Southlake confirmed! (Dallas, Fort Worth, Irving: rental, low crime, houses)

[NutsMum]

Hello, it's a while since I've been on here....... we are relocating from the UK in early June. Originally my husband was told he would be working in Irving..... but we've now had it confirmed that it is in fact Southlake.

Same list as before..... great schools, nice neighborhood, low crime and things to do with the kids. I was getting alot of good pointers leaning me towards Coppell, but now we know it's Southlake?? my head hurts!
Opinions on Southlake, Colleyville appreciated, I know these are expensive, so any other suggestions that side of the lake would be great!
Information also on Trophy Club and Keller...... don't know alot about these areas.

We are flying over on April 2nd and we have exactly ONE WEEK to find our school!! Any help would be wonderful!

[ClarenceBodiker]

Southlake seems to strike a lot of heated and divisive opinions between people on the Dallas forum, at least in the past. You might want to ask the Fort Worth forum as well if you haven't already.

I think it seems like a pretty nice and quaint place to live. The schools and athletics are exceptional. There's a lot of parental/community involvement in the schools. Their town center is one of the more successful and lively developments of its kind in DFW and attracts people from all over Tarrant County with its shopping, retail, and entertainment.

Colleyville is in a different, but also quality, school district. It's a sleepier, more laid back town than Southlake. I personally think it's prettier and more picturesque, but better shopping and entertainment exists in Southlake. However, they're right next to each other so it's not like you can't live in Collevyille and drive to Southlake.

Both towns are quite wealthy.




Keller is also a popular suburb right now with great schools, but to me it's a bit more ordinary than the other two. Still very nice, but I wonder if it will be as nice as Colleyville or Southlake 20 years down the road. My gut feeling is no. I honestly have had little to no experience with Trophy Club and Coppell, but from what I have read, Coppell has one of the top districts in DFW. Be sure to check into Grapevine as well. You'd probably be happy in any of these places, and frankly, your life wouldn't be too much different.

[mSooner]

Keller is nice--definitely still being built up. Nice neighborhoods and community amenities--I've done three triathlons at their beautiful natatorium and running trails!

Not sure how the schools compare to Southlake--they aren't "bad," just don't know if they are quite as good.

Don't know anything about Trophy Club. You might check out Grapevine.

Depending on where he is working in Southlake, Flower Mound isn't too bad of a drive (especially the southern end)

[formerny'er]

Here's some information on Trophy Club and Keller, hope it helps. Trophy Club actually borders Southlake so it would make for an easy commute. It is part of Northwest ISD which is a good district. My children go to Northwest schools and we are very happy with them. If you live in Trophy Club all of the schools your children would attend are located within Trophy Club, high school, middle school and elementary. Trophy Club actually started out as a master planned community around the golf course and country club. It has expanded over the years. Keller is also regarded as a good school district. The one recommendation I would make is to look in Keller proper, not the parts of Ft Worth that border it. Those areas are not holding their value as well as homes that are in the boundaries of Keller. Also the city of Ft Worth offers few amenities to its residents in that area. Southlake is a very well regarded school district. I don't know what price point you are looking at, but that may be an option for you as well. You could try posting this on the Ft Worth forum, you will probably get more responses.

[GreyDay]

Southlake schools are exemplary. But remember this just means that 90% of the students pass the test. Which is like saying 90% of the students pass the test with a C-. No one's kicking butt and taking names. I'd check to see SAT scores of the highschools as a better guide.

Southlake is nice. I work out there. But I get the feeling that it's overpriced suburbia. There's nothing particularly special about any area or house which is dangerous come resale time IMO. There's no great premium on land, it's not very accessible to Dallas. So what'll put your giant 6000 sq ft house above the other 6000 sq ft house?

[ChristieP]

What's your budget for housing?
Are you buying or renting?

Definitely consider Grapevine, too. We are Southlake's neighbor on the east side, and it is a quick, easy drive. Housing in Grapevine is MUCH less expensive than in Southlake, and GCISD schools are very well-regarded. And if you are planning to buy, know that Grapevine has some of the lowest property taxes in Tarrant County!

[adixyz]

Depending on where he is working in Southlake, Flower Mound isn't too bad of a drive (especially the southern end)

I live in FM and have neighbors who work in Southlake. Academically FM schools are better than Southlake schools.

[NutsMum]

Thankyou for your replies.... all helpful.

We are going to be renting and initially due to the fact we still have a house in the UK, our budget is $2,500.00 a month. Southlake/Colleyville too expensive?

Which are the better areas of Grapevine? I wouldn't want to be within walking distance of DFW Airport.

[NutsMum]

Sorry forgot to mention........ looking on Realtor.com and Trulia...... hardly any rental houses. Where else should I be looking or am I best just contacting a real estate agent? If anyone can recommended one I would really appreciate the details being mailed to me.

Thankyou!

[ChristieP]

The best parts of Grapevine are either the far north (by Lake Grapevine) or the southwest parts by Parr Park or on the east side of 121. With your budget, Southlake will most likely out of the question, and there are very few rental houses there as you've seen.

We can't post reat estate recommendations here, so PM me if you want the name of a good Grapevine rental company.