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Old 06-01-2010, 11:14 AM
 
5 posts, read 9,003 times
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We are moving to Dallas in July for my husbands job. We will be staying in corporate housing for 5 mos while we get settled and look for a house to buy. We have 16 mos old twins and would like to live in Dallas proper in an area with good elementary schools as we would like to send them to public schools.

We don't want to spend over 350K for a house. we were told to look in Lake highlands, Lakewood, Prestonwood, and Kessler park areas... any thoughs or help!

We are in our mid 30's and would like to live around other families, we are fairly active (running/biking/swimming) He is an engineer and I am a medical professional. We would love a mid century mod house but fear they are out of our price range....
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Old 06-01-2010, 12:07 PM
 
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you can search on Dallas forum for those neighborhood and for "mid-century modern"
there are threads about all of those topics

while your twins are not school age yet--schools are always a factor in choosing where to live/buy a house...

don't live in dallas--other posters have more specific info to share but will PM an MLS site that has great map feature and link to sales info for houses all across the Metroplex

you can even search by neighborhood once you know specifics...
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Old 06-01-2010, 12:56 PM
 
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For Lakewood/M-Streets search for info on here about Lakewood and Stonewall Jackson Elementaries - both are blue-ribbon and exemplary and extremely popular. Hexter Elementary, same story but not really Lakewood - N.E. side of White Rock Lake and the middle and especially the high school over there are not as good IMO. Sanger Elmentary near Forest Hills (S.E. of lake) almost as good. Our middle (J. L. Long) and high school (Woodrow Wilson) are going for IB Diploma Programme and MYP - Woodrow is one of four candidate high schools in Texas, is near the end of the three-year process and expects to be approved in the fall. In anticipation of this, Pre-IB is being offered this fall to incoming ninth graders. About 130 have applied - 33 from J. L. Long, 40 from privates and the balance from other schools inside and outside the Dallas district.

Only problem is that there are more mid-centuries which are less expensive in the Sanger and Hexter zones. Stonewall and Lakewood have some but more mid-century ranch homes - extremely well-built. Lakewood would have the edge on this.
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Old 06-01-2010, 02:06 PM
 
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Default Thanks!

Thanks Lakewooder for your comments! It is our plan to buy in an area that has a good elemtary school and I will look up the ones you mentioned. We don't have to have a mid century modern house, it's just what we like, so I'll start looking now! You don't happen to know any of the zip codes for thise areas do you?
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Old 06-01-2010, 02:29 PM
 
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I think you can cross Kessler Park off your list. It's a wonderfull neighborhood but most of the kids who live there go to private school. Lakewood M/Streets would be a great place to call home. Lots of young couples and great schools. I also like Lake Highlands a great deal but someone else would have to comment on the elementary schools. I have no knowledge of them at all. It is refreshing to see someone interested in living in the city proper. Goodluck on the move.
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Old 06-01-2010, 02:51 PM
 
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I would focus in on Lakewood Elementary (75214 & 75223) areas in Dallas, which are the neighborhoods of Lakewood proper, Hollywood Heights & Santa Monica, and Caruth Terrace, which is just north of Lakewood proper.

Also Stonewall Jackson is a great public Elementary just west of Lakewood. It is mostly 75206.

You will find homes ranging from 1910's prarie cottages to 1930's Tudors & Spanish style to 1950's/ 1960's ranches in your price range in both areas. Tudors & Spanish style carry a price premium, so your tradeoff for architectural interest & detail will be less living space.

MCM homes are the hottest & most in demand in Dallas right now. I can't tell you a neighborhood with a good public elementary school where you would find one for less than $450-500k. Perhaps look in Lake Highlands (75218)? There are some there, but I'm not sure what the going rate is right now. Check D Magazine's "Dallas Dirt" blog for more neighborhood scoop on MCM in Dallas.

Scratch Kessler Park. Beautiful area, but only the elementary school is decent and the private school choices are more limited.

Lake Highlands is a great value & one of the fastest appreciating areas in Dallas due to it's great schools and relatively close-in location. Do your research there as some of the elementary schools are better regarded than others. There are a lot of apartments in the area and the elementaries zoned to the apartments are less desirable, both academically and real estate value wise.


Don't let posters steer you to the suburbs if you don't want them. There are plenty of great in-town neighborhoods with great public schools, like the ones on your list above.
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Old 06-01-2010, 02:56 PM
 
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A small MCM sold quickly in my neighborhood for around 225k. Sanger Elementary. Zip is 75228.
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Old 06-01-2010, 03:10 PM
 
37,315 posts, read 59,854,747 times
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the elementaries zoned to the apartments are less desirable, both academically and real estate value wise.
I can't disagree with that because I see how that senario has impacted my own local elementary in Bedford over the past few years...
BUT remember that apartment populations are the easiest to rezone if one area elementary has a sliding population and empty rooms--then adding some apartments to the residential mix is usually an easy fix...
so schools w/o apartment students CAN in the future find they are recepients of them...
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Old 06-01-2010, 03:54 PM
 
Location: Plano
225 posts, read 518,886 times
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Oh wow twins! Talk about raising the bar.

You are right on target with the areas you mentioned vs. your needs. I agree on Kessler Park- it is not like the other three regarding schools. Lake Highlands, Lakewood and Prestonwood will probably give you more choices than you know what to do with. You will be able to get the most house for your money in Prestonwood, then Lake Highlands and lastly Lakewood.

Where in general will your husband be working?
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Old 06-01-2010, 04:30 PM
 
Location: Simmering in DFW
6,952 posts, read 22,684,678 times
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You may want to also research the Uplift charter schools; they have kindergarten programs and you have enough time to apply. If you get the kids in they can go K-12 on the same campus and you can live wherever you want and move about w/o worry about schools. They are Public schools!

Uplift Education
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