narrowing it down (Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington: crime, buying a home, neighborhoods)

[novacouple]

Hi folks,

We have posted before and after now being here (temporarily in las colinas) and exploring the nw burbs, I am honing in on the flower mound/argyle area.

Some of the masterplanned communites are interesting/nice (bridlewood has some nice sections, for example, and Lantana, too), but I find myslef gravitating to some smaller neighborhoods with custom/semi custom homes, like carruth and canyon oaks for example.

Now I am trying to really figure out the micro siting, north of this route, east of that route, etc. . .

I'll be commuting 2499 to 114 to Rochelle in las colinas and like to keep that as short as possible, but still have a country like feel, even if not really in the country.

Any particular recommendations for good neighborhoods and for ones to avoid.

Let's just say between $300 - $550K.

[Mister Nifty]

A criminal is a bully. Bullies are lazy. So, make a bully have to work to steal your lunch money and he or she will move on to the next victim.
When talking about where to live, I don't like using the "C" word for this reason (crime). Only the dumbest of criminals would victimize their next door neighbors. If you value your possessions, then you should take the effort to properly safeguard them. Put up lights on all four sides of the property regardless. Put barking watch dogs in the back yard. I say dogs because having two of them together will tend to keep a lonely dog from barking all night long every time another dog barks a quarter mile away. Put triple dead locks on the front door with two showing outside (to disuade a criminal from trying to invade by kicking in the door) with the third one located only on the inside.
You know, if you are thinking investment opportunity and desire to live in the Las Colinas area, then you should consider the area around the old Texas Stadium cite recently demolished because the Cowboys moved away to Arlington. That will become a really hot area. In order to live in this area, one will need to live temporarily elsewhere until housing is built there.
This area is going to develop into another Commercial Shopping District similar to Preston Center, the Northpark area and the Gallerial area as the Dallas - Fort Worth metropolitan area continues expanding and approaching the size of Chicago.
Anyway, I hope all this was helpful.

[jeffari-al-texani]

uhm...am I the only one that is slightly confused after reading Mister Nifty's post???

[Mister Nifty]

Originally Posted by jeffari-al-texani

uhm...am I the only one that is slightly confused after reading Mister Nifty's post???

Look, you are a local. I am not trying to give you insight. I think most of the local people in the Dallas - Fort Worth area are too close to the trees to see the forest.
It is expected that the area surrounding the old Texas Stadium cite will develop into retail. As the Dallas - Fort Worth area will approach the size of Chicago, some think sooner than later, then other Commercial Shopping Districts are sure to develop like the ones that already exist. As the Galleria serves as lead in development for the Addison area, so, the retail surrounding the Texas Stadium cite will serve as lead-in to the Las Colinas urban area.
I do hope this has cleared up any confusion and has contributed insight to the OP as well.
Thank you.

[mysterymachinebl]

Originally Posted by Mister Nifty

Look, you are a local. I am not trying to give you insight. I think most of the local people in the Dallas - Fort Worth area are too close to the trees to see the forest.
It is expected that the area surrounding the old Texas Stadium cite will develop into retail. As the Dallas - Fort Worth area will approach the size of Chicago, some think sooner than later, then other Commercial Shopping Districts are sure to develop like the ones that already exist. As the Galleria serves as lead in development for the Addison area, so, the retail surrounding the Texas Stadium cite will serve as lead-in to the Las Colinas urban area.
I do hope this has cleared up any confusion and has contributed insight to the OP as well.
Thank you.

The OP wants a location with more of a "country" feel. Something the areas you are giving definitely do not have.

[Mister Nifty]

Originally Posted by mysterymachinebl

The OP wants a location with more of a "country" feel. Something the areas you are giving definitely do not have.

