Sub-divisions in Plano (Irving, Allen, Frisco: apartment, rental, condo)

[Izzy79]

Hello,
We are in the process of looking for houses Plano and are new to the area. Does anyone know which of these two subdivisions, Highlands of Russell Park and Ridgeview Ranch (Fairways of Ridgeview) are more desirable. The main considerations are good schools and re-sale value.

Thank you,
New2DFW

[ds1]

I live in Highlands of Russell Park. We really like it, and we feel like it is a hidden gem at the Allen/Plano/Frisco border.. It is close to all the conveniances of plano (7 minutes from Watters Creek in Allen, 10 minutes form the Shops of Legacy in Plano and 5 minutes from stonebriar mall. It's also in the Frisco school district, which we really like. We have been very happy with the elementary school, Taylor as well. It is a smaller school, with pretty much just the subdivision attending.

The commute is not wonderful, but not terrible either. My wife used to work downtown, now commutes to Irving, and taking George Bush/190, it is not too bad. I commute to Forest/75 and take the back roads for less than a 40 minute drive.

We use the community park all the time, are well aquainted with most of our neighbors, and the community pool is definitely one of the nicer ones in plano. I think the pool is really an asset and should be checked out if you are considering moving here. The property is well cared for and just plain nice.

Of course I'm biased, but I would say the sub-division is desirable and has decent resale. The price point is not as high as some of the more affluent divisions in Plano, but with Highland and Drees homes, they have experienced a steady appreciation (that has flattened somewhat over the past 2 years). I think when 121/DNT interchange is complete, 121 will begin a slow and steady buildout which will only help.

One thing I can say is that as far as I know, there aren't any "problem" houses that are vacant or not cared for, which during these times tells you alot about the neighborhood and general pride of ownership.

PM me if you have additional questions.

[WestPlanoDude]

Pretty sure that both Ridgeview Ranch and Highlands of Russell Park are zoned to Frisco ISD. If you're choosing Plano for it's schools, then try the neighborhoods to the south of them.

Anything in the Jasper HS attendance zone isn't too far off from those neighborhoods. All the elementary schools in this area are excellent. Robinson, Rice (especially Rice) and Schimelpfenig are all excellent middle schools. Jasper is the highest rated high school in Plano. Depending on which middle school zone you live in, your children will go to either Plano Senior or Plano West for their 11th and 12th grade years.

However, if your children are young, it's a moot point because in 2012, all of Jasper will feed into Plano West.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[Izzy79]

Thank you, this is really helpful info. Our son is 3 yrs old so middle school is not a consideration at the moment. It's more a question of Taylor Ele. vs. Anderson. We will be checking out Plano as well but most of the houses there are older.

Thanks!

[compSciGuy]

At one point in time I was considering buying a house zoned to Taylor or Anderson, and a cheap rental in PISD. Then paying the fee to transfer my daughter to Skaggs, just on the other side of McDermott. I never got around to contacting PISD to see what they would have said about that.

[Big G]

I can tell you what they would have said about that - your child's PRIMARY RESIDENCE has to be on the PISD tax rolls. They're willing to look the other way for a HS junior or senior, who could possibly actually be living in the apartment by him/herself, but not for a young child.

That said, if you don't tell them, they'll never know. All you need is a valid mail address and the associated gas bill.

[compSciGuy]

Originally Posted by Big G

I can tell you what they would have said about that - your child's PRIMARY RESIDENCE has to be on the PISD tax rolls. They're willing to look the other way for a HS junior or senior, who could possibly actually be living in the apartment by him/herself, but not for a young child.

That said, if you don't tell them, they'll never know. All you need is a valid mail address and the associated gas bill.

Well, my daughter is only 3 right now. From what I've read / seen I'm happy with the Frisco schools in Plano. Maybe things will change in the future. I guess I'll see if the FISD lags against PISD in a few years. However, if it's relatively comparable and as long as she is doing well (good work ethic, results, etc.), I don't really have plans into looking into something like that.

All that being said, for the huge premium to buy in say Skaggs, one can get a cheap place (or condo) in another part of Plano in addition to something currently zoned to Taylor / Anderson.