Scottish family relocating to Dallas (Wylie, Allen, Sachse, Plano) (Austin: real estate, city hall)

[HarryStew]

Hi,

I'm about to relocate my family from Scotland to Dallas. We're due to move in the next month or so, where I'll be working in Richardson. I have 3 children of middle school, junior high and high school ages. We've lived in Texas before (Austin - 2000 to 2003) and really enjoyed it. The chance to move back to Texas, really is something we never dreamed would ever happen again. We are all very excited.
My wife has been researching like crazy over the past 6months on good towns around Richardson. We're looking to rent for 3 months and then buy a property. By far the most important aspect of choosing a location is schools, but in addition, we like to spend a lot of time outdoors - bikes, soccer, swimming, walking, etc. Real estate needs to be affordable i.e. <250K. So far we've looked at Sachse, Plano, Allen and Wylie, so if anyone has and opinion on these towns, I'd really appreciate hearing it. So far Wylie appears to tick many boxes, but if anyone reading this has been in a similar predicament, any help would be great.
cheers,
Stew

[MaryS80]

Wylie will put you pretty close to Lake Lavon, which is popular for fishing. There are a few parks along its shores, at least one boat ramp, and lots of heavily wooded areas. Just south of Lavon is Lake Ray Hubbard. Ray Hubbard is very popular for boating, and the parks around it are much nicer than the ones around Lavon.

There are some nice hike and bike trails in Garland and Richardson. Breckenridge Park in Richardson is very nice. White Rock trail around White Rock Lake in Dallas is popular for cycling.

[MurphyPl1]

I know the area well - I'm in Murphy which is a neighbor to all but Allen, which is just a stone's throw up the road. (played in the Allen adult co-ed softball league last summer).

Mary is right. You've got some great outdoor opportunities in the area.

You might also want to consider Murphy - it's actually split between Wylie ISD to the east and Plano ISD to the west - basically following Maxwell Creek as the dividing line. Both are good districts. I'm in PISD, so I know a lot more about that but I only hear good things from the parents in the other neighborhoods.

THe city is about 5 square miles and is landlocked so the Council and Chamber and Economic Development are doing everything they can to make sure that as the city reaches build out that it's all done right. There's a new center under construction right now with a Lowe's, Sprouts, 24 Hr fitness and a bunch of other restaurants and shops. SuperTarget is going in just over the border into Wylie and it's only a 10 minute drive to Firewheel in Garland - regional outdoor mall.

[rgmills25]

All of those areas would be really nice. I live in Wylie so I'll tell you as much as I can about here.

You mention you have junior high and high school age children. We currently have 3 intermediate(5/6), 3 junior high(7/8) schools and 2 high schools. But the newest high school Wylie East HS is currently only housing Freshman. All freshman will again go to the school next year and then as they proceed to 10th grade, they will split according to the dividing line for the schools. The district will have to work very hard during the next few years to get the many programs in place that a high school needs to be superior.

The city has a youth soccer league Wylie Youth Soccer Association and there are girls and boys soccer teams at Wylie HS, not sure if freshman at WEHS have their own team or if they are bussed over to WHS. The city does not have any public pools, nor any plans to build one in the near future. Certain neighborhoods in the city may have a community pool, which is usually supported by an HOA. Currently there are no "real" bike paths, but there are a few neighborhoods with some walking paths. As someone else mentioned Breckenridge park has some nice trails and is not too far away. The city is in the planning process of building a very nice city hall, recreation center, library and walk and bike trails. It should be very nice when it is done.

[nsumner]

If you like masterplanned communities, Woodbridge in Sachse would be a great candidate...

Naima

[xen0blue]

I'd look into plano, richardson, or far north Dallas, they are all closer to the big city and all kinds of activities

[MurphyPl1]

That's right, because we're in the boonies out here in Murphy with nothing to do but stare at each other.

FWIW, I'm 5 mins from Richardson and Plano and 190. Getting anywhere I want to do anything I want has never been a problem.

[backtotx]

HarryStew - I'm a fellow Brit like you (Newcastle). We are in Illinois at the moment but are moving to Dallas in the summer. We used to live in the Dallas area a few years ago and went back for a visit a few weeks ago. We concentrated our search efforts in Lucas and Fairview but we did touch on Wylie and Sacshe too. That whole area appealed more to me than Plano, Richardson etc. There is more space over there and you are still close to the city if you need to go there.

[AngelaChalmers]

Hi Stew

We are in Aberdeen, Scotland and would love to move over to the States, thought about Mansfield, Texas but are open to suggestions on area's for british families! Just wandered are you entering with a working visa? We have no clue where to even begin! My husband is an I.T manager in a large company so getting work i m sure won't be a problem.

Any info will help a great deal and i hope all goes well with your move

many thanks
Angela

[ButterflyUK]

Originally Posted by HarryStew

Hi,

I'm about to relocate my family from Scotland to Dallas. We're due to move in the next month or so, where I'll be working in Richardson. I have 3 children of middle school, junior high and high school ages. We've lived in Texas before (Austin - 2000 to 2003) and really enjoyed it. The chance to move back to Texas, really is something we never dreamed would ever happen again. We are all very excited.
My wife has been researching like crazy over the past 6months on good towns around Richardson. We're looking to rent for 3 months and then buy a property. By far the most important aspect of choosing a location is schools, but in addition, we like to spend a lot of time outdoors - bikes, soccer, swimming, walking, etc. Real estate needs to be affordable i.e. <250K. So far we've looked at Sachse, Plano, Allen and Wylie, so if anyone has and opinion on these towns, I'd really appreciate hearing it. So far Wylie appears to tick many boxes, but if anyone reading this has been in a similar predicament, any help would be great.
cheers,
Stew

My family and I are planning on moving to McKinney from Cheshire. It looks to be a lovely area with a lot to offer. I have an uncle that lives there.

Originally Posted by AngelaChalmers

Hi Stew

We are in Aberdeen, Scotland and would love to move over to the States, thought about Mansfield, Texas but are open to suggestions on area's for british families! Just wandered are you entering with a working visa? We have no clue where to even begin! My husband is an I.T manager in a large company so getting work i m sure won't be a problem.

Any info will help a great deal and i hope all goes well with your move

many thanks
Angela

What kind of visa are you plannin on? I am American and my Husband is British so its marriage and not a work visa. We have found Diveintoamerica.com very helpful for visa issues.

Looks like there will be enough Brits about to help with homesickness. I do worry about my husband, and myself for that matter, as I know being an expat can be very challenging at times. 5 yrs in the UK has made me feel like a bit of a mixed breed. No longer fully American, yet not British either.