Need Help reg castle hills-west. (Plano, Carrollton: for sale, daycares, custom home)

[newtodallas1]

Need reviews on castle hills-west..
we are pretty new to area so it's becoming difficult to decide about the area and the amenities.
As far as amenities are concerned, we know about castle hills provides but how about shopping centrs, good hospitals/doc/pediatrics?

1. nearby schools/montessori/daycares ?
2. nearby shopping centrs/is there any walmart/sams/cvs or such around?
3. is there any problems with that phase, as i heard alot of land shifting problems in dallas? we will be mostly going with american legend builders..are they good ?
4. how are the houses in west phase castle hills? are they worth the price?
we are looking into plans 653 or 658...
5. any other issues with this phase ? please do let us know.it will be great help.
6. what are the kids related activities in/around castle hills?
7. do you consider othr phases as better options? which one? and why ?
any help reg all of the above will b really helpful to us as we have 2 small kids and dh works in lascolinas downtown.he is fine commuting upto 20-30mins.
any answer reg any or all of the question will be really helpful to us..
Thanks..

[icemill]

I'll try to answer some of your questions. We've lived here 4 yrs & love the area. Close to highways/tollways, shopping, parks, etc. See below for more info.....

Originally Posted by newtodallas1

Need reviews on castle hills-west..
we are pretty new to area so it's becoming difficult to decide about the area and the amenities.
As far as amenities are concerned, we know about castle hills provides but how about shopping centrs, good hospitals/doc/pediatrics?
Stonebriar Mall in Frisco, Vista Ridge Mall in L'ville & Shops at Willow Bend in Plano are all close. Baylor Carrollton is practically in CH & Plano Presbyterian is at Parker/Tollway.
1. nearby schools/montessori/daycares ?
Check with LISD re: what school your kids would attend....think they'll be at Independence Elem but re-zoning is rumored to be happening again. There are several daycare options close by but I don't have experience with them.
2. nearby shopping centrs/is there any walmart/sams/cvs or such around?
Outside of CH there are plenty of shopping options. Kroger/Albertson's/Tom Thumb close by, Sprouts coming soon. 3 Super Targets in area, several drugstores, 2 Costcos
3. is there any problems with that phase, as i heard alot of land shifting problems in dallas? we will be mostly going with american legend builders..are they good ?
Haven't heard about the west phase having problems. Custom home area had problems over 10 years ago. Builders seem to be using piers in new homes to stabilize foundations.
4. how are the houses in west phase castle hills? are they worth the price?
we are looking into plans 653 or 658...
have only driven through this phase. there are still open lots and a lot of homes for sale in "original" phases.
5. any other issues with this phase ? please do let us know.it will be great help.
6. what are the kids related activities in/around castle hills?
CH offers a lot of family activities in the Village Shops area - Easter Egg Hunt, Christmas tree lighting, kids' triathlon, swim/golf lessons, etc.
7. do you consider othr phases as better options? which one? and why ?
any help reg all of the above will b really helpful to us as we have 2 small kids and dh works in lascolinas downtown.he is fine commuting upto 20-30mins.
DH also works in that area & commute isn't too bad.
My only concern would be the elementary school if you think you'll be sending kids to public school. We've loved CHE but it's getting crowded. This is Independence's 2nd year and it's already crowded & there are rumors re: rezoning. LISD.net
any answer reg any or all of the question will be really helpful to us..
Thanks..

Hope this helps!

[BlosmTX]

It's a very good area, and growing. GREAT access to 121, 35, and tollway.
Lots of shopping close by- about 5 minutes from Stonebriar, Willow Bend, or Vista Ridge areas.
There's a new Super Target at 121 and Josey/Main street. There's a Wal-Mart catty corner to the Target on the other side of 121.
Bright Company (same developer as CH) is planning a big retail/mixed use development next to Castle Hills North (Standridge/121 area) from what I've seen online it looks like the goal is for it to be similar to the Shops at Legacy area. Of course, that's a few years off.

I have experience with 2 daycare centers close by- Kids R Kids and Primrose Castle Hills. Both are good schools, but KRK happens to be a better fit for my family. One of my neighbors has her kid at Castle Hills Montessori, and she's happy with it. I think it's best to do your own homework and legwork when it comes to daycares and preschools since everyone has different wants and expectations.

My husband also commutes to Las Colinas. It's not a problem, and he generally makes it in 30 minutes either way.

I think the general consensus right now is the original section of Castle Hills is better. I think a lot of that opinion is because that's the section currently zoned to Castle Hills Elementary, which is, at the moment, the better of the 2 elementary schools serving the neighborhood. I do believe Independence has the potential to be a great school as well. Like the previous poster mentioned, the zone lines are rumored to be up in the air. Frankly, I'd be surprised if 2-3 years from now if they are the same as they are today. Incorporating more of the "original" Castle Hills into the IE zone will be good for IE, and I don't think it would be detrimental to CHE (of course, that is just my opinion, and I admit I'm biased because I live in the Independence zone ).

[newtodallas1]

Thanks alot ...we thought that the original castle hills are built out!!! thats some news for us...