Still have Questions about Frisco area

[momof2dfw]

How far is the Mexican boarder?
The Mexican border is a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG drive away. If you can make it in a day w/ 9 kids then you need to buy all the tequila you can get once you cross the border cause your gonna need it after that drive.

Yes, the Oklahoma as well as the Louisanna and Arkansas borders are MUCH closer. Heck, you can be to Mississippi, Kansas, Missouri all before you could Mexico from the Dallas area.

Yes, we natives have ALWAYS made fun of the people that live WAY north of Dallas being closer to Oklahoman than they are downtown Dallas.

Why are property taxes high?
No state income tax. But they DO sock it to the businesses in the way of franchise taxes. They went up 3x this year and it is a HUGE JUMP for all businesses. OUCH! Since we don't have an income tax you CAN make as much as you want and only pay the national income tax. In return you CAN limit how much you want to spend on a house. You CAN keep your home purchase value down and sock away all that money you save by not having a state income tax and more than cover the difference. Be careful though and avoid areas that have VERY HIGH property tax rates.

As said earlier these property taxes pay for schools, roads, community colleges, county hospitals, city & county governments, etc.

Are there foundation problems with the houses?
The majority of homes in the DFW area do NOT have foundation problems. If a newer community is beset w/ foundation problems then something is wrong from the builder and developers end but that does NOT mean they will take care of it even if the home has a warranty. Home warranties are worthless.

Take care to water your foundation but not over water it either. Don't plant large trees and shrubs right up on the foundation either as they will suck away the water the soil under the foundation needs to stay consistent.

How far is the ocean?
Galveston is the closest "ocean" from the Dallas Metroplex and it is just fine. Might not be the crystal clear waters of the Carribean but it is fine. MUCH better than it was 20+ years ago. You don't see signs all over the place like back then to wipe the tar off your feet. The last 6 times I've been on the beach in Galveston (in the last 6 years) I have not seen ANY tar at all.

Other beaches like the east coast, west coast, Carribean, Mexico, South America are only 2-3 hours away by plane. VERY EASY to fly to a nice tropical destination from DFW. Watch specials and you can get some real bargains. Oh, and cruise ships do sail out of Galveston so you can be in the tropical waters in no time w/ the dolphins swimming by escorting you out of Galveston Bay.

What is the difference between Plano, Allen, McKinney and Frisco? As far as schools, town life etc..
Plano - older suburb that is north of Dallas. Heavily populated and more congested on the west side than it is on the east side. The two sides are like night and day. Plano has 3 VERY LARGE high schools (graduating classes of 1000+) and no plans to build another.

Allen - bedroom suburb of Plano almost more so than Dallas. Straight up 75 between Plano and McKinney. Not much for industrial and business growth except on the retail side.

McKinney - small sleepy farming town that is the county seat for Collin County. Blown up in the last several years. A heck of a commute to Dallas from there. I'm not sold on the schools here as my sis teaches there and the stuff that goes on is absurd. Parents run the schools more than the admin in many cases. McKinney does NOT have public transportation. Sales tax is already 8.25% so they can not join DART and must come up w/ some other way to raise funds IF they ever decide to do some form of public transportation or join DART.

Frisco - teeny-tiny farming community that was WAY OUT THERE once upon a time not too long ago. Plano was running out of room so Frisco, Allen and McKinney opened up and started building like crazy madman to get the people to flock there. More of a bedroom community as well w/ more retail than industrial type businesses. Can be heavily congested around Dallas North Tollway, Preston and Hwy 121.

What is the sales tax rate?
The highest the sales tax can be for any city government is 8.25%. Some have 8% and there even were some around w/ less than 8% but I doubt that anymore. One weekend in August before school starts is Tax Free Weekend and you can buy back to school clothes and such all tax free. MAJOR CRAZY shopping if your into it.

Are groceries reasonable?
From the prices I've seen in the grocery stores while traveling (we always stay somewhere w/ a kitchen or mini kitchen and go buy some groceries) the prices here are MUCH lower. I remember last summer in South Carolina and Florida the Ovaltine my husband likes was right at $8 a CAN! Here I can get it at SuperTarget for $3. He had to settle for drinking his plain white milk. Same for many other things. For fresh veggies and fruits you can visit local growers that let you pick your own, grow a small garden yourself, buy at the farmers markets.

