Can Dallas TX top Charlotte NC?- Moving Soon. (Plano: flat fee, real estate)

[JLO]

Hi:

My family is moving from Charlotte NC to Dallas TX. We're heartbroken. But, I am determined to find all the positives about Dallas TX just like we did when we moved from NYC to Charlotte.

I want a down to earth family environment where my kids (13 year old stepson and 4 year old son) can go to a good public school, where I can find and meet other moms who are down to earth and where my huband can commute to Dallas in less than 40 minutes.

I loved the Siskey YMCA here in Charlotte. As a recovering NY'er it was so refreshing to go work out, have my kids play soccer and flag football there and also have a great community feel. Is there a gym like that in a suburb in TX.

We are looking to spend $450-$600K. I want trees, land and a pool. I want neighbors I can wave to in the morning. I want the feeling of the old fashioned "american family life." We found it in Charlotte. Please tell me it exists in Dallas. And if so, where do we go.

Thanks for helping. I know this must exist in Dallas -- help me find it --- so I can dry my 13 year old's tears.

[MaryS80]

The DFW area is huge, there is something here for everyone. There is a YMCA and YWCA in Garland, there are locations all over the metroplex. Youth sports are very popular here, so you'll be sure to find something your kids will love. In addition to the Y most cities have municipal leagues, many middles schools, and all high schools offers sports.

Plano and Frisco are popular with families, their schools are highly regarded. There's a lot of shopping, dining, and kid friendly stuff in those areas. There would be lot of other moms and kids. On the down side they are almost too popular. Plano is almost built out, and Frisco is one of the fastest growing 'burbs in the nation. I'm not sure about commute time. I would suspect in ideal conditions it could be done in 40 minutes. Both areas are mostly planned developments, so there isn't much in the way of large trees or land.

Out towards Rockwall and Heath there are more homes on large properties. Heath has some very pricey homes. Both have areas with lake views. Rockwall used to a very small town Mayberry kind of place, but it too has had a lot of growth.

[sonshinelife]

If you like the YMCA ... Coppell offers an excellent YMCA and there are some beautiful homes in the price range you are considering. Also, the schools are some of the best in the metroplex. Coppell is close to many of the suburbs of Dallas and very family friendly. I don't live in Coppell personally but do have friends that do, and my son attends daycare in Coppell and I've been very impressed with the parents I have met over the years in that area. Good luck and welcome to Texas.

[940]

The Dallas/Ft Worth metro is roughly 3 times the size of Charlotte..you'll have no problem finding exactly what you want. Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Murphy, Rockwall, Flower Mound, Highland Village, Coppell, Grapevine, Colleyville, Southlake and Cedar Hill are just a few of the suburbs where you can find larger homes with pools set upon larger plots of land. And the schools are terrific in all these areas.

[JLO]

Thanks to all who responded.

[Mannequin99]

Interesting, we might be moving from Plano to Fort Mill, SC. Since I live here and have been looking at real estate there, I might be able to clear up some of the differences. Housing prices are similar, so the square footage and amenities should be about the same. Plano/Frisco can get you downtown pretty close to the 40 minute request. The positive you will find is plenty of choices, plenty of neighbors and lots to do. The downside is going to be a change of pace and space. Yards here are generally fenced, and finding another significantly sized lot will take some doing. The pool, in your price range, is a given. 940's list of suburbs is the place to start. I'd start with McKinney ( more down to earth than Plano, more trees and potentially more land ) and work in that general area. Might stretch the commute, but the topography, trees and lots are a bit more like what you are used to.

Good Luck

What part of charlotte? Any advice for a guy possibly going the other way?

[jfre81]

If you're going to NC, better Charlotte than anywhere else. Beware of numerous petty BS taxes and state fees and general government meddling that doesn't fly here, but you should have a good time....beach is closer too, and Wilmington is fun.

If you're coming from Charlotte, you'll more than likely find familiarity on a larger scale.

Land in NC is very cheap (in many spots) and you can get big houses there too. But property taxes are higher here, mostly school/ISD tax. School districts are generally independent taxing entities from the city or county here. You may pay a bit more, but more of your money stays local, if that matters to you. There is no state income tax, no road use taxes (especially ones inexplicably linked to the value of your vehicle rather than a flat fee), no property taxes on non-real property and there is rail transit in the D-FW metroplex to make the sprawl more navigable without driving. So it all evens out, I'd say.

Welcome to Texas.

[galore]

Originally Posted by JLO

I want a down to earth family environment where my kids (13 year old stepson and 4 year old son) can go to a good public school, where I can find and meet other moms who are down to earth and where my huband can commute to Dallas in less than 40 minutes.

You won't have a problem. Lots of the new outer suburbs accomodate this lifestyle choice very well.

[DFWMike]

Btw, most of the Collin County/Denton County schools are growing fast, you're kids will have no problem fitting in. New kids all around up here, so clicks aren't as well established as some older areas.

[jfre81]

I find "suburbs" and "down to earth" an oxymoron if there ever was one...but being an inner-city dweller without kids I'm not exactly approaching it from the same perspective. To each their own.

Shangri-La is not a place but a state of mind.