Affordable housing in DFW area? (Dallas, Arlington: apartment, rental, crime)

[canvasart]

I plan to move to the Dallas area sometime this year if possible. I don't have a job yet but I am starting to look at places to live. I'm in my 30's, single, a teenager, and a toddler. I want to live in a SAFE area with excellent schools! Years ago when I was researching the area Mansfield school district was highly regarded. Not sure if that has changed. I'm looking at the Arlington, Mansfield, Grand Prairie area. I really don't want to move to an apartment but my budget is low! Around $850-$1000 was hoping to at least get a townhouse but some of them cost just as much to rent as a single family house. I'm not interested in buying at this time.

Any ideas on where I should concentrate my search? Is it even possible to rent a 3 place in a safe area with my budget?

[canvasart]

So I guess it's safe to assume there is no housing available in my budget, lol

[Squirl]

It will be tough to find a place to rent on your budget. I would concentrate on Mansfield schools or Kennedale if you are in that part of the DFW area. In Arlington, stay south of I-20 and west of Cooper Street. Schools in Arlington on the east side of Cooper have a more high density population of transient families than on the west side of Cooper. If you could find something in Arlington near the Overland Stage area, that would be a great school situation. But your budget is very challenging. Some possibilities, but over your budget:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...7_M76614-57034

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...7_M76614-57034

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...3_M78211-00845

[CREW747]

Any single family house for under $1000 a month will be in a crime ridden area with poor schools.Your best bet would be a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment in that price range.You can find a nice 2 bedroom apartment in Plano for under $1000 a month with highly rated ,diverse schools....


The Wellington at Willow bend zip code 75093.... 2 bedrooms ,2 bathrooms ,915-948 square feet $875-$955

Windhaven Park zip code 75093 ... 2 bedrooms ,2 bathrooms , 990 square feet , $869 - $949

This part of Plano is located right near Dallas

[loves2read]

how can you worry about renting a place when you don't know where you will work
DFW is huge and traffic is the pits
you won't want to make an hour-each-way-commute with a child that young

and day care is not cheap here either
I don't know why your motive is in moving here before you have employment--
You should consider your budget and financial resources--
your rental amount is borderline for safe locations--and the areas that people suggest you consider (mansfield/Kennendale) are not where jobs are more likely to be located--but LESS likely to be found
Plano is meto area with lots of different businesses--large and small--that would be much more viable for finding employment--depending on your skills/talents

[canvasart]

Thanks for the link and the info!! Actually, I did consider Plano but wasn't sure about the area. I saw a nice 3bd apartment home on CL. It even had a yard but was over my budget.

[lilscorpie]

Originally Posted by canvasart

I plan to move to the Dallas area sometime this year if possible. I don't have a job yet but I am starting to look at places to live. I'm in my 30's, single, a teenager, and a toddler. I want to live in a SAFE area with excellent schools! Years ago when I was researching the area Mansfield school district was highly regarded. Not sure if that has changed. I'm looking at the Arlington, Mansfield, Grand Prairie area. I really don't want to move to an apartment but my budget is low! Around $850-$1000 was hoping to at least get a townhouse but some of them cost just as much to rent as a single family house. I'm not interested in buying at this time.

Any ideas on where I should concentrate my search? Is it even possible to rent a 3 place in a safe area with my budget?

Try Richardson. It's a pretty good area.

[canvasart]

Originally Posted by lilscorpie

Try Richardson. It's a pretty good area.

Thank You!

[naterator]

Second the recommendation for Richardson. Brother- and sister-in-law rented a house there for a time (right at the Garland/Richardson border), seemed like a nice area. Spent the night there several times and never worried about my car being broken into. From what I understand, much of Richardson was developed in the early 1980s for Texas Instruments (TI) employees.

[Grainraiser]

DFW is really really spread out so I would suggest you find a job first and then concentrate on finding a place to live. Lets say you find a job in Plano but live in Mansfield. That is well over a 1hr commute.