Moving to Fort Worth!! (Spring, Azle: mortgage, how much, houses)

[5stones]

I too think Keller would to too far etc...but just wanted to set the record straight on the foreclosure issue.

If I was you I'd look in FT worth propper, there are alot of neat older neighborhoods etc... Since your wife will be going to school her schedule is going to be more flexable than yours etc...

Since you don't know the area at all I'd seriuosly look for a short term lease, you can spend weekends days off really scouting hte areas, talk to co-workers etc... Rather than jump into home ownership immediately and t hen realize that you are too fond of the neighobrhood. (since you don't have kids in school etc... you are much more flexable)

[ripley]

I was looking around a couple weeks ago while killing some time, $180 won't get one of those homes in those "neat older neighborhoods."

$230 and up for a decent 2 BR/1 bath in Arlington Heights.

I found several nice older homes in 76107, 109 & 110. Most were a bit (to a lot) more expensive or right on the border of some questionable neighborhoods.

There were a couple on Calmont that were close, but backing up to I-30 isn't something that would interest me if I were ready to purchase. A couple across I-30 on Lovell, but not sure of the area.

There is a 2 BR/2 Bath at 3204 College Street 76110 that looks interesting, $138K ... but no pics of the inside.

I'm not as familiar with schools and such, but the nicest neighborhood I saw for the money was Whitestone Ranch in Benbrook (West side of 377, East side of Jerry Dunn).

Community was a bit more rural and slower paced, but the drive in to town was relatively short and not as hectic as from other areas.

Also, there are some areas in the White Settlement area off Chapel Creek that aren't so bad. A couple houses available on Brea Canyon Road 76108.

If it were me ... I would rent an apartment if I had to make the move right now. Lots of time to investigate the area and make a good, well-informed choice. But ... I don't have the Big Dog issue.

[Kibby]

Originally Posted by CzechGrazer

the areas menioned in the posts above (Keller, Fossil Creek, etc) are great but entail a daily commute on 35W between downtown and north loop 820. Good luck with that...

I shuddered every time someone mentioned Keller. Yes, it's nice but the DRIVE!!! Yikes.

Avoid any place that will require you to travel of I35 unless you know you won't be driving during peak drive time.

[Kibby]

There is a historic district very near the hospital - some of the blocks are very good and some are not so good - it's popular with the young set. A guy that works for my husband lives there and absolutely loves it. You could almost walk to work. The Fairmont District site has a lot of information about the neighborhood and I even found a picture of the house listed on Craig's list.

Fairmont Historic District

Fairmont Home for sale on Craig's List

I took a quick look on Craig's list - which is good for rentals but a realtor will do a lot better for a sale. I did get an idea of some things for sale. There appear to be a LOT of foreclosures in the Burleson area. The drive would be OK for that but I have no idea at all about the area. It worries me a bit that the guy with all the adds had nothing but foreclosures. The prices are really cheap for pretty new houses only a couple of years old - you have to go through about 4 pages of Craig's List to find them. I seriously mean really cheap but know nothing about the neighborhood.

SW Arlington would probably be a good location - it's easy to get to on 278 to I20, and the commute (even in peak drive) is not bad - I would say 20 minutes or so. There are several that would be in your price range in neighborhoods that are established, good schools and typically good resale value - especially Huntwick. Homes sell fast in that neighborhood because it's walking distance to 3 schools. Elementary/Middle School/Martin High School. House were built in the late 70's to early 80's by good builders. The odds are great that your wife will end up going to UT Arlington. Southwest Arlington is very convenient to a lot of things.

Huntwick 4 BR
Huntwick 3 BR
Firewood w/pool
Home w/dog run

I know the Huntwick neighborhood and Firewood is nice also - very small little neighborhood - all safe, established and in good school districts. That might not mean much to you now but it will when you try to sell it. All of these homes are in zip code 76016.

I think the ideal thing would be a house in central Fort Worth - as others have said, they might be out of your price range. I don't know what the market is these days. We never did have the housing bubble here that other areas had. You might be able to get a good deal on one so it's certainly worth checking.

You will love it here. Welcome to Texas
K

[jnjbrace]

you may have to drive a distance to have a nice Community. My husband drives to Dallas which is a hour each way just to live in a nice area!

[Sharkie]

76179 Quiet, Calm, Perfect place to relax at the end of a crazy day at the Hospital. Folks are very friendly Lake community - its close enough to get to work and far enough to get away from work HAHA 'bout a 14 minute drive to Downtown.

Oh and when you get here, try out Texas de Brazil for dinner with your wife. You guys work so hard you need to splurge every once in a while.

[goodmau]

Hello! I just moved to Fort Worth 6 months ago and I work about 3 miles from JPS and live a mile away, if that. I live in Fairmount (Home) , which other folks have also mentioned. We love it here, you can get a great refurbished historical bungalow for under 200K and you will be within walking distance of great restaurants and the very charming and up and coming Magnolia street. You also won't have to deal with the insane commuter traffic (I always think "suckas!" when I pass over the bridge above I-35 on my way to and from work and see the long line of cars that are barely moving). There is a sense of community here, lots of young couples and the amount of improvement the area has seen is really impressive. If you go to the photo gallery at the website I pasted above, you can click on houses and see what they looked like 10 years ago, 5 years ago, and today. It is amazing to see the transformations. I had to do my home search from afar, so to find houses in Fairmount, I went to the Trulia site (google it) and put in the keyword "fairmount" or "historic" and searched. From there, the list of comparables will get you to most of the houses on the market in the area. Fairmount is also about 3-4 miles from TCU and Texas Wesleyan University, and a 30 min Drive from UT Arlington (all of which offer various master's programs). Best of luck to you and welcome to Panther City!

[eaeubanks]

Originally Posted by alaskaty

hahaha, thanks for the replies...I meant to write:

What are some good neighborhoods within 15 miles or so of JPS (must have had hospitals on the brain!)

I will have just finished up school and my wife will be going to college, so money is definitely an issue. The only bright side is I'll be a resident at JPS and there are certain lenders that have "doctor loans" and thus will extend themselves a little further. We're definitely not looking to move into the upper crust of suburbia, but a nice safe neighborhood is ideally what we're looking for...basically some zipcodes/areas to refine our real estate search. Again, thanks for the replies.
Jason

I agree that the N. Fort Worth, Keller area is your best bet. It is close enough to JPS but also a growing area. Should you wish to start a practice down the line, you would be near the most densely populated portion of Tarrant county. If you need a place, I need to rent or sell my home. Custom home, 4 bedrooms 2 baths, casual open floor plan. Nice quiet neighborhood off of 35 and Tarrant Pkwy.

[loves2read]

eaeubanks--just a little self-interest in that post, huh

[momgag]

I'd second the recommendation to look in Fairmont. There's lots of renovation going on, plus nearby Magnolia Ave has been restored with little shops. It's just blocks from JPS and not that far to TCU if your wife winds up there, or not a bad drive to UTA. Plus you're a short drive to downtown and the cultural district. There's a real estate firm that sort of specializes in renovated homes in Fairmont www.jeffandrobb.com. I've never worked with them, but their site has a number of homes in your price range.