Everybody Wants to Live in Burleson

by Jordan DeWald

Everybody wants to live in Burleson. At least it would appear that way if you are trying to buy or sell a house in the 76028 zip code!

It is the dream time to sell a house in Burleson, Texas. Reports of homeowners receiving multiple offers, with many in cash, and over the asking price are not rumors. For the person looking to buy a house, it is a completely different kind of dream and not one for the faint of heart! It is a market in Burleson that the real estate community has not seen in recent history. Karan Wethington has been in the Burleson area since the 1980s and formed The Wethington Team in 2007. She has a first-hand understanding of how the market has changed since the spring of 2020. She and Laura Collins, another member of The Wethington Team, offer valuable insight as local realtors to Burleson.

It takes a basic knowledge of supply and demand to understand why the market looks the way it does in Burleson, according to Karan and Laura. Simply put, there are more people wanting to buy houses in Burleson than there are houses available. People from out of town and out of state want to move here and people who live here do not want to leave. There is also a limited amount of land left to build on. The Wethington Team just listed Taylor Bridge North, a new gated subdivision with 26 lots off East Renfro Estates and they expect those lots to go quickly.

Why do people want to live in Burleson?

What is it that makes living in Burleson so appealing? For the out-of-towner, the location alone is appealing according to Karan. The town is situated right on Interstate 35 just forty-five minutes from an international airport, a short drive to Fort Worth and Dallas, and is within a few hours of the major cities of Houston and Austin. For a businessperson who wants access to all of that but wants to raise their family outside of a city, Burleson fits the bill. When they start to look closer, Burleson has so much more to offer than simply location. Karan describes Burleson as a desirable place to live. The school district, amenities by the city, and the general makeup of the town attracts residents and retains residents.

Burleson ISD is an outstanding school district. In 2020, both Burleson High School and Centennial High school placed in the top 30% of schools in the nation in the ranking for the U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 Best High Schools. From the time they are in elementary school, to the time they walk across the graduation stage, students in the district receive a rigorous classroom education and endless opportunities outside of the classroom. All of this prepares the students to find success in postsecondary education and/or the workforce. The district makes opportunities available for the students by partnering with Hill College for dual enrollment and the Burleson Opportunity Fund Hill College, the City of Burleson for the Burleson Works program, and offering several Career and Technical Education programs. According to Burleson ISD, CTEs “prepare students for college and careers. This school year, a new Construction Program provides the opportunity for students to earn a certification in year one.” Also touted by the district are schools of choice: “Five elementary schools of choice (focused on the arts, leadership & technology, & more), STEAM Middle School, the newly named Game Development Design School that is educating the next generation of video game developers and technology giants, and Burleson Collegiate High School.” Kids in the district are often second or third generation BISD students. It speaks highly of a district that parents want their children to attend the schools they went to.

The City of Burleson’s staff and City Council work hard to make Burleson a great place to live. The affordability of Burleson has a real appeal to buyers moving to Texas from out of state. Burleson has a lower cost of living than both the state of Texas and the United States, according to information provided by the Economic Development department of the city. Yet, it offers amenities one would expect only in a larger, or more expensive city. The city can boast a low crime rate thanks to the work of the law enforcement officers and staff. Recently the first responders and City Council worked together to find the best solution to getting residents the fastest and best emergency care possible. In December of 2021, residents were given the exciting news of a new entertainment center being brought to Burleson called Alley Cats. The Parks and Recreation Department is an excellent example of the good things Burleson continues to offer to its residents.

“Burleson Parks and Recreation has been immersing itself in the community to ensure that they are creating parks and spaces that the community will love,” says Jen Basham, Parks and Recreation Department Director. “In the past year the city has revamped Clark Park and Warren Park, expanded our disc golf course to 18 holes, added miles of mountain bike trail loops, and completed multiple improvement projects at Hidden Creek Golf Course. Currently under construction we have our new splash pad, dog park, and the expansion of the cemetery. By the end of 2022 we will have completed the renovation of Cindy Park, Claudia’s Playground, Prairie Timbers, and started the expansion of the Village Creek Trail. In addition to all of these projects we have so much more to offer, we have completely renovated the fitness floor at the BRiCk, expanded our current program line up, and created new experiences at Russell Farm. Over the next five years we are going to stay incredibly busy building new parks, and taking care of our current ones. For more information, please check us out on social media or our website.”

Burleson can offer the amenities a big city has while holding on to a small-town feel. Generations of families have made Burleson their home and new residents quickly learn to appreciate and embrace the town as their hometown too. Small businesses find a supportive client base, local nonprofits find a generous community, and people find neighbors.

What should a home seller or buyer do in this market?

If lots of people are wanting to live in Burleson, but there is a supply and demand issue, what should someone do if they are looking to buy or sell in the town? First, The Wethington Team recommends the person sit down with a local realtor to go over what they can expect in the market. They know every subdivision, are daily watching the current trends, and can give you the best information about pricing. They also have relationships with the rest of the real estate community in Burleson, including lenders, builders, and insurance agents. Karan says Burleson has a real estate community that works well together.
Someone selling a house might be tempted to list “for sale by owner,” thinking it will be easy to sell their house. They might have plenty of interest, but Karan warns about going that route. She said a realtor offers protection to the seller because of their knowledge of the laws and contracts and can help guide them through every step of the process. In addition, Laura said a realtor often can help the seller get more money for their home because they watch the trends. While it may be tempting to not have to pay a fee to the realtor, a seller should consider that they may lose more money by not pricing the home correctly thus underselling it.

For a home buyer, or builder, a local realtor can provide peace of mind in a particularly stressful market. Karan recommends a few things to help them be successful in this market:

1. Be well educated about the market with a good LOCAL realtor
2. Be preapproved
3. Make the best offer you can
4. Be very patient

The process can be discouraging. Some out-of-town investors have been able to make offers that families find it difficult to compete with. Karan offers encouragement though. In her years of helping people find their homes, she has seen when someone does not get the house they set their hopes on, it usually works out better for them in the end and they find a home they like even more. No matter how many offers the realtor must write up, they are committed to finding their client the right house for them.

You may find out this is not the right time for you to sell but you still want some upgrades to your house. This might be a good time to remodel to make your home work better for you or increase its value for when you do decide to sell. With more people working from home, Karan said home offices and high-speed internet are the two things they most commonly hear from someone looking to buy. That is the kind of thing only a local realtor can tell you.

A homeowner in Burleson can be encouraged that they have invested in a great place to live. A lot of people want to be your neighbor!