Henderson County Texas (Dallas, Tyler, Lewisville: RV parks, rent, mobile home)

[leprechaun]

I would appricate information about this area. We are considering relocation to the Henderson County. We are considering the Gun Barrel Area, or close by in one of the small towns around there. Where we are not young kids we are not looking for the night life etc... Wondering more how the area is for what is called snowbirds etc... What is the RV life like in that area. Are there a lot of RV parks, what are the rates for long tirm redisency in some of these parks. Or do you get many of the snowbirds in to your area.?

What is the fishing like? How about water receration, and other receration in the area.

Is there much known for population growth in the area? How about tourists?
Do many people come out from the citys to get away and relax?

[Turnerliryc]

I work with a guy that just came from that area. Let me ask him and I'll get back to you.

[loves2read]

drove down there past weekend to look at some lake property---Gun Barrel City is very happening place--very busy traffic--has a 24 hr emergency/limited care facility with some drs offices--has several chain restaurants as well as local ones....lake is very nice and full (and probably fuller after last spait of rain storms)--mixed type of neighborhoods--some expensive site-built, some very not-expensive mobile homes...
there are several small towns/developments that ring the lake with different school districts and city services--and some that are not incorporated and you have county services...did not see any full-time RV parks but that does not mean there aren't any--there might be some places around the lake that allow you to buy property (which may be pretty expensive now) and just run a light pole and stay in your RV but that smmems more like Richland Chambers lake which is about an hr to the sw of Cedar Creek in aother county...

the realtor who drove us around said that they have been getting more full-time residents each year and that there are many retireees who live in area...there are also people who live there are work in Dallas or Athens or other area towns
the winters are pretty mild (considering that area of TX usually has no snow to mention anyway)...this is general recreation lake--Lake Fork which is north and Richland Chambers which is west are more fishing oriented lakes than Cedar Creek -- although there are 4 different kinds of fish and we saw plenty of people fishing around the perimeter of the lake when we were there--not so many people out on boats--but we were there in afternoon and morning fishing is usually best....

think your level of contentment would all depend on where you moved--two developments have on-site golf courses and country-type clubs which might make socializing easier...there are numerous churches in Gun Barrel City itself and I am sure in towns around lake...do't know about RV parks where you rent or own a space...did not look for that since we wanted lake front property....

There are plans to raise the three bridges that cross the lake in the near future---right now--there are no sail boats on the lake and few big jet boats-most 16-17 ft ski boats can get under the bridges when the lake is full but they have to negotiate it a little carefully--can't just thunder through so lake traffic stays kind of compartimentalized in the three areas (each to his own so to speak) and boats can't/don't build up so much speed because they know they will have to turn pretty soon

-if all the bridges are raised that will drastically change the type of boats and boating that happens there---you will see more boating accidents because people will be just racking it up and down the lake (and it is pretty long which is very attractive to skiers and boaters that just want to go fast) Lake Lewisville is like that--BIG boats--no bridges across the lake -- and there are always accidents where boats ran over jet skiers or waterskiers who are in water after a spill....not enough cops on water to keep speeders from doing what they want...

when we were there last Saturday it was really a beautiful day for being on the water....lot of sun but not too hot, not much wind so there was not much chop--great for skiing or wakeboarding....there was very little traffic on the water---which make it seem very attractive property since no one likes lots of other boats on water when you are out there...

One thing our realtor told us what that the north wind can really make the water choppy so that more desireable water lots have backs to north wind---lake is pretty full now although it has not gotten all the water that lakes like Granbury or Possum Kingdom have gotten...make sure to ask if you want lake front property---was the channel dredged last summer (which was so dry almost no piers had water under them) and did they do any weed control when the water was down....

some developments are on city sewer and some are aerobic septic--having to install a NEW septic system on an older property (many of these were built/brought in during the 70s when the lake was created and need new aerobic septics now) can run about $10,000 and can limit what you can do on your property--most lots are smaller so getting an aerobic system in some of them can be a problem....that is really significant point if you are buying where there is a septic system and not city sewer line...

pretty easy drive into s Dallas--about an hour--Canton, a nice market town, is only 20 min from Gun Barrel City...Athens which is a pretty town is about that close--Tyler is about an hour east and that has retail/restaurants/hospitals as well...

think Cedar Creek Lake has lot to offer and could be very nice place to retire--depends on what your interests are---there are several web sites and the local paper is on line with iformation about differnt clubs/organizations so you could check them out as well....