Career opportunity in Frisco (Dallas, Fort Worth: house prices, job market, landscaping)

[ACM1987]

Hi Everyone,

I currently live in Kansas City (have been here five years) and the city has really grown on me since my move from Brooklyn. Housing is remarkably affordable. Wages are disproportionately high by comparison. Traffic is minimal. Restaurants are good. People are very kind. This city has really become home to me. If the opportunity existed, I would stay here.

However, my fiancé works for a foreign owned company that has decided to exit the U.S. market. So he will be out of work in 6 months. Now, the job market in Kansas City is the one element of the city that is difficult (unless you work in healthcare) to navigate. It is even more complicated at "the top," of the banking market (very local, old families, legacy based), and he is a senior executive in financial services.

He is reasonably far down the road on a good job in Dallas. Specifically, it is in Frisco. If he gets the job, we will very seriously consider moving to Dallas. Here is the biggest dilemma we have; we would have to move quickly, we don't know much about the area, and we strive to live very comfortably within our means. From what we've researched, we're a bit nervous;

- Housing in Dallas/Frisco is about 35% more expensive then in Kansas City
- It seems like everywhere we look all the affordable family homes are generic, tract home developments, without much character or maturity
- We can't seem to find any affordable neighborhoods (300K - 400K) with privacy, maturity and some walkability
- We've read a number of different articles on traffic complications around commute times

Can anyone recommend areas we could look at? The following criteria;

- within a 30 minute commute time to Frisco, even in traffic
- well kept, mature neighborhood with some privacy and walkability
- single family home prices between 300K and 400K
- safe area, within a reasonable drive to busier and more metropolitan Dallas

Does an area like this exist?

Can anyone recommend an area to consider?

Are there any more questions I could answer for you?

Thanks so much!

[stan4]

Tough.

Try the neighborhood between Park and Plano Parkway and Ohio and Coit.

Old homes, mature landscaping, close to everything, even walkable to some things.

Small, old homes, though.

[turf3]

I haven't looked at house prices in these areas in a long time, but one could consider East Plano near (but not too near) the rebuilt downtown, or the older sections of Murphy. I don't know what a commute would be like.


If you insist on all shiny new huge houses you'll have great difficulty in finding what you want in a reasonable commute, but if you could tolerate living with middle class people in houses built in the 70s and 80s you can probably do OK.

[TurtleCreek80]

I would check in 75248- the parts west of Hillcrest to minimize commutes. It’s mostly city of Dallas with desirable Richardson ISD schools. Mostly built in the 1960’s with plenty of mature trees. That’s probably pushing 30 minutes in PM traffic but an easy 20-25 min AM commute to most of Frisco

[El Chingaso]

Originally Posted by stan4

Tough.

Try the neighborhood between Park and Plano Parkway and Ohio and Coit.

Old homes, mature landscaping, close to everything, even walkable to some things.

Small, old homes, though.

This is about the only range. I might suggest going East to Alma and not stopping at Coit.

[ACM1987]

Thank you everyone. This will prove helpful. We will look in these areas!

[mastershake575]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

I would check in 75248- the parts west of Hillcrest to minimize commutes. It’s mostly city of Dallas with desirable Richardson ISD schools. Mostly built in the 1960’s with plenty of mature trees. That’s probably pushing 30 minutes in PM traffic but an easy 20-25 min AM commute to most of Frisco

Great neighborhood. Amazing schools and your close to all the action (your basicially within 5-7 minutes of George Bush, 75, Dallas North Tollway, and 635).

The years are slightly off for the portion he can afford (everything North of Beltline). The only portion of that area that's 1960s is the area that kinda nut hugs JJ Pearce (inbetween meandering way and coit is pretty much all 1960s).

Inbetween Meandering Way and Hillcrest it become mostly 70s and then when you get West of Hillcrest (Prestonwood, Prestonwood Gardens, Campbell green) is virtual all 70s with the western portion being late 70s/early 80s as you get close to the golf course.

