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Old 05-30-2012, 10:44 PM
 
6 posts, read 15,102 times
Reputation: 10

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We are moving to FW in 3 weeks and are still struggling with what areas to consider buying in. We'll be in temp housing for the summer but need to find something pretty quickly so we can be ready for school in Aug.

Husband is working at Alcon. We have 2 young children with a 3rd on the way. price range <$300K, 4+ bdrms, pool, some land (would like green space & a pool out back), prefer "custom" home vs tract home, neighborhood with other young families

schools are very important, close to shopping & restaurants, husband is okay with a longer commute (<45 min) but prefers less traffic.

Areas we have considered:
Aledo - LOVE Aledo but do not like how far it is from shopping, etc.
Mansfield - Lots are too small, just didn't get a good feeling from the town
Burleson - did not like
FW Proper - like the area but homes are out of our price range
Waxahachie - like the small town community, long commute but little traffic
Midlothian - cement plants and water/soil/air quality concerns
Keller - traffic
HEB - seems appealing from housing & schools, not sure about traffic & commute
Grapevine - traffic
Weatherford - ?? husband didn't care for it
Benbrook - schools not very good

We're probably being overly picky but really want to find the right area. We have considered renting but I hate to change schools after a few months plus with a new baby soon, moving again would be extremely difficult. I've read all of the comments and past posts and appreciate the info.

Does anyone have anything to add about the above areas or is there an area we have missed? (I have researched many other areas but ruled them out mainly on schools.)

Can anyone comment on HEB and the commute to South FW?
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Old 05-31-2012, 04:55 AM
 
Location: Kaufman County, Texas
11,821 posts, read 26,746,357 times
Reputation: 10541
Take Grapevine, Weatherford and Keller off your list. The commute would be horrible, as in at least an hour each way. Honestly, anything in NE Tarrant will be a long drive, including HEB. Yes, traffic thins out south of downtown, but that is still a lot of miles on the car.

This is exactly why we tell people to rent for their first year. What appears to be an awesome neighborhood may not be after you have lived there, and you may find yourself going back to a place you thought you didn't like. If you rent, and sign a year lease, you wont have to change schools mid-year...
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Old 05-31-2012, 08:25 AM
 
Location: Simmering in DFW
6,952 posts, read 22,637,310 times
Reputation: 7296
Did you look in Kennedale?

There are homes with large lots in Mansfield.

Godley is something you should look at.
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Old 06-01-2012, 02:02 PM
 
Location: Southlake, TX
1 posts, read 1,567 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChristieP View Post
Take Grapevine, Weatherford and Keller off your list. The commute would be horrible, as in at least an hour each way. Honestly, anything in NE Tarrant will be a long drive, including HEB. Yes, traffic thins out south of downtown, but that is still a lot of miles on the car.

This is exactly why we tell people to rent for their first year. What appears to be an awesome neighborhood may not be after you have lived there, and you may find yourself going back to a place you thought you didn't like. If you rent, and sign a year lease, you wont have to change schools mid-year...
I respectfully disagree with this comment. I've lived in Southlake, on the border of Keller, for the last 8 years. I can say for a certainty that I could leave my house in the morning and be in Alcon's parking lot within 30 minutes or less. It's really about knowing which roads to take - in this case, Davis Blvd (FM1938) south to 820 South to 20 West, and not leaving too late in the morning. Any other way and you'd be sitting in traffic. This path, whether coming or going, is an easy and usually pain-free commute. You could make it even better by living in HEB somewhere off either Davis Blvd, Rufe Snow, or Precinct Line closer to 820 as it heads South. I do think you'll have to sacrifice acreage though, especially in your price range.

Most of the traffic complaints regarding Keller/Southlake/Colleyvile have to do with too many people trying to head east to Dallas in the morning and returning in the afternoon using very limited access roads (FM 1709) to the highway (114), which unfortunately is currently under major construction. Although the completion of this construction will help the highway congestion, nothing is really being done to relieve the congestion getting to the highway.
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Old 06-02-2012, 07:25 AM
 
Location: Euless, TX
11 posts, read 23,271 times
Reputation: 15
I suggest renting for a while until you know the area. We just moved here a few months ago, and some of the areas we were looking at have been crossed off the list because of traffic. It's a pain to move again, but it's better that buying a house and regretting it. Just my opinion.
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Old 06-02-2012, 09:57 AM
 
3 posts, read 5,548 times
Reputation: 20
I also learned my lesson. Rent first or buy where the schools are good. Forget about exemplary, there are schools in FWISD that are in the ghetto & they are exemplary. Look at greatschools.com or schooldigger.com. Click on students & it shows ethnicity, the percent of economically disadvantaged, etc. We came from out of state and saw how economical the homes were. So we got the biggest house, new construction, lots of upgrades. I thought the school was ok but ok is not good enough. Unfortunately our house was overpriced for the area but we still wanted it. Recently there are homes that have been built that are in our price more or less. But for what we paid I could have been in Colleyville, better areas of Keller, & even Southlake. Now we may have to sell because my husband being transferred to Austin. It will be sad to take a loss but I just want my down payment back. So just take it slow, really look at the area. Drive the commute. But I suggest rent. In my opinion (I don't know about commuting or roads) but Colleyville, Aledo, Southlake.
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Old 06-04-2012, 12:35 PM
 
2 posts, read 2,859 times
Reputation: 10
I live to the South of FW near Burleson and worked off the same exit as Alcon. I also worked in Downtown FW 3 years ago. Burleson can be a quick commute, has lovely older and newer homes. It used to take me 15 or so minutes to commute, but the area has grown and now to get to Alcon would be about 20 during heavy traffic. Alvarado, Rendon, and Burleson are worth looking at, some still call it "country living", but not me. I've been here 35 years and am looking to go "out west".
Also: Stay out of Tarrant County: the taxes are rediculous. Johnson County is much cheaper. It can make the difference of one street over. Stay to the south, do not go North. Did I mention Reba McIntyre chose Burleson?
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Old 03-21-2013, 07:56 AM
 
2 posts, read 2,049 times
Reputation: 10
We are in the same position JRP1225 - we are relocating to the are in a few months (August) - wife is also working in the Alcon campus. We are looking for roughly the same parameters as you are for a house, and have the same concerns in regards to the areas. What did you end up doing?
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