Thinkin' About Movin' to Keller (Dallas, Fort Worth: transplants, sales, apartment)

[Wherentheworld]

Hi there-

My brother, his wife and my beautiful Niece live in Keller. I currently reside in N. California, but like many people in my predicament, the cost of living is taking its toll and I need to relocate so I can have a life. As beautiful as California is (I was born and raised here), the stress of trying to make ends meet has just broken the fragile purse strings.

I have read so many posts about Keller and the FTW area, and I very much miss my brother and his family; however, I feel paralyzed at the thought of leaving the West Coast.

I've done some research on Keller and it seems up and coming, still affordable and safe. However, I am concerned about the air quality index and the rumor I read about future drilling for natural gas. I am a little left of center, so I hope that my views aren't downcast or out of place....

My ultimate goal is to find a place where I can settle down with the hope that I can eventually buy a home. Texas seems to offer affordability, but I've heard so many different opinions: Texas is hot, flat; You get claustrophobic living in such a big place with not a lot to do; property taxes are too high; you constantly live in uncertainty during the hurricane season, etc. My brother likes Keller a lot, but I get the feeling that if he could make more money at his job, he would move.

I lived for 10 years in Oregon and I am considering moving there, but the economy is at best tenuous, and Portland isn't high on my list; I lived there for three years and the rain was too much. I miss Oregon very much, but I need a place where I can make a living, and Oregon's economy is just not strong enough.

Are there any Oregonians who live in Texas? Do you like it there? And then are there any Northern Californians who could recommend Keller and even Texas to me??

Thank you so much!

[edubya]

I can't speak about coming from the west coast, but I can offer some perspective on being a transplant. I grew up in Virginia, a state I still love, and moved to College Station, Texas, in 1998 to live near my girlfriend (now wife). I experienced some pretty significant culture shock, and though I loved being with my sweetie, I hated Texas. It was hot, humid, buggy, flat, brown, and the water was unpalatable. The fact that A&M students are fanatical about how great the place is made the experience all the worse! Despite all that, we developed some really great friendships and a real fondness for the town. I actually missed it when we moved to Fort Worth in 2001.

I had grown accustomed to Texas culture by the time we hit Fort Worth, and I loved that town. It's drier on average than east Texas, which definitely helps the heat. Lots of good restaurants, a nice downtown, generally friendly people, smaller than Dallas but not too small. Being close to DFW airport is a huge plus if you travel a lot.

I had also learned by that point that my initial impression of Texas was really limited by the view from my apartment. Texas is a huge, diverse state, and snap judgments aren't worth making. Each city has its own culture, climate, and surrounding topography, and many are quite different from one another.

I'll try to answer some of your questions directly.

Affordability: Many parts of the mid-cities (Keller included) are very affordable, especially by California standards. Property taxes are quite high, so you should check last year's bill for any house you want to purchase. Homeowner's insurance is also higher than average. Fortunately, those costs are offset by no state income tax, low home prices, and fairly low cost of goods. Gas is cheaper, too. Sales tax is 8.25%.

Weather: Hurricanes affect the coastal region, but if you're in DFW, you'll see only rain and increased winds. Thunderstorms can get pretty strong around there, and hail damage is quite common. Covered parking is a must. DFW gets plenty hot in the summer, though humidity is usually not terrible. The tradeoff is fairly mild weather the rest of the year, with the occasional cold spell during the winter. I do recall an ice/snow storm around 2002 that shut the city down for something like three days. I believe those occurrences are on the rare side.

What else can I tell you?

[chitowngal]

i moved to keller from Chicago and i love it.

My friend will be moving here from the LA area in two weeks.

Housing cost are great, school districts are fantastic.

If you ever really want to own a home you should move out of Cali.

