Total Newbie Here (Fort Worth, Arlington, North Richland Hills: home builders, safest area, to buy)

[caseyR]

We are moving to the Fort Worth area this summer and have several friends who live in Keller. Wondering what the best areas are as well as who the best builders are in the area.

Have been to Southlake several times and love that area as well.

Have heard to stay east of 377 and to stay in Tarrant County. We are a couple in our mid-30s without kids so the school districts don't much matter at this time.

Also, any great builders? Only seeing DR Horton Subdivisions. They look very nice. Want to get the most bang for our modest buck.

Thanks for any help and advice you can give.
Casey and Tim

[loves2read]

article in sunday's FTW paper about two builders who are managing to weather the housing bust fairly well--one of them did moderate priced homes and supposedly tries to do them in energy efficient way
if you Google FTW star telegram and then search for successful home builders or something the article might come up

Sandlin is a name that is local home builder and does decent job of building a good home--they have areas on the FTW side of metroplex

you don't mention where you are commuting to--or how important schools are--both of those factors are significant in where you might want to move

there are plenty of threads on this forum over the past years with people recommending different areas--most of them usually recommend where they live--

best thing I can say is make a list of what you REQUIRE in a home --what you WON'T do without/MUST HAVE (including top price)
then what you would like to see--age of home, size, garages and lot size--

run a search over the FTW area and include the suburban towns like Keller, NRichland Hills, Hurst, Bedford, Grapevine, Colleyville, Fort Worth at the site I will PM you
and look through the homes you get--there will be a lot of them--just see what you get for the $$$ per foot (you can set the search to organize that way)...then compare the schools that house is zoned for--their ratings/district--and the other similarities/differences
see if you get hits in same area/neighborhood
that would give you heirachy of where to start -- map them to see where they are and so you can check the ammenities available in that area

there is lot to consider when moving here
if being close to friends is major important Keller is NW of FTW itself--and pretty big---BUT some people say they live in Keller when their school district is Keller ISD BUT their home is actually in north Fort Worth--so make sure you know what the real location is
you can check the Tarrant Appraisal District site for any property/tax information on home you might like

[meganmkelley]

Hi, Casey and Tim. What's your price point for a home? That will really help us point you in the right direction... There are very few NEW homes in the city of Keller under the high $200's, but there are pre-owned homes that are significantly less. In Southlake, new homes are going to run in the $500's +. If you have never ventured west of 377, I'd recommend that you at least take a drive by the area. There are many new homes available in the mid $100's and up. If you need any help, feel free to send me a message. Thanks! - Megan

[Eric S]

Originally Posted by loves2read

article in sunday's FTW paper about two builders who are managing to weather the housing bust fairly well--one of them did moderate priced homes and supposedly tries to do them in energy efficient way
if you Google FTW star telegram

Tarrant home builders finding success | Top Stories | Star-Telegram.com (http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1897939.html - broken link)

-OMS

[caseyR]

Thank you for the help here. Very good to know. A bit overwhelmed since we really don't know the neighborhoods at all.

One more - which are the safest areas and subdivisions?

Any areas to steer way clear of?

Thanks again!
Casey

[ChristieP]

What is your price range? How big of a house are you looking for?

In this part of Tarrant County, there really isn't anywhere that is unsafe or a bad neighborhood.

[5stones]

ALso even though you don't have kids and schools are not a concern...
You still want to buy in a good solid school districts. Schools are a BIG concern on resale.

[caseyR]

Yes, yes, yes. I should know this about the school districts impacting RE. I get that. Just overwhelmed at the space on the map of FTW & Keller. We would rather live in the best part of North Richland Hills (I think), versus the fake Keller ISD area, if that makes sense.

We'd ultimately enjoy a neighborly community and would like to have our own pool, yard, etc. Budget is modest. Keeping it @ $200k mark for now.

Appreciate your kind feedback and insight.
C

[Eric S]

Originally Posted by caseyR

Yes, yes, yes. I should know this about the school districts impacting RE. I get that. Just overwhelmed at the space on the map of FTW & Keller. We would rather live in the best part of North Richland Hills (I think), versus the fake Keller ISD area, if that makes sense.

We'd ultimately enjoy a neighborly community and would like to have our own pool, yard, etc. Budget is modest. Keeping it @ $200k mark for now.

Appreciate your kind feedback and insight.
C

Bang for the buck? H-E-B: Hurst, Euless & Bedford. $200K is probably older home territory. You could probably find something in a nicer Arlington neighborhood - an older ranch home, perhaps with a pool. If you are set on newer construction, look in the Mansfield area. There's a home for every budget down there.

BTW, the best part of NRH is in the Keller School District, making it somewhat "fake" (if I catch your reasoning).

-Eric

[caseyR]

Thanks, Eric. You get it.

So what about Heritage? Seeing lots of things around that area as well. Really looking for suburban lifestyle. Don't need the largest house, just newer, clean and in a great neighborhood.