Moving to Willow Bend, Plano: home values and the mall redevelopment

Is Willow Bend right for you?

Willow Bend home values

Zillow Home Value Index (Zillow's typical home value: the middle of the market, all home types, smoothed and seasonally adjusted), September 2026. Zillow draws its own neighborhood boundaries.

What it costs to own in Willow Bend each year

Prefilled with the typical price used in this guide for Willow Bend. Add HOA dues if the home has them: ask for the HOA's current budget. Insurance isn't estimated: get a quote. Check the exact school district on the appraisal district's parcel record.

Tax year 2026 rates adopted by each taxing unit (Collin Central Appraisal District and the units' own notices). † Denton County's 2026 rate is proposed, not yet confirmed as adopted, and its homestead exemption isn't verified, so none is applied; Collin College isn't included for Denton County addresses: check the parcel's bill. An estimate, not a tax bill: special districts and over-65 tax ceilings can change it. Confirm with the appraisal district or a CPA.

Willow Bend home values in 2026

The neighborhood sits in 75093, Plano's highest-priced ZIP, near the top of Zillow's named neighborhoods. If you want this price band without the redevelopment question, Lakeside on Preston is the closest match on price. Pick Willow Bend if you want more sections and lots to choose from and you're willing to check each house against the City's district map.

Monthly payment on a typical Willow Bend home

At Freddie Mac's 7.4% average (week of October 15, 2026), 20% down on $1,379,001 leaves a $1,103,201 loan, which is above the conforming loan limit for Collin County, so you'll need a jumbo loan. Principal and interest come to about $7,638 a month. Property tax at the 2026 rates for Plano ISD, the City, Collin County and Collin College adds about $20,500 a year with a homestead exemption on file, roughly $1,700 a month, so the total is near $9,350 before insurance and HOA. Our property tax calculator for Plano runs it for your price.

Why Willow Bend prices held while Plano fell

Citywide, the steepest drops this year were in the lower-priced east and central ZIP codes. The west-side neighborhoods above $1 million held flat or rose. That means less room to negotiate here than elsewhere in the city, so don't expect the discounts you'll read about in Plano-wide headlines.

Did the Shops at Willow Bend close down?

Partly. The Dallas Morning News reported, in a story updated September 21, 2026, that starting September 1 portions of the Shops at Willow Bend would "transition" as the property entered its next phase, according to its owner, Centennial.

Willow Bend stores that stayed open

The same report named tenants that would keep operating: Crate & Barrel, Equinox, Knife and Mexican Bar Co., and North Texas Performing Arts. Check before you visit, since the list may change as redevelopment moves ahead.

Anchor stores that left Willow Bend

Macy's left the mall in 2025 and Dillard's closed in 2026. For now that means fewer shops within a short drive; Legacy West is the nearest large center, a few miles north on the tollway.

What is replacing Willow Bend Mall?

The City of Plano calls the plan the Willow Bend District. It's a proposal at this stage, and the City's project page describes possible sports and entertainment venues, shops, restaurants, homes, public space and road improvements on and around the mall site.

The proposed Willow Bend arena

On June 8, 2026, City Council approved a non-binding letter of intent with the Dallas Stars for a city-owned sports and community arena, an incentive agreement with the mall's owner, a tax increment reinvestment zone covering the development area and an adjoining corridor, and a venue project resolution for the State Comptroller. Non-binding means the deal can still change or fall through.

The November 3, 2026 Willow Bend venue tax election

Council called a special election for November 3, 2026 on venue taxes: a car rental tax of up to 5%, a hotel tax increase of up to 2%, an event parking tax of up to $3, an admissions tax of up to 10% and a use tax on major league teams. The City says these wouldn't change the property tax rate and that the election doesn't by itself decide the arena's future. Check the result before you make an offer near the site.

Willow Bend Redevelopment Advisory Committee

On August 24, 2026, Council appointed ten residents to an advisory committee for the redevelopment. The City's open-house boards in July covered neighborhood quality of life, lighting, noise, parking and traffic, which are the issues to ask about for any house near the site.

Buying a Willow Bend home near the district

The redevelopment touches homes differently depending on where they sit. A house backing onto the mall site or a road into it faces the most change; one deep inside a subdivision may notice little beyond event traffic. Before you write an offer:

• Find the home on the City's Willow Bend District map and measure its distance to the site.
• Drive the route from the house to the Dallas North Tollway at a weekday rush hour, since that's where event traffic would add up.
• Read the City's latest project update and the Advisory Committee's notes on lighting, noise and parking.
• Ask the seller what they've been told by their HOA about the project.

Questions about the plan go to the City at 972-941-7030 or askplano@plano.gov.

The houses and subdivisions in Willow Bend

Willow Bend subdivisions and HOAs

Zillow's neighborhood covers several subdivisions, and listings use names such as Willow Bend Polo Estates and Willow Bend Lakes. Each section can have its own association, and some sections are gated. Dues vary by section, so ask the HOA for its current budget, dues and any special assessment rather than relying on a listing.

Lots and house sizes in Willow Bend

The lots here are some of the largest on Plano's west side, and they're most of what the price pays for. Compare homes by lot size and condition, since a house that needs work on a big lot can trade near a finished house on a smaller one.

Willow Bend schools, taxes and commute in Plano, Texas

Plano ISD and Willow Bend addresses

Check the school district and campuses for each address with Plano ISD's boundary lookup, and read our guide to schools in Plano for how districts and grade levels work.

Property tax on a Willow Bend home

At this price, tax is the largest cost after the mortgage. File your homestead exemption as soon as you're eligible: without it, the 2026 bill on the typical home would be about $3,000 higher. The rates, exemptions and due dates are in the Plano property tax guide.

Dallas North Tollway from Willow Bend

The neighborhood runs along the Dallas North Tollway corridor, so Legacy, Frisco and North Dallas are a tollway drive. There's no DART rail on this side of the city.

Willow Bend or a nearby West Plano neighborhood?

At this price you'll probably tour two or three west-side neighborhoods in one weekend. Decide what you most want to avoid, using Zillow's September 2026 values: change next door, a higher price, or a seasonal crowd.

Willow Bend or Lakeside on Preston

The two are within about $60,000 of each other at the typical home, and both rose slightly this year. Lakeside on Preston is organized around a private lake and has fewer homes; Willow Bend gives you more sections and more choice, plus the redevelopment next door. If you want to stay well away from the mall site, Lakeside is the simpler pick.

Deerfield or Willow Bend

Deerfield's typical value is $800,944, about $578,000 less, and it fell 2.32% this year, so it gives you more negotiating room. You give up lot size. The catch in Deerfield is December, when its holiday lights bring heavy traffic.

Gleneagles or Willow Bend

That neighborhood is built around its country club, so it suits a buyer who wants golf on the doorstep. The catch is a second cost: club membership is separate from buying a house and the club sets its own fees, so ask the club before you count on it.

What is the richest area in Plano?

Measured by home values, the highest-priced neighborhoods in Zillow's Plano data are Shoal Creek ($1,647,184), Willow Bend ($1,379,001) and Lakeside on Preston ($1,321,232). By ZIP code, 75093 leads at $738,271. Those are prices, not a measure of the people who live there. If you're comparing the top of the market, the Plano neighborhood guides cover each one, and Linda can tour Willow Bend with you on FaceTime if you can't be here in person.