Going crazy looking for a house in DFW (McKinney, Southlake: sale, new home)

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by indigo100

My issue with existing is the bidding war. I realize new construction quality isn't the best but the costs seem more in line. I do not have the ability to pay more than 450k.

Also, is Ft. Worth a good area? I am finding some decent new construction in Justin and Weatherford, as well as Fort Worth.

Parts of Fort Worth (southwest, north of 820) are very nice. There are very nice existing homes in Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Grapevine, Colleyville, etc.

Justin and Weatherford are both a long way out, and don't have all of the amenities you'll have in town. Definitely check on the availability of high speed internet.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by indigo100

My issue with existing is the bidding war. I realize new construction quality isn't the best but the costs seem more in line. I do not have the ability to pay more than 450k.

Also, is Ft. Worth a good area? I am finding some decent new construction in Justin and Weatherford, as well as Fort Worth.

Then look at houses in the $400k range if you’re that concerned about bidding wars. I think existing is a much better route right now. Builders are cancelling contracts and raising prices during construction. Plus completion is running way behind schedule across the board due to supply chain delays and now Covid illness again impacting crews. My in laws 3-4 month remodel took 9 months this year - and they still don’t have their appliances all in yet.

[Wittgenstein's Ghost]

Originally Posted by indigo100

My issue with existing is the bidding war. I realize new construction quality isn't the best but the costs seem more in line. I do not have the ability to pay more than 450k.

Also, is Ft. Worth a good area? I am finding some decent new construction in Justin and Weatherford, as well as Fort Worth.

I could be mistaken, but I believe new construction is selling for a significant premium right now. In fact, I don't think the new-existing gap has ever been larger.

[RonnieinDallas]

Originally Posted by indigo100

My issue with existing is the bidding war. I realize new construction quality isn't the best but the costs seem more in line. I do not have the ability to pay more than 450k.

Also, is Ft. Worth a good area? I am finding some decent new construction in Justin and Weatherford, as well as Fort Worth.

The expensive parts are. A lot of the city is just blah suburbia that hasn’t aged well at all. Fort Worth has all the big city problems but doesn’t offer enough of the big city amenities to make up for the hassle of living there. You have all the traffic, crime, failing schools, and a lack of good nightlife, retail, and dining. I’d pass on the neighborhoods in your budget.

Weatherford would probably be a safer bet. It’s a nice town that is growing rapidly. At this point it has all the big box store amenities Fort Worth has and you can avoid all the Bull. Hudson Oaks also has an HEB which is an excellent amenity. If you work remotely Weatherford/Aledo/Azle are good options.

[tcualum]

Originally Posted by RonnieinDallas

The expensive parts are. A lot of the city is just blah suburbia that hasn’t aged well at all. Fort Worth has all the big city problems but doesn’t offer enough of the big city amenities to make up for the hassle of living there. You have all the traffic, crime, failing schools, and a lack of good nightlife, retail, and dining. I’d pass on the neighborhoods in your budget.

Weatherford would probably be a safer bet. It’s a nice town that is growing rapidly. At this point it has all the big box store amenities Fort Worth has and you can avoid all the Bull. Hudson Oaks also has an HEB which is an excellent amenity. If you work remotely Weatherford/Aledo/Azle are good options.

Not true. There are some great places to live in Fort Worth and lots to do but the city definitely isn't as cheap as it used to be. As for new build, not only are they insanely expensive, but they're taking forever to build. It took a friend of mine 3x longer to get her home completed as she was quoted pre COVID when they started building.

[MthomasW]

Originally Posted by TX Rover

Oh, god no. Those 90’s floor plans where everyone walks into the dining room or formal living room? Gag me with a spoon. I was referring more to the actual quality of the construction.

Just curious about your thoughts on new construction? I’ve seen examples of corner-cutting such as electrical shorts, facades falling off the front of the house etc, water leaks right away. I bought a ‘76 home in Bedford with some nice updates and while we had some plumbing repairs and a full roof replacement, I feel better about the overall quality of the house vs the materials used now.
However, if a friend buys new, sometimes it can seem so enticing. Talk me out of being jealous lol.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my house. It has such character. But new can seem tempting on the surface. Yet I would wonder how houses built after 2012 will hold up on 30-50 years.

[Threestep2]

Originally Posted by MthomasW

Just curious about your thoughts on new construction? I’ve seen examples of corner-cutting such as electrical shorts, facades falling off the front of the house etc, water leaks right away. I bought a ‘76 home in Bedford with some nice updates and while we had some plumbing repairs and a full roof replacement, I feel better about the overall quality of the house vs the materials used now.
However, if a friend buys new, sometimes it can seem so enticing. Talk me out of being jealous lol.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my house. It has such character. But new can seem tempting on the surface. Yet I would wonder how houses built after 2012 will hold up on 30-50 years.

We bought a new house without any character but in an up and coming neighborhood and a local builder's show home. Our home in OK is our second one with the same scenario. Issues? Besides that TX went up 100% in taxes none.
There seems to be two factions on CD - old houses versus new houses. Just like guns versus no guns.

[Leonard123]

Not all houses and neighborhoods have bidding wars, and new construction no longer guarantees you won't have a bidding war. Several builders have resorted to taking bids. For the others, your only option would probably be inventory. Most builders, especially those working in that price range, aren't doing custom build jobs.

You didn't mention if you needed a yard. If a townhome would work, then you may have more options.

[Leonard123]

Originally Posted by TX Rover

Oh, god no. Those 90’s floor plans where everyone walks into the dining room or formal living room? Gag me with a spoon. I was referring more to the actual quality of the construction.

That's exactly what new construction has, except they walk into a combination kitchen/living/dining room that doesn't even look or feel like a house. This trend of putting kitchen "continents" (hardly islands) in the middle of the living room is the worst thing ever to come along. I don't want a kitchen sink or worse a stove in the middle of my living room. They also need to go back to the angled, high vaulted ceilings on one story houses, and the large master bathrooms. The whole modern floor plan and style is just wrong, and the fads can't die soon enough.

[TheProtege]

If new construction is what you want, then my advice is to look into cheaper homes builders and just get an idea of where they all seem to be building at. A couple of the cheaper home builders (History maker, Legend, Bloomfield, centex, Lennar, LGI, Impression). All of these builders should have 4 bed, 2 story and for under or around $400,000 (quick move-in price and not just base price). Of course you'll be in cheap feeling and looking house on a piece of land not much larger then the house usually on the very outer ring of the metroplex.
With that being said Fort Worth has lots of homes mostly on the S and far N sides that fit your budget. Look into areas around Crowley, Red Oak, Desoto, Haslet, Forney, Heartland, Denton, Princeton, Cross Roads and Justin.