sales agent works for the builder
They are usually good people and they are not neutral. Their job is to hold price and protect the comp file. That's exactly why the concession usually shows up as closing-cost credit, rate buydown or design dollars rather than a price cut — and why you want your own representation asking for it.
Section 11 · Candor
What it's like to live inside a 4,000-home build-out
The honest answer: the first several years are loud, dusty and inconvenient — and most people who knew that going in are still glad they bought early. The unhappy clients are the ones nobody told.
Mud, and then more mud
North Texas clay plus a 1,380-acre grading operation equals a truck-tracked street after every rain. Expect to wash the car and hose the driveway constantly for the first several years.
The noise window is early
Framing crews start around sunrise. If you work nights or have a napping infant, this matters more than any amenity on the site plan.
Model-home parking congestion
Weekends at a new model park are a traffic event. Homes near the model row get the tour traffic, the signage and the Saturday overflow parking.
Temporary construction entrances
Haul routes move as phases open. The quiet street you toured on a Tuesday can become the concrete-truck route six months later. Ask for the phasing map, not just the site plan.
Dust on finished lots
Your windows, patio furniture and pool water will collect it. Buyers who plan to install a pool immediately should budget for cleaning, not just construction.
Amenity access lag
Being the first family in a village means the pool, the park and the school are photos on a wall for a while. Ask the sales counselor for written expected-delivery language and treat verbal dates as marketing.
Fencing, landscape and neighborly gaps
Early on, you may have empty lots on both sides for a year or more — great for light, bad for privacy and for the weeds nobody mows.
My practical advice: tour the community on a Saturday morning when the model park is busy, and again on a weekday at 7 a.m. when the trades arrive. Those two visits tell you more than any brochure.
Section 12 · Due diligence
Lot, upgrade and construction issues to investigate before you sign
- Pull the plat and phasing map: what is planned directly behind, beside and across from your homesite for the next five years?
- Ask which lots back to a future collector road, lift station, amenity parking lot, school site or commercial pad.
- Get the lot's drainage plan. On rolling terrain like this, the low lot in a section carries everyone's water.
- Confirm soil and foundation detail — engineered slab specs, post-tension, pier requirements, and the builder's foundation warranty term.
- Ask for the tree survey. 'Mature trees' in the marketing does not mean trees on your lot.
- Verify utility easements before you plan a pool. Some homesites cannot accommodate one.
- Get the structural and selections cutoff dates in writing, plus the change-order fee schedule.
- Ask for the completion window language and what remedy exists if the build runs long.
- Get the incentive in writing with its expiration and any lender conditions attached.
- Order an independent third-party inspection at pre-drywall and at final. Every time. No exceptions.
I run this list with every new-construction client, and it's the same discipline I apply at Aster Park and Park Place. The homework doesn't change; only the plat does.
Section 13 · Schools
What schools serve Ramble, and how likely are boundaries to change?
Short answer: Ramble is in Celina ISD, two on-site elementary schools are planned with the first targeted for 2027, and until then students attend existing Celina ISD campuses.
The campuses Celina ISD and the developer currently associate with Ramble include Bothwell, Lykins, Martin, O'Dell and Vasquez elementaries, Moore Middle School and Celina High School. Which one your address feeds is a function of where in the community you buy and which year you enroll.
Boundaries change — plan on it. Celina ISD is one of the fastest-growing districts in Texas and is opening campuses on a rolling basis. Nothing on this page is a guarantee of attendance. Confirm the assignment for your exact address directly with Celina ISD in writing before you contract, and ask specifically about planned rezoning for the year your child would enroll.
VERIFY: Current Celina ISD attendance assignment for the specific homesite and 2027 elementary opening status as of 08/2026
For how Celina ISD stacks up against Prosper, Frisco and McKinney districts, see my Dallas-area school district map and rankings.
Section 14 · See it
Tommy's Ramble walkthrough and photo gallery
Walkthrough video coming soon
VERIFY: Add Tommy's Ramble walkthrough YouTube ID here once filmed (08/2026)
Until then, walk it with mePlaceholder gallery — replace with Tommy's own on-site photography (never builder renderings) so this page shows something Zillow and NewHomeSource cannot.
Section 15 · Next step
Show Me Current Ramble Options
Tell me your budget, timing and preferred homesite size. I'll help you compare Ramble's builders, available homes and current incentives before you register.
Prefer to book a call? Grab a time on my calendar
Still comparing communities? Start at the North Dallas New Construction Buyer's Guide, read the Aster Park guide or the Park Place guide, then see the Aster Park vs. Park Place comparison. Prefer to talk? Call or text 972.746.9360.
Last reviewed: August 28, 2026. Tommy Wooten is an independent buyer representative with eXp Realty and does not represent Ramble, Hillwood Communities or its builders. Pricing, incentives, tax rates, HOA dues, amenity timelines and school assignments change — verify everything before you contract.