Military Move. Rent, Buy, what area? Child free couple (El Paso: real estate, apartment complexes)

[JoFro]

Hello Everyone,

I've done some lurking but wanted to start a thread based on my needs. Thank you for taking the time to read and provide feedback.

My husband will be doing a military move come this fall and we are trying to decide if we should buy a home or rent. Both are being considered and I'd love to get some additional info from area locals.

We are 30 and 31, both speak fluent Spanish (I hope to get a job in the hospitality industry after we've settled in).

We are childfree but have two small breed dogs so we would like to either purchase a home with a yard or find an apartment near a park or decent walking trails to take the pups out to.

We love good food, decent nightlife, and access to cultural events in the area. We are NOT suburb people since we are originally from NYC so we want to be close to "stuff".

Don't want a terribly long commute for him to get to the base. No idea what unit he will be in so maybe an area that has alternative routes would be best.

What neighborhoods should we look in? Anyone have any realtors that they recommend working with? We are also considering a custom home but I anticipate that would take a LONG time and don't think I have the patience for it.

Thanks so much!

- Jo

[doolish1]

I live in the nw near transmountain. I have to work on base about once a week and the drive is pretty and about 25 minutes. The trails and dog park are great here. I think this the best spot. I recently moved here and had to make the similar decisions you are making.

[doolish1]

I have a great realtor if you pm me

[Violet West]

Keep in mind that El Paso really does have a "suburban" feel -- even in the heart of the city. For nightlife and cultural stuff, close to downtown is what you want. BUT -- the homes in the Central area are old and mostly in poor shape--poorly insulated, out of date plumbing and electrical, etc.

You might like some of the newer "lifestyle" rental apartments being built around town. Pricy, but more progressive and urban. For example, the complex known as Montecillo on Mesa, or some of the newer apartments downtown. Pets could be a problem.

[doolish1]

Thatsntrue. This isn't ny. There is nothing here that is like ny. There is no Manhattan like atmosphere here. Even if you like on the edge of el paso you are 20 minutes or so from the very quiet downtown.

I grew up in NY and I don't miss the cold, traffic, taxes, or prices one bit.

The only thing I miss about the NE is the culture of passion about their teams.

[JoFro]

Originally Posted by doolish1

I live in the nw near transmountain. I have to work on base about once a week and the drive is pretty and about 25 minutes. The trails and dog park are great here. I think this the best spot. I recently moved here and had to make the similar decisions you are making.

Thanks so much for that info! I was actually looking in NW El Paso based on some info I saw. Think that I found a back road to get to the base too (will look into it more). I will also be sending you a DM to get some info on a realtor (thank you for that btw).

We've been living in Tacoma for the last five years and the only thing I miss about NY is being able to order food for delivery at all hours of the day/night. That's just not a reality here in Tacoma. Truth is, however, that I favor the Pacific Northwest to the east coast and don't miss NY very much.

I'm still looking for more feedback if anyone has suggestions on apartment complexes or homes for rent. We are looking for anything 2+ bedrooms and 2+ FULL baths that's pet friendly.

Thank you all.

[katzpaw]

The two main homes-for-rent agencies are:
Rental Network El Paso
The Agency Real Estate And Property Manager

[JoFro]

Originally Posted by katzpaw

The two main homes-for-rent agencies are:
Rental Network El Paso
The Agency Real Estate And Property Manager

Awesome! Thank you!

[JoFro]

Does anyone know how many entry points there are to Fort Bliss and where they are located (off of what highway exits)?

Also, is the East Side of EP particularly "rough" or worse off than the West? I keep hearing that it is and that I should avoid it. Interested in hearing from people that are in the area.

[Army_Guy]

Originally Posted by JoFro

We are 30 and 31, both speak fluent Spanish (I hope to get a job in the hospitality industry after we've settled in).

We are childfree but have two small breed dogs so we would like to either purchase a home with a yard or find an apartment near a park or decent walking trails to take the pups out to.

We love good food, decent nightlife, and access to cultural events in the area. We are NOT suburb people since we are originally from NYC so we want to be close to "stuff".

