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Old 05-16-2017, 12:14 PM
 
16 posts, read 19,108 times
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Hi all,

Our family of 4 (plus 1 dog), is looking to relocate out of the DC Metro Area. The two places we have to choose from are Denver, CO and Fort Worth, TX. We would be looking to live within 30 to 45 minutes from either city as my husband's work would be in the city. I am a teacher and I am currently working on becoming certified in Texas (will be starting Colorado this summer if that is the route we take). I've listed a few things about our lifestyle below.

We are a young family (late 20s/early 30s) with two young children (4 and 1 years old) and planning on adding to the bunch in the next few years.

We have a German Shepherd pup and would love a decent yard for him to run in and play fetch.

Our budget would be between $300,000 to $375,000 for our home and would prefer a single family home with at least 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1800 sq ft and preferably .25 acre or more. What areas would be best to get this type of home and a community feel (neighborhoods).

We would also like to be near good schools and a neighborhood community where neighbors hang out with each other (not really what we get here in DC). So suggestions for school districts would be much appreciated.

We would love to find a church (non-denominational preferably) where we can build community with other young families as well. Any good suggestions are welcomed?

We are both pretty independent in our political views so conservative vs liberal isn't too much of an issue for us.

One big thing is we love the outdoors, and I know that Colorado is a haven for those types of activities, but I would love to hear what types of activities outdoorsy people do around the DFW area too.

We also love food, wine and beer and trying new things when it comes to those three categories so suggestions on whether your city has that would be a plus.

I have 5 years experience teaching in Fairfax County and was wondering which school districts are better to teach in and which ones I would be able to get a job in. For Denver area I was looking at Boulder Valley, Aurora, and Douglas School Districts. For Fort Worth, I was looking at Fort Worth ISD, Keller ISD, and Aledo ISD. Which would be better to teach in for these two cities?

With all that said, we are looking to move to a place where we can raise our family well and enjoy life together and with others. If it were you, which would you choose? thanks in advance for all the help.

Last edited by amdwd2009; 05-16-2017 at 12:25 PM..
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Old 05-16-2017, 12:38 PM
 
Location: Aurora, CO
8,605 posts, read 14,885,270 times
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In short your budget is way more in-line with Fort Worth (although 1/4 acre in that range is gonna be hard to come by), but the outdoor factor of DFW is extremely limited because of the terrible climate and lack of terrain. DFW has several large reservoirs, but they're skanky and overcrowded. The hiking in the area is very poor, and the camping is average at best.
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Old 05-16-2017, 12:42 PM
 
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@bluescreen73 Thanks for the input, that was what we were worried about because we do an awful lot of backpacking, hiking, and camping here in Virginia. Would you say there are other types of activities to do outdoors in abudance? Water sports (kayaking, sailing) or off roading?
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Old 05-16-2017, 12:48 PM
 
Location: Aurora, CO
8,605 posts, read 14,885,270 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amdwd2009 View Post
@bluescreen73 Thanks for the input, that was what we were worried about because we do an awful lot of backpacking, hiking, and camping here in Virginia. Would you say there are other types of activities to do outdoors in abudance? Water sports (kayaking, sailing) or off roading?
Watersports are honestly the only outdoor-related area where DFW is head and shoulders above Denver, but, again, the lakes are crowded and really murky.

Not real sure about off-roading. In general Texas is not a good state for off-the-beaten-path adventures simply because the state has very little public land, and a good chunk of what is does have is hundreds of miles away from DFW in Far West Texas (Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains, Palo Duro Canyon, and Caprock Canyon).
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Old 05-16-2017, 12:50 PM
 
Location: Texas
5,847 posts, read 6,183,656 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amdwd2009 View Post
@bluescreen73 Thanks for the input, that was what we were worried about because we do an awful lot of backpacking, hiking, and camping here in Virginia. Would you say there are other types of activities to do outdoors in abudance? Water sports (kayaking, sailing) or off roading?
bluescreen73 summed it up nicely in his post. Outdoor activities are very limited in DFW. You will need to drive 3-4 hours to the Hill Country or a couple of hours north into Oklahoma (Arbuckle or Wichita Mountains, for example) to have decent hiking and camping, or really any at all. There are some decent lakes not far from DFW like Granbury and Possum Kingdom.

Ft. Worth does, however, check virtually all your other boxes and you should give it some serious consideration. Your budget will give you plenty of options there, in Denver, you will have almost none.

Last edited by Texas Ag 93; 05-16-2017 at 01:58 PM..
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Old 05-16-2017, 12:52 PM
 
16 posts, read 19,108 times
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Ok that is all good info thank you. We used to own a jeep wrangler and may do it again after getting settled and we loved taking it off roading. Having two adventurous boys it does sound like Denver may be a better option. Thanks again.
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Old 05-16-2017, 12:55 PM
 
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@ Texas Ag 93 We did notice that as well....we've been in limbo between these two places for quite some time now... What other activities are there for young families to take part in?
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Old 05-16-2017, 12:58 PM
 
Location: Just south of Denver since 1989
11,826 posts, read 34,430,278 times
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"Denver" covers a lot of ground. Is the job near downtown or the airport or DTC? Figure that out then find housing. .25 acres not really an option in your price range.

- former DC resident.
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Old 05-16-2017, 12:58 PM
 
Location: Aurora, CO
8,605 posts, read 14,885,270 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amdwd2009 View Post
@ Texas Ag 93 We did notice that as well....we've been in limbo between these two places for quite some time now... What other activities are there for young families to take part in?
Honestly, outdoor amenities aside, DFW has all the creature comforts for a decent (if not bland IMNSHO) life. Malls, museums, restaurants, amusement parks, festivals...you name it. If it's a garden-variety amenity that can literally be found in any big metro area, DFW has it covered. What DFW is missing is the "something extra" that sets it apart from everywhere else.
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Old 05-16-2017, 01:03 PM
 
Location: Berkeley Neighborhood, Denver, CO USA
17,709 posts, read 29,812,481 times
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Your house budget is too low for Denver.
But, real estate taxes are dramatically different between the 2 places. For example: I picked a house at random for $360K in Fort Worth and the taxes are $9K. In greater Denver, they would be about $2.7K on a $500K house.

Texas has no income tax and Colorado does.
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