Another question about race & diversity in Dallas (Plano, Garland: middle-class, 2014)

[Renny2078]

Hi all,

Allow me first apologize for rehashing this topic, as I see it's been covered in the past. Unfortunately, most of the relevant posts were from 2009/2010, and I'm hoping for a bit more updated/current information, please.

My family and I will be moving to Dallas from New England this summer. We're looking to buy a home in a nice, quiet, family oriented city/town, but would also like to have wherever it is be racially diverse. My husband is Caucasian, I'm Black, and we have two children (one going into high school, the other starting kindergarten) who we'll be enrolling in neighbourhood schools.

We had been looking at the Plano area, but my husband just got off the phone with the realtor, who suggested Wylie might be better. I of course went looking online, and came upon some pretty scary posts on this forum about Wylie and race.

As the most current post to said thread was in 2010, I thought it might be best to just ask you guys what your thoughts and recommendations are. We're a quiet family, we tend to keep to ourselves because we work so much, but I''m also looking to make friends in the neighborhood with families who have similarly aged kids..

So.. what do you guys think? Price range for a house is about $250k or so.. just something for us four (and our dog). My mother and father in law just purchased a gorgeous home in Frisco, (another reason we're moving is to finally be closer to them) so we're hoping to find a place close enough for us to visit often.

Also (if you don't mind), what are your thoughts about Garland?

I thank you all for your time and patience, and very much look forward to hearing your thoughts/opinions.

Thanks again..

Ren.

PS: I can't believe I only now just stumbled on this awesome forum.. I can tell I'll be on here a ton, now..!

[TurtleCreek80]

I wouldn't really worry about being an interracial family in the DFW area. In the northern suburbs more of the diversity is going to be Asian and to a lesser extent Hispanic (vs black), but the largest suburbs in Collin County (Allen, Frisco, Plano, McKinney) are not lily-white.

I don't know about racial relations in Wylie, but I wouldn't live there because the schools are significantly below Plano, Allen, McKinney and most of Frisco. I'm guessing your budget is what is steering the realtor for you to look at Wylie (or that's the area she knows best?) In the 4th Quarter 2014, Wylie's average purchase price was $198k. Plano's was $272k, Allen $263k, McKinney $247k, and Frisco the highest at $313k. It's generally difficult to find a home when your budget is significantly below the average - more competition, more bidding wars, and more all-cash offers to compete against.

Depending on where your job(s) are, McKinney is probably the best place to look in Collin County b/c it aligns with your budget. McKinney is the most white of the Collin County burbs (75%), but it also has the highest populations of blacks (10%).

Garland is a mixed bag. The schools district is "school of choice" meaning you can enroll your kids in a school besides your neighborhood school if there is an open spot. Garland HS has a very well regarded IB program and some of the schools in northern Garland (near Firewheel Mall) are well-regarded as well. Garland covers a huge land mass and is much lower income than Collin County - about 50% less.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

Where will your husbands job be?

[hornraider]

Based on the criteria (affordable, very diverse and near Frisco) I would look at:
Carrollton
Garland
Lewisville

In that order

[BigDGeek]

Going to throw Richardson into the mix due to the OP's price point, desire for good schools, and desire for a diverse area/area that celebrates diversity.

Of course if the OP is going to work in Irving or Denton or something, then she might want to look elsewhere due to the commute!

My zip (75080) is great; my neighborhood in particular is popular with young families (of various ethnic backgrounds), solidly middle-class. You'll rub elbows with people driving 15 year-old Camrys AND people driving brand-new Audis and BMWs...teachers, plumbers, executives, doctors, tech workers (like me), retirees, etc.

My zip code has two high schools: Richardson HS and J.J. Pearce. Some people think Pearce is the best HS in RISD (and on paper, it does appear that way) but since my neighborhood is zoned to RHS, that's the one I hear the most about. Most parents here seem very happy with the local elementary, junior high, and high school(s). RHS is more diverse than Pearce in every way (racially, demographically, and socioeconomically) and it also hosts the RISD's magnet programs.

It's cheaper to buy in the RHS feeder pattern than the Pearce feeder pattern...overall. You'll see outliers in both areas.

So...it's something to consider, if your commute lines up with that location.

It takes me half an hour to get faaaaaaaaaaaar west down Lebanon (in Frisco) from here on a weekend. Not too bad. Closer than New England, anyway.

[Renny2078]

Thanks for the responses, guys.. I really appreciate you taking the time..!

Per the commute, my husband will have to to go back and forth between TX and RI after we move because he's currently consulting at a company that has him contracted through September. Travel like that is not unusual where he works, and they'd usually fly in on Monday, and back to their various homes/towns on Thursday.

After September, he's just going to transfer from the New England office to one closer, and has already started looking into where exactly. Luckily, he can work from home quite a few days a week, so we're thinking that should help with whatever the commute might be.

Thank you for the added info per schools.. I'm so worried about them getting into good schools. As excited as I am, I'm rapidly getting overwhelmed as the magnitude of what we're doing is starting to hit. I'm terrified, actually.

Anyway, thank you all again.. I guess it's back to Redfin. This is one of the hardest parts, I think.. Trying to figure out where to settle without prior knowledge of said area. A friend of mine keeps going "don't forget; there are no do-overs!" in jest, and while I found it funny initially, it does nothing but raise my anxiety levels now. So much pressure!

Ren

[TurtleCreek80]

Just a thought- don't be in such a hurry to buy. Yes, as your friend says, there aren't any do-overs in life, but you can certainly move slower to ensure you make an educated & researched decision. There's no harm in picking what you think is the best suburb and renting for your first year to make sure it is a good fit.

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Just a thought- don't be in such a hurry to buy. Yes, as your friend says, there aren't any do-overs in life, but you can certainly move slower to ensure you make an educated & researched decision. There's no harm in picking what you think is the best suburb and renting for your first year to make sure it is a good fit.

^^^That. The other famous phrase: "measure twice, cut once"

I strongly recommend renting for at least a short time and then aggressively researching and visiting areas to see if they are a good "fit" for you.

[Gilah G.]

75082. Look here for family and diversity.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by synchronicity

^^^That. The other famous phrase: "measure twice, cut once"

I strongly recommend renting for at least a short time and then aggressively researching and visiting areas to see if they are a good "fit" for you.

Yup...renting first is always a good idea, especially if you have a very specific feel in mind.