Need suggestions on where to live (Dallas, Fort Worth: condo, townhouse, neighborhoods)

[jimday]

I currently live in Oaklawn and my boyfriend lives in Fort Worth. We are thinking about moving into a house/condo/townhouse near the end of the year and would like:

1) Something in the Dallas area, within a 15-20 minute commute of downtown

2) Easy access to I-30, since my boyfriend will be commuting to Fort Worth for work

3) Not sure yet on price, but probably in the 200k - 250k range

4) Either 3 bedrooms or 2 bedrooms and a study

5) Don't want a fixer upper...prefer for the house to be newer or already updated

I'm looking into North Oakcliff, but are there other good areas that we should consider? Thanks

[lpepping]

There are some new townhomes in the lower greenville area in that price range. Pretty easy to get to I-30 from here but I do not know how bad traffic would be going through downtown towards Fort Worth.

[debaser]

Commuting to Fort Worth? I'd take the TRE if it's at all possible for him. Otherwise, Oak Cliff does have some nice neighborhoods. My friend just STOLE a 4/2 with a nice, finished garage over there. I think they got it for $240k or something like that. Some of it was a little out of date, but if that's your price range for a house in the city then you're simply going to have to do some renovation. That's not to say his house was in bad shape. It just had a 1970's kitchen is all. The rest of it was original 1920's or whenever, and in fine condition. Even the yard was well-maintained. Anyway, he lives in Irving and takes the TRE to get to work. Parts of Oak Cliff are really coming back, and parts were never that bad at all in the first place. If you do move there, though, I'd make sure you have a garage to put your car in. Lots of auto break-ins.

[jimday]

Thanks for the responses so far. Greenville would be too far I think, since he has to go all the way to Fort Worth every day.

I decided to expand the price range on the house from $250k - $350k. Does that make a difference in good possible areas? Anything other than Oak Cliff come to mind or is that the best option?

[lpepping]

Originally Posted by jimday

Thanks for the responses so far. Greenville would be too far I think, since he has to go all the way to Fort Worth every day.

I decided to expand the price range on the house from $250k - $350k. Does that make a difference in good possible areas? Anything other than Oak Cliff come to mind or is that the best option?

Just to clarify, I wasn't talking about the city of Greenville. (Not sure if that was your understanding or not) I was talking about the lower greenville area near the intersection of Ross Ave and Greenville Ave. It is definitely a little farther from Ft Worth than Oak Cliff though.

[jimday]

Thanks, Ross @ Greenville would probably be manageable for the commute.

Any other recommendations on areas to consider?

[nsumner]

You can get a very decent looking single family home in Lakewood in Dallas in that price range.

[The Texan]

Sunnyvale is a nice area to look into. It's east of Dallas, bordering Mesquite, Garland, Lake Ray Hubbard, and Kaufman County; only about 15 minutes away from downtown Dallas; and close to I-30.

The unique thing about Sunnyvale is that it is a rural area with only about 4,000 residents, but it is close to the city and has access to city facilities.

New homes are booming, and most are within the $200k to $300k range.

[jimday]

I'll add Lakewood and Sunnyvale to the list

Should I consider any of the areas west of Oakcliff, like Cockrell Hill?

[newtxman]

stay north of oak cliff.