Housing budget? (Dallas, Plano, Irving: real estate, HOA, how much)

[NOEL123]

What will be my budget to buy a single house with 3 bd around Plano, Irving or not more than 30 drive to downtown Dallas?. How much is Property tax? Does every house has central air and heat or even a swimming pool? What is the average cost of your bills during summer time? Should I worry about my heating bills?

[jennifw]

I would start with Realtor.com and start looking around to see what you like and what you can afford. You can take the addresses over to the County tax records (Dallas County Appraisal District or perhaps Colin County) to see what the current taxes look like.

Most houses built in the past 40 years will have central air/heat. I would say pools really depend on the neighborhood - some neighborhoods seem to have a pool at every house, others are few and far between. It should be listed on the real estate listing.

Good luck.

[jerryvp]

I have lived in the Plano area and all my children attended Plano schools. Schools are one of the primary reasons my clients select Plano.

A three bedroom home in Plano is going to start at about $150,000. Taxes are about 2.25% of the appraised value.

The commute to downtown Dallas is about 30 minutes in normal (not rush hour) traffic. It can be an hour in rush hour.

There is Light Rail service to downtown along highway 75. If this can work for you it is a great option.

Good luck.

[mSooner]

Nothing else to add that others haven't said except Central Air is a must (and you'll be hard pressed to find a home without it) and pools are common but not every home has one.

[loves2read]

look at an MLS site--+
you can see what any neighborhood has to offer specifically
heating bills are not nearly the cost of electric bills since most homes have gas heating and electric AC--

AC bills vary too much by size of home, age/size of equipment, and other incidentals -- like how low/high you keep the thermostate, other incidentals--like pool pumps...

[NOEL123]

Do you have to pay HOA since from what I've been seeing all houses has nice front yard or curb appeal not to mention facilities within the housing complex?.

What about public school in Plano, are they good or v. good?

Talking about electric bill during summer in Pennsylvania will cost around $250/mth and $300-400/mth for gas bill in winter time. So what would be the cost over in Plano, TX.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Yes, any area with a HOA has dues to it. Some are relatively cheap, maybe $150/quarter, some are much more expensive. You can see the dues on realtor.com listings (usually) but your realtor is able to tell you exactly.

[Pete53FR]

I would avoid HOA dues as Texas has a history of Home Owner Associations gone berserk. Plenty to choose from without Home Owner Associations.

[jennifw]

Originally Posted by NOEL123

Talking about electric bill during summer in Pennsylvania will cost around $250/mth and $300-400/mth for gas bill in winter time. So what would be the cost over in Plano, TX.

The bills swing in the opposite direction down here. Higher bills in the summer and lower bills in the winter. I have an older home (1936) and had bills around $300-400 in the summer and closer to $150 (including gas) in the winter. Every house will differ based on square footage, windows, insulation, etc.