Two Dallas-area cities are rated as the best real estate markets in the country. And four of the six top U.S. property markets are in North Texas, according to a just-released study from WalletHub.

McKinney and Frisco took the top spots in the 2023′s Best Real Estate Markets report. Denton ranked fourth and Allen was sixth in the annual nationwide study.

Austin ranked eighth on WalletHub’s top 10 markets list, giving Texas cities half the spots in the ranking.

The study looked at 300 U.S. cities and rated the real estate markets for housing attractiveness based on factors including home price appreciation, share of underwater mortgages, foreclosure rates, housing affordability, population growth and unemployment rates.

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It’s no surprise three of Collin County’s fastest growth cities are at the top of the real estate ranking.

Fort Worth placed 22nd in the national list, Plano was at 24 , Richardson was 28th, Irving placed 36th and Dallas was ranked as the 43rd best U.S. real estate market, according to WalletHub.

Fast-growing cities fared better in the home-buying rankings.

“I would advise buyers to pay more attention to job growth rates and unemployment rates within their metro area,” San Jose State University professor Kelly Snider said in the report. “In most parts of the country, small and mid-size employers are hiring and growing, which means the local economies are strong and local markets are stable.”

Dallas-Fort Worth is one of the country’s strongest metro areas for both population and job growth.

Real estate costs in the area are moderating after several years of soaring prices. D-FW area home prices were down 1% year-over-year in the latest survey.

“There is no crash coming, and it is too expensive to boom anything. What we see is that exorbitant increases are stabilizing, and the entire housing market is getting less volatile and more predictable,” Snider said. “That is good for the economy and good for employers who want a stable cohort of employees. The housing recalibration is very good for long-term stability in the U.S.”

Over 400 people lined up for McKinney's H-E-B grand opening on July 19, according to a company representative.

The details

The McKinney store features:

The store will also have an extensive beer and wine selection, a deli, a bakery and tortilleria with two tortilla machines, and live cooking demonstrations at its Cooking Connections station, according to its website. The McKinney location will offer curbside and delivery service.

The location, led by the store’s top leader Matt LoBello, employs a total of 750 people, with most hourly positions beginning at $15 per hour, according to company representatives.

The family-owned grocery store was founded in 1905 by Florence Butt and has expanded to more than 420 locations in Texas and Mexico.

How we got here

The 118,000-square-foot store, located at 8700 Eldorado Parkway near Custer Road, was announced in mid-2021.

Construction for the project began in March 2022. Improvements were also made to adjacent roadways, including Eldorado Parkway, ahead of the McKinney store’s opening.

The first Dallas-Fort Worth-area H-E-B opened in Frisco in September, followed by the opening of the Plano store in November. Other DFW-area H-E-B stores in the works include locations in Allen, Alliance and Mansfield as well as a second Frisco store.

What they’re saying

McKinney Mayor George Fuller, McKinney City Council members, city staff and H-E-B leaders were in attendance at a July 18 ribbon-cutting event.

Fuller noted the company’s philanthropic efforts in the local community began at the onset of construction on the McKinney store.

“How exciting it is to have a company like H-E-B here,” Fuller said. “What it brings to the community certainly as a store—118,000 [square] feet, this is awesome—but what they bring in just human values, in philanthropy to the community, they’re really an incredible company, an incredible corporate partner, and we are so, so blessed to have you guys here.”

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, H-E-B leaders commemorated the store’s grand opening with a $10,000 donation to the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary, a McKinney-based science museum and nature center.

“We truly believe that giving back not only allows us to better serve you in our stores, but more importantly, allows us to create strong communities where each and every person counts,” said Juan-Carlos Ruck, executive vice president of the H-E-B northwest food and drug division, of the donation.

At the groundbreaking event for the McKinney store in early 2022, H-E-B leaders gifted a total of $50,000 with donations of $10,000 each to City Church, Community Garden Kitchen, Hugs Café, Love Life Foundation and Seed Project Foundation.

