Will we regret our move to Saginaw (Fort Worth, Arlington: new home, neighborhoods)

[AmberMarie]

My fiance and I are thinking about moving from Euless to Saginaw for a few different reasons. He works in Westlake, I go to school in Denton, and we just like this part of DFW... I also work in S Arlington three to four times a week, but am willing to drive an hour for that. Also, in about a year I will be teaching and wanted to teach somewhere around the HEB, EMS, Grapvine, Southlake area. We have a very small budget for a home but have managed to find a nice track home neighborhood that we both really like (all brick, several options, so it isn't cookie cutter). Our only concern is that it is pretty close to the railroad tracks. The neighborhood is off of McElroy street... It's RIGHT behind the flour mills. The "noise" of the flour mills doesn't bother us, but we are worried about the trains. The trains wouldn't bother us during the day, but I am concerned with them going several times in the middle of the night. Also, we are used to bad traffic (driving from Euless to Denton takes over an hour many times, driving from Euless to S Arlington also takes an hour... all due to traffic). But is the traffic in Saginaw unbearable during the 3pm to 7pm times as well as the prime morning times? I feel like traffic is something we can't escape no matter where we go, but worried that the trains will make us late every single day.

We are also hoping that Saginaw will be a good place for me to teach, and a good place for a couple of future kids to grow up in (for atleast their first few years, potentially longer). Our house can comfortably house 2-3 children (we found a four bedroom in our price range).

We are also wondering if the drives to places like Target, Wal-mart, LA Fitness, gas stations, etc are longer than 10 minutes? We are sort of used to being in the middle of everything, but are willing to change that to live in a quieter and safer area.

Any help or tips would be extremely helpful, but please understand that our housing choices are limited because our maximum price range for a home is relatively low (130s after upgrades).

[AmberMarie]

just bumping for people who might not have seen this before...

[TangoUniform]

Are they finally selling houses in that neighborhood? I lived off Western Center and every time I drove by that neighborhood it seemed like it was a couple model homes and nothing else. It was like this for over a year. I never saw any cars, construction, anything. I got the feeling that no one wanted to live there due to the location.

I'm not sure what the houses are going for there, but why not go a mile or two east and look at the neighborhoods off Western Center? I used to live in Alexandra Meadows and they were fairly nice homes for not a lot of money. I couldn't hear the trains from my house, but I can tell you they go down those Saginaw tracks very often. I have been stuck at that crossing many times. I don't know how high your tolerance for noise is, but living right next to the tracks would drive my crazy.

[AmberMarie]

Yes, there are about 30 homes built now with several lots open because there is only one builder in that neighborhood. Thank you for your reply!

[padcrasher]

Yes you will regret it. The school district is mediocre. You are buyiing in an area that has thousand of acres of tract homes for miles and miles with typical ugly box stores found all over suburbia. Nothing whatsoever makes Saginaw appealing other than the price of the homes...that should tell you something. Then you have a busy rail corridor running through it and lots of heavy industry 18 Wheelers running up and down the avenues. And keep this in mind...what you see today is the "peak". Every year those "new homes" get more run down.....See the "The Colony", South Arlington, H820 and Trinity Blvd for an example of what Saginaw will look like ten years or twenty years from now....Invest in Location...not size or "newness" of a house. Look for a place that has some "atmosphere" at least. Denton, Roanoke, Ft. Worth near TCU, Grapevine, are all better choices.

[ask76]

I live close to Saginaw, and have no problem with it. Try to stay away from the railroad tracks if you're worried about noise. Also, the north Fort Worth, Saginaw, Keller, Alliance area is always changing. New stuff will be popping up over the years, but the economy is down right now. Alliance Town Center is a growing shopping area that has some nice stores and more (http://www.alliancetexas.com/Developments/AllianceTownCenter/tabid/225/Default.aspx). Check out the following websites for what is to come:

www.cencorrealty.com/devThePresidio.htm
http://www.kimcodevelopment.com/projects_view.asp?proid=STXN1581

]Here's a good website on the area schools to get the info you want:
http://schoolguide.star-telegram.com/

Also, traffic is slow in the morning at the 35W & 820 intersection. Sometimes it's not too bad, but an accident on the road can ruin your day. Supposedly they're gonig to fix in in the next couple of years. Just remember: any area that is growing will have it's ups and downs. Find a place that you like, and look around to see if what's around will benefit your family and home in the future or not. Also check out the Northwest and Keller ISDs.