Moving to Ft. Worth Area (Dallas, Fort Worth: loan, how much, new house)

[scrapgirl]

My family will be moving to the Ft. Worth area this summer. Our jobs are on the north side of Ft. Worth. I have been doing a lot of research, but am still not sure of where to go. My 1st concern is schools and then property. We have 2 kids (elementary and intermediate school age). I want good public schools for them, but am not interested in the Colleyville/Southlake and similar areas. I would like a little more diversity. We have looked at Argyle, Keller and Aledo school districts. I like the idea of a little more rural setting than I've seen in Keller. We are looking for homes with a nice sized lot (.5 - 2 acres), but good schools are our first priority. Does anyone have any suggestions? We are in this for the long haul so I want to make the right decision. Thanks!

[loves2read]

Where ever you focus your search, just be aware that in TX the laws favor the builders---there is very little consumer protection for buyers who have problems after they have bought a home--new or older ones....so try to get as much information about a builder as you can--check court house records for liens and lawsuits ---don't just depend on a realtor's say-so as to how good a builder is or how nice a house looks--that is surface only...the foundation construction, the HVAC system design and instillation, the water proofing of the home are all more important than the colors inside the house...

Builders in TX do not have to pass any kind of test in order to get a liscense and building codes outside city limits are really non-existant almost----the minimal necessary is the usual rule---inspections by city/county inspectors or the bank carrying the loan are pretty much lip service from what I have discovered after looking for a house/builder for past couple of years---check the court house records for information about lawsuits and leins that might have been filed---ask if the builder has changed company names---You use the TAD.ORG web site to check the history of houses in Tarrant county the builder might have built in the past to check with those owners and see if they have had problems...think Denton and the other counties have similar sites--don't knoiw how much information is available from them but I haved used TAD.ORG to check on several homes on MLS we were interested in and when we saw the builder you knew that was not a good house for us...

There is voluntary organization called Certified Master Builder Assoc.that is a national group and many builders in Tarrant and Dallas and Denton county belong to it --Not to say that one of its builders is automatically one you should choose or that they build perfect houses without flaws. But those builders have to meet higher standards than the state or county requires---like not having declared bankruptcy and creating a new company under a new name to escape lawsuits--they have their books reviewed to make sure they haven't had liens filed agains them--the people who buy their homes give feedback on quality and satisfaction--so there is somewhat of a screening process...they build in range of prices and locations--some build one or two houses at a time and some are smaller tract builders...but it might give you some background information....

Also be aware that your house may have a mailing address that is really not in a town's city limits but in an unencorporated part of the county where you do not have access to city police/fire/ambulance services....find out for sure who provides those services
Your house may have a city address and not be in that city's school district---things overlap and underlap in TX which I think is different from what some people are used to coming from other states....so make sure what district and schools your children would attend...


Water rationing because of several years of drought (and there have been some severe grass firesin rural areas) has also affected almost every town/home in north texas--ask what is happening in your area--if there was rationing and where the water comes from for your city or development....

[loves2read]

I posted two links for to use in searching for information on schools in Tarrant and neighboring counties---you should check them out---think they would help in your search

[scrapgirl]

You've been a big help. Thanks so much for your input!

[CTorsch]

Hi Scrapgirl...I just want to start by saying...You are going to LOVE Texas!!!Dont pay any attention to negativity in which you have heard. We all know life is what you make of it and as long as you stay positive everything has a way of working out.

I have lived here in the Fort Worth (MetroPlex) area all of my life and I am very familiar with most of Tarrant county and even some of Dallas county. I have two kids as well and they are in 5th grade and Kindergarten. I totally understand you wanting to make sure you live in a great school district as that is always my biggest dilemma as well.

Your situation is kinda tough because it sounds to me like you are wanting a country type atmosphere with a large lot but in a good school district somewhere close to north Fort Worth.....(speaking of North Fort Worth, Traffic is Horrible over there)

You were right on to look into Keller and Aledo school districts. You wont find a better school district than the two of these. However, I live in the Aledo area and I absolutely love it.....Aledo is out of the beating path and has a very country feel to it and the school district is 110% better than anything I have ever seen....The problem for you is that Aledo is a good 35 minute drive to north Fort Worth.

What are the cross roads to where you are going to be working and I will try and help you out as much as I can.

CAT

[loves2read]

If you were referring to what I posted--I don't see that as criticism--some states do have much stronger laws regarding home construction and builder control than TX does...if you have done any type of research about construction issues you will have seen that the TX agency overseeing this area has been almost no help to people who have serious issues with recalcitrant builders...and there are basically no rules governing who can be a builder..but they require a 2 day test for a cosmotology liscense in TX---what is a more important purchase--a home or a haircut?

some builders are great and stand behind their houses--I happen to know one very well---but he builds a house more expensive than most people can afford to buy---including me...but he has helped me learn what construction practices build a better home so I know what to look for as I shop for a new house...

There are good schools and teachers even in districts that might not be rated exemplary or recognized by TEA and there are bad schools and teachers in highly rated districts---

there are no guarantees in life, as you said--you do the best you can....but surely that means trying to get as much information to make an informed choice...

[normanj]

For loves to read....I totally agree about the builder. Great advice. I wish I had read this before we built a house. We took a builder from the area and although he showed us some houses he built in Dallas and talked all the right talk, it was a bad experience. We found out later that he was the electrician for all of those houses and had just done some odd jobs for people in the area so they gave him a good referral - as a handyman, not a builder. So true in Texas you just have to say...I am a builder and therefore you are. The bank which had our loan came out and inspected and gave it a go....we sued the builder for $35 later and won rather quickly once a real inspector came out. In rural areas a lot of rules do not apply like they do say in Fort Worth. For sure, do your homework before you hire a builder. As far as living in Texas - I love it and I love living a little bit on the outskirts of town. I did live in Millsap on 66 acres and fires got close to us a couple of times. These are not negatives, but things you need to know up front so you can be prepared should they happened. If you do end up living on some land outside of the city you more than likely will have a well and water will not be as much of an issue (during water rationing and drought) as if you lived within the city.

[skyblu]

Does Aledo have much diversity? Keller doesn't.

[scruffy's mom]

Moderator cut: personal attackWhy would you want to come live in a city with an aging infrastructure that most city officials don't worry about? Several people commented about living in smaller surrounding cities but they are all struggling to keep up with influx of kids from FW. Taxes are ridiculous here and basic services leave much to be desired. If FW is so great why aren't people retiring here....OK, I'll admit the weather can be a pain, but lack of tax relief for citizens and all the give aways to large companies, not to mention elected officials who would sell out their own grandma if they could get money (gas wells within 600' of your home)...move ANYWHERE but the DFW megaplex!

[Richard Boswell]

Another school district you may want tyo consider is Northwest ISD. It is located in areas where you can obtain a little land 1-2 acres fairly reasonably.