Looking to move to Dallas area. What area should I be looking at? (Richardson: real estate, rent)

[Kali anyia]

I looked through the last 4-5 pages of posts and saw nothing that matched closely to my circumstances.

My job location will be in downtown Dallas near the Cedar Springs Rd / Maple Ave area.

I will rent for a while and then be looking for a home to purchase. I'd like to keep the home price to the 200 - 300k range. I could go higher - perhaps to 400k, but only if no neighborhoods match my other criteria.

I am married and have 1 child (age 1 yr).

What I'm looking for:
- 20 minutes or less of a commute to work.
- Good schools. Our child is still too young for school, but moving is something to be avoided and we are trying to plan ahead.
- low crime (safe)
- Not be the only caucasian family in my neighborhood (25%+ works)
- Small yard / no yard is fine - would prefer not to have a massive yard
- 1600 sq ft - 2200 sq ft is great

I've used some online tools to look at public school districts and for dallas proper (haven't looked much at suburbs yet) they all have absolutely terrible ratings except for highland park (which has amazing ratings). I looked at highland park and the home prices there are outside of my range. I could possibly qualify for one of the absolute cheapest homes in that neighborhood - but it would be a huge stretch and I'd rather play it conservative.

[TurtleCreek80]

While Dallas ISD isn't well rated overall, there are outstanding elementary schools in several areas that meet the rest of your criteria:
75229: homes zoned to DeGoyler Elementary.
75208: homes zoned to Rosemont Elementary
75214, 75223, 75206: homes zoned to Lakewood, Stonewall Jackson elementaries
75218: homes zoned to Hexter Elementary
Any of those are as good or better than the suburban elementaries that would put you in the car for quite a bit longer every day. They are known for parental support & volunteerism, high standards, and strong academics. Your child is 1 so you are a long, long way from needing a middle school. By that time, you could apply for the distict's nationally acclaimed magnet schools, move into HPISD or go private, or hopefully the middle and high schools will continue to improve in these neighborhoods.

You could also look in northeast Dallas (south of 635) which is the Lake Highlands neighborhood (Richardson ISD) and home to some very strong elementary schools. White Rock Elementary and several others are the most sought after.

[cityconvo]

I would also add 75220. A portion of that zip code in Midway Hollow is zoned to Withers Elementary.

[bigdaddycool1111]

20 minutes or less of commute would be nice to have but very, very few people enjoy that in DFW. I live in the suburbs where there should be less traffic and about 8-9 miles away from my work, and I don't even see rush hour traffic (I work from 10 am to 7 pm), and even my commute is around 20-25 minutes. If you work 9 to 5, the only way to have a 20 minute or less commute would be to live within 3-4 miles of where you work.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by bigdaddycool1111

20 minutes or less of commute would be nice to have but very, very few people enjoy that in DFW. I live in the suburbs where there should be less traffic and about 8-9 miles away from my work, and I don't even see rush hour traffic (I work from 10 am to 7 pm), and even my commute is around 20-25 minutes. If you work 9 to 5, the only way to have a 20 minute or less commute would be to live within 3-4 miles of where you work.

Which he can do if he focuses on the above options in Dallas. It's not that difficult.

[Kali anyia]

Thank you for the suggestions and replies everyone, esp TurtleCreek80.

[Jill27r]

Your commute would be longer but it doesn't get much better than the Frisco ISD. My husband works in downtown Dallas at the children's hospital and commutes (simply because EVERYTHING else is the best up here). I have a lot of connections in real estate and lending if you need some referrals. If you're looking for a lender call Joy Ziminskas with Summit Lending and tell her Jill sent you. She's the best there is! Very knowledgeable and very efficient. She'll be very upfront and honest with things ahead of time, which in the end is far more efficient. She's made DMagazine several years in a row. If you need a realtor let me know and I can refer depending on which area you want to focus on. But SCHOOLS, SAFETY, and neighborhoods are the best in Frisco. No question. Worth the commute. 75070- the homes are newer, the area is growing, and you'll get a LOT more equity in your house later.

[HockDad]

In that price range I would look at Lake Highlands or Pearce area.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by Jill27r

Your commute would be longer but it doesn't get much better than the Frisco ISD. My husband works in downtown Dallas at the children's hospital and commutes (simply because EVERYTHING else is the best up here). I have a lot of connections in real estate and lending if you need some referrals. If you're looking for a lender call Joy Ziminskas with Summit Lending and tell her Jill sent you. She's the best there is! Very knowledgeable and very efficient. She'll be very upfront and honest with things ahead of time, which in the end is far more efficient. She's made DMagazine several years in a row. If you need a realtor let me know and I can refer depending on which area you want to focus on. But SCHOOLS, SAFETY, and neighborhoods are the best in Frisco. No question. Worth the commute. 75070- the homes are newer, the area is growing, and you'll get a LOT more equity in your house later.

That commute would be hellish. And expensive...all on a tollroad!

[stephwin]

Originally Posted by Jill27r

Your commute would be longer but it doesn't get much better than the Frisco ISD. My husband works in downtown Dallas at the children's hospital and commutes (simply because EVERYTHING else is the best up here). I have a lot of connections in real estate and lending if you need some referrals. If you're looking for a lender call Joy Ziminskas with Summit Lending and tell her Jill sent you. She's the best there is! Very knowledgeable and very efficient. She'll be very upfront and honest with things ahead of time, which in the end is far more efficient. She's made DMagazine several years in a row. If you need a realtor let me know and I can refer depending on which area you want to focus on. But SCHOOLS, SAFETY, and neighborhoods are the best in Frisco. No question. Worth the commute. 75070- the homes are newer, the area is growing, and you'll get a LOT more equity in your house later.

I live in Frisco and like it, but I would never recommend it for someone who works downtown. There are just so many other options, especially for someone who has already expressed an interest in a short commute.