Been in Plano Almost A Year and Need Help ... Stressing. (Dallas: HOA, mortgage)

[**NoodLes**]

I think no matter where you live in Dallas your electric bills are going to be higher. In summer you have HOT summers and COLD winters with very little in between and 40 degree swings on the same day are common. Compared to other parts of the country where you either use AC or heat most of the year, in Dallas both are used ALOT. Whoever says that living in Dallas is a cheap place to live is way off.

If I was in your situation I would avoid all apartment complexes all together and go with a private renter. You can easily find a private renter, you get more privacy and more options. Most apt. complexes are little dictatorships where you don't have many options and treated like cattle.

[jhilde101]

DO NOT get a 2 story home, the 2nd floor is like a sauna unless you set the therm. low which will jack your electric bill closer to $500 in the summer.

[ETex2]

Originally Posted by nicolenh

Serious posts are greatly appreciated, please don't waste my time because I wouldn't waste yours. Thank you.

Wow - a new member with an attitude who thinks the thread is solely for her. When a topic is posted, the replies are for the benefit of anyone and everyone who read it, not just the OP. I for one, enjoyed the pics. And yes, it might open the eyes of a newcomer who thinks that the only place to live in the Dallas area, is Frisco. There are great alternatives, and no, posting the pics is not a waste of anyone's time. It probably took you at least a minute to think about what you were going to say in the above replay and type it out, versus the 15 seconds it took to look at the pics. You are wasting your own time, as well as ours, with such a rude reply.

[jimithing78]

Let me just tell you that when I lived in an apartment my situation was similar to yours. I was on the 3rd floor of a 1100 square foot apartment and my electric bill was $300/month on average during the summer. We moved to a 3 bedroom house and now our electricity bill is about $80/month during the summer. It's all about the insulation in the house and the efficiency of the A/C unit. If apartment complexes are your only option right now see if your potential apartments or electricity provider can provide some usage history for the unit your looking at. That way you can gauge what it's going to cost.

[unexpected]

hey OP, don't know why you're paying so much for electricity - I've in a 1300 sq. foot 2 BR and now a 1200 sq foot 1 BR and i rarely pay over $150 a month for electricity (and i pretty much leave the A/C on all the time).

I live in Post, and I think they charge lower electricity rates than the surrounding areas - you may want to check out Post Legacy if you want to stay in the Plano area. I'm pretty sure they'll give you the electricity rates and you can see how they compare.

[Big G]

Originally Posted by ETex2

Wow - a new member with an attitude who thinks the thread is solely for her. When a topic is posted, the replies are for the benefit of anyone and everyone who read it, not just the OP. I for one, enjoyed the pics. And yes, it might open the eyes of a newcomer who thinks that the only place to live in the Dallas area, is Frisco. There are great alternatives, and no, posting the pics is not a waste of anyone's time. It probably took you at least a minute to think about what you were going to say in the above replay and type it out, versus the 15 seconds it took to look at the pics. You are wasting your own time, as well as ours, with such a rude reply.

Really? I *loved* the response.

The OP had some specific requirements-

1) Frisco ISD
2) a limited budget.

Is Lakewood in the Frisco ISD? Is it possible to rent a decent home in Lakewood for $1300/month? I don't think so. The Lakewood area of Dallas is an epic FAIL on both of these points.

IMO - The picture post was completely irrelevant to the original post, 100% off-topic, and had ZERO business being in this thread.

Why is it almost EVERY topic here has to be turned into a Lakewood thread? Geez!

[tyanger]

Originally Posted by ETex2

Wow - a new member with an attitude who thinks the thread is solely for her. When a topic is posted, the replies are for the benefit of anyone and everyone who read it, not just the OP. I for one, enjoyed the pics. And yes, it might open the eyes of a newcomer who thinks that the only place to live in the Dallas area, is Frisco. There are great alternatives, and no, posting the pics is not a waste of anyone's time. It probably took you at least a minute to think about what you were going to say in the above replay and type it out, versus the 15 seconds it took to look at the pics. You are wasting your own time, as well as ours, with such a rude reply.

Originally Posted by Big G

Really? I *loved* the response.

The OP had some specific requirements-

1) Frisco ISD
2) a limited budget.

Is Lakewood in the Frisco ISD? Is it possible to rent a decent home in Lakewood for $1300/month? I don't think so. The Lakewood area of Dallas is an epic FAIL on both of these points.

IMO - The picture post was completely irrelevant to the original post, 100% off-topic, and had ZERO business being in this thread.

Why is it almost EVERY topic here has to be turned into a Lakewood thread? Geez!

+1
Not to mention the fact that the original response, ETex2s response, your response, and now my response all fail to address any of the OPs inquiries - talk about wasting time. But then again isn't that what anonymous internet forums are all about?

[Brookside]

Trying to get the thread back on topic....

Ninleh -- have you considered renting (or even buying) a town home? I'm suggesting that because:

1) They probably are an affordable option, either to rent or to buy, and you could stay in Frisco. There are lots of families and single moms where I live.
2) A newer town home will be more energy efficient. The unit I currently rent is 3 years old. I chose my own energy provider. I have 2 A/C units (zoned) and my May bill was a little over $100. (I'm sure June will be higher....)
3) A town home gives you a little more privacy and even a garage.
4). You could probably find a unit with a small backyard for your boys. Some of the newer communities even have small parks. The unit I rent even allows swimming privileges at a community pool.

Finding a comfortable place to live that you can afford and feel secure in is always a big decision and affects every aspect of your life. I hope you find an option that works better for you!

Good luck!

[Big G]

Originally Posted by jhilde101

DO NOT get a 2 story home, the 2nd floor is like a sauna unless you set the therm. low which will jack your electric bill closer to $500 in the summer.

Best advice yet in this thread.

---

If you're looking for more diversity than Frisco ISD has to offer, you might want to consider Plano ISD and Richardson ISD. Both are very good school districts, and you should be able to find a variety of rental homes in your price range, although you'll be dealing with 60s-80s era houses.

Sorry - I don't have any massive pictures of Canyon Creek, Lake Highlands, Bob Woodruff, or Arbor Hills.

[KittySkyfish]

Originally Posted by ETex2

Wow - a new member with an attitude who thinks the thread is solely for her. When a topic is posted, the replies are for the benefit of anyone and everyone who read it, not just the OP. I for one, enjoyed the pics. And yes, it might open the eyes of a newcomer who thinks that the only place to live in the Dallas area, is Frisco. There are great alternatives, and no, posting the pics is not a waste of anyone's time. It probably took you at least a minute to think about what you were going to say in the above replay and type it out, versus the 15 seconds it took to look at the pics. You are wasting your own time, as well as ours, with such a rude reply.

You, for one, failed to notice her stress. If you took at least 15 seconds to feel some empathy over how stressful this situation is to her, you might be able to overlook her reaction to Lakewooder's "minimalist" response.

And you call HER rude?

To the OP: one thing I've noticed is there are a lot of good schools all over the area. You have a lot of leeway in picking a new location, and you'll still end up with good school choices for your children.

I think your rental experience doesn't have to be this way, either. I've lived in several apartments, duplexes and condos, and most of the time, noise was never a constant issue. In fact, the worst neighbor noise I've ever experienced was when I lived in a rental HOUSE! The neighbor behind us loved to listen to his stereo full-blast all night long. And they sat outside and smoked what seems like several packs per evening.

If you decide to stay in apartment living, I agree that the top floor can get really hot. Stick with middle- or first-floor units. And keep the air temp set high (79-80) if you can help it.