For more information on operating hours and details of the new McKinney store, visit www.heb.com/heb-store/US/tx/mckinney/h-e-b-mckinney-794 or call 469-631-7483.

Editors note: This article and headline has been updated to include more information.

Editor, McKinney

Shelbie joined Community Impact Newspaper in August 2022, and has been the editor of the McKinney edition since July 2023. Prior to CI, Shelbie served as a business news fellow for the Dallas Morning News. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University in May 2022. When she’s not writing, she enjoys photography and live music.

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McKINNEY, Texas - Another H-E-B grocery store is now open in North Texas. The H-E-B in McKinney is the third of four to open in Collin County.

Although the stores in Plano and Frisco have been open for several months, people still began lining up before dawn Wednesday to be among the first shoppers when the new McKinney store opened at 6 a.m.

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The store located on the northeast corner of Custer Road and Eldorado Parkway will operate seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

It gives more North Texas shoppers the chance to buy the same famous tortillas, meat, and specialty items from the grocery chain that has spent most of its 100+ years in south and central Texas.

"H-E-B reminds me of home because I'm from San Antonio. And so, I've missed not having H-E-B in the North Texas area. So when they came, we decided that we were gonna go and be the first ones in the store. And then it just kind of became a tradition here," said Michelle Hearn.

She and her friends Jen Burkman and Katie Aldridge have attended all three grand openings in Collin County so far.

"We've been here since 8:30 last night and luckily that was when the temps started falling a little bit. We had a great breeze. But it's just fun to sit back and just meet some new people, have some great conversation," Burkman said.

The next big opening for the self-proclaimed "H-E-B Groupies" will be the new Allen store that is expected to open in the Fall.

Stores in Fort Worth and Mansfield are set to open next year.

Lower-priced Joe V's Smart Shop stores are also planned in Dallas' Pleasant Grove and Red Bird neighborhoods.

True Texas BBQ — McKinney’s new spot for brisket lovers — is conspicuously tucked inside the city’s recently opened H-E-B, and while some customers liken its barbecue flavors to longtime local favorite Hutchins Barbeque, others say not so fast.

McKinney resident Jose Andazola, who has been dining at Hutchins for 16 years and says the ribs and brisket are his favorites, tried H-E-B’s True Texas BBQ at the Frisco location and said the two are hard to compare.

“It’s day and night,” Andazola said of Hutchins Barbeque compared to True Texas BBQ. “This [Hutchins] has a more authentic smoke flavor.”

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But others think it’s pretty spot-on.

Robert Ware Jr. worked up an appetite while shopping on Friday afternoon and stopped in to True Texas BBQ for a brisket sandwich. He said the meat has a “familiar taste” to one of his local favorite joints — Hutchins.

“That’s the first thing I thought of when I took a bite,” he said.

Each joint offers something different: H-E-B touts its low prices — like the one or two meat plate served with two sides for $12.99 or $15.49, respectively — and its convenient drive-through or dine-in option, while Hutchins is all about a classic barbecue joint environment where people can smell the smoke in their face as they walk by the pits to the front door. However, both take pride in quality and consistency, smoking their all-natural meat low and slow.

And while Texans can be picky about their barbecue, True Texas BBQ has taken to the tastebuds of many. Of the top five busiest True Texas BBQ locations, two are in North Texas with the other three being in Austin, San Antonio and Midland, said Ingrid Valenciano, H-E-B Restaurant Operational Excellence Leader. And Texas Monthly has called True Texas BBQ the best chain barbecue in the state.

Related:McKinney turns out for H-E-B’s newest supermarket with a line more than 400 long

‘On my list now’

“It’s great to have guests who come in and say they weren’t expecting much and then they say, ‘Oh my gosh this is going to be on my list now,’ ” Valenciano said. “Competition is good. We all love a challenge, and the guests benefit from having so much great BBQ around.”

Krishnapal and Preet Chhabra live 1 mile from the new H-E-B. They like the convenience of being able to get groceries and eat all in one place, they said while enjoying a rack of natural St. Louis ribs.

