?'s for the real estate experts around here :) (Dallas, Plano: wood floors, cul-de-sac)

[necasio]

I recently purchased a home in Rowlett, but on the rockwall County side. About me; I am a single work from home and in the nightlife entertainment industry with no kids. When I purchased this home it was for the intent of fixing and living for 2-3 years and selling to move into a nicer home and area. I was told by different realtors that the property I purchased would be a good investment with the additions to the lake. I have been reading some post on this site and it seems some people have very mixed opinions of rowlett. Should i be looking to sell asap? is this town going to crap ? i am safe from the Dallas part of rowlett if i live on the Rockwall side ? Momof2dfw scared the crap out of me regarding rowlett!:P Does it look like i should sell earlier that i planned ? Anyway i also have another ?

If you were a retired mom and dad retirees who were looking to move from NJ to dallas metro where should they look if they want to spend 200-300k and have nice grand homes (they loved them) or equivalent and some decent yard space for a pool? i was showing them waterview but MOMof2 informed me they were near a landfill :P so thats prolly no good :P I was told by my realtors that garland wasnt a good place to go as far as resale and that crime was high and the police were extra sensitive. But then on here people seem to like it. Frisco is great but theres no yards.. plano same thing,.. Wylie and sasche has only 2 ways in,... Allen is kinda far from everything as is lucas and parker. I am soooo confused

[GoPadge]

Real estate, as an investment, is a gamble. I would always recommend reviewing any and all available information on an area before purchasing.

(Ok, so "All available information" is a bit of a stretch, becuase the real estate agent, especially the ones working for builders, have a vested interest in you buying the most expensive home possible, regardless of you ability to pay or the property's future value.)

There are a lot of homes for sale in Rowlett, but based on my very unscientific testing at www.ziprealty.com, using their map view, there don't seem to be a significantly larger number of homes for sale than in other areas of North Texas.

The best advice I can give you is of no real value, but may help in the future.

Caveat Emptor - The principle in commerce that the buyer alone is responsible for assessing the quality of a purchase before buying.

[momof2dfw]

Welcome to Texas. Sorry to scare you I've just been giving factual information to those that have asked about Rowlett. I lived there for 5 years and moved BACK to Garland as fast as I could. I'll try to help clear some stuff up for you.

1. I would LOVE to know what additions to the lake your realtor told you were coming? The only thing that has changed in the last several years was that the citizens that lived on the lake could lease the take-line from the city and build a boathouse. Other than that there is nothing else coming. I am related to the person that deals w/ this that works for the city and hear all the time the issues that come up. Blows my mind still how some people think, er, don't think.

2. You said you were on the Rockwall side so you are safe from the Dallas side of Rowlett. Safe from what? They both pay the same extremely high property tax that the city charges. Rowlett has the highest property tax rate for the entire Dallas County. Does not matter if you live on the Rockwall side or not you still pay the same rate to the city.

3. Both sides of Rowlett (Rockwall County & Dallas County) pay the same water rate. Again Rowlett has one of the highest water rates around. I called it liquid gold. Not only that but I do hope they have improved when they mail them out. They would mail them out and by the time we received the bill it was due the next day. Lovely Rowlett postal service. Did you know that the Rowlett post office and routes are still considered "rural"? Makes a HUGE difference on service. I NEVER mail anything out of Rowlett. Go to the main post office in Garland to mail anything out. Don't worry, you won't get mugged going there. Just watch for all of the elderly that like to go up there everyday just to buy a stamp or check their box.

4. Is the town going to crap? LOL!!! It started going there along time ago. Drive around some and pay attention to the state of the streets, sidewalks and alleyways. Better be in your 4 wheel drive though. It is pretty bad. It's so bad now that the mayor has already given up and really acting up. Some people did not like him but he was trying to get Rowlett moving along. Some people did not want ANY change and dissed him every step of the way. One reason the roads are in such bad shape. Every bond election just about gets voted down. Thank goodness the state is over Hwy 66 and taking care of it. If it was left up to Rowlett it would still be a 4 lane mess. While your out driving around the neighborhoods pay attention to what is allowed to pile up in driveways and beside houses. Pretty bad and nothing to be done about it. People complained so much about the code dept being too harsh so they have pretty much let everything go. Have you not seen the hanger in the backyard that backs up to Rowlett Rd? Take Hwy 66 towards Garland and turn right on Rowlett Rd, on down on your left will be a house w/ this HUGE metal airplane hanger in the backyard.