[CatWoman83]

There are a LOT of California/West Coast transplants in Heritage (Master Planned Community in North Fort Worth), so you would probably feel right at home. If you are in Fort Worth city limits you don't have to worry about drilling too close to your house. The area is kinda flat (although there are hills) and not forested like Oregon, but the heat isn't too bad. What type of home/area are you looking for?

[Wherentheworld]

Thank you for the excellent replies!

I imagine that I, too, will experience some sort of culture shock. Where I live now, it's flat and gets hot; we hit 115 degrees last summer, so the heat really isn't an issue.

Does anyone have information about the Alliance Town Center? I saw it online, and it looks enormous; looks like it may be a really nice shopping center to rival Southlake Town Square - though my brother *loves* Southlake.

Is Keller a dog friendly town? I have a 6-mo-old puppy and we go to the dog park every day; Bella loves to play and kick it up off-leash. Does Keller have a dog park? I couldn't find one online.

I guess my only other question, at this point, is the economy. I saw online that Fort Worth is undergoing quite a bit of revitilization - perhaps to compete with Dallas? What do you think, overall, of the economy in the FTW area?

Thanks again!

[Soccersupporter]

Originally Posted by Wherentheworld

Thank you for the excellent replies!

I imagine that I, too, will experience some sort of culture shock. Where I live now, it's flat and gets hot; we hit 115 degrees last summer, so the heat really isn't an issue.

Does anyone have information about the Alliance Town Center? I saw it online, and it looks enormous; looks like it may be a really nice shopping center to rival Southlake Town Square - though my brother *loves* Southlake.

Is Keller a dog friendly town? I have a 6-mo-old puppy and we go to the dog park every day; Bella loves to play and kick it up off-leash. Does Keller have a dog park? I couldn't find one online.

I guess my only other question, at this point, is the economy. I saw online that Fort Worth is undergoing quite a bit of revitilization - perhaps to compete with Dallas? What do you think, overall, of the economy in the FTW area?

Thanks again!

We moved here Oct. 2007 from Irvine, CA. That is in Orange County SoCal. We love it here and there was no culture shock for us. We are conservative moderate but have met many center left people that seem happy with the area.

We live down the street from the Alliance Town Center. It will take a while to build out but it is a nice center. Southlake is real nice and we go there often.

Overall this area is a wonderful place to live. I hope it slows down on the growth though. It has already grown a lot since we moved here last year. The housing is incredible compared to CA, the people are great and from all over the US, many transplants so you would feel right at home.

Good luck, you won't regret moving IMO!

[Wherentheworld]

Thank you all so very much!!

[DFWAdvisor]

I live in the Bluffs in the Heritage part of Keller and I love it. Most of my street, including myself are native Californians. They are still building the Alliance Town Center and while it is nice, it is not as upscale as Southlake's. Southlake is just a short drive away though.

There are a lot of high paying jobs here and you get way more for your money. A shack in N. Cal will cost you $400K plus, where here you get 4,000 square ft. There is plenty to do in Dallas and Ft. Worth no matter what you like to do. It is a really nice area. Yes, we can have tornadoes, but is it any different than a potential earthquake?

I think you would enjoy it here and can definitely have a life. There are homes available in all price ranges. You can even find a brand new home with about 2,000 square feet for $175 - $250K, which is non-existent in CA. Let me know if I can assist you further.

[edcon]

Hi! I'm living at Lubbock, TX and thinking to move to Keller Tx or Yorba Linda, CA. Anyone here from Yorba Linda, CA?

Do you think Keller is for my family, I have 3 kids, 10, 8 and 1? We're asian.

How's the crime rate there, Christian church and school?


Thank you,
edcon

[Texas-RE-Broker]

Originally Posted by chitowngal

i moved to keller from Chicago and i love it.

My friend will be moving here from the LA area in two weeks.

Housing cost are great, school districts are fantastic.

If you ever really want to own a home you should move out of Cali.

Right on the money, This North Fort Worth area is a great area. Most people think of this whole area as Keller but it really isnt. Alot of it is Keller ISd which is great.