[UnfairPark]

Originally Posted by mastershake575

Great neighborhood. Amazing schools and your close to all the action (your basicially within 5-7 minutes of George Bush, 75, Dallas North Tollway, and 635).

The years are slightly off for the portion he can afford (everything North of Beltline). The only portion of that area that's 1960s is the area that kinda nut hugs JJ Pearce (inbetween meandering way and coit is pretty much all 1960s).

Inbetween Meandering Way and Hillcrest it become mostly 70s and then when you get West of Hillcrest (Prestonwood, Prestonwood Gardens, Campbell green) is virtual all 70s with the western portion being late 70s/early 80s as you get close to the golf course.

That’s a long drive from Frisco. Area around their Prestonwood Hills golf course in Plano would be much closer than Dallas, homes and location is very nice and schools are better as well.

Hills at Prestonwood Country Club - Plano Homes & Land

[biafra4life]

Originally Posted by ACM1987

Hi Everyone,

I currently live in Kansas City (have been here five years) and the city has really grown on me since my move from Brooklyn. Housing is remarkably affordable. Wages are disproportionately high by comparison. Traffic is minimal. Restaurants are good. People are very kind. This city has really become home to me. If the opportunity existed, I would stay here.

However, my fiancé works for a foreign owned company that has decided to exit the U.S. market. So he will be out of work in 6 months. Now, the job market in Kansas City is the one element of the city that is difficult (unless you work in healthcare) to navigate. It is even more complicated at "the top," of the banking market (very local, old families, legacy based), and he is a senior executive in financial services.

He is reasonably far down the road on a good job in Dallas. Specifically, it is in Frisco. If he gets the job, we will very seriously consider moving to Dallas. Here is the biggest dilemma we have; we would have to move quickly, we don't know much about the area, and we strive to live very comfortably within our means. From what we've researched, we're a bit nervous;

- Housing in Dallas/Frisco is about 35% more expensive then in Kansas City
- It seems like everywhere we look all the affordable family homes are generic, tract home developments, without much character or maturity
- We can't seem to find any affordable neighborhoods (300K - 400K) with privacy, maturity and some walkability
- We've read a number of different articles on traffic complications around commute times

Can anyone recommend areas we could look at? The following criteria;

- within a 30 minute commute time to Frisco, even in traffic
- well kept, mature neighborhood with some privacy and walkability
- single family home prices between 300K and 400K
- safe area, within a reasonable drive to busier and more metropolitan Dallas

Does an area like this exist?

Can anyone recommend an area to consider?

Are there any more questions I could answer for you?

Thanks so much!

My brother lived in KC for years working for Cerner, so I got to visit a few times. Really liked KC, it reminded me a lot of Fort Worth. Large enough for city living, but not crazy big like NYC or LA, plus that Power and Light district is just like Sundance Square in Fort Worth, plus most importantly, a cost of living that Dallas would have had 10 years ago. Good times.

Unfortunately, Dallas is no longer like KC in terms of cost of living. Like others have said, your budget wont go as far. I would add a few other areas, possibly parts of North Carrollton and Castle Hills I think would offer a decent commute with good homes.

Little Elm would work on commute and price, but it's not great for getting pretty much anywhere else in the metroplex honestly, and I dont know about the mature neighborhood parts.
McKinney might be another compromise. Especially West McKinney should provide a decent commute to Frisco, safe as well.

The issue is that most of Collin County is still fairly new, the oldest parts tend to be either the most expensive (West Plano) or the least desirable (parts of Central and East McKinney). Most of the rest tends to fall in the generic tract suburbia class. So you may have to compromise on some of your wish list. Good Luck.

[El Chingaso]

Originally Posted by UnfairPark

That’s a long drive from Frisco. Area around their Prestonwood Hills golf course in Plano would be much closer than Dallas, homes and location is very nice and schools are better as well.

Hills at Prestonwood Country Club - Plano Homes & Land

Why don’t you pay attention to the actual stats of the post before your west Plano homerism kicks in?

There’s almost zero inventory in the OP’s price range there. The areas suggested have maybe a 7 minute longer drive with actual homes they could buy.