One of the key components to real estate investment success is a deep understanding of your investment markets. This comes not solely with the analysis of dry statistics and market trends, but in getting down and dirty with the reality of what it’s like to live and work in that market. This is why so many investors tend to stick to the markets in which they happen to live—because nothing gives a better advantage than firsthand experience.

When they say everything’s bigger in Texas, they really aren’t kidding. Just to give you a real glimpse into the size of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, let us give you some quick comparisons. The metroplex itself encompasses 9,286 square miles, making it larger than both Rhode Island and Connecticut combined. It includes 13 Texas counties and boasts a population of roughly 7.4 million as of the 2017 census estimate.