Where to buy a new home in Dallas for single guy? (McKinney: professionals, bars)

[raywhataday]

Originally Posted by lpepping

There is a neighborhood just south of beltline and marsh that has some nice houses. The only thing is that some areas don't let you park your car in front of the house. A friend of mine lived in that area and they always had to move cars to the driveway in the alley. Kind of weird I thought.

This is exactly the neighborhood that I was recommending to the OP. The homes around Brookhaven Country Club. There are some recently constructed homes just west of Brookhaven College, but they are large, and may not be suitable for a single guy. Also, OP, the Farmers Branch police station is right down the street from this neighborhood, so it's pretty safe. There are a few older apartment buildings off of Marsh that are mostly occupied by Brookhaven students or the Addison service industry workers, but again the police station is right down the street, and trust me, Farmers Branch don't take no crap! DO NOT SPEED ON MARSH LN!

Regarding the parking, again, strict neighborhood associations, but that is what also keeps the neighborhood from going to the birds.

[lh_newbie]

Originally Posted by mixxalot

Hi y'all,

I am looking into buying a new home from a quality builder like Lennar, Centex, etc in Dallas/Ft. Worth area. What areas would be great place to buy for a single guy who wants to be in a decent area close to the nightlife, shopping malls, restaurants, etc. I looked into downtown Dallas but it is VERY EXPENSIVE. Then I checked other places for new homes but they are kinda far like 30 miles outside of Dallas in places like Mesquite and Forney.

Also compared to southern California it is affordable place for single professional to buy and just wondering what living in Dallas and Ft Worth is like compared to southern California. Are the bugs and weather really that bad? How is traffic? I hear its as bad as Los Angeles but since I work as a consultant I would either be out of town or working from home so not that big a concern unless I happen to head into downtown for a good dinner, shopping or clubbing.

Cheers
Scott

Nightlife. Please define - means different things to different people. Lower Greenville, Knox/Hendersen and Uptown are all fun places NEAR downtown, but you certainly don't have to live in downtown. Live Oak Lofts are downtown - and I believe you can get a 2/2 for something like $175K. The DART (light rail public transit) is being built along side of them, so there may be some construction noise for another year or two - but then access to the whole city cracks wide open.

Traffic - it is in NO WAY anything like Los Angeles. LA is the worst traffic in the country. Dallas traffic is a complete joke compared to it. 30 miles here can mean 30 minutes in non-peak traffic times or 45-50 minutes during rush hour. In LA, this is like 90 minutes if your lucky. I refuse to drive in LA and avoid it like the plague.

I think it's in 2012/2013 timeframe that the DART rail is going into DFW airport - so unfortunately, that doesn't help you with your consulting/travel for quite some time.

Brian

[galore]

I'd rent in the Village, Uptown or Mockingbird Station for a few months, get to know the area and then look for a house.

[lh_newbie]

The Village (TheVillageapts.com | Home) is a great option - I moved there after I sold one home and was searching for a new one. They do 3-, 6- and 12-month leases. You pay an upcharge for short term leases, but it's a VERY nice option to have when you are exploring your options. Good call, Galore.

The Village has great accessibility to the city:

On the Northern border of their property is Northwest Highway. If you fly from Dallas Love - it's literally a 15 minute drive (WITH traffic).

On the Eastern border is Greenville - lots of places to eat (Royal Thai is my favorite Thai restaurant in Dallas), a Sigels (beer/liquor) and shop.

On the Southern border is Lovers Lane. There's a Tom Thumb AND a Central Market right there - so no problem with getting groceries.

There is a DART rail station a 3 minute walk from the corner of Lovers and Greenville.

The grounds has a "country club" that has lots of events - including local radio stations and plenty of parties. Gyms, tennis courts/leagues, a net for practicing golf driving, pools (lap pool even), trails/ponds, volleyball courts and baseball courts/leagues. It really is a VERY well maintained area and is perfect for an active person. Lots of interaction between the residents. Great way to get involved in a new area and make friends fast.

If you are a cyclist or runner, you also have a short (~ 2 mile) ride/drive/jog to White Rock Lake, which is by far the most heavily used park/lake in the region for active people. Go there on a Saturday morning and you're almost fighting for a parking place... all the way around the lake. TONS of people and great trails. If you cycle, the people there are very friendly. I've struck up many, MANY conversations with fellow cyclists there while I was training.

Hope this helps to get the feel for the Villages. The location really is wonderful. Snag the DART rail, go downtown, hit some clubs, have some drinks, and let DART get you back home.

Brian

[Lakewooder]

Your problem is that the nightlife is not near DFW, it's in Central Dallas. Of course we shall have a DART rail line to the airport in a few years and you can go by TRE with a bus connection now. I live in Lakewood and if I go to the airport at off-peak traffic times, it only takes 30 minutes or so.

