how bad is the commute from addison to waxahatchie???? (Dallas: transfer, neighborhood)

[Lakewooder]

If you want a historic home look here: PRESERVATION DALLAS

[peripie]

Thanks for all of the advice!!! I had wanted a historic property in a smaller area other than Dallas, but the commute sounds awful. I will keep on looking!!

[ChristieP]

Grapevine has lots of historic properties in the downtown area, and the commute to Addison is about 30 minutes.

[MaryS80]

Originally Posted by peripie

Thanks for all of the advice!!! I had wanted a historic property in a smaller area other than Dallas, but the commute sounds awful. I will keep on looking!!

There are some nice older houses in Garland in the area near Central Park and Garland High School. Momof2DFW posted some pics of the area on another thread. Most places have older homes, their just a bit harder to find. A lot of times they are more off the beaten path. There's a real nice old large farmhouse around the corner from Firewheel Mall.

I'd also look around the Wylie/Sachse area, and over in Rockwall. Both areas currently have traffic issue due to road contrustion. Both are on or near Lake Ray Hubbard. Rockwall has lost a lot of it small town charm, but its still a good place. Wylie and Sachse are are growing as well. It's a bit of a commute, but nothing unbearable. Sachse is a part of Garland I.S.D. and Wylie has their own school district. Myself I have some concerns about Sachse H.S.

Price wise Rockwall may seem the higher of the two, but I've seen some really good deals on older homes in Rockwall. Personally I like mid-century and earlier. Here in Dallas though the mantra tends to be bigger and newer equals better, but that just means less competition for those of use that like older homes.

I know you are seeking more of a small town, but even inside Dallas proper there are great older homes. Lakewood, and Lake Highlands the homes in those area span from the earlier last century to just after the second world war. Living in those areas would also make for a much easier commute.

[loves2read]

depending on what your definition of "historical' is --I wouldn't say that Grapevine has "lots" of historic homes--they have older homes close to their downtown section and they have one section of newer homes right by the rr tracks that are built to look like more historical type homes...
do an MLS search for homes built before 1950 and see what comes up...right now there are like 7 homes built before 1960 and none before 1930

FTW has several pretty nice historical subdivisions--some from pre 1900 and some houses are pretty pricey--but that might be too far for your commute...

[lh_newbie]

Most of the historical homes in downtown grapevine are owned by one guy. He's holding them as the area goes through a boom. My parents tried to get one - as my dad taught wood shop for 20+ years and does AMAZING work on homes. The city was trying to help them get one, also, as they saw some of the pictures of the work he did and really wanted him to restore one of the neat homes.

Brian

[DFWMike]

If you want a historical neighborhood close to addison, check McKinney. Thats still about 40 minutes in traffic, but better than the hour and a half you would spend travelling to Waxahachie in rush hour. If you don't have kids you may want to reconsider Dallas, some great historical properties there, nice neighborhoods and you would be going against rush hour. North Dallas is actually rather safe as are some neighborhoods in east Dallas, the only problem would be if you wanted your kids to go to public school. Despite what anyone says, DISD schools are horrible except for the magnet schools.

[hamiltonpl]

Originally Posted by peripie

Thanks for all of the advice!!! I had wanted a historic property in a smaller area other than Dallas, but the commute sounds awful. I will keep on looking!!

Dallas is going to have the most historical homes. Plus, big cities are nothing more than a lot of small towns combining under one name.

You'll see your neighbors at the grocery store, gym, restaurants, etc... They wave to you on the street. They'll stop and talk to you while you're working in the yard.

I've lived in Tyler, Waco, and Dallas. And for me, Dallas actually had the friendliest people. My neighborhood in Dallas feels more "small town" (as far as the neighborhood is concerned) than Waco or Tyler ever did. But on the other hand, you're just minutes away from all the big city has to offer. Living in the center city of Dallas really is the best of both worlds.

Don't count Dallas out. It has a lot going for it.

[Lakewooder]

DFW Mike do you call Yale and Princeton horrible? That's where Woodrow's top two grads are going...

No other high school public or private in North Texas was able to do that this year.

[mckinneydeb]

Originally Posted by DFWMike

If you want a historical neighborhood close to addison, check McKinney. Thats still about 40 minutes in traffic, but better than the hour and a half you would spend travelling to Waxahachie in rush hour....

Yes, McKinney has "historical" homes in many price ranges. The historic district consists of several blocks around the downtown square. Still a small town feel in the area but a lot of new restaurants coming in and even an art gallery or two. West of HWY 75 you'll find plenty of shopping. And you are less than an hour from Dallas for major entertainment venues. With the expansion of the HOV lanes to Allen, the commute will be even better for Dallas. As for Addison, I don't travel that way very often, but I'd say it's probably at least 45 minutes in traffic.

I'd suggest that you find a good realtor in McKinney who can direct you to neighborhoods undergoing revitalization. As one person put it, just because it's old doesn't mean it needs to be preserved, thus the revitalization verses preservation in the historic district. Many older homes are being snatched up by investors looking to make a quick flip and lots of profits. However, if you're up to doing some renovations yourself, there are many hidden jewels here.