“We had to try it because we’ve been hearing about it through friends and all over the place,” Krishnapal said. “We will be coming back.”

McKinney’s H-E-B is the third to have a True Texas BBQ joint in North Texas, behind locations in Plano and Frisco. A fourth location will be in the new Allen H-E-B, which is slated to open before the end of the year.

Among the 329 H-E-Bs in Texas, just 25 have this barbecue joint — which has been around since 2014, first in Pleasanton, a small town south of San Antonio. H-E-Bs in North Texas open in Mansfield, Alliance and another in Frisco next, and each of those will also have a True Texas BBQ.

Related:BBQ at H-E-B: Inside the only True Texas BBQ in North Texas

All the meat is trimmed, seasoned and smoked on site daily with post oak wood, following traditional Central Texas style, and their sausage is made specially for the restaurant out of Bellville.

Customer favorites include the brisket, brisket beans and mac & cheese, Valenciano said. Though, the turkey, St. Louis-style ribs and sausage are also popular. Depending on the day, True Texas BBQ in McKinney smokes between 550-775 pounds of brisket. That’s about 5,500 pounds of brisket each week.

“Brisket smokes overnight slow and low like BBQ should be,” said Juan-Carlos Rück, executive vice president of H-E-B.

‘A whole different environment’

Wayne White, general manager of the Hutchins in Frisco, said Hutchins isn’t worried about possible competition from larger chains like True Texas BBQ, as their BBQ is a staple for so many and a “destination” for others. As more development moves into the area and when other stores open, like the H-E-Bs, White said Hutchins only gets busier.

Even on weekdays a line crawls out the door and into the parking lot where smoke from the outdoor pits wafts in the air as people wait eagerly to get inside. On weekends employees hand out samples of sausage, beef ribs and other meats.

“We always want to think we’re a notch above — we’re a little biased — but it’s a whole different environment,” said White, who has been working for Hutchins since 1988. “More people come here from all over the world. We’ve become a destination.”

Roy Hutchins started the barbecue business out of his home in Princeton in 1978 before opening locations in McKinney and Frisco with his sons in 1991 and 1994, respectively, where it became a go-to spot for ribs and smoked brisket.

Some Hutchins customers, like Jay Olive, claim it’s the best barbecue around. Others find themselves standing in line for the second time in a few weeks— back for more.

Chad Thummel, a first-time customer at Hutchins, couldn’t get enough.

“There ain’t any chain that’s going to touch this,” Thummel said. “It’s impressive, and I haven’t gotten to the main course yet.”

Customers rave about the Texas Twinkies — a jalapeño wrapped in bacon, stuffed with cream cheese and chopped brisket, smoked and glazed — and the free dessert. Banana pudding, peach cobbler and ice cream are set out in the restaurant with spoons, so customers can help themselves.

“We’re one of the local favorites because you know you’re going to get great consistent food, great customer service, a great family environment, and who else gives out free dessert?” White said.

On slower days, 640 transactions are made while the weekend reaches well over 1,000 transactions. At the Frisco and McKinney locations combined, at least 30,000 pounds of raw brisket are smoked each week. Hutchins’ prime brisket is grass-fed, the chicken is cage-free, the turkey breast is all natural and all sausage is made in house.

“Starting with top quality meats, putting a lot of love and passion into it and surrounding ourselves with an amazing team… it starts with product and we trump that with the best BBQ experience starting with the pits outside and great customer service inside,” said Trey Hutchins, who owns the two Hutchins Barbeques in McKinney and Frisco with his brother, Tim Hutchins.

White added that great customer service comes from longtime employees who feel like family.

“It’s very family-oriented,” said AJ Dawson, who has been working at Hutchins for six years. “We’re a close-knit group.”

The pit master at the Frisco location has been smoking brisket for the company for 30 years. The kitchen manager has been there for 25.

“The BBQ is good, but the people are what really brings it back,” said Olive, who has been eating at Hutchins for eight years.

