Brownsville or Harlingen?? (Mission, Fresno, Los Fresnos: apartment, home, new construction)

[texas5021]

McAllen is by FAR the nicest---BEAUTIFUL and exciting, fun...over Harligen, Brownsville, Laredo, or Corpus Christi. McAllen (at least North) feels like a suburb of Dallas...like Plano.

[Bougainvillea]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I am FROM Dallas, so your response is interesting. Though actaully, I'm an old-time Dallasite from Highland Park...can't say I care that much for Plano. You appear to be familiar with the area. Do you know Rancho Viejo, and if so, what do you think of it?
thanks!

[imaterry78259]

Harlingen, Port Isabel and S Padre Island the best in that area

[rstrstx]

Boug

Are you still planning on coming down in January? From what you describe you want I think Rancho will still be a good bet for you, though the Harlingen country club may also work (just not many Spanish-style homes there though). McAllen is a better place if you want to be around Dallaslike amenities but if natural scenery is more to your liking there are more places like that closer to the coast.

Having said that, there is a very pretty neighborhood between McAllen and Edinburg surrounding a small lake that is nice and lush, just no golf course around. Looking at Google I think it's called Lake Shore Dr. It reminds me more of the eastern Valley. The homes east of the McAllen Country Club are also nice and old enough to have some decent sized trees.

Be aware that McAllen gets hotter than areas near the coast in the summer; after 5pm it has usually dropped into the 80s and breezy near the coast while it's still well in the 90s west of Weslaco. If you'd like I can post some more pics of Rancho and other areas. The weather down here has been beautiful most days lately, going to San Antonio for Christmas gave me more than enough cold to last me a good while

[Bougainvillea]

Many thanks for your thoughts. Yes, I will be there the third week in January to look at houses. I did check out the weather and temperatures on the various cities' websites and it is clear that it's much hotter in McAllen.....a big negative for me. Thanks for your precise information - it is hugely helpful. Having lived in sublime climates in Mexico City and Central America, as well as northern New Mexico, it's tough for me to go back to the heat of south Texas, so even a difference of ten degrees from the 90's to the 80's is quite significant. It's no fun to walk your dog when the pavement burns her feet! But I think I'm willing to put up with the hot summers in order to get the the pleasant winters. Hope everyone had a lovely holiday season and best wishes to all for a marvelous 2008!

[Spree]

>> I am looking at small houses (just for me....I am single) in Rancho Viejo, Los Fresnos and McAllen. I am female, Anglo, 60-ish and very active.<<

Stuart Place Country Club in Harlingen/Palm Valley, off Stuart Place road, just 1/4 mile or so north of the highway (83). This is a 55 and older community, mostly winter texans but others live there year round. It has a 3 par golf course as well. There's quite a bunch of active, older adults. Mostly two bedroom, some three bedroom houses that back up to the golf course.

[rstrstx]

Hmm, since when did the Harlingen Country Club area at Stuart Place have a 55 rule? Most people there look retired but I didn't think they had an age requirement. I had a friend who lived there in the mid-90s and he was in his early 40s at the time. Nice area, just not many Spanish style houses. Every time I go through there it does seem like there are a number of people out playing golf or walking the dog etc. Worth a look for someone who is also looking at Rancho Viejo, enough trees and greenery just no lakes

[Spree]

<<Hmm, since when did the Harlingen Country Club area at Stuart Place have a 55 rule?>>

It's not the Harlingen Country Club, it's Stuart Place Country club, across the street (which is Stuart Place Rd).

[rstrstx]

The area I'm thinking of is a little north of the freeway, Stuart Place Road forms the western boundary and people I know from Harlingen just refer to it as "The Country Club". Are there really some parts of it that are 55+ only?

[Bougainvillea]

Thanks to all! I will look around to see if anything's on the market in the Stuart Road area. I have found two or three houses that are candidates in "Palm Valley Estates"....all of them back up to the golf course at HCC.

Lifestyle is as important to me as location, so I'd like to live in a place with a real community with full-time residents....where I can make friends. If a place is only inhabited seasonally, by winter golfers.....it might be a little lonely for six months of the year. I'm not particularly drawn to the over-55 communities, actuallly. Sounds dull, to me. On the other hand, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to live in a place where all the front yards are littered with tricycles either! There's a happy medium somewhere, I hope.

Thanks to all for the input! I can't wait to get there.