Killeen - Temple - Copperas Cove - Belton Area (Dallas: extended stay, rental)

[TX_AGGIE13]

Ok, so I may be having to spend a bit of time in this area on and off in the near future so I hear. Can anyone tell be the ups, and downs of visiting, living, entertainment, possibly buying a little acerage, nicest of these 4 to live, distance from one to another, best school districts incase I may have to relocate my family, etc...... Anything you can tell me. Here are a few things that are factors for me:

I will be staying about 4 days a week there temporarily starting in April, and continuing for about 4 months at which point I may choose to settle there, or go on to the next spot. I will be doing some work specifically out of Temple, but where is the best place to stay without a lease for a short time, im thinking hotel since I will only be there 4 out of every 7 days. Distance isn't a big deal if it is within 30 miles of Temple.

If I decide after to relocate I will be looking to purchase a property without a Realtor because I am licensed myself and would want the 6% off. Which area is the best for purchasing small acerage between 8 - 20 the cheapest, but also have a decient school district? I hear the further west the better for price, and that Belton is the highest because of the lake.....is this true?

Is there a mall, or more than one in the area for shopping? What are some of the local known resturants that are not "franchise" types? Ok, im gonna stop, but any information I can get would be awesome! Thanks.

[NOTAM]

I have written extensively about this area-if you can do a search for my posts you will find lots of info describing the difference between the towns you mentioned.
Belton and Copperas Cove would be the top choices (but very different, so it's a matter of taste)
Temple would be in third place.
Killeen obviously fourth place.

Don't know anything about schools, because I don't have kids.

Killeen and Temple have "malls". Harker Heights has a huge brand new shopping district called "Marker Heights" (but IMO it's a waste of multi million dollar commercial property-to put all that kind of money into building a fancy shopping center and place a dollar store, Rue 21, and Maurice's in it, is beyond me...as if we dont have enough dollar stores around a military town!!)

Of course there are "strip malls" lining all of US190 from Harker Heights to Copperas Cove.

Temple has alot of stores spread out all over.

Lots of mom and pop restaurants-just have to know where to find them. Most of the folks here seem to like the generic chain restaurant, Red Lobster genre of restaurants.
My favorites:
Schoepf's Pit BBQ-Belton
Yumm Factory-Lampasas (chicken fried steak)
Alfredo's-Lampasas/Kempner (mexican)
Shogun-Harker Heights (sushi/hibachi)
Cove Thai-Copperas Cove (Thai)
Dead Fish Grill-Belton (seafood/steaks on the waterfront)

and the best place in all of this area-OMART GROCERY STORE. has all the Asian, South Pacific, Pacific Rim, Hawaiian, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Taiwanese, Malaysian foods you could ever want. plus there is a plate lunch food court in there, and a bubble drink kiosk (for those yummy Taiwanese tapioca pearl bubble drinkie's...like an Asian Starbucks)

Originally Posted by TX_AGGIE13

Ok, so I may be having to spend a bit of time in this area on and off in the near future so I hear. Can anyone tell be the ups, and downs of visiting, living, entertainment, possibly buying a little acerage, nicest of these 4 to live, distance from one to another, best school districts incase I may have to relocate my family, etc...... Anything you can tell me. Here are a few things that are factors for me:

I will be staying about 4 days a week there temporarily starting in April, and continuing for about 4 months at which point I may choose to settle there, or go on to the next spot. I will be doing some work specifically out of Temple, but where is the best place to stay without a lease for a short time, im thinking hotel since I will only be there 4 out of every 7 days. Distance isn't a big deal if it is within 30 miles of Temple.

If I decide after to relocate I will be looking to purchase a property without a Realtor because I am licensed myself and would want the 6% off. Which area is the best for purchasing small acerage between 8 - 20 the cheapest, but also have a decient school district? I hear the further west the better for price, and that Belton is the highest because of the lake.....is this true?

Is there a mall, or more than one in the area for shopping? What are some of the local known resturants that are not "franchise" types? Ok, im gonna stop, but any information I can get would be awesome! Thanks.

[TX_AGGIE13]

NOTAM - Thank you once again for some good information, and again I'd rep you, but I still am not allowed.....

[NOTAM]

You are most welcome.

Personally, I wouldn't live in any of the towns you listed except maybe maybe Belton but I am not too crazy about the town, but that's just me. I prefer the very small rural towns around Ft Hood.
I lived in Copperas Cove for one year 07-08 when I first got here, because I had to find a rental home real quick and didn't know the area. It was ok, but I cant stand the suburbia cookie cutter all military town.
It's just refreshing to be in the rural areas because you have local folks, not all military (i am on post 5 days a week, i get enough military during the week), and the small rural towns have "character" and sense of community, not just bedroom communities to Killeen.


quote=TX_AGGIE13;7267349]NOTAM - Thank you once again for some good information, and again I'd rep you, but I still am not allowed..... [/quote]

[WillysB]

In Temple, there's a couple of fairly new hotels near Scott-White, I think one or more is the extended stay type. Nearby are a couple of fairly popular (it seems by the parking lot) Mexican food places. The fare if more Mexican border type food rather than TexMex. There's a 'Fat Boys' BBQ off 57th just north of Tx36.

There's a new Holiday Inn on I-35 near Midway (exit 296, maybe).

