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Former Los Angeles resident... moved to Carrollton last May and LOVE it!!! We will never move back to CA! I'm a stay at home mom with a 1 yr old and my husband is a 1st grade teacher. We are currently renting a 2 bedroom apartment and have started looking at homes. My searches took me through Carrollton, Lewisville, Plano, Frisco and McKinney.... then I found this jewel of a town called LITTLE ELM. Homes are a lot cheaper and what we are looking for (about $110) BUT looks can be deceiving. I was wondering what you all thought of the area, how are the school districts? I also don't plan on staying home forever, about another 4 years until I get my masters plus teaching credentials so we are not to sure if we should buy something in Little Elm for $110 or wait 4 or so yrs when I'm teaching and buy something in Frisco, Plano, McKinney area. Opinions are welcome, please share them.
Former Los Angeles resident... moved to Carrollton last May and LOVE it!!! We will never move back to CA! I'm a stay at home mom with a 1 yr old and my husband is a 1st grade teacher. We are currently renting a 2 bedroom apartment and have started looking at homes. My searches took me through Carrollton, Lewisville, Plano, Frisco and McKinney.... then I found this jewel of a town called LITTLE ELM. Homes are a lot cheaper and what we are looking for (about $110) BUT looks can be deceiving. I was wondering what you all thought of the area, how are the school districts? I also don't plan on staying home forever, about another 4 years until I get my masters plus teaching credentials so we are not to sure if we should buy something in Little Elm for $110 or wait 4 or so yrs when I'm teaching and buy something in Frisco, Plano, McKinney area. Opinions are welcome, please share them.
Well all I can say is be prepared to get a TON of posts slamming Little Elm, mostly from people in the western fringes of Frisco. There are areas of Little Elm that are less than desireable (just as there are areas of Frisco that are the same exact way).
Because housing is so cheap in Little Elm and because the town has been drastically affected by the last 2 recessions, the town has taken a serious image hit.
I'll be the first to tell you that Little Elm is far from perfect.
The highway infrastructure can't support the population base so traffic is a nightmare. The state, county, and NTTA are working to fix that; however, it'll be 2-3 more years before everything is done. By 2012 Eldorado Parkway should be 2-3 lanes in each direction from the Lake Lewisville Toll Bridge all the way to the Dallas North Tollway. FM423 (Main Street in The Colony) will also be 2-3 lanes in each direction from US 380 to Stewarts Creek Rd. in The Colony.
The educational system is also questionable. The elementary schools all rate well, but the educational experience declines precipitously from middle through high school. There's a very high rate of teacher turnover because, quite frankly, Little Elm doesn't pay nearly as well as surrounding districts. You can get around this by living in the far eastern portions of Little Elm as part of the town lies inside Frisco ISD.
For the money, Little Elm can't be beat. You can find houses that are similar to the ones in Frisco for up to 40% less than you'll pay in Frisco. (Quite honestly with Frisco you're paying for the name.) Plus all the shopping you'll need is nearby and it's not too far of a jaunt to all the retail in Frisco. If you're looking for a place with long-term appreciation potential (5-7 years) then Little Elm could be the place for you.
Well all I can say is be prepared to get a TON of posts slamming Little Elm, mostly from people in the western fringes of Frisco. There are areas of Little Elm that are less than desireable (just as there are areas of Frisco that are the same exact way).
Because housing is so cheap in Little Elm and because the town has been drastically affected by the last 2 recessions, the town has taken a serious image hit.
I'll be the first to tell you that Little Elm is far from perfect.
The highway infrastructure can't support the population base so traffic is a nightmare. The state, county, and NTTA are working to fix that; however, it'll be 2-3 more years before everything is done. By 2012 Eldorado Parkway should be 2-3 lanes in each direction from the Lake Lewisville Toll Bridge all the way to the Dallas North Tollway. FM423 (Main Street in The Colony) will also be 2-3 lanes in each direction from US 380 to Stewarts Creek Rd. in The Colony.
The educational system is also questionable. The elementary schools all rate well, but the educational experience declines precipitously from middle through high school. There's a very high rate of teacher turnover because, quite frankly, Little Elm doesn't pay nearly as well as surrounding districts. You can get around this by living in the far eastern portions of Little Elm as part of the town lies inside Frisco ISD.
For the money, Little Elm can't be beat. You can find houses that are similar to the ones in Frisco for up to 40% less than you'll pay in Frisco. (Quite honestly with Frisco you're paying for the name.) Plus all the shopping you'll need is nearby and it's not too far of a jaunt to all the retail in Frisco. If you're looking for a place with long-term appreciation potential (5-7 years) then Little Elm could be the place for you.
Oh that is okay! So, personally do you think it would be better for us to wait 3-5 yrs and afford something elsewhere like Carrollton, Lewisville, Plano, Frisco, McKinney.... etc.
Oh that is okay! So, personally do you think it would be better for us to wait 3-5 yrs and afford something elsewhere like Carrollton, Lewisville, Plano, Frisco, McKinney.... etc.
It really depends on your long-term goals. If you're planning to put down roots and stay in a house for the next 5-7 years then Little Elm could work out. If you're only looking to stay for 2-3 years it might not be such a good idea.
You can get a foreclosued home in good shape for next-to-nothing. We've got one right next door to us that's on the market for $116,000 and it sold for $140 or $150 brand new. That's instant appreciation once the economy turns around.