5. Should you sell now? Depends on how many other houses on your street are for sale, how the ones around you look and are taken care of, do you want to cut your loses and move on? That is an individual question that is only up to you. Depends on what you like to live around. Me. I got tired of living around trash even though I was in what should have been a new upper-middle class neighborhood. Not only just trash in the way they kept their yards but how they acted. There is a whole different attitude in Rowlett. I have some very good friends that live there and they pretty much stay to themselves. They have their circle of friends and that is it. Oh yeah, we had a runaway teen living at the pool in our neighborhood one time. Not to mention that every single one of us on that street had at least one car vandalized or broken into at least once. One neighbhor had their cell phone stolen out of their car. Called the number and the person answered. They lived on the next block. The mother even came down the street and told my friend that they were "not getting your stuff back". Even the police did nothing about it. I'll take my tough Garland police over this bs anyday. So I moved FAST!

[momof2dfw]

6. Waterview and the Grand Homes. Well, if they do want out there they have PLENTY of homes to choose from. Lots for sale and foreclosures. Yes, there is a landfill that is at the back of the neighborhood. Drive down Waterview Pkwy and count the houses for sale and see all of the foreclosures, last time I counted a few weeks ago there were something like 16. And that is just on that ONE road. As you drive down Waterview Pkwy take it all the way to the end and turn left onto Elm Grove. You will pass the Ramblin Rose on your left, then the back of one area of Waterview then you will come to the entrance to the Charlie Hinton Landfill. Turn around and go back to Waterview Pkwy but notice all of the lovely things that back up to those homes in Waterview. About 2 blocks after you turn back onto Waterview go to St. Andrews and turn right to go to Rowlett Community Park. Drive down to the park, ball fields to get a good look at the landfill. There it is in all of it's glory. Not too bad if the wind is not blowing and it is not damp, hot, humid, muggy, etc. If it is, hold your nose. Yep, my kids have played ball out there. So bad at times you literally pull your shirt up over your face and the kids on the field are holding their noses and gagging. Just lovely. The rule of thumb I told parents when I was coaching was if you walk out your door on a cold day, subtract at least 10 degrees. If it is a hot day, add 10 degress. If it is windy, it will be even windier out at the fields.

As for the Grand Homes. They may like the fluff that Grand shows in their models but that is all they are good for. They have had some SERIOUS problems. Stop and ask anyone that is out that lives in a Grand Home about it. If they were really that good they would not have to give away a free pool for someone to buy their homes. Another interesting thing that I have noticed, Grand no longer builds in neighborhoods w/ other builders. Hmmm, could it be the other builders don't want to be associated with them? They really have slipped in the last 5-7 years.

As for your realtor, she needs to come visit Garland more often. Really. Homes here do sell. As a matter of fact a good home that is well taken care of in a desireable area will sell. My neighbor sold their house in less than a week and they were asking top dollar per square foot for the area. Same w/ other homes in the area. The only homes that tend not to sell to well for whatever reason are those that are just not kept up and dirty and/or are empty. For some reason an empty home just does not sell well. As far as crime in Garland, we were recently (this week) put on the top 100 safest cities to live in the country. Our crime can't be too high if we are that safe. As for the police being "extra sensitive", well, only to those that deserve it. Don't be running from the police if you are in trouble or if they are trying to stop you for speeding. Yes, the Garland PD is tough on speeders. THANK YOU GPD!!!!!!!! Guess you've never seen the Rowlett PD? It takes 3-4 squad cars to give an elderly person a ticktet. LOL!!! But then I could report 1/2 of the RPD for speeding themselves.

If your parents are retired and active and want to be in an area w/ other active retirees, I could HIGHLY recommend a few areas in that price range.
Of course one of them is in Garland. Firewheel as a matter of fact. It is a golf course community and a VERY involved community. I would say it is half young retirees and half young families. My young retireed aunt & uncle just recently moved to Firewheel and love it and have already had socials w/ other neighbors that are retired. Drive thru there sometime in the mornings and see how many of them are out walking. Plus Garland does have a Senior Center w/ LOTS of activities and they go on trips.

The other area would be The Shores in Rockwall. Another golf course community. I have several friends that live there and all love it.

