How to spend $250K in Fort Worth (west side?)

[dallasboi]

Originally Posted by tcualum

You said Dallas not DFW and you're known for being an over-the-top Dallas booster. Yes, you can post where you wish but it's polite to respect the place you're posting in.

I also used the word metro .........meaning DFW is whats being compared.

[tcualum]

Not unless you say Dallas/Fort Worth. That’s a Dallas assumption.

[jbb303]

You guys are going a long way to help a guy find a $250k home in an area where it's pretty much impossible.

[jitsuman]

Aviatrix1

It is definitely doable for $250K or less. I'm not sure if you are retiring from the military and moving back, but NAS Fort Worth is right across the flightline though it is a little bit of a drive from LM. They have a Commissary, BX, Outdoor Rec, as well as boat and RVs that you can rent. If you live in the White Settlement, Lake Worth, Saginaw area, you'll have about a 15 Minute commute. I just helped one of my military friends get into a brand new subdivision, he paid $227K for 3/2, 1800 Sq Ft home, so it is doable. Even parts of Weatherford are within your drive time. Once you get past 35 drive time goes up pretty quickly due to traffic. Below is a list of homes that are currently on the market just to give you an idea of what you can get for your money.

https://matrix.ntreis.net/Matrix/Pub...ID=16201194722

[naterator]

This is absolutely doable in Southwest Arlington. I commuted to Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth (wish I'd never left) and it was an easy 30-35 minute commute. What attracted us to the area was (we had no kids at the time) in no particular order:

1.) Large lot sizes - great for our dogs
2.) Large garages you could actually fit two cars in
3.) Mature trees - a canopy of trees in so many areas
4.) Wide streets - and not many people parking on the street!
5.) Affordability
6.) Well-maintained - people take care of their homes and yards, and it shows.
7.) Architecture - so many homes are different. Not the "pick elevation A/B/C" kind of neighborhoods.
8.) People walking/jogging at night - building relationships and strong communities.

We loved it there. Finally we outgrew it and moved to the mid-cities (Brown @ Cheek-Sparger). Briefly. Everything we loved about our old area, the new area had almost none of. Ended up coming back, and buying a larger home about a mile away. W still go back to our old neighborhood every Halloween for Trick or Treat because we got to know so many of our neighbors so well.

Check it out - think you'll like what you see.

[TeamLynn]

One thing I would do now is start saving some money. When people say VA loan, that too often means zero down. That can be tough in a very competitive market where many homes in this price range will get multiple offers. Having as much cash as you can to pay your closing costs, maybe pay some of the typical seller's closing costs like title insurance, and having some money for a down payment will help your offer be more competitive. Sounds like you have a couple of years to do this, so start now.
Also do everything you can to get your credit score as high as possible. You have time....so that's the good thing. Sit down with a loan officer who can walk you through a sample credit scoring model so you will be most effective and raising the score.