It really depends on your long-term goals. If you're planning to put down roots and stay in a house for the next 5-7 years then Little Elm could work out. If you're only looking to stay for 2-3 years it might not be such a good idea.
You can get a foreclosued home in good shape for next-to-nothing. We've got one right next door to us that's on the market for $116,000 and it sold for $140 or $150 brand new. That's instant appreciation once the economy turns around.
We want to look at foreclosures too. What city do you live in? Whatever house we pick we want to live in pretty much forever. I'm in my mid-late 20's and my husband is early 30's so we would like to just be done paying it by the time we retire.
We want to look at foreclosures too. What city do you live in? Whatever house we pick we want to live in pretty much forever. I'm in my mid-late 20's and my husband is early 30's so we would like to just be done paying it by the time we retire.
We live in Little Elm. Our neighborhood is older (build out was 2000-2003). It's all inside Little Elm ISD, though, so if you're looking toward Frisco schools you may want to try Sunset Pointe. That neighborhood is the largest in town (right now) and it has a high number of foreclosed homes.
The question is where will you be commuting to? Little Elm is fairly spread out due to Lake Lewisville cutting through a big swath of town. There are neighborhoods out on 380 that may or may not be more feasible for your commute.
We live in Little Elm. Our neighborhood is older (build out was 2000-2003). It's all inside Little Elm ISD, though, so if you're looking toward Frisco schools you may want to try Sunset Pointe. That neighborhood is the largest in town (right now) and it has a high number of foreclosed homes.
The question is where will you be commuting to? Little Elm is fairly spread out due to Lake Lewisville cutting through a big swath of town. There are neighborhoods out on 380 that may or may not be more feasible for your commute.
I just want to say you are SO awesome in answering my questions!!! My husband works for Carrollton Farmers Branch School District and is off Old Denton and the George Bush. I'm a stay at home mom so as of now I wouldn't have a commute... in a few years yes or maybe work for LE school district and not have to commute. Elementary schools I'm not TO worried about because my husband can get our daughter into where he works and also she is only 1 so in 4 more years you just can't tell how the schools will be and I have noticed the elem. schools have great reviews but high school and jr. high are not great BUT in 15 years you never know and we can always deal with it then. Sunset Pointe, I will have to check that out... do you have a good place you go to foreclosed homes too (online websites I mean) I usually go to bid select.
Overall when we went to look at LE, I did like it. I liked that the homes at community parks and pools and looked so nice. Do you see LE becoming very developed like Frisco since they boarder?
I just want to say you are SO awesome in answering my questions!!!
Not a problem. I try not to be too much of a Little Elm homer. I'm enough of a realist to know the place isn't perfect.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heather91016
My husband works for Carrollton Farmers Branch School District and is off Old Denton and the George Bush. I'm a stay at home mom so as of now I wouldn't have a commute... in a few years yes or maybe work for LE school district and not have to commute.
Ok, the commute that way will be brutal for another 2-3 years. FM423 from Little Elm to The Colony (the preferred route to 35E) is a nightmare during rush hour. It can take you 30-45 minutes to get from 423/121 in The Colony to Little Elm at night and it's only 9 miles. If your husband takes the Lake Lewisville Toll Bridge he can head west out of Little Elm and miss most of the traffic. He'll then have to deal with 35E from Corinth to Farmers Branch which can also be a pain if there's a wreck on the Lake Lewisville Bridge between Lake Dallas and Lewisville.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heather91016
Elementary schools I'm not TO worried about because my husband can get our daughter into where he works and also she is only 1 so in 4 more years you just can't tell how the schools will be and I have noticed the elem. schools have great reviews but high school and jr. high are not great BUT in 15 years you never know and we can always deal with it then.
This is true.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heather91016
Sunset Pointe, I will have to check that out... do you have a good place you go to foreclosed homes too (online websites I mean) I usually go to bid select.
Nope. One house is quite enough for us. We've actually owned 2 houses in our neighborhood. We upgraded to a bigger house in late 2002 and kept our original house as a rental. We gave that up after almost 4 years because we got sick of the headaches being a landlord. The house next door is actually on bid select. If you wanna send me a DM I'll give you the address.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Heather91016
Overall when we went to look at LE, I did like it. I liked that the homes at community parks and pools and looked so nice. Do you see LE becoming very developed like Frisco since they boarder?
Little Elm has potential. Whether that potential pans out or not really depends on how much traffic the Eldorado corridor generates and how the town can play on its lakeside image. The town has a master plan in the works for a town center that's similar in concept to the one that Frisco built across from Pizza Hut Park. The town's already grown by leaps and bounds. When we moved there in 2000 the population was 1,200. It's grown by almost 2000% since then.
It's true, Little Elm isn't perfect, bluescreen is right - there is a lot that is close by. Also, you might consider going up to 380. There are a handful of newer neighborhoods (Paloma Creek, Savannah, Providence) that are all not to expensive, but new. Also, you might consider taking the Tollway to 35 for a commute to CFBISD, just to avoid 423. I would personally choose the tolls any day. I take the Lake Lewisville Toll Bridge myself, but I only go to Lewisville, not all the way to Carrollton.
It's becoming pretty unrecognizable from what it was a few years ago, and the orange cones are all the rage - construction is shortly to begin.
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