Relocating to Dallas area from Tulsa, OK (Fort Worth, Arlington: for sale, real estate market)

[aodfan]

Hi all,

Jobs here for my industry (IT) really have gone down the crapper in Tulsa and have decided to relocate my family to the Dallas area. What is important is schools for my two kids, currently 7 and 5, safe area and things to do. Right now we would be moving into an apartment and at a later time buy a house. We have been looking at the Richardson, Plano, and Garland area but do not know if our housing budget is realistic there. With my previous job we were looking for 3B/2B/2CG, at least 2,000 SQ feet, etc. for around 170K to 215K. From what I have seen on Zillow or Trulia, there are some houses that meet that criteria in Garland. But if there are any other areas to look into, I am open to get any information I can get. Can anyone shed some light on what to expect? Thank you

[ChristieP]

You need to find out where you will be working before you can decide where to live. DFW is HUGE compared to Tulsa, and commute times can be very lengthy here if you don't live close to your work.

And yes, that housing budget is likely too low to get in an area with decent schools in today's real estate market. North Garland HS is not a good area.

[Allison81]

^^Ditto on everything she just said. Plus, everything in that price range is getting multiple offers within 24 hours. We rented for 6 months be4 buying in Rockwall. We were hoping to get a house for $275k back in 2014. The market was very busy back then too and we realized we needed to up our budget to get everything we wanted. TX isn't very cheap anymore like it used to be. Prices have skyrocketed.

My husband works in East Dallas (near Ferguson Rd), commute can be anywhere from 30 minutes-1 hour depending on traffic.
So you really need to know where your work will be located be4 house hunting. If you're going to work in Plano, then some of the northern burbs might work for your budget. If you want to work in Dallas you'll need to know EXACTLY where in Dallas before searching for a house because it's so huge w/crazy traffic

[aodfan]

Ok, thanks for the information. I am the kind of person that likes to have all the information ahead of time and figured out, but my wife kept telling me we will have to wait and see how things are when we are ready to buy a house. Hopefully, by that time my career has improved and I have more income for a larger price range on a house. Thing about IT industry is that you can be at different jobs within a short span of time and then on to the next. So, I cannot realistically expect to live close to my job at all times.

[aodfan]

On another note, I know I will be getting paid more in DFW than I was in Tulsa, so the price range is going to change (up), so I am most likely short changing my results.

[aodfan]

Oh, and sorry to sound like I am talking to myself, but the wife and I have agreed on an older house, from the late 70's to the early 90's. We just do not like the new builds and want to make it our own when we renovate.

[Brookside]

Fellow Tulsa transplant here (though native TXN). We just returned from a visit to T-town; downtown = amazing! But I understand about the job situation there: frustrating and one of the reasons we left.

I'm not going to lie: You are in for a shock about housing prices. We knew we would have to bump our price range considerably and thought we had prepared ourselves accordingly. We had a 2800 sf house in Tulsa on a large lot which we felt fortunate to sell for about 15% more than we paid for it (after 12 years).

I did plenty of research and was prepared to pay (gulp) $250K for a house. It seemed like an enormous amount and I was confident we could get every thing on our list: 4brms, a pool, no major upgrades needed, Collin County.

We did find everything on our list --- after 2 months, 6 bidding wars, and losing out on several homes, we bumped our price *substantially* and found our current house by being first in line and offering full price. And negotiated like crazy when the inspection report came back (nothing major, as it turns out -- but it was a very thorough report; 40 pages long --- this guy was like the Stephen Hawking of inspectors and wrote two pages about non-working electrical outlets, etc.).

Oh, and this was five years ago. The market was nothing like it is now.

If $215 is really your max price range, you are in for a tough search if you want Collin County and its high-performing schools. Not impossible, but very tough. Exg.: There are a total of 9 properties for sale in Frisco under $225, and I am pretty sure most of them will be under contract within a few days. (the same is true for just about all of the Collin County areas).

If you branch out of Collin County, Richardson is a good choice, and you *may* be able to find a sub-$225 home there. Houses will be older and smaller. Try to stay in the Pearce or Richardson H.S. feeder patterns if you can.

I don't know anything about Garland or its schools - but I am sure some of the good folks on this board will chime in.

If you end up working in Plano (lots of jobs in this area lately), then Aubrey may be a good choice. It is in Denton County, but I hear good things about its schools and family-oriented atmosphere.