[necasio]

thanks a bunch momof2dfw you tell it very straight:P i think i will look into cutting loses, this is my first home and i dont want to lose lots of money in it, and the property taxes are killing me.
is there any builders who give the same fluff as Grand but better quality that i can steer them too in firewheel? they did like the plantation homes in the shores,..... man i am so nervous now and scared about real estate:P lol

[momof2dfw]

Are your parents wanting a brand new home or one a little bit older? If they want a new home w/ the nice upgrades that are standard (granite countertops, wood floors, stone accents on the front, etc) then I would look at Drees and the builders that tend to build in the same neighborhoods as them. There is one neighborhood that is building new in Firewheel called The Provence. It is not on the golf course though and does not have the community pool & clubhouse. Though the Branding Iron clubhouse for the Firewheel Golf Course is right down across the street. Great Sunday brunch. Drees also builds in The Shores or they did. If you find the Drees homes you will find other pretty good builders on the same caliber in the communities w/ them. If they don't mind a home that is a few years older then the main neighbhorhood of Firewheel that has Muirfield Rd going thru the middle of it has lots of nice houses of all different sizes. Some are the older custom homes that may need some updating. Others don't. Some may just need to change things to what they personally want. Just depends on what they want to do. My aunt is the type that totally guts a house before she moves in. I just make sure I have a truck in my possession when they are moving. That way any stray pieces of furniture that she may not want I readily can take off of her hands. On out in Rockwall in the Heath area is Buffalo Creek. This may be out of their price range but it is a nice golf course community too. Staying near the golf course communities in nice areas they are going to tend to find more people their age and activities to get involved in. If they want a little farther out but still not too far try the Los Rios area of East Plano. Nice homes on larger lots w/ lots of trees. There are plenty of areas to look at that would probably appeal to them. I would just recommend taking the time to drive around all of these areas and stopping to talk to people.

Yes, those Rowlett property taxes are high. That and their water bills. Oh, don't let anyone try to tell you that GP&L is high either. Maybe 20 years ago. I always heard that too but when I started asking more questions it tended to be those that lived in very cheap apartments made out of paper. LOL!!! My aunt that lives here now can not believe how low her bill is and she has lived in several different areas of Plano (all VERY nice) and her sons bill in Plano is even higher in a smaller home. My own parents are trying to sell their house and buy in Garland. I need to move, all of my relatives are trying to move by me. LO!!! But I was talking to my mother yesterday and her bill for elec., water and garbage was $426 for a home that is 1 story, 3/2/2, 2000 sq ft on a tiny lot. Mine was $560 for a 2 story, 4/4/3, 5000 sq ft w/ a pool on a HUGE lot w/ lots of landscaping and a husband that does not care how much it costs this house is going to be comfortable. So our thermostat in the summer stays at 72 pretty much 24/7. Along with two kids, two dogs and a back door that I swear stands open. LOL!!! My last water bill alone in Rowlett was over $300 and that was for a house 1/2 the size and no pool. And that was a few years ago before all of their recent water rate increases. I'd hate to see it now.

[hotcity]

Originally Posted by necasio

I am a single work from home and in the nightlife entertainment industry. I am soooo confused

I am confused about this sentence; what exactly do you do? Back to the main question, any type of investment has risk involved and there is no such thing as guranteed unless you invest your money in a CD, Bond, etc.

[necasio]

Originally Posted by hotcity

I am confused about this sentence; what exactly do you do? Back to the main question, any type of investment has risk involved and there is no such thing as guranteed unless you invest your money in a CD, Bond, etc.

I am sorry let me clarify i work in nightclubs doing promotions and marketing. And in the day i do most of my graphic design work at home. I know its not a guarantee anywhere per se but i am looking for a good investment. thanks tho

[necasio]

Provence started at 300k so she wasnt too happy with them and the lots are almost sold out she liked the drees there and the newcastle homes. but the price was kinda high for her budget. She did seem to like the grand homes again at the hidden creek estates. We had hoped to find a builder in firewheel starting from the 200k- 300 k but no such luck. We got lost for some time in garland today so we were not very effective She liked the sizes of the lots at hidden creek. I notice that lots of homes have the alleys here. Is that a preferred thing in texas ? On the east coast everyone wants the backyard space for privacy.

[GoPadge]

Alleyways are common in the DFW area, although you will sometimes find neighborhoods without them. Most homes have fenced in backyards for privacy anyway, so the alley's not much of an issue.

The other oddity I've seen here is head-in parking in the cul-de-sacs.