Thinking of relocating to Plano and have housing questions (McKinney: rent, new home)

[Wench007]

Hi everyone, my husband and I are thinking of relocating to Plano from NY. This is not going to happen for another 2 years, but I have a few questions. Should we rent first or should we just buy something right away? What's the average cost of a home? We don't have any experience with new constructed homes in planned communities. Is it better to buy an older home or a new home? Which communities are nicer? Thanks for the help, I'll be back with more questions.

[PlanoGirl]

I would definately say rent for a year and then buy. The metroplex is HUGE, and there is the right niche for everybody, you just might to search for it a bit. Is there a reason you are choosing Plano right now? Is that where you will be working?

Plano homes range anywhere from 120's (in east/ central Plano) on up to a million (maybe more?), so you can find a whole assortment. West Plano is more expensive, with newer, larger (4000 sq ft plus) homes, but has some nice amenities nearby (great Rec Center, Nature Preserve, loads of shops/ restaurants, etc). East Plano (that is, east of I-75) is a little more "country" in the sense that there is mostly neighborhoods and open land, with not as many shops (though still the usual grocery stores, pharmacies, etc). Houses are priced lower overall, but pricer options can be found in FAR east Plano. Central Plano (west of 75 but east of Ohio) is a mix of the two, and has many older established neighborhoods in the southern part and newer (but not as pricey as West) neighborhoods in the northern part. What price range are you looking at?
You would be hard pressed to find much brand-new construction as most of Plano is already developed...there are pocket areas...but prices tend to be high compared to those in Frisco/ McKinney because Plano is more centrally located than those.