Moving to Fort Worth / Carrollton Area advice.. (Dallas, Bedford: section 8, apartment complex)

[Aimed430]

Hi all,

My husband and I are planning on moving to the Fort Worth area from NY in the fall due to my husbands work transfer. His office has two locations, one in Fort Worth and one in Carrollton and so we are looking for a location in between these two towns.
Initially we are planning to rent for a year or so to get settled in, we have an infant son, so a family area would be great. We have been looking at Colleyville, Grapevine and Bedford - does anyone have any advice on any of these areas or if there are any other areas that might be suitable. We are looking financially at rent of $900 to $1300.
Also could anyone advise of the process of apartment hunting in the area. In NY it is a rather cut-throat business where you have to hire a broker and decide on your apartment as soon as you view it. Is a broker necessary in this area or is the protocal one where you visit the properties individually and meet with the property manager?

Any advice would be amazing!
Thanks

[ChristieP]

Fort Worth and Carrollton aren't even remotely close to each other. Carrollton is north of Dallas, slightly on the west side, and Fort Worth is due west of Dallas. Will he regularly be working out of both locations? If so, that's going to be a lot of commuting time. I would recommend getting more info from his employer about where he will be working more often, and living closer to that place.

You are vy correct that renting for the first year is a smart move. No, no broker or anything like that is needed to rent here. Yes, our rental markets are busy, but it's nothing like NYC! You might want to use an apartment locator service simply to help you figure out what's available and to make an informed choice between properties. Your price range will be good for an apartment, but it's a little low for a house, especially in the areas you've chosen.

Be careful in Bedford. Some of the apartment complexes there can be a little iffy. Always ask if the apartment complex "accepts section 8" and if they say yes, WALK AWAY.

[Aimed430]

Thanks so much for the info. My husband and I are planning to take a trip to Ft Worth next week to check out some apartment properties. We have narrowed our search to Grapevine, Coppell and Euless. Are these areas pretty safe and family friendly for the most part? Also, is a commute between Grapevine and Ft Worth reasonable or too far - I haven't managed to get a grasp on how large the area is yet!

[ChristieP]

Grapevine to Fort Worth is a reasonable commute. I do it every day. It will be even better once the construction on 183 is completed. Euless would also be a reasonable commute, too, especially if you were in the apartments along 360 near Mid-Cities Blvd. Check out the brand new, loft-style apartments at Glade Road and 121. They appear to be just finishing construction and may have a model ready to show.

Coppell to Fort Worth would be a much longer commute with more traffic. It would, however, be a much closer commute to Carrollton. There are less apartments to choose from in Coppell, though.

[loves2read]

rent is expensive
you can pay 1100 a month and not have lot of room

will you have two cars?
you will need them if you live outside FTW itself since there is no public transportation like you might be used to coming from back east

I don't think Coppell has many apt complexes--more suburban residential

you might also consider Bedford--in the Mid Cities--
has some nice older apt complexes in safe areas--
like the ones across from Bedford heights elementary
forget the name

big difference in commute depending on which office your husband works at
that should be a concern--which office is likely to be the best working environement for him
does he know anyone/anything about either location?

[Squirl]

Where in Fort Worth? If its on the North side of FTW, Grapevine is great...... south side not so much and you might think about other options. Do you have the zip codes of both the Carrollton and Fort Worth offices. We could be better help with that info.

[Aimed430]

Thanks so much for the info. I think we will also give Bedford a look as that seems to be a good location also. Regarding my husbands job location, it is looking likely that he will be able to work from either office and so I think that we will just choose the area we like best and then whichever office it is closest too should work.
We will have two cars - looking forward to getting out of the subway! We are not too worried about the sizes of apartments there after living in Manhattan shoeboxes for the cost of a kings ransom for the past decade!
Are there any complexes or area in Bedford that you would recommend or avoid?

[ChristieP]

Honestly, I would use an apartment locator. They will be able to give you more specific recommendations to match your wants. Bedford has a lot of complexes, many of which are older, and many of which accept Section 8 vouchers. Again, do not live in a complex that accepts Section 8!