House hunting near Fort Worth (Dallas, Plano: low crime, houses, buying)

[vlk28]

Alright, after months of frustrating searching, I need some help...

I'm looking for my first house somewhere near fort worth. I feel like the more I think about it the further away I get from a decision.... There is SO much to consider (schools, resale, location, growth, commute, crime, other houses in the area, etc.)

Basically I work downtown, and my budget is 180k-225k. I am pre-approved @ 230K

I have family in Mckinney so thats a consideration, and I also play hockey in Plano.

I'm pretty open as to where I move, I would just like to be within 45ish min of downtown Ft Worth.


So heres what I'm looking for:

.25 acre lot
no/minimal exterior siding
3 or 4 bedrooms
master on the 1st floor (if 2 story)
over 2000 sqft
built in 1995ish or later
decent schools
low crime
large kitchen
larger room sizes 11x11 or larger



is there anything close to what I'm wanting or am I going to have to make some sacrifices based on my budget?

Also, ANY advice would be greatly appreciated.... I am new at this house buying thing, so some advice from someone that has been through the process would be great.

Thank You SO much in advance for your help!!!!

[wanderer74]

I would say that the factors most at odds are the size of the lot vs. the distance from downtown FW. For example, you could find a house that otherwise met your criteria (including size of the lot and house) if you went up near Pilot Point in Denton County, which would also put you closer to your family in McKinney and obligations in Plano. However, you'd be an hour in good traffic from downtown FW. There might be something in the Ponder area as well that would be a little closer to FW. I don't know much about the school districts in these areas, though. In general if you want to have a closer commute you're either going to need to increase your budget or be willing to compromise on some of the specs you want like the size of the yard or size of the bedrooms.

Edited to add: by no means am I saying you have to go to Denton County. You could also find what you're looking for if you go west or south of FW, but you'd be much further away from McKinney and Plano.

[ChristieP]

The biggest problem is the lot size. Other than in Richland Hills, which meets almost none of your other criteria, you just aren't going to find that big of a lot for the budget you have to spend. If you could be happy with a standard size lot, that will open up a lot more possibilities.

[vlk28]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

The biggest problem is the lot size. Other than in Richland Hills, which meets almost none of your other criteria, you just aren't going to find that big of a lot for the budget you have to spend. If you could be happy with a standard size lot, that will open up a lot more possibilities.

Well where would you recommend sans the quarter acre?

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by vlk28

Well where would you recommend sans the quarter acre?

Keller or North Richland Hills would be my first suggestions.

[dfwerdoc]

move to monticello and play hockey in euless at the stars center. it's 35 minutes with zero traffic

[accidentalpancake]

You can get that size and options in North FW/Keller (somwhere like Villages of Woodland Springs), which gives relatively easy access to major highways to the NE Dallas areas.

[loves2read]

will PM a realtor site that lets you search by lot sz and has good organization for DFW area
don't have to use the office for your search since most of their work is in Lantana (Dallas/Denton) area
just look at a map
you can't play hockey in Plano and live 45 min from FTW and you won't see your family in McKinney except on special occasions

traffic is horrible and commutes have gotten much longer in past 2 yrs
personally I think you would be hard pressed to get the sq ft you want at the lower end of your price and still have good ISD--

[Squirl]

Roanoke = great schools and good housing stock



http://www.ashtonwoods.com/texas/dal...3#.UuE5dhxOIy4

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...-185000-230000

[accidentalpancake]

Originally Posted by loves2read

will PM a realtor site that lets you search by lot sz and has good organization for DFW area
don't have to use the office for your search since most of their work is in Lantana (Dallas/Denton) area
just look at a map
you can't play hockey in Plano and live 45 min from FTW and you won't see your family in McKinney except on special occasions

traffic is horrible and commutes have gotten much longer in past 2 yrs
personally I think you would be hard pressed to get the sq ft you want at the lower end of your price and still have good ISD--

This is overly pessimistic. Anything near 170 or 114 has extremely easy access to Plano/McKinney. I make the drive very frequently. The traffic is fantastic now that the construction through Grapevine is finishing up. Sure it's a hike, but it's all just time, not sitting in traffic.

Roanoke, as mentioned, is another decent spot to look with your requirements.