Reasons NOT to move to McKinney-Calling all the usual suspects

[LoveDallas]

Wow...lots of comments here. Moderator cut: not allowed I think the reason you are having so much difficulty with absorption rate is probably because of the diversity of the neighborhoods. I think if you are planning on investing you want to stay West of 75 and as far South as posible (don't go North of Virginia for maximum investment potential right now). Yes McKinney is slated to be twice the size of Plano someday but the fact is that Money magazie listed it as one of the best places to live and move to and Frisco is one of the fastest growing cities in the USA. Frisco being compared to Mesquite? That is crazy talk as there is too much money in that city for it to go ghetto. Truthfully, the Dallas market in general over a 10 year period of time should be a pretty safe bet. Our market is not as volitile as California, Florida and other high swinging markets. Dallas area (and Collin County especially) typically shows small gains that continue to move forward. Not saying there was no backward swing during this economy but very little compared to the rest of the country and prices have already started swinging back up. This is not my opinion but is according to local economists. Good luck with your investment.
Tanya

[YouKnowWho]

Wow, it feels like I've become bipolar after reading some of the comments here.

I don't live in McKinney. Rather, I live in Allen. Just moved here not too long ago and love it.

McKinney is nice too. As someone said, it has trees, something I love. The neighborhoods west of 75 are nicer. The first time I went through the east side was about 10 years ago. And every year since then, I've been saddened by the condition of it, especially along Hwy 5. It's as if portions of south Dallas have crept in. While the downtown area has the old-school, back-in-the-day charm (something I actually love), it's scary to think the run-down part is just around the corner from it. Town Lake is another disappointment, again, on the east side. About 15 years ago, my parents looked in McKinney back when El Dorado was first being built. Town Lake was THE place to play and engage in recreational fun. It may still be but with totally different demographics.

As for the comments about city/county leadership -- I've never had to experience the legal system here, or anywhere for that matter. I don't plan on it either, not to say those who had to be involved did so by choice. I also don't know family or friends who would make a baseless accusation such as child molestation. However, since politics was mentioned, I would be curious to know about CC's elected officials, from all perspectives. I believe I'll start a separate thread so I don't hijack this one...

McKinney is a nice area (even though I live in Allen), so is Collin County in general. Unfortunately, some have bad experiences while others didn't -- for those who have had them, no need to come back if you don't have to. For those who haven't, no need to worry about anything if the legal system isn't something you've had to deal with in the past, here or elsewhere...

[CTR36]

I've lived in McKinney since 1999. My mother lives on the East side (gasp) and likes it. I live in SBR right near Custer. And no, we aren't zoned for Frisco ISD. None of us are. We are all McKinney ISD. You have to live West of Custer to be considered Frisco and then you are no longer in Stonebridge. We have loved living here. I actually worked for the city for some time back 10 years ago. My sister worked for the county. And like every other place in America, both corporate and public sector, you have your bad apples, nothing different here. What is different is the small town feel. I love the schools, I love our downtown area with the square and the shops. I love strolling at night thru the square with my sweetheart and enjoying the live music coming from the quaint restaurants. I love that we know each other and my kids all know each other when we go out to eat or are at a store everyone always says hello or shakes our hand, gives us a warm smile.
There's a down home kind of feeling without them being all in your business, know what I mean?
We've lived in Dallas, Carrollton and Farmers Branch before moving here and McKinney is our favorite one. We have children ages 19, 13 and 9 so we have experienced elementary, middle and high school without any complaints. Our oldest is now in college and all three love their schools. Sure there are bad and good teachers, just like every where else. We will be staying in McKinney for the long haul.
This is THE kind of town for us. Rolling hills, trees and the occasional bobcat in our back yard (yikes, I'm not kidding!!!) due to the wooded areas in Stonebridge make this part of Texas home to us

[CREW747]

I think the best parts of Mc Kinney have yet to be built.Tucker Hill should be nice when it takes off and the newest parts of Stonebridge off virginia are looking good.Alot of the subdivisions off of Eldorado ( most of west Mc Kinney comes across as unkept subdivisions compared to Many in Frisco,Prosper and Allen.The price ranges are lower and that also effects the housing rental market.There are many rental homes in Mc Kinney that are priced very reasonable.Renters sometimes lack in the upkeep area when it comes to landscaping.

