Visiting Dallas - Recommendations?

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by DarinsMom

Here is what I am looking for:
- Low Cost of living

Depends on what metric you're looking at:
-No state income tax
-Property taxes are about 2.5% per year. That $150k home is going to come with a $3200-ish annual tax bill and a $1000-1200ish annual insurance premium.
-Depending on where you work & live, there are a TON of tollroads here. It's about $7-8/day to get from Frisco (a popular inexpensive suburb) to downtown Dallas and the tollroad is pretty much your only option for that 25-30 mile drive.
-Gas is about $3.70/ gallon right now.
-Sales tax is 8.25% and nearly everything is taxed, outside of some food items. (Some states do tax breaks for clothing under $100 or other "gimmes", but we don't. THink there's one weekend per year right before school starts but the "no tax" item list is pretty stringent).
-Typically people can afford a bigger home here than wherever they moved from, which means more square footage to heat & cool. We run our AC here from May-early October. Right now the bills are going to be awful as we are in a major heat wave (25 days of over 100 & counting!)
-Car insurance can be high here due to the large amount of uninsured motorists.
-Food & other household goods are probably the same or a bit less than in the northeast. Comprable if you're not coming from the city, less if you're coming from Boston.

Originally Posted by DarinsMom

- Reasonable housing costs

I think you are going to be disappointed at what you get for $120k in the Dallas area. You really need $180-200k to start looking at the solidly middle class neighborhoods that feed into great schools.

Originally Posted by DarinsMom

- Great schools for my son (he will be 8)

Some of the better school districts that are relatively near your budget are: Plano ISD (Best of this bunch), then Richardson ISD, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, Lewisville ISD, then Mansfield ISD, Frisco ISD, McKinney ISD. I have just named suburbs north, northwest, and southwest- so it will depend on your job location as to which you should explore.

Originally Posted by DarinsMom

- Decent job market (I'm in HR)

It's ok. Staying put at around 8% unemployment (more for those w/o college degree and about 4% for those with one), but so many people are moving here that the jobs being created aren't enough to hire those people AND the people already here & unemployed. I have noticed more recruiters calling my office in the past 6 months so some things must be picking up (although most are calling for jobs in the northeast, interestingly enough!)

Originally Posted by DarinsMom

- Minimal Snow

You're good there. We get about 1-2 snowfalls a year, a couple inches each time. No shoveling here

[Squirl]

If you rent month-to-month once you have settled in -- or do a 6 month lease -- you might just be able to pounce on a buy. Example: this is in Coppell School district. Small, but this community has held value beautifully. If you are watchful, patient and ready it can happen that you get a place in good schools at the right price; will be a bit of a fixer-upper. Just an example:
9006 Cumberland Dr Irving TX - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #11580709 - Realtor.com®