Forney and Terrell? (Houston, Dallas, Mesquite: real estate, insurance, budget)

[TootsieWootsie]

Has anybody been to Forney or Terrell, and can you give a brief description of how each would be to live in? A friend suggested these two towns, but they look kinda far from the action of DFW to me. I never heard of them before, but Texas has so many small towns that is no surprise.
Thanks!

[momof2dfw]

Been to both many, many times. Both are seeing growth from the expansion of Dallas and the area.

Forney - for decades it was best known for the antique stores that lined the highway. They are still there and a few have changed. Furniture and such is what you will find now. It is a small town on the outskirts of Dallas. I've known people that grew up there and have family there and I know some that want to move out there. Cute downtown area. Not a whole lot going on. Schools are good. Not too bad to go into Mesquite for big shopping trips or into Dallas or other areas for other ventures.

Terrell - once home to a state hospital. So, ya goin to Terrell? Beautiful older homes in the heart of town. If you want an older Victorian home this is the place. Good schools. Home to a lower end outlet mall, nothing fancy but a few decent stores. Larger downtown area than Forney but not by much. More industry along w/ more stores and restaurants to pick from. Close to run into Rockwall for larger shopping adventures. Home to Randall Noe Ford (see and hear those commercials ALL the time). It is a bit larger than Forney.

Both of these places attract people that want to be near Dallas but still in a small town. Either one will be a happening place to get involved and know people just by going to the Friday night football games.

[TootsieWootsie]

Would you happen to know if there are any kind of major hospitals nearby? I have never been sick in my life much, but...just in case as I am getting older (but aren't we all, which is still a heckofalot better than the alternative!).
Would this be a decent place for a bunch of single, very active boomers to live? Or should we stick to Rockwall or Turtle Creek?
One thing is the prices are great in these towns compared, I am guessing.

[Michele164]

I currently live in Forney. I moved here from Houston two years ago. Forney is growing and you can find a new/newer home for a good price. Schools are good. But, it is a small town. If you are use to large towns with a lot of shopping and a lot of activity, Forney will be culture shock to you.

There is a small hospital in Terrell that is undergoing a major renovation, but Dallas medical center is only 30 miles away.

I would move to Rockwall if you are looking for an active lifestyle. There is not much to do in Forney. Also, Rockwall is building a new hospital that should be ready within the year. If you need just general medical care, your best bet is Rockwall.

[DFWMike]

Forney is very convenient to downtown amenities and not far from the major hospitals, my concern would be a massive inflow of cheaper housing. Now if your budget concious that may be a good thing but I think it will bring problems to the area eventually, I would say Rockwall as well for that side of town.

[juliuspearl]

My wife and I moved out to Terrell three years ago from an apartment in Dallas. We bought about an acre of land in the city along with a 1700 square foot home in the middle of the city for $115,000.00. We had a hard time selling the home (we could not), when we briefly moved out of state. Terrell is a very quaint little town, not much action going on. Our neighbors are nice. Terrell has a very high crime rate, but the police force is very responsive. The schools are state of the art and new, but from what I hear have many discipline problems. Most of the growth in Terrell has been liquor stores or check cashing places. On the bright side, IHOP and Starbucks opened out on the interstate in the recent past. A new movie theatre is being built at the low end outlet mall. The hospital (not the state one) here has been updated, but almost closed due to cash flow problems before the new company took it over. There is a great Italian restaurant, but not too many others to brag about. Traffic is starting to be a problem, due to the design of the city. There is only one main road through the city. Overall, I would not recommend moving to Terrell. The one really good thing I can think of is the fact that you can buy much more in the way of real estate. Beyond that, the quality of life is at best average. You can always look at the education level, crime rate, and household income on this website to get a good idea of what Terrell is like.

[Txnative]

Good evening. I assume you are looking at real estate in that area. I can provide some insight since I grew up in Terrell (living in Dallas now). I can tell you the above comments from other members are correct.

FORNEY:
Finding a home in Forney would be much easier....they are putting up subdivisions everywhere in and around the city. The schools do have a good reputation and it is pretty much a homogenous group. The commute to Dallas from Kaufman county is much easier than other suburbs due to the lower population density (but, that will change dramatically within the next few years).....Forney reminds me so much of the situation Rockwall is in....the growth is just happening so quickly that the city seems to be having trouble keeping up with infrastructure! Look at the traffic on the frontage roads at 5pm and you will know what I am talking about!

TERRELL:
It is true that Terrell has a crime rate that is above average for a city of its size. I grew up there and attended Terrell schools through the 1980s-90s. Honestly, it is not as bad as what people make it out to be. Northwest Terrell and the rural areas north of Terrell are very quiet and safe. If you have kids, the education is great if they are in the honors program and involved with extra curricular activites (Forney ISD still has an overall "leg-up" on Terrell, though).

**If you are looking at eastern DFW, I would recommend Rockwall over Terrell/Forney

[kjackson227]

Originally Posted by TootsieWootsie

Has anybody been to Forney or Terrell, and can you give a brief description of how each would be to live in? A friend suggested these two towns, but they look kinda far from the action of DFW to me. I never heard of them before, but Texas has so many small towns that is no surprise.
Thanks!

I was looking to move to Forney also, but the taxes are unbelievably high. Terrell's taxes are even higher. So I'm looking elsewhere.

[sonnybunny]

Originally Posted by TootsieWootsie

Would you happen to know if there are any kind of major hospitals nearby? I have never been sick in my life much, but...just in case as I am getting older (but aren't we all, which is still a heckofalot better than the alternative!).
Would this be a decent place for a bunch of single, very active boomers to live? Or should we stick to Rockwall or Turtle Creek?
One thing is the prices are great in these towns compared, I am guessing.

I just built a house in Skyline Estates (Highland Homes) in Forney (about 3 minutes from the Paramedic/Fire Station). It's a small "enclave" of child-free baby boomers, like me. It has a peaceful, country-like feel to it and I can't wait to move in. It's close to Highway 80, so it's just "down the road apiece" from everything. The salesman said it's child-free because it has no amenities, which suits me fine. I see everybody's complaining about the taxes, but I'm from Miami, so the taxes are no big deal. However, my H/O Insurance is 80% LESS THAN FLORIDA, so I'm thrilled!

[FarNorthDallas]

Forney/Terrell/Rockwall or Turtle Creek?? That's quite a range!