Moving to Dallas, need some relocation info.

[renlouis]

I can't think that it makes any sense to live in Ft. Worth and work at the VA. You'll need to find something closer or the commute will be a downer. The areas right around the VA are bad, and the schools are not going to be good. Acntx seems to have some good suggestions. Best of Luck!!

[Acntx]

Originally Posted by 2BoysN1Girl

So you think that south Dallas is not a good area (school)? My cousin lives in Ft. Worth and we plan to visit in March. I guess with over 1mil people in Dallas, we may not cover much ground. I just want to get a good idea where to start. She suggested Ft. Worth, but I've heard that it is pretty far.

If anyone is familiar with the Atlanta area, we were living in McDonough, GA and I would love to live in a area similar to that. Any other suggestions?

The seven communities that I recommended earlier (Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Lancaster, Glenn Heights, Ovilla, Waxahachie, and Red Oak, which I forgot to add before) are served by four different school districts. Within those districts alone, there are 30 elementary schools and eight middle/junior high schools. The "good" campuses outnumber the ones that some refer to as "not so good."

I just checked out McDonough's city-data page to get a better idea of what you are looking for. Based on the statistics, I assume you are looking for an affordable, diverse middle-class, that is relatively fast growing in addition to the things you first listed. Most of the communities I mentioned fit all or a majority of that criteria.

[2BoysN1Girl]

I just checked out McDonough's city-data page to get a better idea of what you are looking for. Based on the statistics, I assume you are looking for an affordable, diverse middle-class, that is relatively fast growing in addition to the things you first listed. Most of the communities I mentioned fit all or a majority of that criteria.

Yes, that pretty much sums up what I am looking for. Thanks so much for the help! I've been looking on some rental property websites for the areas you suggested. Thanks again!

[2BoysN1Girl]

Thanks for all the replies. I've been reading in other forums and looking at realty websites, and I've noticed that Mesquite has really inexpensive LARGE houses. Should I be leery??? You know the saying..."you get what you pay for." l

[Acntx]

Originally Posted by 2BoysN1Girl

Thanks for all the replies. I've been reading in other forums and looking at realty websites, and I've noticed that Mesquite has really inexpensive LARGE houses. Should I be leery??? You know the saying..."you get what you pay for." l

In my opinion, there are plenty of areas in Mesquite that are nice with beautiful homes. I don't think that it is necessary to exclude it from consideration. It was among the first communities in the Dallas area to suburbanize, so there are areas of older homes as well as newer neighborhoods. The population was estimated to be 137,550 as of January 1, 2008.

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by 2BoysN1Girl

Thanks for all the replies. I've been reading in other forums and looking at realty websites, and I've noticed that Mesquite has really inexpensive LARGE houses. Should I be leery??? You know the saying..."you get what you pay for." l

Check the schools. Some can be rough. Also, look at the trends of what the neighborhood will be in 10 years.

[jpeagle21]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Check the schools. Some can be rough. Also, look at the trends of what the neighborhood will be in 10 years.

I think this is one of the naysayers that vseale was talking about in his original post. They don't know anything about the city, yet they bash it. Sure, they will come up with some story about how they know someone who used to live there and how they tell them it is such a bad place. Or, something to that effect. To them, a "rough" school means one that has more than just a few token minority students. The "neighborhood trends" that they are so concerned about are the ones that show gradual increases of minority residents over the years.

I live in the Creek Crossing area of Mesquite. You get lots of home for your money. Of course, I would be leary of any home price that seemed extremely under-priced, but just about everything in Mesquite is under $250,000, and I am talking 3000+ square foot homes. It is just not the "trendy" city to move to right now, so home prices are more palatable. It is an older city with a lot of diversity and a majority of middle class residents. You won't find the shiny new mall or a high-priced condo development, but you will find a good school system, community parks and swiming pools all over the place, lots of places to shop and eat, and a lot of good people. I have not had any problems in the 3 years that I have lived here. I would feel safe walking through my neighborhood by myself at midnight. And, I have great neighbors.

I didn't mean to go off on my soapbox about Mesquite, but it annoys me when people bash my city with rediculous arguments of how it is "rough". Do your research and spend time visiting any city that you are thinking about moving to. Good luck.

[Grainraiser]

Originally Posted by jpeagle21

I think this is one of the naysayers that vseale was talking about in his original post. They don't know anything about the city, yet they bash it. Sure, they will come up with some story about how they know someone who used to live there and how they tell them it is such a bad place. Or, something to that effect. To them, a "rough" school means one that has more than just a few token minority students. The "neighborhood trends" that they are so concerned about are the ones that show gradual increases of minority residents over the years.

I live in the Creek Crossing area of Mesquite. You get lots of home for your money. Of course, I would be leary of any home price that seemed extremely under-priced, but just about everything in Mesquite is under $250,000, and I am talking 3000+ square foot homes. It is just not the "trendy" city to move to right now, so home prices are more palatable. It is an older city with a lot of diversity and a majority of middle class residents. You won't find the shiny new mall or a high-priced condo development, but you will find a good school system, community parks and swiming pools all over the place, lots of places to shop and eat, and a lot of good people. I have not had any problems in the 3 years that I have lived here. I would feel safe walking through my neighborhood by myself at midnight. And, I have great neighbors.

I didn't mean to go off on my soapbox about Mesquite, but it annoys me when people bash my city with rediculous arguments of how it is "rough". Do your research and spend time visiting any city that you are thinking about moving to. Good luck.

You hit the nail right on the head. I would love for none residents to visit the Creek Crossing area and report there finding. I willing to bet you lunch they report is a very nice area where you can get alot of house for your money.