You might also check the Fort Worth forum for info on mid-cities communities like Hurst-Euless-Bedford (HEB), which are older but strong communities with pockets of affordability and good schools. I've also heard that the Martin High School feeder pattern in Arlington is a good area with affordable housing.

Feel free to PM me with any questions. Best of luck!

[aodfan]

Originally Posted by Brookside

Fellow Tulsa transplant here (though native TXN). We just returned from a visit to T-town; downtown = amazing! But I understand about the job situation there: frustrating and one of the reasons we left.

I'm not going to lie: You are in for a shock about housing prices. We knew we would have to bump our price range considerably and thought we had prepared ourselves accordingly. We had a 2800 sf house in south Tulsa on a .3 acre lot (no pool) in the best school district which we felt fortunate to sell for about 15% more than we paid for it (after 12 years).

I did plenty of research and was prepared to pay (gulp) $250K for a house. It seemed like an enormous amount and I was confident we could get every thing on our list: 4brms, a pool, no major upgrades needed, Collin County.

We did find everything on our list --- after 2 months, 6 bidding wars, and losing out on several homes, we bumped our price *substantially* and found our current house by being first in line and offering full price. And negotiated like crazy when the inspection report came back (nothing major, but we had a very thorough report; 40 pages long --- this guy was like the Stephen Hawking of inspectors and wrote two pages about non-working electrical outlets, etc.).

Oh, and this was five years ago. The market was nothing like it is now.

If $215 is really your max price range, you are in for a tough search if you want Collin County. Not impossible, but very tough. Exg. There are a total of 9 properties for sale in Frisco under $225, and I am pretty sure most of them will be under contract within a few days. (the same is true for just about all of the Collin County areas).

If you branch out of Collin County, Richardson is a good choice, and you *may* be able to find a sub-$225 home there. Houses will be older and smaller. Try to stay in the Pearce or Richardson H.S. feeder patterns if you can.

I don't know anything about Garland or its schools - but I am sure some of the good folks on this board will chime in.

If you end up working in Plano (lots of jobs in this area lately), then Aubrey may be a good choice. It is in Denton County, but I hear good things about its schools and family-oriented atmosphere.

You might also check the Fort Worth forum for info on mid-cities communities like Hurst-Euless-Bedford (HEB) which are older but strong communities with pockets of affordability and good schools. I've also heard that the Martin High School feeder pattern in Arlington is a good area with affordable housing.

Feel free to PM me with any questions. Best of luck!

Thanks for the information, greatly helps! I am a conservative person when it comes to buying things and the 215K max was when I was less here in Tulsa, which even then I know I was making under my worth. Going to the Dallas area I know what I should be making and there are more opportunity there (hence why moving there makes sense vs Tulsa). So, the 215K max goes up to probably around 250-280K, possibly stretching to 300k.

[Brookside]

Originally Posted by aodfan

Thanks for the information, greatly helps! I am a conservative person when it comes to buying things and the 215K max was when I was less here in Tulsa, which even then I know I was making under my worth. Going to the Dallas area I know what I should be making and there are more opportunity there (hence why moving there makes sense vs Tulsa). So, the 215K max goes up to probably around 250-280K, possibly stretching to 300k.

$300-$400K is still pretty competitive. Only above $400K does the market relax a bit.

I know I am sounding like Negative Nellie - - but the lifestyle is very different here. More job opportunities, shopping, more entertainment options, better transportation (i.e., airports), but also more people, congestion, traffic, competition, not to mention = expense. Nor is it as scenic as Tulsa (not by half).

I don't miss the backwards, low-tax/low-service government model, or the crumbling infrastructure or terrible education system, but the beauty ... Now that, I do miss.

[mSooner]

Another former Tulsan here...I'll just echo what everyone else says. The traffic and housing prices here are going to be considerable obstacles for you. You really do need to know where you are going to work...you cannot just wing it even if you think you might change jobs often. You could easily spend an hour+ in traffic one way going a fraction of the metroplex. You are going to feel sick when you see what even $300k buys you in a good school district...if you can even manage to snag something.

We made the move from Tulsa when I was a child because the job market for my father (worked for Mapco then CFS...great luck! HA!) went to hell in a handbasket. DFW has been better in that regard.

Ironically, my husband and I have talked about moving back to Tulsa when he finishes residency...the housing, traffic, and scenery are very attractive after living in DFW for 10 years. Union, Jenks, and Broken Arrow schools are good enough for us. I have very very fond memories of my childhood there and actually feel like it might be a better place for my kids to grow up vs the DFW area, but we have family here, so that will be a factor to consider.