Suburb for middle aged couple, no kids? (Dallas, Fort Worth: renting, townhome)

[cbesatman]

Hi - like so many people I am being re-located to Dallas for my job. I will be working in downtown Dallas and don't mind a 30-40 minute commute or DART. Here's the kicker, we have no idea where my husband may find a job (currently in aerospace but considering something new). We are in our late 40s and early 50s with no kids and cannot figure out where we should concentrate our house hunting efforts. Any suggestions for suburbs where we should look for a 400k newer home (approx 3k sf)? Preferences = large lot (1/3 acre+), town type feel vs strip mall community, access to walking/hiking trails, dog friendly, view of something (lake, green space, etc). Towns we are considering = Rockwall (but being told it's too far), Coppell, Keller, Flower Mound. Thanks a bunch!!!

[dallas89]

I don't think Rockwall would be too bad of a drive but may be situated too far east if you don't know where your husband could end up for work. You may find Lake Ridge at Joe Pool Lake area appealing in the city of Cedar Hill as the area has large lots and access to nature with the lake being nearby. The drive to downtown would only be 20-25 mintues and Interstate 20 allows for a commute over to Arlington and Fort Worth

[CMC_TX]

Originally Posted by cbesatman

Hi - like so many people I am being re-located to Dallas for my job. I will be working in downtown Dallas and don't mind a 30-40 minute commute or DART. Here's the kicker, we have no idea where my husband may find a job (currently in aerospace but considering something new). We are in our late 40s and early 50s with no kids and cannot figure out where we should concentrate our house hunting efforts. Any suggestions for suburbs where we should look for a 400k newer home (approx 3k sf)? Preferences = large lot (1/3 acre+), town type feel vs strip mall community, access to walking/hiking trails, dog friendly, view of something (lake, green space, etc). Towns we are considering = Rockwall (but being told it's too far), Coppell, Keller, Flower Mound. Thanks a bunch!!!

Hi there - I think the challenge is going to be checking your requirements list AND staying within 30-40 minutes of downtown for your commute.

Traffic during rush hour is so bad that it'd be impossible to get from downtown to Flower Mound in 40 minutes during normal work hours.

The other issue is finding something around 400K that has the lot size you're looking for and is newer within that commute. That makes it even more challenging.

I would try to levelset expectations and determine which criteria is most important to you. Most suburbs in Dallas have very strip-mall centric, and that is a normal part of the suburban landscape here. In my opinion, the difference is whether they are nicely maintained strip malls with quality tenants, or if they're just one of the many strip malls with a ton of vacancies that are falling into various levels of disrepair due to over-saturation of retail.

Some suburban towns do a better job concealing them, though, with more appealing architecture, restrictions on business sign heights, etc, so I definitely think there are differences.

Coppell is nice and really sought after due to location and schools, but it is a typical corporate suburb full of a ton of strip malls and subdivisions. I wouldn't say it has a town feel, and the lots are definitely not going to be 1/3 acre at 400K.

I think Flower Mound would be a good option for you if you could reconcile that with your commute. Another good option (again, barring your commute) might be Grapevine or Colleyville, although the house you get in Colleyville would be challenging for that budget, but still possible. Grapevine has a really quaint, historic downtown with shops and restaurants and Colleyville has a nice town center. IMO, they are both visually nicer than your typical Dallas suburbs.

I would say stick with Grapevine / Colleyville / Flower Mound depending on how OK you are w/the potential commute.

[Rakin]

Getting a newer home with a 1/3 acre lot will be extremely difficult unless you get into the $600-800k price range.

Land is very difficult to find and expensive. Most lots now are barely .15-.20 acres.

[ChristieP]

Keller to downtown Dallas would be at least 45 minutes each way.
Rockwall at least has the DART Rail as an option.

That price range isn't going to get a large lot in either Grapevine or Colleyville. It will buy a nice house, though.

Coppell has very high property taxes compared with most cities in the area. Unless you need their excellent schools, there's no reason to pay those high taxes.

[metroxian]

I'd suggest renting a townhome in the Uptown area or Oak Lawn for a year. That's very near downtown. That would give you an opportunity to learn the Dallas area and visit areas that might satisfy your requirements. As well as time for your husband to scope out the employment scene. Knowing his work location would help prevent a serious commute error.

[cbesatman]

Thanks all for your input, greatly appreciated!

[Brookside]

Heath and Forney are nice, smaller communities that are east of downtown and about a 30 minute commute. Homes within you price range on large lots.

Here's some nice updated homes in your price range on a .5 to 1 acre lots

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...57-89382?row=4



http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...47-63970?row=7

[WorldKlas]

I also recommend renting something in Dallas for a year. Cedar hill is also a great suggestion.

[Tomorrow-by-the-sea]

Murphy has quite a few properties with 1/3 acre lots. The closest DART station would probably be 20 minutes away in Richardson.