Relocating, need some information please (Dallas, Fort Worth: new house, safe area, buy)

[samjen10]

We are relocating back down to Texas at the end of the school year and am looking for some advice. When I lived there it was around the Tyler area so I am familiar with that area and the surrounding. However, I can’t remember the Dallas area. If we were looking around the Dallas area what areas would be good? Our budget is $400,000, good schools, parks, trails, overall nice and safe areas. Plus we would need the airport for the spouses work. Or should we look outside the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area? Being an hour and a half away from the airport doesn’t bother us either. So maybe from my post we should just looking in the Tyler area again?

[rabbit33]

Well, first of all, Tyler's not an hour and a half away from DFW airport, since it's more than an hour and a half from the city of Dallas. I'd allow at LEAST two hours Tyler to the airport.

Secondly, a great deal depends on how you define "good schools" and "nice and safe areas", as well as what kind of housing you're ready to accept. Your budget of $400,000 does NOT make it possible for you to live anywhere you choose. For example, Park Cities is unaffordable by a factor of two or three times. Most of Plano, Frisco, the popular suburbs with large new houses likewise. Now you CAN still buy an 80 year old house in rough condition near Mockingbird Elementary in Dallas, and you'll be putting a lot of sweat equity into it. But I don't know, nor does anyone else, without you being more specific - would Mockingbird Elementary, Long Middle, Woodrow Wilson High School be what you'd consider "good schools" (which they are, in the context of public schools of an enormous urban district), or would you consider them "poor schools" (which they are, in the context of private prep schools who send 100% of their students to college and a majority to selective private universities like Harvard, Stanford, Rice, etc.)???

Similarly, are you someone who would look at the aforesaid 80 year old 2 BR, 1BA bungalow as a challenge to be re-done, or are you unwilling to live in anything smaller/older than a 10 year old 2400 SF 4/3 with a pool?

See?

[ChristieP]

Tyler has its own airport with passenger service to DFW, so your spouse could just fly from there rather than driving in to DFW. Yes, it is a good 2 hour drive from Tyler to DFW these days.

Sadly, $400k doesn't buy nearly what it used to, even just 5 years ago. Your money will go a lot further in Tyler than in DFW, so if you're willing to live out that way, you will get more house for your $400k budget. Lindale is curretntly the place to be for good schools in the Tyler area.

[NTXPerson]

There are too many “good” areas in the DFW area to list without you being more specific. Do you want urban, suburb or rural living? Conservative or liberal leaning communities? Is diversity important? Close to business districts? Public or private schools? Any family in the area? New or older homes? How often would you need to travel to the airport?

You don’t have to answer all of these. They are just some things you should consider. The DFW metroplex is huge and nothing like Tyler. You will need to be more specific to what you want so people can guide you a specific area.

[samjen10]

Thank y’all for the replies! We remember the hopper plane from Tyler to Dallas so that won’t be an issue. We have been looking at houses around the Mesquite area but I can’t remember if Mesquite is a nice place to live. my spouse is in the oilfield so he will be flying a lot which means I’ll be home most of the time by myself. I’ve also have been looking outward towards Forney as well. We do not mind subdivisions nor do we mind a little space. And we tend to keep to ourselves. We would be looking at public schools not private. I’ve lived in Tyler, Whitehouse, and some other surrounding cities so I am familiar with that area.

[ChristieP]

Forney, Terrell and Mesquite ISDs are rated a B in the Texas state rankings. Kaufman and Rockwall ISDs are rated an A.

https://tea.texas.gov/texas-schools/...-rating-system

[samjen10]

Thank you!

[Grainraiser]

Mesquite is building a huge subdivison called Solterra. They also are stating on a few huge subdivisions off I-20. They will have a Mesquite address but are zoned for Forney schools. Based on what I have seen it should be similar to the Firewheel area of Garland. Homes will be priced from 350-600k. I live in Mesquite and I have been waiting for the city to do this forever.

[WorldKlas]

I suggest you look in Tarrant County. Euless, Hurst, Bedford have good schools. Southwest Arlington and Kennedale have acceptable schools. Mansfield is another good choice, so is Midlothian.