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Old Town is the one part of Coppell where you can buy into a walkable, mixed-use setting rather than a conventional subdivision — and it is also the part of the city still actively being redeveloped, which changes the questions a buyer needs to ask. The residential product here is not uniform: townhomes and patio homes built around the town square sit alongside residential units above ground-floor retail, and those are different purchases with different financing, different ownership structures and different rules. This page covers how to tell them apart and what to check before making an offer.

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

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What Old Town is

Old Town sits around the intersections of Bethel Road and Coppell Road, along Main Street, on the site of the city's original townsite. The city established it as a historic district through its 1996 comprehensive plan, drafted a master plan for the area in the early 2000s, and modified the concept in 2014 to allow residential use — which is why the housing here is recent even though the district is the oldest part of the city.

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The area now combines restaurants, shops and offices with a town square and pavilion, the Coppell Farmers Market, the Coppell Arts Center and a central green, with residential built around and above it. Darling Homes built townhomes and patio homes here in phases.

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Three different things are sold as "Old Town"

This is the distinction to establish before you tour.

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Townhomes. Attached homes with a shared structure, governed by an association that typically maintains the exterior and common areas. Ask what the association maintains, what the dues cover and what the reserve position looks like.

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Patio homes. Detached but on compact lots, usually with an association handling common areas and sometimes front landscaping. Lot size and what you are responsible for vary, so check both.

Residential units above ground-floor retail. These sit in mixed-use buildings and are a different proposition again: shared building systems, commercial tenants below, and ownership structures that affect financing.

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On that last category, ask your lender early. Lenders assess mixed-use buildings differently from standard residential, looking at the proportion of commercial space, the project's ownership and the association's finances. A unit that suits you perfectly may still need a particular loan product, and that is better known before you make an offer than after.

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You are buying into a district that is still changing

Old Town has been under active redevelopment for years and remains so. The city has approved further mixed-use construction along Main Street, including buildings combining office, retail and residential, and projects have involved removing existing structures — one proposal drew public objection over the demolition of a 1948 church building noted in the city's historic resource survey though not listed on state or federal registers.

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For a buyer that cuts both ways: continued investment supports the district's appeal, and construction next door is a real condition in the interim. Before you commit:

• Ask the city what is currently approved or under review on surrounding parcels, and what the timeline is.

• Establish what is built and open today versus what is planned, and treat planned elements as plans.

• Visit at more than one time of day and on a market or event day, since the character of the streets changes considerably.

• Ask about parking — where yours is, how it is allocated, and what visitor and event parking looks like.

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Historic district rules

Because this is the city's historic district, design and development here are governed differently from a conventional subdivision. If you plan any exterior change, confirm with the city what review or approval applies to your specific property, and get that answer before the option period ends rather than after you have drawn plans.

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The same applies to any association architectural requirements, which sit on top of the city's rules rather than replacing them.

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What to verify before you offer

• Which product you are buying — townhome, patio home or a unit in a mixed-use building — and the ownership structure that goes with it.

• The association's resale certificate: dues, billing cycle, what is maintained, reserves, assessment history and rules on letting, pets, parking and alterations.

• Your lender's view of the specific building or project, particularly for mixed-use.

• The recorded subdivision from the appraisal district record, and the full list of taxing units with a tax certificate.

• What the city has approved on nearby parcels, and the construction timeline.

• Any historic district review requirements that would apply to changes you have in mind.

• An independent inspection, regardless of how recently the home was built.

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Schools

Coppell is served principally by Coppell ISD, which covers most of the city, though some addresses in and around Coppell fall into neighbouring districts. Confirm the district and the specific elementary, middle and high school assignments for the address with the district before you make an offer, since assignments change.

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Common questions

Is Old Town actually old?

The district is the city's original townsite and was established as its historic district through the 1996 comprehensive plan, but most of the residential property is recent, because residential use was introduced into the plan in 2014. You are generally buying a new or newer home in an old setting.

What kinds of homes are there?

Townhomes and patio homes built around the square, and residential units above ground-floor retail in mixed-use buildings. They differ in ownership structure, what the association maintains and how lenders treat them.

Why would financing be different here?

For a unit in a mixed-use building, lenders assess the project as well as the borrower, including the proportion of commercial space and the association's finances. Ask your lender about the specific building before making an offer.

Is there still construction going on?

The district has been redeveloped in stages over many years and further mixed-use projects have been approved. Ask the city what is currently approved or under review near the property and what the timeline is.

What about parking?

Ask specifically where your parking is, how it is allocated, and what happens on market and event days, since the district draws visitors. It is a routine question here and an unusual one elsewhere in Coppell.

Can I change the exterior of my home?

Possibly, but this is the city's historic district, so confirm what review or approval applies to your specific property with the city, and check the association's architectural requirements as well.

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Thinking about Old Town?

Send what you are looking for — townhome, patio home or a unit above retail, how much maintenance you want to take on, your price range and your timeline — and you get back what is realistically available, with the ownership structure identified, the association documents flagged, the lender question raised early and the surrounding approvals checked with the city. Call 469-269-6541 or get in touch.

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More on the city is on the Coppell page, other neighbourhoods on the Arbor Manors, Chateaus of Coppell, Blackberry Farm and East Lake pages, and if you are selling here, the Coppell listing agent page covers that side.

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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.