I see. And the area which I gave doesn't exist yet. If he is interested in investment, then I was giving him an option. You know, the Shops at Willow Bend is losing a store. So, I'm thinking the shopping isn't expanding northward of the Galleria but along Loop 12 further eastward from Northpark and west of Preston Center to the area I mentioned around Texas Stadium. It really needs a developer with a vision to make it work.
Some people expect Dallas - Fort Worth to surpass the population of Chicago in the very near future sooner than later actually. That amount of people is certainly going to create new commercial shopping districts considering Dallas - Fort Worth also serves the southwest, and by then, probably the south as well.
It has been said that Highland Park Shopping Village serves an area of 22 states. Discounting the tiny states of the northeast, that amount encompasses a huge area over half the lower 48 states of the United States.
He certainly will realize the obvious options available to him or her. I'm just providing another one.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by Mister Nifty

Look, you are a local. I am not trying to give you insight. I think most of the local people in the Dallas - Fort Worth area are too close to the trees to see the forest.
It is expected that the area surrounding the old Texas Stadium cite will develop into retail. As the Dallas - Fort Worth area will approach the size of Chicago, some think sooner than later, then other Commercial Shopping Districts are sure to develop like the ones that already exist. As the Galleria serves as lead in development for the Addison area, so, the retail surrounding the Texas Stadium cite will serve as lead-in to the Las Colinas urban area.
I do hope this has cleared up any confusion and has contributed insight to the OP as well.
Thank you.

WTF?! I'm a local and your gibberish made no sense to me...I can only imagine how confused OP must be! He wants rural/country and you recommend and empty building site with no current development plans funded for an "investment."

please stop doing whatever crazy drugs you're on and come post when you're sober and can get out a coherent thought.

Someone posts seeking a HOME in a rural area, no mention of crime or shopping in his OP. And you think it's helpful to give investment property advice (it would probably cost $5-20M to develop the land you mentioned), some weird rant about criminals and a bizarre explanation about shopping districts in Dallas?? How exactly is that helpful???

[TXNGL]

Originally Posted by jeffari-al-texani

uhm...am I the only one that is slightly confused after reading Mister Nifty's post???

No, I'm pretty sure you aren't alone.

[Mister Nifty]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

WTF?! I'm a local and your gibberish made no sense to me...I can only imagine how confused OP must be! He wants rural/country and you recommend and empty building site with no current development plans funded for an "investment."

please stop doing whatever crazy drugs you're on and come post when you're sober and can get out a coherent thought.

Someone posts seeking a HOME in a rural area, no mention of crime or shopping in his OP. And you think it's helpful to give investment property advice (it would probably cost $5-20M to develop the land you mentioned), some weird rant about criminals and a bizarre explanation about shopping districts in Dallas?? How exactly is that helpful???

It is important to take into account what the OP desires to know, yes, but also important to provide them with insight in the Las Colinas area as well. Fact is, the shops at Willow Bend in Plano did lose a SAKs while it does seem that rather than it expand further north, the shopping corridor in Dallas is expanding more eastward and westward along Loop 12 from Northpark and Preston Center respectively towards the area I mentioned surrounding the demolished Texas Stadium. Anyway, here is the cite of the planned development. At the Crossroads of Dallas-Fort Worth | Re-Development Opportunities for a Post-Cowboys Texas Stadium
Granted, because of the recession and the rebuilding of the interchange in the immediate area, the development could be years off http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-tex...,2916382.story
But all this information is valuable to know nontheless.
A person looking at buying a home somewhere close to Las Colinas would be wise to take this information into account.
The Shops at Willow Bend was intended to be more upscale, correct? Perhaps someday it will acheive this designation on the level of Northpark or the Galleria, but right now it seems to be struggling. The retail expanding eastward of Northpark and westward of Preston Center along Loop 12 won't be upscale. There is no question in what have been the long established upscale commerical shopping districts serving this area, so the new developments should become less upscale in comparison.
Look, you start with retail. What is the problem with Uptown? Why are people in central Dallas always kicking themselves in the head? It is because they know good and well that the area just doesn't have enough retail.
IMHO, I don't think the area of central Dallas will ever establish any significant retail. The reason why is obvious to everyone. I try to stay away from such controversial social issues myself. Shh . . .

[TXNGL]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

WTF?! I'm a local and your gibberish made no sense to me...I can only imagine how confused OP must be! He wants rural/country and you recommend and empty building site with no current development plans funded for an "investment."

please stop doing whatever crazy drugs you're on and come post when you're sober and can get out a coherent thought.

Someone posts seeking a HOME in a rural area, no mention of crime or shopping in his OP. And you think it's helpful to give investment property advice (it would probably cost $5-20M to develop the land you mentioned), some weird rant about criminals and a bizarre explanation about shopping districts in Dallas?? How exactly is that helpful???

I keep wondering of Mister Nifty is somehow involved with commercial development. Even if he is, these posts really aren't making sense.