Thinking of moving from NY (Long Island) to Plano/Dallas, TX (Fort Worth: how much, house)

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by shaden1984

Thanks so much to everyone who gave some feedback.
To answer some questions..
I am a merchandiser, so I would be working in the headquarters (corporate offices)
My housing budget can go up to 350,000, but must be 3 bed 2 bath (at least)
My nephew (and his mother) might also move down with us. He is 8 and will be going into 3rd grade this September.
From what I have hear, it seems moving closer to Dallas might be a better option for me/us.
What areas closer to Dallas (like no more than 30 minute commute time) are safe with good school districts?
Just some random questions...
How much is a gallon of gas ?
How much is a gallon of milk?
How much do you pay for cable/internet/phone?
I'm looking to get a sense of financials, if I do move. Trying to see if I will have a larger amount of "spending' money. I plan on doing a lot of travel in the next few years, so if I can find a place that has a lower cost of living, that would be great!

If you get a job at JCPenney, you can live in Plano or Frisco and get a pretty good sized newer home.

If you get a job at Neiman's, Fossil, or Tuesday Morning, either Richardson or Lake Highlands (city of Dallas, Richardson schools) are the closest options with good K-12. The 3rd grader is too old to mess with Dallas ISD as middle school is looking (there are good Elems, but good middle & high schools are by application only).

Other retailers would have you living further west towards Fort Worth to be close to their corporate offices.

**DO NOT get your heart set on any one neighborhood or suburb before having a job offer lined up. Frisco to Neiman's would be an unbearable commute!

Keep in mind that property taxes are high here so a $350k home will carry annual taxes of $7-9k. Insurance is also on the high side; count on $1800+/year for home insurance. Cable/internet/phone around $150/mo. Electricity can be high if you run the AC a lot and don't have the most energy efficient home. For our 3300sf home , the highest bill has been $500 and the lowest around $180. Neighborhoods in Frisco and Plano will have HOA dues, ranging from $100/quarter to $100+/mo. If you buy a home with a pool, it will cost $150ish/mo to service it.

If you have to use a toll road for work, budget $80-100/mo. Gas is in the low $2's now because of the depressed oil prices. It's been as high as almost $4 in recent years.

We don't drink milk either, but having lived in NYC, all groceries and household supplies are MUCH cheaper in Dallas. Probably 30% or so lower.

[nissan]

Originally Posted by Tamara0914

The traffic can be bad, but bad traffic is relative. Coming from busy east coast cities, what people call "bad traffic" here is a bit humorous to me. It is NO WHERE near as bad as what I was used to, but yes it can be a long drive sometimes. Certain highways are more accident prone, and that can cause major delays.

+1 While it does make sense to get a job first, then figure out where you want to live, Dallas traffic is nothing like what we're used to in the northeast (DC/Philly/NJ/NY).

[Downtown Dave]

...and conservative lifestyle really caught my attention

As a former downstate New Yorker...

I don't know if you meant conservative in a political sense, but a Texas Conservative is COMPLETELY different than a Northeast Conservative.

It's like saying a poodle and a pit bull are both dogs.

[4Movingeast]

$5.99 for a gallon of organic milk- I think conventional is under $4/ gallon.

[shaden1984]

Quick question, how's the weather there? I know that there can be tornadoes but they aren't that often ( at least that is what I have read) and it gets pretty hot. Are there any weird animals/bugs that one should know about before going to Texas?

[stephwin]

Tornadoes aren't really something to worry about. I'm always more concerned with hail and straight line winds this time of year. Spring is usually windy and more wet than the rest of the year. We've had quite a bit of rain so far, which is somewhat unusual. Yes, summers are hot. I know NY gets hot too, but the difference here is that we don't cool down at night. July and August are the worst two months. I won't even go hang on my patio after the sun goes down because it's still too hot.

For bugs and animals, it depends on where you live. If you are in a very populated area, it's just the usual crickets, mice, spiders, and mosquitos. Probably lots of rabbits too. The more rural areas (and even some suburbs) can have coyotes and bobcats. Snakes can be common in some areas.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by shaden1984

Quick question, how's the weather there? I know that there can be tornadoes but they aren't that often ( at least that is what I have read) and it gets pretty hot. Are there any weird animals/bugs that one should know about before going to Texas?

I was born and raised here, and overall have spent about 3/4 of my life in north Texas. I have been in two small tornadoes, both times as a child, and have never actually seen one. The two I was in were not big, probably EF0 or EF1.

Homeowners here worry more about hail and straight line winds. Those are more common, more widespread, and far more likely to do damage to your property.

Yes, it gets hot here. Very hot. Good news: Everywhere has air conditioning. Bad news: Your electric bills will be high in summer.

Weird animals/bugs: Depends on your definition of "weird." Are giant cockroaches weird?

[stephwin]

Does LI have june bugs or cicadas?

[shaden1984]

I think in some areas of LI we have cicadas, but I haven't seen any where I live.

Again, thank you all for the comments and support.
I have been interviewing with companies in Texas, so hopefully I will be able to make a decision soon.

[mm4]

"Street fairs" in NYC consist of the same gang that moves tents and folding tables and propane tanks and trailers and wardrobe hangers and partitions of rubber-coated heavy gauge wire grid from one cordoned-off three blocks to another cordoned-off three blocks a half mile away in any direction every other week.

And the OP might find something better than Boar's Head in any supermarket deli.

Cicadas have region-specific life cycles--i.e., when a forest cluster is emerging in NY isn't when it's breaking in DC or in North Texas or elsewhere.

St. Patty's on Greenville was better than anything in the northeast.