BEST CUSTOM HOME BUILDERS? What about tornadoes and fracking? (Dallas: 2013, power lines)

[tombraider]

Hello! I am trying to get some good information on custom home builders in the NE Dallas area--more specifically around Frisco and Prosper. My family and I will be new to the area, working at DFW. We have visited the area once before and saw a variety of price ranges. We are looking at between 500K-600K. We have seen Toll Brothers but after doing some research on the internet about customer satisfaction now we are pretty scared of them even though they seem to have beautiful homes.

I found this link that has an endless list of builders, although I do see that several have been excluded.
Best Luxury Homebuilders in Northern Suburbs

I'd love to hear from any of you that have information on builders and how well their homes are built/customer satisfaction.

I found out there are no basements because of the soil quality in the area. I am from the Midwest so this scares me. Where do most of the tornadoes occur? What measures have you taken to stay safe? A shelter in the garage floor or inside the house somewhere?

What is the deal on the fracking? Isn't it dangerous? Where does it occur?

Are there any areas/towns I should steer clear of??

Thanks everybody!!!

[mSooner]

Tornadoes can occur anywhere in the DFW area, and don't let anyone tell you one particular place is immune or tornado prone. (lots of other posts on this)

Shelter in a garage is great, but a strong interior closet or bathroom will be fine most of the time.

[GripeWater]

Educate yourself about fracking before you buy in an area where they are or may do it, you may not want to take the risk.

We can't do much about tornados, earthquake, blizzards, hurricanes, sun aim, wild fire, volcano and other natural disasters. Every area seems to be in line of one or the other. Pick your poison.

Fracking, power lines, toxic chemical plants, industry, nuclear facility, etc can be avoided.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by tombraider

I found out there are no basements because of the soil quality in the area. I am from the Midwest so this scares me. Where do most of the tornadoes occur? What measures have you taken to stay safe? A shelter in the garage floor or inside the house somewhere?

Like many people who were born and raised in north Texas, I have never seen a tornado with my own two eyes. I've been in two, neither was big or serious.

I don't have a basement or a "safe room" and I don't worry about it. The odds of a tornado hitting your particular house are very slim. You're worrying needlessly.

[Rakin]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

I don't have a basement or a "safe room" and I don't worry about it. The odds of a tornado hitting your particular house are very slim. You're worrying needlessly.

Large Hail storms are more of a worry. But in a tornado, if I owned a 2 story house I'd be in the closet beneath the stairs.
The stairs are more structural, it's a small enclosed space with no windows.

Beyond that with an F5 ... KYA goodbye

[tombraider]

Unfortunately I've seen and been in tornadoes (maybe that means I'm not likely to go through them again! ) But I'm a little overly cautious no question.

How do I find out where the fracking areas are?

I saw another thread that listed this link:
Land rush for North Texas home lots sends prices sky high - Dallas Business Journal

That scares me a little because it seems like homes are already really expensive in the Frisco/Prosper area where we are looking. But then again we are pretty picky after having gone through a horrible experience with Pasquinelli Homes in Chicago.

Does Frisco/Prosper have good schools? (Above average? Doesn't have to be the elite).

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by tombraider

Unfortunately I've seen and been in tornadoes (maybe that means I'm not likely to go through them again! ) But I'm a little overly cautious no question.

If you're that afraid of tornadoes, don't move to tornado alley. Personally I think you're making too much of it.

Does Frisco/Prosper have good schools? (Above average? Doesn't have to be the elite).

You should shoot for elite. Forget Frisco. I don't know about Prosper.

[TX75007]

Originally Posted by tombraider

What is the deal on the fracking? Isn't it dangerous? Where does it occur?

Are there any areas/towns I should steer clear of??

Thanks everybody!!!

Fracking has been done since the early 1950s and has been done on just about every production well in the US.

The people against fracking are science deniers and crack pots.

Now, I would be worried about whether one of these is on your land..

Save The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus