Help Young Couple Split their drives (Dallas, Plano: low income, real estate, apartments)

[txman210]

I'd appreciate some assistance. This is going to sound silly asking for help, but here it goes. I grew up in Plano, but I haven't lived in DFW since leaving for college greater than a dozen years ago. I assume quite a bit has changed. My wife and I have jobs in the area, though opposite sides of town. I'll be working out in Terrell, she'll be working in Colleyville. The midway points tend to be downtown/uptown, M-streets, Park cities, or using LBJ/635 near the galleria area. We have been looking at East Dallas, Park Cities, Lake Highlands, and Northwood Hills. We have had several offers in Northwood Hills beat out before they received our offers . Our real estate agent sent us some lovely options in Merriman Park in LH. I'm a little concerned about these RISD schools and crime in the area. I also prefer RISD to DISD unless something major happened with DISD while I was gone.

When I was growing up, I heard from friends in RISD about "Forrest Ghetto" and how bad LHHS was. This was from those that had attended the Far North Dallas cluster of Brentfield, Parkhill, Pearce. We are still looking for a home that fits our need in Northwood Hills, but there is nothing in the market right now. Our agent sent us some options in 75248, but I think this is getting too far for me. I'm trying to stay south of Beltline. We will tour some homes in Merriman Park (that look lovely), but every time I go to LH I think the homes are nice and the apartments are very not nice. I've seen great things about Merriman Park, but Forrest Meadow and Lake Highlands probably leave a lot to be desired. In addition, I'd like to not need alarm systems and pay increased insurance for my zip code.

We checked out some small homes and duplexes in the Park Cities, but I think these probably exceed our budget. However, I'd take suggestions and am willing to pay a premium, but not $1M premium. I appreciate any assistance I can get. Hopefully, Lakewooder and the like are trolling and give me their $0.02.

Budget is about 500-600k or less for Dallas. I'd go as high 800's for Park Cities.

[TurtleCreek80]

Lake Highlands is very in demand and popular with young families. You didn't mention having any children but if you do, Merriman Park is one of the sought after elementaries in LH and the neighborhood is awesome. It does feed to the lesser of LHHS's two middle schools (Forest Ghetto, as your said) but if you don't have kids yet or they are very young you could enjoy this house for 10+ years before moving to a home in LH zoned for LHJH instead. Yes, the multi-family in LH isn't that great but it's more low income than unsafe. The unsafe parts of LH are the Forest/Audelia/Abrams area just north of LBJ. LHHS is very diverse, racially and economically, but about half the school is still the white, middle class kids (a much larger % of the school than at Woodrow, which is often the other neifhborhood people cônsider south of 635). The best elementary schools in LH zone are White Rock, Lake Highlands, and Wallace. Your $500k will be a nice budget for those school zones too and they are much further away from the Forest/Audelia area.

One note on your alarm system comment - you NEED a home alarm system anywhere in the metroplex. Homes are broken into in HP, LH, Northwood Hills, Lakewood, etc. Break-ins aren't rampant as these are all lower crime areas but they can and do happen.

[LookingInRichardson]

I don't think 75248 or 75080 would be too far for you. I used to sometimes commute to/from Mesquite and if you take Coit to 635 and get on 80/20, you're really not going to hit traffic. It's probably a 40-45 minute drive to Terrell. Your wife is going to have a worse commute to Colleyville from almost any of the areas in mention.

Merriman Park is obviously a very nice area. Sure, there are apartments in the area that are not as nice but it doesn't affect the SFR neighborhood. I've had friends who've lived in East Dallas, Lakewood, and Lake Highlands. None have ever seen crime as a big problem.

[WorldKlas]

If schools K-12 are important, I suggest you break out the budget and get an agent who specializes in Park Cities/HPISD so you can get a heads up on anything that comes available in that area. Otherwise, if I had no kiddos yet or a long stretch of elementary school ahead I'd be focusing on Stonewall Jackson & Lakewood Elementaries.

[txman210]

No kids yet, probably will in 2-3 years. HP is at the upper end of our budget, nothing we've really liked in our price range. I know HP is more than 500k, we can do more, but it's more of a stretch. Thanks for the help!

[txman210]

LookinginRichardson,

Per Google Maps, Coit and Campbell (going down Coit or 75) is at least 50-55 minutes. I'd prefer to keep it 45 or under. Thanks for the tip though.

[NP78]

Originally Posted by txman210

No kids yet, probably will in 2-3 years. HP is at the upper end of our budget, nothing we've really liked in our price range. I know HP is more than 500k, we can do more, but it's more of a stretch. Thanks for the help!

In that case, with Middle School being 12-14 years away, I would just suggest focusing on areas with quality elementary school options. So many things can change in that time frame. I would echo what others have said and suggest looking in the attendance zones for Lakewood, Stonewall Jackson, White Rock Elementary, and Merriman Park.

All have nice options in your price range.

[txman210]

From what I remember growing up RISD was a big step up from DISD, is this not still the case?

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by txman210

From what I remember growing up RISD was a big step up from DISD, is this not still the case?

Comparing one entire district to the other, yes, RISD is greatly superior to DISD. But on an individual school basis (and your kids attend your neighborhood school, not the sum of the whole district), DISD's Lakewood and Stonewall Jackson elementaries are on par with RISD White Rock, Merriman Park, Brentfield, etc.

DISD has some of the lowest performing high schools in the state, but two of its magnet schools are among the TOP 5 public high schools in the entire country, ranked far ahead of RISD's high schools - or even HPHS- nationally. You can't just write off an entire district of hundreds of schools and 200,000 kids because the one school in your neifhborhood could be full of 600 great kids and families.

[WorldKlas]

Investment and location, you will be better off in Lakewood & SJ elementaries.....