. Haeven Gibbons covers Collin County with emphasis on McKinney. She formerly worked as a summer intern with the Dallas Morning News Education Lab before receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a minor in Spanish from Texas Christian University in December. She previously interned for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and AM New York.

haeven.gibbons@dallasnews.com haevengibbons

Residents of the Erwin Farms neighborhood in McKinney have sighted wild hogs, bobcats and coyotes, but earlier this month, a new animal made an appearance on their front lawns.

About 40 goats chomped through flower beds around 6 a.m. June 11. The city received at least one complaint about the goats that morning, according to Kerry Simpson, director of code services for the city.

The neighborhood is about a mile from Painted Tree, a development where a herd of about 500 goats was brought in to graze overgrown vegetation within the community, said Mike Danielson, who lives in the Erwin Farms neighborhood.

Goats overrun McKinney neighborhood

MAP: Mel Fronczek

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“I guess the grass is greener on the other side,” Danielson said.

After they had their fill, the goats returned to Painted Tree on their own around 8 a.m.

“The company that owns the goats told me they have kind of an internal compass,” Danielson said. “When they left our neighborhood, they went back to where they came from and were all present and accounted for.”

Watch: Goats go grazing in McKinney neighborhood

About 40 goats graze on lawns in the Erwin Farms neighborhood in McKinney early on June 11. (Footage from Phuong Ly’s Eufy camera)

Calls to Danielson, who is part of the neighborhood’s advisory committee, started rolling in early that Sunday morning from concerned neighbors trying to figure out how to get their yards fixed. Some joked about having a cabrito barbecue.

Phuong Ly’s flower bed has seen better days.

Footage from his security camera shows the goats eating flowers and bushes in his front garden beds at 6:12 a.m. Ly said he was sad, disappointed and angry when he woke up to the damage, but Open Space TX, the company that provides the goats for environmentally friendly land clearing, according to its website, replaced his flower beds that same day.

“The company involved came over immediately,” Danielson said. “I met with them that morning, and they took care of the flower beds that got messed up and cleaned up the roads. They did a really good job.”

Residents in the neighborhood are used to the occasional visit from an unexpected animal.

In January, wild hogs tore up some Erwin Farms lawns. Construction in the area caused the hogs to move down the city’s greenbelt and into the urban areas, said Hannah Golden with animal services in a video by the city.

“This is typical nature,” Simpson said. “Any time that you build a new subdivision or structures in an area that’s typically been a wildlife habitat, you displace some wildlife and there are sometimes just a few growing pains with the wildlife figuring out where they need to go to get out of the community.”

Simpson said the city has received more reports of wildlife as development moves in. However, it’s usually new residents who will report seeing animals — like bobcats and coyotes — that have always been in the area, and with more people using security cameras, they are just now noticing these native animals that have been there all along.

Golden said most animal services calls are not about wildlife actively preying on humans, children or dogs, and there is typically no danger as long as people keep their distance, pick up any food on the ground and keep small dogs and house cats inside or on a leash.

“We’re trying to educate people that if you were to eradicate every coyote, you’d have other things coming in,” Simpson said. “Anytime that you remove any kind of wildlife, something else will come in and sit in its place.”

However, if a nocturnal animal is out during the day or an animal is causing damage to a property or bothering people or pets, animal services should be contacted to help with the issue, she said.

Other tips for keeping native wildlife away from residential areas, according to the city’s Good Neighbor Guide, include removing food sources like bird feeders, which can attract squirrels and raccoons; picking up outside water or food for pets; securing garbage cans; trimming overgrown plants; and planting gardens away from the house.

While goats aren’t native Texas wildlife, they can do considerable damage.

A goat will eat about 3% of its body weight a day, so for a 100-pound goat, that’s 3 pounds of vegetation, according to a video on Painted Tree’s website. “For a herd of about 100, that’s 300 pounds, so they will eat a lot of vegetation,” said Quincy Crow, who is the president of Open Space TX.