What is your price range? The new homes being built around East Dallas go to over a million but I have seen some in the Knox-Henderson area in the higher $400s - $500s. Townhouses are cheaper but I don't really think they are a good investment unless you intend to stay for a decade at least. You might be better off trying to find an older home to renovate. You can (with a bit of searching) find something around Junius Heights Historic District in the $200s or less (fixer-upper). That area (I know personally) is a good investment as it just became a historic district and abuts the much more expensive Swiss Ave, Munger Place, Abrams/Brookside and Lakewood additions. It is also the only place to get Craftsman Bungalows with the guarantee of no teardowns. And it is served by the exemplary (for three years) Lipscomb Elementary. (Knox Henderson -- Henderson side has the exemplary Bonham Elementary). You can walk to many cool stores, restaurants and bars/pubs. Anything else in close-in Dallas (Southside/Cedars, Deep Ellum, Oak Lawn/Uptown, Downtown/Victory, West Village,Mockingbird Station, etc) is a $10 cab ride away - visa-versa if you want to live in one of those places.

You should also look around Lower Greenville. You can also walk to night life from there..

Search 75206 and 75214.

[Lakewooder]

Originally Posted by lh_newbie

The Village (TheVillageapts.com | Home) is a great option - I moved there after I sold one home and was searching for a new one. They do 3-, 6- and 12-month leases. You pay an upcharge for short term leases, but it's a VERY nice option to have when you are exploring your options. Good call, Galore.

The Village has great accessibility to the city:

On the Northern border of their property is Northwest Highway. If you fly from Dallas Love - it's literally a 15 minute drive (WITH traffic).

On the Eastern border is Greenville - lots of places to eat (Royal Thai is my favorite Thai restaurant in Dallas), a Sigels (beer/liquor) and shop.

On the Southern border is Lovers Lane. There's a Tom Thumb AND a Central Market right there - so no problem with getting groceries.

There is a DART rail station a 3 minute walk from the corner of Lovers and Greenville.

The grounds has a "country club" that has lots of events - including local radio stations and plenty of parties. Gyms, tennis courts/leagues, a net for practicing golf driving, pools (lap pool even), trails/ponds, volleyball courts and baseball courts/leagues. It really is a VERY well maintained area and is perfect for an active person. Lots of interaction between the residents. Great way to get involved in a new area and make friends fast.

If you are a cyclist or runner, you also have a short (~ 2 mile) ride/drive/jog to White Rock Lake, which is by far the most heavily used park/lake in the region for active people. Go there on a Saturday morning and you're almost fighting for a parking place... all the way around the lake. TONS of people and great trails. If you cycle, the people there are very friendly. I've struck up many, MANY conversations with fellow cyclists there while I was training.

Hope this helps to get the feel for the Villages. The location really is wonderful. Snag the DART rail, go downtown, hit some clubs, have some drinks, and let DART get you back home.

Brian

There are also some apartments and converted condos just south of this (bordered by Lover's Lane, Greenville, Skillman, DART/Katy Trail Expansion - University runs through). You can get a condo for less than $200,000 and there is a lot of redevelopment slated for this area that is not yet visible. These buildings are pretty well built and spacious. Many have real fireplaces (not the little metal boxes they use today) and hardwood floors - some also have dens in addition to a formal living and dining. The SMU express (anyone can use it) bus serves this area -- lots of young people. And you are close to 3 DART stations plus the jewel of Dallas, White Rock Lake. Central Expressway is a block or two away if you prefer to drive. It's in the Recognized (and very popular socially) Stonewall Jackson Elementary district. With that and SMU and Greenville Ave. nearby, there is always high demand.

[mixxalot]

Thanks for the tips. I will probably rent near Dallas for a while and do my hunting. Since I only would drive once a while to airport it would not be too big an issue. Will continue my research.


Cheers
Scott

[ISellAddison]

Addison does have more than apartments, condos and townhouses. The new current construction, however, is in the townhouse market, near Addison Circle. If you do want a single family house in Addison, there are 3 residential areas: 1) north of Addison airport; 2) east of the Tollway between Beltline Road and Celestial Rd & between Montfort and Winnwood; and 3) between Midway and Marsh & between Beltline and Proton.

[Bigtex77]

If you want to live closer to the "fun" you are going to need to buy an older house or a condo in Uptown Dallas. Addison does have a lot of places to go, but oh my, the traffic is horrendous. You can sit for an hour 2 miles from your house.

If you want a new home, you will have to move to the "burbs" with all the families.

Or you can live in an apartment in The Village area.

[loves2read]

why do the terms "quality builder" and Lennar, Centex seem opposites...