Yet another "Where should I buy a house" ? (Houston: apartments, rent)

[UP 270]

Hello.

About Me:
42 yo black guy that moved to the DFW 2 weeks ago. Never married, no kids. Would like to find that special lady someday so would like to be around as many single ladies as possible. Make $130,000 before taxes per year. I work near Fort Worth/Keller @ the FAA; I am not going into the office now but might have to go in a couple of times per week once COVID passes. I think I could handle a 1 hour commute 1-way. I would like to buy a house within the next year and my budget is ~$400,000. I'm considering existing or new construction.

Where should I live? Was thinking Addison, Grapevine, Colleyville, Addison, Plano but too costly. As far as what I'm looking for in a house? I'm wide open; I just want it to go up in value and keep the rain off of my head. Very close proximity to a gym would be nice--like 5 minute walking distance close.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[crazyforger]

Originally Posted by UP 270

Hello.

About Me:
42 yo black guy that moved to the DFW 2 weeks ago. Never married, no kids. Would like to find that special lady someday so would like to be around as many single ladies as possible. Make $130,000 before taxes per year. I work near Fort Worth/Keller @ the FAA; I am not going into the office now but might have to go in a couple of times per week once COVID passes. I think I could handle a 1 hour commute 1-way. I would like to buy a house within the next year and my budget is ~$400,000. I'm considering existing or new construction.

Where should I live? Was thinking Addison, Grapevine, Colleyville, Addison, Plano but too costly. As far as what I'm looking for in a house? I'm wide open; I just want it to go up in value and keep the rain off of my head. Very close proximity to a gym would be nice--like 5 minute walking distance close.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Renting might work out better for you
Gives you time to explore.

[elnina]

Maybe you could first use search feature to see what has been already posted?

[NoClueWho]

Why are you looking to buy a house as a single man who doesn't even have a family yet? You're better off renting, for the time being. Especially as family oriented as most of the suburbs in DFW are. You named Addison twice and said you don't mind the commute. Addison has very few houses but has lots of nice apartments and basically caters to young, single professionals. That might be better for you, especially if you are still on the dating scene and looking to fine "that special lady," as you put it.

[ChristieP]

What price range are you looking at? If you’re working at the FAA, Plano or Addison would be a horrible commute using an expensive toll road.

[stephwin]

Originally Posted by UP 270

Hello.

About Me:
42 yo black guy that moved to the DFW 2 weeks ago. Never married, no kids. Would like to find that special lady someday so would like to be around as many single ladies as possible. Make $130,000 before taxes per year. I work near Fort Worth/Keller @ the FAA; I am not going into the office now but might have to go in a couple of times per week once COVID passes. I think I could handle a 1 hour commute 1-way. I would like to buy a house within the next year and my budget is ~$400,000. I'm considering existing or new construction.

Where should I live? Was thinking Addison, Grapevine, Colleyville, Addison, Plano but too costly. As far as what I'm looking for in a house? I'm wide open; I just want it to go up in value and keep the rain off of my head. Very close proximity to a gym would be nice--like 5 minute walking distance close.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Have you looked in Keller itself? A lot of the areas around your work are suburbs so you're going to be around families, but it's a nice, safe area and there should be plenty of gyms too. I've also heard good things about Roanoke and it might be a little more affordable than Keller.

[TurtleCreek80]

Rent in / near West 7th in FW for a year before buying. If you will need to commute to FAA several times a week, you have no business looking anywhere east of DFW airport. Don’t **** off your future wife by signing up for a 2-3 hours in a car every day.

[UP 270]

I want a house so I can build wealth. I'd consider a condo also if I could find one in my price range in a good location.

[jgn2013]

Rent for a year to get a feel for the neighborhoods around DFW.

Some places can sound good on paper but may not work for you when you're here on the ground. Other spots might seem sketchy based on comments from others but they may actually be the best fit.

As for dating......think about the type of women you like (religious/spiritual, artsy, athletic/sporty, corporate Type A etc) and take that into consideration as well. Where you come from can matter as well. A black person from a low-POC population city or state might feel comfortable with Dallas' considerable diversity but a person from Atlanta, DC, Houston, Memphis etc., may feel that certain parts of DFW are lacking in various ways. Definitely take your time before committing 100% to anything.

It's been awhile since I was single but dating was easier in Arlington/Fort Worth than Dallas. More women were actively looking for a partner whereas in Dallas it seemed like the ladies were always waiting on the bigger, better deal. Much more one-off dates that didn't go anywhere.

[Rakin]

Just be prepared for an extreme shortage of homes, 20+ offers and thousands over the asking price if you buy a home.

If your budget is say $500k then look for homes in the $450 range and be prepared to pay more. Don't look at $500k homes.