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Old 07-20-2007, 08:05 AM
 
2 posts, read 4,841 times
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Hi everyone,
I live in california and am thinking of moving a buying a house there in the dallas/ forthworth area.
Has anyone heard of meritage homes?? are they good? We've looked around a lot online and only seem to love theirs.
Also how is the fortworth area to buy a house at?
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Old 07-21-2007, 09:05 AM
 
1,004 posts, read 3,744,375 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aso2007 View Post
Hi, I really need some wise advice. My husband and I moved to Dallas because I got accepted to Baylor which is in downtown Dallas. We want to buy a home because we hate the idea of having to live here for 5 years and rent, but then again we can't afford anything expensive. So we started looking for homes in suburbs that will give us easy access to downtown Dallas. So far it seems as if Mesquite and Balch Springs are the closest. Then our realtor took us to this new area Heartland, Texas. Does anyone know anything about it? Brand new homes for 119k. It seems to good to be true. The area is beautiful and the homes are really cheap. But then again we want to be able to resale in 5 years and I want an easy drive to downtown. Any feed back or advice would be great! Thanks a bunch.
If you want to resell in 5 years, I'd reconsider buying a home.
DFW isn't known for home value appreciation.
Especially in low-end suburbs (which a 119k price for new construction implies).
Assuming you finance the house and pay realtor fees and closing costs, I can't see how this isn't a huge waste of money. For 5 years the payments will be almost all interest and then those closing costs...

A cheap new home in a remote suburb has low appreciation potential, a bad commute and once the shiny wears off, is probably going to be a trap.

I'd rent but if you have to have a house, I'd try to find a fixer upper in the Junius Heights area because that location has proven appreciation potential and is very close to your workplace. Sure, it doesn't look anti-septic like new suburbs but it has "charm" and best of all momentum.

Aren't those homes in "Heartland, TX" out in Forney? 50 miles daily roundtrip commute into the boonies? With $3/gal gas? Good luck with the resale...

Beware of the lure of the shiny new home. Especially for $119k.
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Old 07-22-2007, 02:28 AM
 
367 posts, read 1,021,249 times
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i know i am wondering why you can buy a brand new home for the same as an existing home. i know that you can find a nice home in an existing neighborhood and therefore know who your neighbors are, etc.. but i'm not sure it would be worth buying and putting a couple of grand into fixing it up when you can buy new and not have to fix anything since most of it would have a ten year warranty? any views on this? i just think that the resale value and appraisal rates can't be all that if the properties aren't really going up.
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Old 07-23-2007, 11:30 AM
 
2 posts, read 6,379 times
Reputation: 12
Heartland doest have cookie cutter homes. they wont even let you build your house next to the same style. Rockwall and Rowlett is too pricey for me. Different strokes for different folks! i personally love the country and its not far from the city at all. I still have to research the schools in Crandall though
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Old 09-04-2007, 01:13 PM
 
3 posts, read 8,995 times
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I live in Balch Springs now, and have grown up in the Mesquite area pretty much my whole life. Mesquite USED TO BE a nice, quiet area with great schools. I graduated 7 years ago, now my younger sister is about to graduate. There is a tremendous difference between now and then. Now I have a daughter and I am running from this area as fast as I can! The crime in Balch springs alone is enough to make people leave! We are looking to go to Heartland as well. We have done a lot of research about the different builders, and there is a lot on the web about defective D R Horton homes. I feel the same as far as it is too good to be true, but the school district is EXCELLENT! (As far as overcrowding, Heartland is building its own schools within the community...so it shouldnt be a problem!) I work IN DOWNTOWN Dallas, and it is few and far between to EVER have traffic on 175. Baylor is easily accessed from 175 as well. Mesquite is a NOOOOO, Balch Springs is a BIG NONO....Garland is a NOOOOOO unless you have money for a $450k home or live in North Garland...otherwise it is slummy and run down. Best of luck!
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Old 09-04-2007, 01:27 PM
 
3 posts, read 8,995 times
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Aren't those homes in "Heartland, TX" out in Forney? 50 miles daily roundtrip commute into the boonies? With $3/gal gas?

I live in Balch Springs off of I-20. The exit I currently live on is the first exit about half a mile from 635 on 20. Heartland is exactly 5 miles from where I live now. I take 175 to work to downtown every day, I leave between 730-740 every morning, and I am sitting at my desk by 8am. There is never any traffic on 175. I guess the question is do you want to live near downtown, with all of the homeless people wandering around....do you want to live in north dallas with the obscene amount of traffic that will take you an hour to go 2 miles, (and this is pretty much any time of day or night around the 635/75 area and north/west of that). My drive is smooth, and quick, and NOT NERVE RACKING! The last thing I need is bumper to bumper traffic for 2 hours trying to get to downtown in the morning. Coming home is the same way. I listen to my coworkers talk about traffic going and coming every day! I dont have that problem. Another reason why I am glad that Heartland is where it is.
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