Don't want a terribly long commute for him to get to the base. No idea what unit he will be in so maybe an area that has alternative routes would be best.

What neighborhoods should we look in? Anyone have any realtors that they recommend working with? We are also considering a custom home but I anticipate that would take a LONG time and don't think I have the patience for it.

Originally Posted by JoFro

Thanks so much for that info! I was actually looking in NW El Paso based on some info I saw. Think that I found a back road to get to the base too (will look into it more). I will also be sending you a DM to get some info on a realtor (thank you for that btw).

I'm still looking for more feedback if anyone has suggestions on apartment complexes or homes for rent. We are looking for anything 2+ bedrooms and 2+ FULL baths that's pet friendly.

I think you should give these guys a ring:

Puerta Villa at Cimarron - Apartment Homes in El Paso, TX

Knowing what I know now, I would do a 6 month lease and use those 6 months to learn the area and commute times to where you want to go. I'm biased but I think the west side is the side to be. My personal preference is that when I'm off, I don't want to be around other military. It's very much suburbia over here on the west side.

I lived there twice before and after deploying. Very pet friendly, no breed restrictions. A little pricey with the pet deposit though, $350 non-refundable + $350 refundable and $25/month. But they have pet specific areas with grass and provide poop bags. 24 hour laundry facility though there are hookups in each apartment. 24 hour workout facility, they just have the basic stuff such as treadmills, bikes, some dumb bells and machine weights. Pool area is nice. There are grills spread throughout the property. It's quiet there and 99% of the people are quite friendly. Before we left, we did notice that there seemed to be quite a high number of vacancies but we suspect it might have been because of the high rent. We were paying almost $1,000 for a 2 bed, 1 bath unit with a dog.

I also have a great realtor if you need her contact information. Her biggest positive is communication. If she says she's going to contact you, she will contact you. She's upfront and honest. We had saw a house online and she showed up the house. We looked it over and she said, "For what they're asking, I can get you more house for your money" and she followed through on what she said.

It's located on Resler and Helen of Troy and that's where a walking/running trail starts, goes about 4.5 miles north and east to the Tom Mays park entrance. The trail is used a lot. Cimarron Park is less than a mile away just east of Resler between Northern Pass and Paseo Del Norte. There's a dog park at the west side gym at Resler and High Ridge, less than 2 miles away from Puerta Villa. Tons of areas to ride a bike if you're into bike riding. You can exercise outdoor year round here, you'll have certain days where the weather is bad enough to where you can't but overall it's year round here.

You'll have quick access to a grocery store (Wal Mart Neighborhood Market, they only have groceries) less than a 5 minute drive. Across from Puerta Villa is a Chevron, Dollar General, Chinese Restaurant, Subway, pizza place, dry cleaners and oil change place. You'll be about 15 minutes away from Sunland Park Mall, Target, Marshalls, Best Buy and a few chain restaurants (Red Lobster, Olive Garden, etc.). Outlet Mall is only 10 minutes away. Other local spots are Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal Mart, Sam's Club, etc.

Getting to Fort Bliss is easy as well. If he goes for PT in the mornings, taking I-10 would be the quickest route. He can take either I-10 or Transmountain but Transmountain might be quicker going to the 1AD area while I-10 might be quicker going to main post. Bliss is a very large post, far west of main post to far east on East Bliss is about 12 miles. Army hospital is Beaumont, they're actually off post, just a few miles west of main Bliss. If you plan on having a kid here, do yourself a favor and switch from Tricare Prime to Tricare Standard because Beaumont just plan sucks for having a kid. We went through Providence Memorial on the west side by UTEP and the difference in care is night and day.

Gas is currently $2.49/regular on post. Facilities on Bliss are very new with the 1AD area having been constructed around the 2009 timeframe or so. Freedom Crossing, the PX, is the nicest I've seen on a military installation.

Again, I'm biased but I wouldn't live anywhere else but the west side.

PS., I assume your husband has driven in the middle east. He'll be prepared.