Relocation to DFW Area - to keep our chickens & maybe a horse (Dallas: real estate, houses)

[Dbazan1]

Hello City Data Friends,

We sold our house on the West coast, and are wanting to relocate to the DFW area, but are really short on time in deciding where. We need to keep our budget under $600,000, preferably closer to $550,000 if possible, and are bringing with us 2 dogs, 2 chickens, a parrot & a bunny. Our high schooler is very involved in our local 4-H Club, so we'd like to continue that lifestyle if at all possible. Our high schooler is a sophmore now, and we'd like to settle in an area that will be a good commute to university options. He's a bit young to pick a major yet, but he's very into science/math, and also into film, literature and creative writing, so he could go either direction (STEM or Liberal Arts), so university options that offer engineering type programs as well as Writing/Communications/Film programs would be optimal. College budget is not so huge, so commuting will work out best.

We'd love to find a home where we will be allowed to keep our chickens and dogs, and if it's zoned for horses (or a few goats), that'd be great too. That means we need to avoid HOA's, but still be in a nice neighborhood where your neighbors' homes and yards look fine, not filled with junk. In addition to a good commute to university options (about 35-40 minutes or under), keeping our pet-family together, having a pool out back, living in a safe community, and being in an excellent school district round out the rest of our focus. Hubby works from home for now, so his commute is not a deciding factor right now.

We've been looking at the surrounding areas of North West Ft. Worth & North of Arlington in Colleyville & Keller, which look like they would be a close enough drive to TCU or UTA. Please let me know if these are not good areas to look into, or if the commutes would be way too long. We also found a few homes in the Flower Mound area, but not sure if there are any universities close to there. Where else can we find nice, updated pool homes, with a decent lot size (1 acre), that are animal friendly?

Thank y'all so much for weighing in. We're so limited on time, so I'm hoping you can help us narrow down where our focus should be at our price point that will meet our needs.

[TurtleCreek80]

I would look at the towns north of 380 that are west of Denton, kind of a triangle from Aubrey up to Pilot Point over to Celina. Lots of horses up that way and I'm sure most schools have an active 4-H. I know for sure that Celina does. Flower Mound is fairly convenient to Denton, home of UNT (see below)...if you want more of a suburb than a small town. Not sure if you'll find 1 acre lots for $550k in FM anymore...

Your son's interests line up well with the University of North Texas in Denton which has a fabulous arts program. It also houses an uber-competitive high school/ college STEM program where kids complete the last two years of high school and first two years of college during their junior and senior years....while that might not be something your son is eligible for or ready for, it speaks to the strength of the school's offerings in the STEM field. Further away is UTD in Dallas which is very STEM focused and has an excellent engineering program. UTA is a true commuter school and not really known for anything. TCU is great but pricey- commuting isn't the "norm" and tuition alone will still set you back $45k per year as it's not a state school.

[tcualum]

It's difficult to be a commuter student and attend TCU. Most of the students live on campus and many of them who live at home either end up transferring or moving into the dorms. The commute to TCU from Denton or Coppell would not be pleasant and I wouldn't recommend it. I have done the north Arlington commute to Denton and I wouldn't recommend it. If you're open to building there are a few lots still available in Dalworthington Gardens, a small town located in Arlington that's perfect for you. It's in the middle of the Metroplex but it's still quite rural. Many of the owners in the town have horses and ride them on the streets in town when the weather is nice. My neighbors down the street actually own horses and cattle. If you're interested in the town message me. I know a great real estate agent in town. It's a real friendly place where the mayor campaigned by knocking on every single door in town to talk to every resident.

[stan4]

Chickens and near Dallas with a reasonable commute for $600k...naw. You want Denton area. Not Dallas area.

[ChristieP]

I agree to look in Denton County. You need a rural area that’s going to stay rural, not somewhere that will be surrounded by subdivisions in 5 years.

[gtt99]

Look into Kaufman County (East of Dallas).

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...0_M87070-13152

[MurphyPl1]

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...cre-half/sby-2

There are two I know of on this list in Murphy that could work for you. Willow Wood and Moonlight.

Easy commute to UTD.

[octo]

Originally Posted by stan4

Chickens and near Dallas with a reasonable commute for $600k...naw. You want Denton area. Not Dallas area.

There's a house on almost an acre next to the Urban Reserve in Dallas for approx $600k.
The next property over had horses afaik and chickens are legal. Land looks like a pecan tree forest.

10 minutes to SMU.


8473 Stults, 75243

[UnfairPark]

Originally Posted by octo

There's a house on almost an acre next to the Urban Reserve in Dallas for approx $600k.
The next property over had horses afaik and chickens are legal. Land looks like a pecan tree forest.

10 minutes to SMU.


8473 Stults, 75243

They want excellent schools so Dallas ISD won’t work and they want affordable/commuter school. SMU is the most expensive school in Texas and not a commuter’s college.

[octo]

Originally Posted by UnfairPark

They want excellent schools so Dallas ISD won’t work and they want affordable/commuter school. SMU is the most expensive school in Texas and not a commuter’s college.

That property is in RISD, not DISD. And the OP asked for Dallas, not Oklahoma.

It's 8 miles from UTD.

No HOA.