Eager and moving to Dallas (Austin, Plano: custom home, neighborhood, middle school)

[nkodream]

Hi there....I have learned lots by reading posts on this website and figured maybe its time for someone to help me out. It seems the more I learn the less I know about this area...

My husband and I are moving here with our four young teenage daughters. I am having such a hard time deciding where we should settle ground. Started in Plano and felt the houses were so outdated inside, moved onto Frisco and found there are no trees although houses are newer; Frisco also seems to be predominantly a young family community. Southlake had trees and nice properties but most houses were old. Checked out Flower Mound and like it, although commuting may be longer...moved onto Carrollton, Castlehills and was scared off (thank you) by the posts here...I am definitely interested in newer areas, shopping, upscale etc...Checked out Lantana and felt like I was out in BFE, Highlands village was nice, but homes are older and very close together....Needless to say, I'm stuck. I started looking in the Park City areas, but not sure because I haven't seen the area yet...plus housing is $$$.

I am 34, hubbie is 45. We are looking for an upscale newer family and FRIENDLY oriented community with a close commute to North Dallas that has some personality and trees!!! I am also interested in finding a well suited, above average high school for our kids.

Can anyone help me sort through this mayhem? All advice is appreciated....I am interested in hearing more about Castle Hills (is this Carrollton?) and Flower Mound area too. Thanks!

[momof2dfw]

Where will you and your husband be commuting to? That can make a HUGE difference.

If you liked the small town feel of Southlake then try Rockwall. EASY commute to Downtown Dallas, nice high end homes w/ some on acreage, trees, lake, new shopping areas, restaurants, etc. Rockwall County was one of the fastest growing areas of the state. If you still want to consider Plano then move over to the FAR EAST side of Plano out by Murphy, Parker, Lucas, etc. Here you will find more trees and slight rolling hills. You can find homes on acreage or a regular subdivision. Most of this area is new built w/ a few of the older ranch style homes sitting on large parcels. There is money out this way and is home to several of the top CEO's/Pres. in the Dallas area.

[TriumphOfTheSprint]

Originally Posted by nkodream

All advice is appreciated....I am interested in hearing more about Castle Hills (is this Carrollton?) and Flower Mound area too. Thanks!

Castle Hills is adjacent to Carrollton, but is actually in the extra-territorial jurisdiction of Lewisville (addresses say Lewisville, but it is not officially part of the city...yet). We get police and fire services from Lewisville, but don't pay city taxes. The schools are in Lewisville ISD - including an elementary school within the neigborhood, a middle school adjacent, and Hebron High.

CH is extremely family-friendly, lots of neighborhood parks for the kids and there are always people walking or biking down the street. You can find houses on fairly large lots (depends on your price point) - lots of trees (although most are still relatively small), due to the community commitment to plant parkway trees along every street.

I think you would find many families in your age range there, plus a lot of community involvement in various clubs - Women's club, Business Association and others. There is a nice village center where the Community center is located with retail and restaurants that is about to begin an expansion, plus a lake with a boardwalk and park space.

As far as accessibility, I think it is in a really nice location with close access to I-35, GBT, 121, and DNT. Commuting on the surface streets to North Dallas is pretty easy as well. Airport access to DFW is a breeze - it's a straight shot down 121.

[nkodream]

My husband works in north Dallas, on Noel Road..right off the Tollway. Where is Rockwall area? I will check out the stats online...Thanks!


I like the idea of Castlehills....looks nice online. Hebron is a beautiful newer high school and the commute time would be doable. What is the area like around Castlehills? Shopping, neighboring communities and also resale down the road is important. I noticed online that they also lowered their taxes...+++

Thanks for your input!

[nsumner]

I would also recommend Rockwall and especially Heath. It is very close to lake ray hubbard. One of the most beautiful lakes around here. Lots of executives live here. Schools are really good too. Castle Hills is a nice centrally located community. What didn't you like about it?

Another area is Fairview.

I would recommend that you make a trip and visit. This great metroplex is over 3500 square miles and there is something for everyone. The possibilities are endless.

[nativeDallasite]

If you can afford to send your kids to private school, why not look in Dallas itself? The houses are more than five minutes old, though.

If you could tell us your budget it might help us narrow down some options. If you want upscale, I wouldn't look at Flower Mound. I've been there and it doesn't meet my definition of upscale.

And the Park Cities are very expensive. If you'd have to stretch far to afford them, I wouldn't bother. Try looking in West Plano; it's sort of like HP, but with fewer trees and lower prices.

[TriumphOfTheSprint]

Originally Posted by nkodream

I like the idea of Castlehills....looks nice online. Hebron is a beautiful newer high school and the commute time would be doable. What is the area like around Castlehills? Shopping, neighboring communities and also resale down the road is important. I noticed online that they also lowered their taxes...+++

Thanks for your input!

Shopping is great - you have the Vista Ridge mall complex in Lewisville 10 minutes to the west, Willow Bend mall and West Plano 10 minutes to the east, plus all the Frisco Stonebriar area up 121 15 minutes away. Close enought to be convenient without all the traffic. Also, Grapevine is a short hop down 121 (Grapevine Mills outlet, plus the interesting shops in downtown)

There is still a lot of ongoing development (retail and residential) around and in CH, and I would expect a lot more retail development along the 121 corridor once that is opened up. Austin Ranch is also nearby, with a mix of residential and commercial properties. Over towards Plano is all of Willow Bend and Hills at Prestonwood - nice, upscale communities.

I think the resale potential is outstanding (one reason I bought there) due to the excellent community planning and amenities. All of the builders are high quality (Weekley, Highland, Darling, and a half-dozen custom builders). There is a nice mix of development, from upscale townhome to $2M custom homes and the older sections (pre-2000) are holding up very well.

If you are interested in golf, the course is really nice, with an excellent teaching academy attached. There is also another nice course at Coyote Ridge, a short distance to the west.

The tax rate decrease was a nice surprise, ours dropped from about 2.8% to a little over 2.5%.

[nsumner]

Castle hills is about 50% built out. All residential builders expect to be finished within 5 years. Golf course lots are scarce now. No trees here but lots of greenery, parks, ponds and you can even fish in one of them.

[MurphyPl1]

I'm going to suggest Murphy. It has it's share of young families but also a healthy mix of ages. It's also one of the fastest growing cities in the area and is on the verge of some very exciting retail development.

Murphy Community Info

[nsumner]

I like Murphy too. It is nice too but there really are only 2 communities that are "upscale". The Aviary and Rolling Ridge, IMO.