Grayson County Texas Landlord-Tenant Law: Sherman’s Semiconductor Boom, the Denison No-E-File Rule, and Four Courts You Need to Know
Grayson County sits 70 miles north of Dallas on the Red River, and until recently it was one of the quieter corners of the DFW orbit — a county defined by agriculture, Lake Texoma recreation, Denison’s historic railroad past, and the modest, affordable character of a border region that hadn’t been fully pulled into the Metroplex growth wave. That is changing rapidly and dramatically. Texas Instruments’ announcement of a $30 billion semiconductor manufacturing investment in Sherman is one of the largest industrial investments in Texas history, and GlobiTech’s accompanying $5 billion facility adds another 1,500 jobs to the picture. For landlords paying attention, the signal is clear: Grayson County’s rental market is entering a new phase, and understanding how to operate in it correctly — including which courts accept e-filing and which don’t — is increasingly important.
The Four Precincts: A Mixed E-Filing Picture
Grayson County operates four JP courts with meaningfully different procedures across precincts — specifically around e-filing. Precincts 2 and 4 do not accept electronic filing. If your property is in Denison (Precinct 2) or Van Alstyne (Precinct 4), you or your attorney must file your eviction petition in person at the courthouse or by mail. Attempting to e-file at these courts will fail. Precincts 1 and 3, by contrast, both accept e-filing through the Texas self-help portal at selfhelp.efiletexas.gov.
JP Precinct 1, where Judge Ginny Hampton presides at the main Grayson County Courthouse (100 W. Houston St., Suite 27, Sherman), covers the county seat and central Sherman area. This is the court that will see the greatest increase in eviction caseload as the semiconductor workforce growth materializes. Hours are 8 AM to 4:30 PM weekdays, and e-filing is accepted. JP Precinct 2, under Judge David Hawley at the Sub-Courthouse at 101 W. Woodard Street in Denison, handles the eastern county including Denison and surrounding areas. Hours are 8 AM to 4:30 PM weekdays — no e-filing. JP Precinct 3, with Judge Damon Vannoy at the West Government Center at 509 N. Union in Whitesboro, covers the western county. Hours are 8 AM to 4 PM, with a 4–4:30 PM window available by appointment only. E-filing is accepted. JP Precinct 4, Judge Christina Fox at 117 S. Main in Van Alstyne, serves the southern county including Van Alstyne and the rapidly growing communities just north of Collin County. Hours are 8 AM to 4 PM with a daily lunch closure from 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM — and no e-filing.
The wrong-precinct dismissal rule applies with full force across all four courts. Filing a Denison eviction at the Sherman courthouse is a dismissal. Filing a Van Alstyne eviction at Denison is a dismissal. Use the precinct map at co.grayson.tx.us to confirm your property’s precinct before every filing.
The Semiconductor Boom: What It Means for Tenant Screening
The Texas Instruments investment is not a future projection — it is an active, multi-year construction and hiring process that is already reshaping the local labor market. The county’s average annual wage in the Sherman-Denison MSA has grown at 4.6% per year, reaching approximately $56,000 in 2023. With the TI facility adding thousands of semiconductor manufacturing jobs paying well above the regional average, the tenant pool will shift upward in income and education. That’s generally good for landlords. But there are two distinct waves of workers to consider separately.
The first wave is construction workers — the contractors, electricians, ironworkers, and laborers building the facilities. These workers are often temporary, follow the construction phase rather than putting down local roots, and tend to prioritize flexibility over long-term lease commitments. Month-to-month arrangements are common in this population, and turnover is high when the construction phase of one project ends. For landlords, this population can fill units, but it comes with above-average turnover risk. If you lease to construction workers, price for the higher turnover and consider shorter-term leases priced at a small premium.
The second wave is permanent production employees — the engineers, technicians, and operators who will staff the semiconductor fabs for years or decades. These are the tenants who buy homes, enroll children in local schools, and commit to the community. For landlords, this population represents the most stable and valuable long-term tenant profile the market will produce. Screen carefully for which category an applicant falls into: a TI engineer hired for permanent production work is a fundamentally different tenant from a subcontractor hired to install HVAC in the construction phase.
Sherman vs. Denison: Two Cities, Two Markets
Sherman and Denison have historically shared the county but operated as distinct rental markets. Sherman, the county seat, has been the more dynamic of the two — home to Austin College, the Sherman Economic Development Corporation’s active recruitment efforts, and now the TI semiconductor cluster. Average one-bedroom rents in Sherman run approximately $1,045–$1,225/month, which remains well below the DFW metro average and positions the market as genuinely affordable for the higher-income workers now arriving. Less than a third of Sherman residents currently work within the city limits, with many commuting to Denison, Dallas, and other employment centers — a dynamic that will shift as TI reaches full production employment. Demand for housing close to the semiconductor campus will intensify, and landlords with properties along the US-75 corridor between downtown Sherman and the campus site will be best positioned.
Denison, 11 miles east, has a different character: a historic railroad town with Grayson College, a stable working-class base in manufacturing and healthcare, and the distinction of being Dwight D. Eisenhower’s birthplace. The Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site and the Grayson County Frontier Village are tourist anchors. Lake Texoma — one of the largest reservoirs in the country — sits on the county’s northern border and drives meaningful short-term and recreational rental demand in Pottsboro and the lakefront communities. Denison’s rental market is more stable and less volatile than Sherman’s current growth phase — a good market for buy-and-hold landlords who prefer predictability over upside speculation.
Van Alstyne and the Collin County Spillover
Van Alstyne, in southern Grayson County just north of the Collin County line, deserves specific attention. As McKinney, Allen, and Frisco have become increasingly expensive and congested, DFW workers have pushed northward into southern Grayson County. Van Alstyne has absorbed significant residential growth as a result, with a tenant pool that skews toward Collin County and Dallas area commuters. For landlords, this means Van Alstyne rental demand is partially driven by DFW regional dynamics rather than local Grayson County employment — which is generally positive for demand but creates commuter tenant risk if remote work patterns shift. File evictions at JP Precinct 4 (117 S. Main, Van Alstyne) — in person or by mail, not e-file — and call ahead or arrive before 11:45 AM to ensure you can complete your filing during office hours.
This page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Verify current eviction procedures with the appropriate Grayson County JP court before filing. Precincts 2 and 4 do not accept e-filing — in-person or mail only. Evictions filed in the wrong precinct will be dismissed. Consult a licensed Texas attorney for specific guidance. Last updated: March 2026.
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