Don't care about commute - McKinney, Plano, Frisco? (Dallas, Flower Mound: hardwood floors, for sale)

[souryab]

Ok, first, some clarification on the title of the thread. I work as a consultant that SOMETIMES requires me to fly out to client locations. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, a lot of clients are available via teleconferencing allowing me to work from home On the rare occasions I have to take a plane, I'm willing to accept a longish drive

So, what's important to me? I've compiled a comprehensive list regarding my desired house, but I think it will speak to the optimum suburb as well. Plan to buy in around Jan 2020. My family and I intend this to be our long term home (at least 15 years) till the kids move to college, so not much concerned about price appreciation (though of course it's nice to have).

Absolutely Necessary

• Budget minimum $400k, maximum $550k

• Square footage minimum 3500, maximum 5000

• Good schools, lowest acceptable rating 8 (Great Schools)

• Safety

• Bedrooms minimum 4, maximum 5

• Bathrooms minimum 3.5, maximum 6

• Media room

• No pool in house, but in neighborhood

• Max HOA $75, HOA not a pain in the ass, not free-for-all

• HOA has decent reserves, not many special assessments

• Max age of HVAC, fridge, other electricals 5 years

• Ability to independently manage HVAC for floors / sections

• Minimum garage space for 2 SUVs, no max

• Contingent on inspections and financing (20% down)

• Lots of greenery, yard

• Modern kitchen and bathrooms

• Commute not a concern

Preferred

• Projector with screen in media room

• Option to buy in-house furniture

• Ability to add solar panels

• Physical distance from neighboring houses, not too close

• Hardwood floors

• Mature trees in yard

My top 3 considerations are: schools, price, house size


Taking everything into consideration (and possibly some things I'm not aware of), please provide a ranking of the Dallas suburbs I should target with reasons for doing so. Please feel free to add more to the mix other than the three I mentioned.

[stan4]

Your wishlist prices you out of Plano.

McKinney sounds like what you're after.
Frisco has great schools.

Check out Craig Ranch or Stonebridge.

[sanz7887]

McKinney it is . Craig Ranch is your best best. can also check some areas of Frisco

[Soccernerd]

Honestly you can find houses and subdivisions with those requirements in most of Collin County.

I don’t think there are neighborhood pools in most subdivisions in Plano. Most subdivisions in McKinney and Frisco are newer and are more likely to have higher HOA fees, however.

[ChristieP]

Southlake and Flower Mound

[souryab]

Thank you everyone for your replies. Yes, McKinney is definitely near the top of my list. A couple of follow-up questions:

1. Your wishlist prices you out of Plano.
What price do I need to be in order to include Plano? I assume it's higher, how much?

2. McKinney it is . Craig Ranch is your best best. can also check some areas of Frisco
Is Craig Ranch a development in McKinney? Between Frisco and McKinney, which has the better schools? I noticed that Prosper schools are not that highly rated, and some Frisco houses are mapped to those.

3. I don’t think there are neighborhood pools in most subdivisions in Plano. Most subdivisions in McKinney and Frisco are newer and are more likely to have higher HOA fees, however.
Any idea about these higher HOA fees?

[stan4]

There's actually a ton of inventory in Plano in your price range.

Just not with large lots and mature trees (and space away from neighbors). Plano is a home pool place and not as much of a community pool place. Though yhere are some neighborhoods (like Country Place) that have nice common areas.

There are beautiful older sections (on bigger lots - 75074), but you may not get all the modern amenities, layout/media room you're looking for.
Of course, if the seller has upgraded everything, then Bob's your uncle.

To me, reasonable yard and space from neighbor (if your house is 3500-5000 sq ft) starts at a minimum of 0.5 acre lot. There are only 3 listings under $950,000 - 2 of them are for 2700 sq ft old homes and the other is $599k.

I suggest picking a local realtor website and entering your criteria and looking. Remember, they always make things look more spacious in pictures. Use the advanced search settings.

[souryab]

Understood. I've heard a lot about Plano schools, but are they so much better than McKinney or Frisco to discount the advantages of large lots and mature trees? My kids definitely are the highest priority, but I want a good house considering it will be our home for the next 15 years, at least.

[Soccernerd]

There was actually a thread relating to this topic:
Frisco outscores Plano schools

Plano ISD is more racially and economically diverse than Frisco ISD and that can create large disparities in test scores. Plano West and its feeding schools outperform any school school cluster in Collin County and possibly the whole Metroplex.

I think you need to visit individual schools to get a better feel for the schools. Frisco has a "neighborhood" system where the schools are smaller than Allen's or Plano.

[Katana49]

While it's possible to find what you're looking for in Plano, your budget would probably have to stretch to the $700-750k range to get most of what you are looking for. McKinney and Frisco you can find similar homes but they will most likely be newer than Plano and since they are farther out, you'll get a bit more bang for your buck.


Personally I would choose McKinney (and did, I lived there for years) over Frisco as the subdivisions in your price range will look a lot better IMO. While that may be subjective, I found that McKinney's topography was much nicer than Frisco, with bigger lots on average, while Frisco neighborhoods really pack the homes in together. That holds true even if you spend $1 mil or more. Take a look in the Stonebridge Ranch area, there are several neighborhoods with community pools and with house sizes and prices that fit your criteria and budget. Look along Stonebridge Dr, there are many homes for sale that may work.


Be careful though, on making sure the home you purchase is indeed in Stonebridge Ranch. There are several neighborhoods that are adjacent to SBR that are NOT part of it, so you would not get access to the community pool and SBR beach club, which is pretty cool. Estates of Verona for example, likes to tout access to Stonebridge Ranch amenities (jogging trails) but they are not part of SBR and they have no community pool either.


Not my home, or anyone I know, just showing you pics of what is out there and they have some good pics of the amenities too. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7...60310925_zpid/