Empty nesters! (Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano: rental, HOA fees, condos)

[Delehla]

My husband and I are considering moving to the Dallas area from Tulsa. We are empty nesters, so schools are not a top priority other than for resale. We enjoy traveling. Are there any good newer neighborhoods or condos with good access to DFW airport?

[GripeWater]

I think you would like Lakewood, there are some new condos coming there. They are near Dallas Arboretum and WhiteRock Lake. Good location and dinning. Schools aren't good but that's not your problem.

I would also recommend West Plano's area feeding to LISD, you get all benefits other then PISD which you don't need anyhow. That pocket is very popular among empty nesters for location, access to airport and city, ease of shopping & dinning, Prestonwood Golf & Country Club, Arbor Hills Nature Reserve, PLano recreation centers, churches and of being minutes away from doctor offices, labs and top notch hospitals.

[bencronin04]

Budget?

[Rakin]

You might like Las Colinas in Irving. It's on the DART rail line minutes to the airports, downtown, all kinds of shopping and entertainment.

http://www.lascolinas.com/

[RonnieinDallas]

We probably need more information, but Grapevine might be a good choice from what you've said so far.

When asking questions about a location, give as much detail as you can, so we can zero in on the info you need. If house hunting, what is your price level or rental amount. How many BR's, Baths, square feet, lot size, etc, do you need? Pets? Do you prefer SFH, TH, Condo, mobile home? The more you tell us, the sooner our regular posters can reply with specificity. Same for any other criteria you have. Please avoid open-ended requests like "I'm moving to your city, tell me EVERYTHING I need to know."

recent empty nester threads:

Neighborhoods for empty nester commuting to Love Field
Empty Nesters moving from Cincinnati to Dallas due to job relocation

[BeenThereDunThat]

Even though you're empty nesters, don't disregard the value of having a home in a good school district with family amenities.
This really comes in handy if you need to sell later on.

My2Cents anyway.

[robmab]

Originally Posted by GripeWater

I think you would like Lakewood, there are some new condos coming there. They are near Dallas Arboretum and WhiteRock Lake. Good location and dinning. Schools aren't good but that's not your problem.

I love Lakewood, but it really isn't convenient to DFW airport. It's at least a 30-minute drive, in NO traffic. More like an hour during peak times.

Newer neighborhoods that are close to DFW would be Las Colinas, Valley Ranch, Grapevine, Flower Mound, Southlake, possibly even Lewisville. They are all very suburban. Your budget is going to determine which of these are good options.

If you want to be closer into town and like the idea of a condo, I'd suggest looking at condos in the Turtle Creek area (north part of Uptown just south of Oaklawn). Great for empty nesters, fabulous dining and shops, and closer to DFW than Lakewood.

[ETex2]

^^^what Robmab said^^^^

[GripeWater]

I wonder how often would they travel for pleasure? Twice a month? Is it really important to live next door to the airport for that?

[TurtleCreek80]

If I were an empty nester, I'd live in the area of Dallas that includes Uptown, Knox-Henderson, Turtle Creek, and Oak Lawn. Extremely Walkable and lots to do --> the arts district, local theatres, Katy Trail, dog parks, American Airlines Center for concerts / Mavs/ Stars, a multitude of volunteer work opportunities, art classes, yoga studios, churches, shopping galore, close to all major hospitals, etc. It's about 5-10 minutes to Love Field and 25-30 to DFW airport. 1 bedroom rents start around $1,000/mo and a 2br condo starts around $175-200k. Beware HOA fees in the high rise condos; would recommend renting rather than buying in those complexes.

For many of the same reasons, you may also be interested in living in Fort Worth near the Cultural District.

If you prefer something a little slower / more suburban OR something much closer to DFW airport, Las Colinas or Valley Ranch could fit the bill. Tread carefully when looking at condos in the burbs. They rarely appreciate at all.