Legacy Hills, Celina: What Buyers Should Know Before Touring

Legacy Hills is a Centurion American development of roughly 3,200 acres in Celina, master-planned for around 7,000 single-family homes, some 4,100 multi-family units, about 100 acres of commercial development, a golf course, a 27-acre sports park, seven amenity centres and land set aside for two future Celina ISD campuses. Almost all of that is planned rather than built. A buyer here is purchasing into the early phases of a development that will take many years to complete, which makes the distinction between what exists today and what is on the master plan the most important thing on this page. This page covers that, the builders, the district position and what to verify before making an offer.

By Nitin Gupta, CRS, GRI, ABR, REALTOR® and Broker Associate with Competitive Edge Realty, who has closed more than 480 DFW transactions.

The master plan, and what it actually contains

Published developer materials and reporting describe the plan as including:

Approximately 7,000 single-family homes across seven subdivisions, each with its own amenity centre, pool and playscape.
Around 4,100 multi-family units.
Roughly 100 acres of commercial development.
A 27-acre city sports park, an 18-hole golf course with clubhouse and driving range, and a three-mile walking and biking trail.
Two twelve-acre sections set aside for future Celina ISD campuses, plus sites for police and fire stations.
Around four miles of frontage along the planned Dallas North Tollway extension.

That is a city-scale plan, and it is the reason to look carefully at timing. The multi-family and commercial components in particular are worth locating relative to any home you are considering — not because they are a problem, but because buyers who learn about them after closing feel misled. Ask the city what is approved and what is under construction near the specific lot.

The schools are the clearest example of planned versus delivered

Two Celina ISD campuses are planned within the development on land set aside for them. Until they open, children living here attend existing campuses elsewhere in the district.

That means two things for a buyer. The campus your child attends today is not necessarily the campus the marketing implies, and the assignment will change when the on-site schools open — which is normal in a development this size but should be a known fact rather than a surprise.

Confirm the district and the current elementary, middle and high school assignments for the exact address with Celina ISD before making an offer, and ask the district what is known about future boundary changes.

Twelve builders across seven subdivisions

Separately branded neighbourhoods within Legacy Hills have been built or marketed by Beazer, Pulte, Del Webb, M/I Homes, Mattamy, Windsor, First Texas, UnionMain, Lennar, DR Horton, Ashton Woods and Starlight Homes, on lot widths of forty, fifty, sixty and sixty-five feet.

So "Legacy Hills" in a listing tells you very little. The Enclave is Beazer's neighbourhood, Pinnacle is Pulte's, Brookshire is Windsor's, Lilybrooke is M/I's, the Arbors is Mattamy's, and Del Webb's section is age-restricted. Different builders, different lot widths, different price bands, different amenity packages at the neighbourhood level.

Compare within the neighbourhood and lot width you are shopping. The Enclave at Legacy Hills page covers one of them in detail, and builder-specific detail is on the Beazer, M/I Homes, UnionMain and Ashton Woods buyer FAQs.

Contact an agent before your first visit to any model. Builders commonly tie recognition of your agent to that first visit, and with a dozen builders here that applies separately at each sales centre.

Associations: expect more than one

With seven subdivisions each having its own amenity centre inside a single master-planned development, a two-tier association structure is likely — a master association for the shared facilities and a neighbourhood association for the local ones.

Before the option period ends, obtain the resale certificate and governing documents and confirm which associations apply to the specific property, the dues and billing cycle for each, exactly what each covers, the reserve position, any assessment history, what the developer currently funds and when that support ends, and the rules on exterior alterations, fencing, parking, letting and pets.

The public improvement district

Legacy Hills appears on the City of Celina's published list of active public improvement districts, with an annual service plan update. That assessment is levied on top of the usual taxing units, so the monthly figure is the mortgage, the taxes including the assessment, insurance and the association dues — plural, if two associations apply.

Pull the full taxing-unit list for the specific parcel from the Collin County appraisal district, obtain a tax certificate, and have your lender build the escrow estimate from those figures rather than a builder's sample. The special districts explainer covers how a PID differs from a MUD.

Buying early in a long build-out

Early phases of a development this large carry a particular set of trade-offs: construction traffic and noise for years, amenities arriving on the developer's schedule rather than yours, and a resale market that competes against the builders still selling nearby.

None of that argues against buying — early buyers in well-executed master plans often do well — but it should be a decision taken with the facts. Ask where the remaining phases sit relative to your lot, what is scheduled next, and what has actually been delivered against the original plan so far.

What to verify before you offer

Which neighbourhood and builder the home belongs to, plus the lot width and year built, from the appraisal district record.
Every taxing unit on the parcel and the current assessment, from the appraisal district and a tax certificate.
Which associations apply, and the dues and inclusions for each.
The current campus assignments with Celina ISD, and what is known about changes when on-site schools open.
What the city has approved near the lot, including multi-family and commercial parcels, and the timing.
Which amenities are open today and which remain planned.
The builder's contract terms and inspection schedule. The builder contracts guide covers what varies most.

Common questions

How big is Legacy Hills?

Approximately 3,200 acres, master-planned for around 7,000 single-family homes and some 4,100 multi-family units, developed by Centurion American Development Group near Legacy Drive and Celina Parkway.

Are the amenities built?

Mostly not yet. The plan describes seven amenity centres, a 27-acre sports park, an 18-hole golf course and a three-mile trail, delivered over the life of the development. Confirm what is open today and what remains planned, with current timing.

Which schools will my children attend?

Two Celina ISD campuses are planned within the development, but until they open, students attend existing campuses elsewhere in the district. Confirm the current assignment with the district and ask what is known about future boundaries.

Will there be apartments and commercial development inside Legacy Hills?

The master plan includes roughly 4,100 multi-family units and about 100 acres of commercial development. Ask the city where those parcels sit relative to a specific home and what the timing is.

Who builds in Legacy Hills?

Separately branded neighbourhoods have been built or marketed by Beazer, Pulte, Del Webb, M/I Homes, Mattamy, Windsor, First Texas, UnionMain, Lennar, DR Horton, Ashton Woods and Starlight, across forty, fifty, sixty and sixty-five-foot lots. Compare within the neighbourhood and lot width you are shopping.

Will I pay dues to one association or two?

Likely two, given seven subdivisions with their own amenity centres inside one master plan. Confirm which apply to the specific property from the resale certificate before budgeting.

Thinking about Legacy Hills?

Send what you are looking for — which neighbourhood or builder appeals, lot width, whether an age-restricted section is of interest, your price range and your timeline — and you get back what is realistically available across the development, with the neighbourhood and builder confirmed from the record, the association structure established, the taxing units and assessment pulled, and the current campus assignment confirmed with the district. Call 469-269-6541 or get in touch.

More on the city is on the Celina page, and other communities on the Cambridge Crossing, Creeks of Legacy and Hillside Village pages. If an age-restricted section is what you are after, the guide for seniors buying in DFW covers what to check, and if you are selling here, the seller services page covers that side.

Nitin Gupta, REALTOR®, Broker Associate with Competitive Edge Realty. He holds thirteen professional designations, including CRS, GRI, CLHMS and ABR, has closed more than 480 DFW transactions, and was named a D Magazine Best REALTOR® in 2020, 2023 and 2024. His background is on his bio page and client feedback on his reviews page.