agent/realtor for Plano, Richardson and Grapevine (Dallas, Flower Mound: sale, real estate)

[hollybee]

We are moving to Dallas on December 1st. We are considering Plano, Richardson, Flower Mound and Grapevine. My DH is working in North Dallas area. Im not sure where I'll find work yet. Im an attorney but have to take the bar since I cant waive in.

Anyway, we are hoping to find a home under $200k in a good school district.
We are going down to Dallas for a full week to house hunt in a couple of weeks but dont have an agent yet. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. So far we've looked at Moderator cut: can only mention realtor.com

[ChristieP]

With a search area that broad, you will likely need at least 2 agents. Each agent will know a specific area, so someone who knows Grapevine well will not have much knowledge about Plano or Richardson.

You honestly need to narrow down your search area. Between those 4 areas, there are hundreds of homes in your price range. Specifically, where in N Dallas will your DH be working?

[hollybee]

Yes prehaps we need two agents if we cant narrow it down.

I prefer Plano and maybe Richardson. DH is leaning toward Flower Mound/Grapevine. He'll be near Dallas Love Field vlose 35 E. Not sure if that helps. Im concerned Flower Mound will be too far of a commute.

[hollybee]

Sorry, I guess I should ask to please sende a private message if you have a rec for realtor or agent. Im new to city-data. Thanks!

[nsumner]

Flower Mound would be a pretty bad commute for your husband but it is a nice area to live in.

Most big law firms are located downtown Dallas and if you end up working there, your own commute will be long too.

May be during your househunting trip you can narrow down the areas. Sometimes the commute is worth it for the right lifestyle you seek.

Naima

[TurtleCreek80]

I would highly recommend renting for 6 mos - 1 year. It will give you time to figure out exactly where you want to live and give you both a chance to figure out commuting in Dallas. It sounds like you're interested in good schools but don't have kids yet? If so, you can definitely afford to rent first.

Buying a home in a new city - especially one with as many suburbs and neighborhoods as Dallas- should be a lengthy process, not one to hurry though on a few weekend visits.

Our real estate tends to appreciate slowly, so you'll be stuck for 4-7 years before you can pay closing costs & commissions and break even on your sale (ie, get your down payment back but not gain proceeds from selling). Something to keep in mind.

[hollybee]

We have a 14 month old, so we want to make sure we are in a good school district when she starts in 4 years. Im considering Plano based on what Ive read but I do feel rushed. Ive mentioned several times to my DH that we could rent for 6 months to get better feel for where we want ro live but he never responds. I think he has selective hearing or tunnel vision when it comes to buying a home. He just wants to get it over with. I personally have no intention on moving in the next 10 years or more so feel we must get it right but also plan for the future, i.e. having a 2nd baby, schools, inlaws moving in, etc. ;-)

But another good reason to wait is that we have no down payment saved. We technically do but it will be eaten up by closing cost and other fees.

[ChristieP]

I completely agree with the suggestion of renting first to figure out where you want to be for the long term. This will especially be good since you haven't found a job yet, and your daughter isn't even close to school age yet. And this will also give you time to save for the down payment, too. (Unless you can qualify for a VA loan, no one will lend to you with no down payment.) Keep working on your husband and maybe you can convince him.

All of the towns you mention have homes under $200k, but that is the bottom of their markets, so the competition for them will be tough. You will need an expert Realtor who can show you properties as soon as they list, and you will likely be in competition with another buyer. This is yet another reason to rent!

Plano and Richardson to Love Field is an OK commute, but it does involve the Dallas North Tollway, which will get expensive. You will need to budget at least $150 additional per month, per car for tolls.

As Nsumner says, Flower Mound is a nice place to live, but the commute to Love Field would not be good at all since Flower Mound isn't on any highways. Grapevine to Love Field is OK, but not great due to all of the highway construction going on. In 5 years, when the construction is done, it will be an easy commute.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by hollybee

We have a 14 month old, so we want to make sure we are in a good school district when she starts in 4 years. Im considering Plano based on what Ive read but I do feel rushed. Ive mentioned several times to my DH that we could rent for 6 months to get better feel for where we want ro live but he never responds. I think he has selective hearing or tunnel vision when it comes to buying a home. He just wants to get it over with. I personally have no intention on moving in the next 10 years or more so feel we must get it right but also plan for the future, i.e. having a 2nd baby, schools, inlaws moving in, etc. ;-)

But another good reason to wait is that we have no down payment saved. We technically do but it will be eaten up by closing cost and other fees.

Then it REALLY sounds like renting for a few years would be the smartest way to go. As ChristieP said, unless you qualify for FHA.....you won't be buying a home if you can't put equity (down payment) into it. Renting keeps your overhead low and you can continue to save for dp and the zillions of other "homeowner" costs. A $200k home in Richardson or Plano is going to be anywhere from 20-60 years old. While that does mean it could very well be perfectly maintained, you may hate the 1980's brass bathroom fixtures or wallpaper or you'll need to budget a few thousand a year to keep the 60+ year old mature trees trimmed & maintained.....all these things add up & it's best to have a good cash reserve and cash flow when buying!

Buying a home is probably the worst thing to treat as a "get it over with now" project. It takes time (which you do have) and money (which it sounds like you may not be in the ideal position right now).

[loves2read]

your husband is like most people--they hate to move and don't want to consider having to do it twice in succession
since your daughter is young and really won't start school before kindergarten (in TX child must be 5 by Sept 1 for public kindergaten) for 3-4 yrs be aware that the ISD/zone you might buy in now might not be that great when she is ready for school-
your entire situation might have changed--
maybe you will get job offer in Tarrant county--and a Plano home would make that a torturous daily drive...
You are in a transition stage right now that will last until you probably take/pass the TX Bar and get serious job offer--and that might be a difficult proposition...there are plenty of lawyers looking for work in this state/area...
Try to have a serious conversation with your husband about using this next year as a staging time--
rent in nice area, learn the lay of the land, get your TX license, let him get his feet under him at work, and try to save some money

I think the economy is going to get worse before it gets better--no matter who is elected in 2012--and there is strong probability that house prices and mortgage rates might stay fairly low---
in your price range there is great competition since it is the entry point for most new buyers and also where lots of investors are going for their purchases--
making the RIGHT choice is much more important than making an immediate one...especially since you will enter the job market after passing the Bar
There is little public transportation in the Metroplex compared to some areas--and our highways are some of the most congested in the US
To give yourselves maximum flexibility and options it really would be wiser (to me) to rent--even if you might have to take a year's lease vs 6 mo to get a decent house in your price range--rather than just buy a house because you "think" that is what you are supposed to do in this situation...

Personally my husband had a transfer from Shreveport to the main Dallas office in the early 80s--we took it and because we had friends in the MidCities and HEB at that time was the top rated district Tarrant county we bought house in new subdivision after a whirlwind shopping trip--
buying that particular house was a mistake in several ways--and we bought it knowing that it was not really what we wanted but the market was hot and houses were going like melting snowflakes...
we thought we would only be in it a couple of years at most and then we could move to larger/better floorplan...that never worked out for various reasons--some personal and some the overall economy--
We lived there for more than 25 yrs--
So I never think now that any house I buy will be my "forever" home or that I might be able to sell/move whenever I want...
even this home we bought 4 yrs ago while it is better in many ways has drawbacks--and if we were to try to sell now (which we don't want to) we would definitely lose money

Buying a home is not always the right choice for everyone and making the right decision FOR YOU should never be rushed or based on other people's expectations...