Moving to DFW from Pittsburgh Suburbs (Dallas, Fort Worth: houses, transfer, established neighborhood)

[Pixxiedust]

Our family is considering a move to the DFW area from the suburbs of Pittsburgh to be near my brother and his family who have been living in the area for a while. I'm approaching 40, my husband is in his mid 40s and we have 2 boys ages 8 and 10. We're a biracial family (Caucasian/ Black-hispanic) and diversity is important. Currently we live in the best school district of Pittsburgh and one of the best in PA. One of my kids has ADHD and anxiety so a good school district is one of my top priorities.

We also want a nice yard, our house here has a bit over 1/2 an acre of land and we live in a community with lots of mature trees, I'm hoping to find something similar. My husband would prefer a lake, creek or body of water right off our backyard where he and the boys could fish but I'm sure we could settle if we find a nice house that has fishing opportunities within walking distance. My brother lives in Prosper and while his house is really nice, I'm more fond of older houses with more character and bigger yards. I do want to be less than 45 mins from him though. We've been looking at Grapevine, The Colony, Coppell, Colleyville, Frisco etc. I'd like to be close to stores, restaurants, hospitals but also live in a community with families around the same age as mine. I work from home but my husband might be working in either Plano or Fort Worth, at least for the next 2 years until he retires from his current position, after that he'll be working from home. Any suggestions on where to focus? My brother is really bias with Prosper or Mckinney but the fishing/body of water is a must have. If it's up to my husband we'd move to the country where he could hunt and fish from his back deck but I'm more of a suburbs gal and want to interact with neighbors or run to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Our budget is around $450k.

[citidata18]

Lewisville might be good fit as well.

It's relatively more diverse than the cities you mentioned, and it gives you look access to both Lake Lewisville and Lake Grapevine

[ChristieP]

There is a HUGE geographic difference between Plano and Fort Worth. Prosper would not be a bad commute to Plano, but it would be absolutely horrible to commute to Fort Worth (as in well over an hour each way on a "good" day with no accidents or weather.) Your husband needs to firm up the work location before you make a decision.

Unfortunately, a $450k budget is not going to buy lakefront property in DFW. You'll need to be closer to $1M for that. Most of our lakes are Corps of Engineers managed, which means the shoreline is all public property. Also, the DFW lakes are within city limits, so hunting (and any discharge of a firearm) is not allowed. If you can wait until he retires, you can look at more rural property in east Texas, such as Lake Fork, Lake O' The Pines, Lake Palestine, etc.

[WorldKlas]

I vote Grapevine

[Pixxiedust]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

There is a HUGE geographic difference between Plano and Fort Worth. Prosper would not be a bad commute to Plano, but it would be absolutely horrible to commute to Fort Worth (as in well over an hour each way on a "good" day with no accidents or weather.) Your husband needs to firm up the work location before you make a decision.

Unfortunately, a $450k budget is not going to buy lakefront property in DFW. You'll need to be closer to $1M for that. Most of our lakes are Corps of Engineers managed, which means the shoreline is all public property. Also, the DFW lakes are within city limits, so hunting (and any discharge of a firearm) is not allowed. If you can wait until he retires, you can look at more rural property in east Texas, such as Lake Fork, Lake O' The Pines, Lake Palestine, etc.

Thank you! I know that Fort Worth and Plano are pretty far from each other and we won't be looking until I know which of the 2 offices he gets. He's requesting a transfer from his job and it might be one of those 2 offices that he gets, hopefully we'll know more sooner than later. I am not a rural person by any means, raised in Miami, I'm a city girl at heart and that's why I love the suburbs, you can get to the city quickly but you have more property. Hunting is not a big priority to me. My priority is a great school districts and my husband prefers nearby bodies of water for him to fish. As long as I have Target, Trader Joes and Whole Foods less than 10 mins drive, I'm a happy camper! I've never been to grapevine but from my internet searches, it looks like it might fit the bill. Am I correct?

[Pixxiedust]

Originally Posted by WorldKlas

I vote Grapevine

Thank you!

[mastershake575]

Plano office will be tricky given what your looking for.

Getting into a mature/established neighborhood in Dallas County/Southern half of collin county with great schools for under 450k is already tricky enough. Add in wanting a lot that that's 2.5-3x higher than the average for that area + possible creek view and it gets even more difficult.

I would say Sherrill Park golf course if you end up in Plano office. Neighborhood was built late 70s to mid 80s in an area that was already a greenbelt. Decent size lots and plenty of houses in your budget that back up to either the golf course itself or the nearby creek.

In regards to the Fort Worth office I would post this same question in the Fort Worth subsection since you'll get more answers over in there

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by Pixxiedust

Thank you! I know that Fort Worth and Plano are pretty far from each other and we won't be looking until I know which of the 2 offices he gets. He's requesting a transfer from his job and it might be one of those 2 offices that he gets, hopefully we'll know more sooner than later. I am not a rural person by any means, raised in Miami, I'm a city girl at heart and that's why I love the suburbs, you can get to the city quickly but you have more property. Hunting is not a big priority to me. My priority is a great school districts and my husband prefers nearby bodies of water for him to fish. As long as I have Target, Trader Joes and Whole Foods less than 10 mins drive, I'm a happy camper! I've never been to grapevine but from my internet searches, it looks like it might fit the bill. Am I correct?

As long as his office is in Fort Worth, Grapevine would definitely work. Be aware that the fishing will not be from a deck on the back of your house as all of the lakeshore is public parks, but you can definitely be just a few minutes' walk or drive away. There are public boat ramps in the parks, along several marinas where you can slip a boat. GCISD schools are among the best in DFW.

I've lived in Grapevine since 2002, so ask away. There is a Trader Joes' in Southlake, a Whole Foods in Colleyville, and we have both regular Target and Super Target. You'll also learn to love Central Market and Market Street which are Texas grocery stores in the area.

[GigiTer]

The hardest part of your “wants” will be the over 1/2 an acre in the suburbs. We came last year from the Philly area where everyone was on 3/4 an acre lots - here it’s more like 1/4 acre and less with the tall privacy fencing.

Good schools, and a plethora of shopping/restaurants are all over every suburb!