Relocating to Dallas Suburbs (Plano, Richardson: townhome, neighborhood, purchase)

[Melissa85]

Hi! My husband found a job with a better company in Downtown Dallas and we're relocating from Indianapolis. I have two daughters, a 2 year old and a 4 year old. We have a house budget of 295000 and are looking to upsize from our townhome for a 3+ bed, 2+ bath House. We're looking for a good school district, kid-friendly, newer houses and not to far from downtown Dallas (I don't know what most commutes are but not more than the average).
Also if you could you tell me some things about Dallas and the suburbs or compared to where we are now.
He's starting his job soon. So we would like to have some information as soon as possible.

Thanks so much!

[MckinneyOwnr]

Well, if you're looking to upsize then most of the downtown area and Park Cities will be out of your budget. I'd recommend taking a look at Richardson first, then Plano, as it has a better school district but is a bit farther away. However, a home in south Plano wouldn't be that bad of a commute, it used to take me about 45-50min to get to the heart of downtown and I was a couple miles north of that.

[dallas90210]

That's excellent advice!

Originally Posted by MckinneyOwnr

Well, if you're looking to upsize then most of the downtown area and Park Cities will be out of your budget. I'd recommend taking a look at Richardson first, then Plano, as it has a better school district but is a bit farther away. However, a home in south Plano wouldn't be that bad of a commute, it used to take me about 45-50min to get to the heart of downtown and I was a couple miles north of that.

[TurtleCreek80]

Plano & Richardson are both good suggestions. So is the Lake Highlands neighborhood in northeast Dallas which is in the city of Dallas but Richardson schools. About 15 minutes to downtown in rush hour.

Another great suburb is Rockwall, which is about 30 minutes directly east of downtown via I-30. It's on Lake Ray Hubbard which is a great amenity if your family enjoys being outside or water activites.

[Melissa85]

Looked at homes online in Richardson, Plano and Rockwall. Nice homes! Any more I should look at or can you tell me a little about Dallas?

[Macbeth2003]

As suggested, I would look at Richardson, Lake Highlands, but also North Dallas zip 75248 which is also Dallas, but Richardson Schools.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Not sure you know but Texas has ISDs (independent School Districts) which do not follow town or county lines. A city might have 2-3 ISDs serving it and an ISD might have 3-4 cities in it. Be sure to check that the location you like in is the actual ISD you want. Your realtor can help with that.

[NewMomTX]

Check to see if your DH's office is close to any DART station. The commute from/to downtown Dallas could be frustrating, however, DART could help a lot.

[Lakewooder]

Originally Posted by Melissa85

Looked at homes online in Richardson, Plano and Rockwall. Nice homes! Any more I should look at or can you tell me a little about Dallas?

I'm not sure what your definition of 'newer' houses is but most of the built in last 10 years are going to be out of your price range in Dallas - probably $500-$600K range on the low end. There are some good areas in 75214 with ranch-style homes in Lakewood Elementary for less than $300K or slightly above but those are from the 50s and 60s - and they will be around 2,000 square feet.

Those are the 'newer' houses in my neighborhood of Lakewood (about 10 minutes from downtown) in your range.
My family bought one of those in the 70s and it's been an excellent home, well-built with little work needing to be done except for a new roof. Also it's gone up in value by 12 times the orignal purchase price.

[Melissa85]

Thanks Everyone, I would prefer to stay in the suburbs, instead of being in a neighborhood in Dallas. How's the safety in Dallas? I would also like to say that we where approved for 350K, but I would prefer to save a little for certain things. But, I'm willing to go a little higher if that means I would be able to be in a better neighborhood. My DH says he will look to see if his job is near a DART station.