Can you REALLY buy a really nice house for 150K?
Depends on what you call "really nice". Really. Since you have 9 kids (I'm going to assume all yours unless you watch kids as well or have lots of your kids friends over at the moment) you are going to have to go out further to get a house large enough for all of them in that price range. Be careful w/ some cities on residential codes and how many people they allow to live in one single family dwelling. Some are tougher on this than others. Some cities may allow it but require a certain number of bedrooms. You will just need to check each cities code that your interested in. Rental housing is going to be even tougher IF the landlord is legit and on the up and up.

[case44]

Originally Posted by Jherbst

Thanks for all that replied to my first thread, however i still have some questions unanswered and I really need your help since you are the experts on the area!!

How far is the Mexican boarder?

Why are property taxes high?

Are there foundation problems with the houses?

How far is the ocean?

What is the difference between Plano, Allen, McKinney and Frisco? As far as schools, town life etc..


What is the sales tax rate?

Are groceries reasonable?


Can you REALLY buy a really nice house for 150K?

Thanks again!!

Jennifer

Hey, Jennifer, let's forget about Mexico and the ocean. Let's talk about Frisco for a moment. It's an up-and-coming city. What it's becoming is a dynamic new city with statuary and new landmarks, creative urban landscapes and new, inviting architecture. Ten years ago, it was a small town on the fringes of the big city. Now the fringes are located north of Frisco. This is the place where the dreamers come to play. It's a chance for a community to really invent its own place. I've seen more vision come to life in Frisco than any other Metroplex community since....well, since I've been alive. It doesn't have everything yet, but it will. If you're trying to find what you're looking for, chances are you'll find it in Frisco.

I go there a lot most weekends when I take the short drive from Lewisville. Do you want to hear something funny?? I used to scoff at the idea of any new development north of Plano many years ago, and I remember myself saying, "I don't want Frisco to start growing and I hope it stays small...." Years later, I have absolutely fallen in love with the place because it's better than imagination. The planning is incredible, and I don't even live there!! But there it is, waiting for you to come on in. And we've already told you about Mexico and the ocean, so I need not repeat it. Frisco is a work in progress, but the lure is just too inviting to sit by and wait.

Just come on over.

[xen0blue]

Q: How far is the Mexican boarder?
A: A couple hundred miles...look at a map

Q: Why are property taxes high?
A: I don't know, are they?

Q: Are there foundation problems with the houses?
A: Nothing uncommon

Q: How far is the ocean?
A: A couple hundred miles to the southeast....nearest beach is Galveston

Q: What is the difference between Plano, Allen, McKinney and Frisco? As far as schools, town life etc..
A: The distance to Dallas. Those suburbs in particular are more well-to-do and up-and-coming than most of the other suburbs.

Q: What is the sales tax rate?
A: Low

Q: Are groceries reasonable?
A: Yes, very

Q: Can you REALLY buy a really nice house for 150K?
A: Yes

[Jherbst]

I am a foster parent and will not be bringing 9 kids with me only 4!! Sow e are looking for a 4 bedroom home.

[CTR36]

To answer your question it takes us 7 hours to get to Laredo (where we're from) from here in McKinney. Laredo is your last stop before you cross the border into Nuevo Laredo,where I was born. If you do decide to take a trip down to the border, stay in Laredo then drive about 2 hours to Corpus Christi (Padre Island is further south). I love going to Mustang Island (right next to Corpus). If you just want to drive to Corpus from the Dallas area it takes us the same time about 7 hours. I love Corpus

[bazcar]

> Are groceries reasonable?
>> Sprouts Farmers Market opened in Frisco recently, love the store !

[JChristina]

Can you buy a nice house for 150k....

It depends on the area and your definition of nice. The homes are not cheap in all parts of DFW. Homes in my neighborhood one mile south of 635 and between 75 & tollway run between 300K and 1.5Mil (for the McMansions). The suburbs have better prices, but then you have a commute to consider. Property taxes are high in general. Also, the bigger the house, the higher the electric bill. You can find a decent place, but you need to do research. We paid a realtor to find our condo and it was well worth it.