Considering moving to Fort Worth...Need Help (Dallas, Spring: cul-de-sac, houses)

[HMac2323]

We are a young couple both 19 years old with a 1 year old son. My budget on a home is about 150,000-225,000. Are there any maybe newer developing areas? I don't really care about being close to good dining or theaters or anything like that, I am more interested in finding a safe neighborhood where people from out of town would not feel completely alienated. Another criteria is I would like the area to be more rural in the sense that I am looking for a large lot..at least 1 acre.

I am originally from NYC and my girlfriend is originally from Dallas but moved to NYC as a young child. For the past year we have been living in Goodyear, AZ and we like a lot of aspects about it..it is a pretty new community so most of our neighbors are new to the area as well and some even new to the state which makes things very easy..I just don't want to end up in a place where we feel like complete outsiders. Is there any part of town that is like a rapidly growing semi rural area? But that isnt TOO far from necessities?

The reason we are leaving goodyear is basically because the weather is unbearably hot for 5 months of the year and my girlfriends mother lives in Dallas and could be a help with our child.

I know i provided a lot/maybe too much info lol but this is a big step in my life and the life of my child so I am taking it very seriously. Any help would be appreciated

btw I would be open to anywhere in the DFW area but I prefer Fort Worth in the time ive spent there..

[ChristieP]

Where will your employment be located? DFW is HUGE (larger than the entire state of Rhode Island) and if your MIL lives in Dallas, it could easily be an hour's drive to your house in Fort Worth. Obviously, this will not work for daily child care.

Also, a 1+ acre lot is difficult to find here other than in rural areas, and even then, it will be tough in your price range unless you are willing to make a lengthy drive into town. Most of the growing semi-rural areas are on the north and west sides of Fort Worth, which are even further away from MIL in Dallas.

[5stones]

The reason we are leaving goodyear is basically because the weather is unbearably hot for 5 months of the year

Sounds like DFW! you do know that summers here are very hot.

[HMac2323]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Where will your employment be located? DFW is HUGE (larger than the entire state of Rhode Island) and if your MIL lives in Dallas, it could easily be an hour's drive to your house in Fort Worth. Obviously, this will not work for daily child care.

Also, a 1+ acre lot is difficult to find here other than in rural areas, and even then, it will be tough in your price range unless you are willing to make a lengthy drive into town. Most of the growing semi-rural areas are on the north and west sides of Fort Worth, which are even further away from MIL in Dallas.

I am willing to travel. And I am looking to open a small business which is another reason I am wanting to move to a developing area. As for my MIL she is looking to move and wants to move close to where we chose to go so that will not be an issue.

Are there any suggestions as far as neighborhoods or towns (Even if on the outskirts) that are new developing area's that could fit my criteria?

[ChristieP]

To get a 1+ acre lot in Tarrant County in your price range, you are going to have to move out on the fringe of the metroplex to Boyd, Paradise, Eagle Mountain Lake area, far north Fort Worth (north of Saginaw), Springtown, etc. Here's the issue: rural areas with 1+ acre lots are not "developing areas." They are rural, and there is a BIG difference between rural and a suburb. Your neighbors in these areas will have horses, livestock, etc. on their property. If you complain about the smell and flies from their livestock, you will alienate yourself. People move to these areas to have livestock, and if you don't want to be around that, then maybe you should live closer in to town where the lots are smaller.

Also, a 1+ acre lot is a BIG effort to maintain. Here in Texas, unlike Arizona, you will have to MOW it for 8 months a year. You will need a big, riding lawn mower or even a small tractor to mow that large of an area. Even on a riding mower, it will take a coupld of hours to mow it, and if we have a wet summer, you will be mowing at least every other week. And, as others have warned you, we also have hot summers that last about 5 months. Unlike Arizona, our summers are usually miserably humid, too.

Just be aware of these things...

[Squirl]

Weather is more humid here than AZ which makes our 4 months of hottern' hell even worse.....

[HMac2323]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

To get a 1+ acre lot in Tarrant County in your price range, you are going to have to move out on the fringe of the metroplex to Boyd, Paradise, Eagle Mountain Lake area, far north Fort Worth (north of Saginaw), Springtown, etc. Here's the issue: rural areas with 1+ acre lots are not "developing areas." They are rural, and there is a BIG difference between rural and a suburb. Your neighbors in these areas will have horses, livestock, etc. on their property. If you complain about the smell and flies from their livestock, you will alienate yourself. People move to these areas to have livestock, and if you don't want to be around that, then maybe you should live closer in to town where the lots are smaller.

Also, a 1+ acre lot is a BIG effort to maintain. Here in Texas, unlike Arizona, you will have to MOW it for 8 months a year. You will need a big, riding lawn mower or even a small tractor to mow that large of an area. Even on a riding mower, it will take a coupld of hours to mow it, and if we have a wet summer, you will be mowing at least every other week. And, as others have warned you, we also have hot summers that last about 5 months. Unlike Arizona, our summers are usually miserably humid, too.

Just be aware of these things...

Thank you for all of your insight. If there are no suburban lots within my budget over an acre, do you know of any developing suburban areas that could be within my budget and description outside of the lot size? If all else is perfect I would be more than willing to sacrifice on my acre lot dream lol. As long as they arent tiny tiny lots. (I have 3 large dogs) Perhaps if i can narrow my search to a few areas I can get lucky and find a larger lot in one of the areas.

[ChristieP]

There are MANY suburbs that will fit your price range once you give up the 1 acre lot requirement. The fastest-growing ones right now are far north Fort Worth/Alliance area, Keller, Mansfield and Saginaw. Almost all of the existing suburbs will have plenty of homes in that price range, too. The northeast and southwest sides of Fort Worth are the better areas. Northwest and southwest aren't bad, they just are not as affluent.

To get a larger lot in a suburb, look in a cul-de-sac and for a corner. Usually these will have bigger lots. And tell your Realtor a big lot is a priority and he/she will be able to help, too.

Saginaw is definitely the lower end and is geographically isolated due to railroad tracks, so I don't recommend it for starting a small business. The others are definitely good possibilities.

[loves2read]

you can search any MLS site for lot size and rule out houses on smaller lots
have you don't any MLS searching?

[RockyJoe817]

Since you mentioned you want it for business too.
It's all about Location! Location! Location!

I would also suggest looking towards Weatherford area or Benbrook with the new Tollway starting in the south corridor of Fort worth. That will give your customers easily access to and from your business.