[manna242]

Thanks for the info on Mckinney. I am a NJ native but trying to survive out here is coming to be more impossible. I don't own a home...I rent an apartment. I have 3 kids and a great wife who at the moment does not drive. she is a Brooklyn native which is why she never had to get a license. So I am asking for advice as where might be the most affordable and best place to live in TX...my eye has been on Mckinney but not too sure yet...I greatly appreciate the time and any info anyone can give

[RockyJoe817]

Originally Posted by manna242

Thanks for the info on Mckinney. I am a NJ native but trying to survive out here is coming to be more impossible. I don't own a home...I rent an apartment. I have 3 kids and a great wife who at the moment does not drive. she is a Brooklyn native which is why she never had to get a license. So I am asking for advice as where might be the most affordable and best place to live in TX...my eye has been on Mckinney but not too sure yet...I greatly appreciate the time and any info anyone can give

To: manna242

The rule of thumb is to search for a place to live within 20 miles from you place of employment.
Other places of importance for many people may be commute to downtown Dallas or the DFW airport.

Your budget is important, schools are good in the majority of the cities that make up the
North Texas metroplex.

If you are moving from the east coast, most likely you may already want to have secured
employment down here in the metro before you move.

Mckinney is a nice growing city in the North Texas metroplex. As of this writing, I would say
Mckinney is between the city and the country. That will definetly be different within the next
ten years with the amount of population growth within the metro.

Since your wife does not drive, you may want to consider one of the cities which has access to the
bus/rail system for transportation.

[AmySArey]

I am curious as to whether you went from a "long-time-lurker" to a "long-time-liver / lover of Mckinney". I see this post was initiated in 2010 and being a long-term resident, I have seen homes in East Mckinney rapidly rise in value and sales prices from 250k on a very modest frame home to over 500k. As far as Mckinney not being a great investment area due to schools or only being 30% (?) built out (most would see that as room for opportunity. Not everyone moving to the area wants to build). The majority of the schools here are not only exemplary-rated, but are also blue-ribbon winners. Mckinney is also home of several Charter schools which have internationally-recognized college preparatory continuum programs. In 2014, Mckinney was voted America's #1 place to live by Money Magazine (primarily due to its "uniqueness" with the beautiful winding streets, trees, historical district, an area adjacent to the historical district with still-affordable frame homes (comparable to "M-Streets" or East Dallas communities) with convenience to the booming nightlife in "Downtown Mckinney" on Mckinney's Square. From art galleries, to boutique shops to the performing arts center and outdoor extravaganzas, you'll never be bored here, and you'll find people fiercely-protective of their neighborhood. (You will also save a lot of money on tolls

I am also a local Realtor who (although it was in the heat of the sellers market) sold the same home I helped clients buy two years prior, for 100k over what they bought it for. How's that for investment along with a great place to live? Just curious to know if you ever moved to Mckinney?

[braaier]

I'm renting in McKinney now. It's a pretty boring town. Nothing really going on. They've got a good popcorn shop downtown, but that's about it. Otherwise chain restaurants galore! We will be moving out of McKinney in the next few months. I certainly would not want to buy a house here. Too far from civilization.

[Katana49]

We enjoyed our time in McKinney, lived there for 5 years. For a family, it's a great place to live. The downtown area is pretty unique in Collin county, plenty of places to eat, shop, drink, etc. They have a lot of things going on multiple times a year, we still go to Oktoberfest every year.


Adriatica has taken off, good restaurants, and bars there too. We still go to Harry's on the Harbor for lunch on nice days to sit on the patio, and Zin Zen for the occasional date night.

[NTXPerson]

I think McKinney is very nice. I love its downtown and the festivals they put on throughout the year. They also have good schools. However, the only drawback for me is its distance. My job has offices in Dallas and Fort Worth that I frequently go to. Also, a lot of the events the industry I work in are in Dallas, Fort Worth, or the cities close by. I am one that hates long commutes, so I would not choose McKinney for that sole reason.

I do have family that lives in McKinney and they enjoy it. However, their home that they bought in 2015 hasn't appreciated in value a lot. They are competing with a lot of new development surrounding them. However, McKinney seems to be the place where a lot of young families are moving to because it is one of the more affordable suburbs in Collin County.