There's a Texas RoadHouse at the north end of Temple on I-35.

Good burgers in town at Jody's, South 1st at M Street.

I prefer Temple, the way the town straddles the interstate, easy come easy go. Property to the west may have more scrub on it while property to the east may be more farmable. Look on a google map but back off some. You'll notice that west of 35 is elevated while east of 35 is where the slope to the gulf begins. So, it may depend on what you want from the land.

[jluke65780]

Originally Posted by TX_AGGIE13

NOTAM - Thank you once again for some good information, and again I'd rep you, but I still am not allowed.....

Out of the four, I'd go wth Copperas Cove or Temple. I'm not a fan of Killeen at all and just hate the whole big suburb look. Temple and Cove at least looks like an ordinary small town. Have you though about Waco?? It's about 40 miles from Temple.

[TX_AGGIE13]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

Out of the four, I'd go wth Copperas Cove or Temple. I'm not a fan of Killeen at all and just hate the whole big suburb look. Temple and Cove at least looks like an ordinary small town. Have you though about Waco?? It's about 40 miles from Temple.

Thanks! I've been to all of them, but the Temple - Killeen area is probably the one area in Texas I know the least about besides maybe the Sherman - Denison area.

I have not thought about Waco honestly because im not really looking for anything in "town" after my temporary stay if I decide to stay permanently. Like I stated 8 to 20 acres to build on is what I'll be looking for, and probably on the high side of that so I deffinately am not going to be near any cookie cutter homes, of suburb neighborhood areas. As far as the land I do like hills as someone said the west part of that area is more hilly, but are we talkin hilly as in "Hill Country", or just small rolling hills? I've noticed here in the Hill Country where im at they want blood for their land, and it's not even useable other than having a nice view. That being said from what I've heard so far it looks like Temple east of town is going to be the best place to find "pasture" land with some slight hills?

Does anyone know anything about the school districts in the area?

[jluke65780]

Originally Posted by TX_AGGIE13

Thanks! I've been to all of them, but the Temple - Killeen area is probably the one area in Texas I know the least about besides maybe the Sherman - Denison area.

I have not thought about Waco honestly because im not really looking for anything in "town" after my temporary stay if I decide to stay permanently. Like I stated 8 to 20 acres to build on is what I'll be looking for, and probably on the high side of that so I deffinately am not going to be near any cookie cutter homes, of suburb neighborhood areas. As far as the land I do like hills as someone said the west part of that area is more hilly, but are we talkin hilly as in "Hill Country", or just small rolling hills? I've noticed here in the Hill Country where im at they want blood for their land, and it's not even useable other than having a nice view. That being said from what I've heard so far it looks like Temple east of town is going to be the best place to find "pasture" land with some slight hills?

Does anyone know anything about the school districts in the area?

It's pretty big hills, but I wouldn't exactly say Hill Country big.

[NOTAM]

Temple is WAY flat compared to the hills to the west of Ft Hood. Come check out Gatesville, Kempner, Pidcoke, Topsey, King, Rumley, heck anywhere in Coryell or Lampasas County-it's HILLY. I have to really mash on the gas to get my truck up some of the "mountains" on FM 116 between Copperas Cove and Gatesville to even get to 50mph in my V8.
Remember, Lampasas is actually part of the Hill Country, technically. just not in the "touristy" part, so it's always forgotten.
I see no difference in the elevation, size of hills, where I live vs. driving 281 up from Blanco, Johnson City, Marble Falls, Burnet etc. Here it is just as hilly.

Originally Posted by TX_AGGIE13

Thanks! I've been to all of them, but the Temple - Killeen area is probably the one area in Texas I know the least about besides maybe the Sherman - Denison area.

I have not thought about Waco honestly because im not really looking for anything in "town" after my temporary stay if I decide to stay permanently. Like I stated 8 to 20 acres to build on is what I'll be looking for, and probably on the high side of that so I deffinately am not going to be near any cookie cutter homes, of suburb neighborhood areas. As far as the land I do like hills as someone said the west part of that area is more hilly, but are we talkin hilly as in "Hill Country", or just small rolling hills? I've noticed here in the Hill Country where im at they want blood for their land, and it's not even useable other than having a nice view. That being said from what I've heard so far it looks like Temple east of town is going to be the best place to find "pasture" land with some slight hills?

Does anyone know anything about the school districts in the area?

[Spade]

This is specifically on Killeen.

Killeen is growing the fastest out of the four and is the bigger city out of the four. It has more things because it is bigger. But crime is a problem in the city moreso than the other cities combined. Especially with property crime. Killeen is not in the hill country but it does sit in a valley. To get out, you have to get by some hills in just about any direction. It is suburban, but this is Texas. I grew up there and did not like it. But I prefer it over the other central Texas towns because Temple, Cove, and Belton bore me. Nothing really in those towns and Temple caters to the old crowd a bit more while Killeen caters to the younger crowd.

Killeen (and Harker Heights since it's now basically a suburb of Killeen) is probably the least Texan of the entire Central Texas area because hardly anyone in that city is from Texas which is obvious considering that it is a military town. But the cost of living is cheaper.

Temple-Belton is on I-35 so you have a better direct shot to Austin and Dallas than the Killeen area. As I said earlier, I grew up in Killeen. My mom and brother are still there. But I won't be ever moving back there or any other places in Central Texas except Austin.