Calling all moms from Dallas, TX

[poppy]

We are considering relocating and DH would be in downtown.
We'd ideally like a 30 minute commute with a great school district and family friendly community. We would like to buy a SFR for $400K or under, decent sized yard for the kids. I'm from Socal so anything over $10,000 sq. ft. seems like a dream.

What school districts would you recommend?

TIA!

[twowhat?]

Within 30 min of downtown there is Richardson/Plano, Grapevine, Southlake, Coppell, Flower Mound, and Lewisville. (though Flower Mound is really pushing the 30 min). Plano, Coppell, Southlake, and Flower Mound are good district-wide in terms of schools. Lewisville has some GREAT schools and some not so great - depends on where you are. Within the Dallas city limits, there are the University Park and Highland Park communities - but those communities are EXPENSIVE. If you want good schools, there is nowhere else I would want to live within the Dallas city limits - you have to go out to the suburbs.

All the other suburbs I mentioned - no problem getting a home under 400K. Southlake is probably the most expensive of the suburbs I listed but even then you can get a home for under 400K. For reference I live in a more "expensive" neighborhood in one of these suburbs and we have a $400K 3600 sq ft 1.5-story home on a 0.25 acre lot (pool in backyard, decent sized front yard, 2 bedrooms + bath upstairs; 2 br and everything else downstairs) - and there are plenty of nice homes around 3000 sq ft with decently sized lots that cost about $350K here in the less expensive neighborhoods. If you want a single story ranch, you'd be looking in older neighborhoods within these suburbs.

PM me if you want more detail since I don't want to post anything more specific that would give away my location (and if you need a great realtor rec!).

[mushka]

We are in Carrollton/Lewisville area. 30 min commute to downtown Dallas. Our house is 3,500 sq feet, has a pool, and was 300k. I really like our Castle hills area. I would definitely check out Plano, Frisco, and Castle Hills areas.

[Zukini]

We're in Frisco - great public school district by all reports - but the drive time to Downtown is 25-30 minutes without traffic / off-peak despite being a "straight shot" down one highway (Dallas North Tollway). There are other highway options but it will probably add to the drive time. Are his work hours standard 8/9 - 5? Is he was working earlier or later? If he has some flexibility he would be able to avoid the worst of it.

The neighborhood of Allen is a teensy bit further south and east and is also a straight shot into the city (Hwy 75). Other thing I've noticed coming from SoFL where traffic can be ridiculous and sit still for no apparent reason (bad driving & accidents that remain in the street) is that Dallas traffic keeps moving pretty well. Yes, it's a long drive but at least you're driving.

Welcome! You're gonna love the cost of living, and with little ones, a very family-oriented city no matter (almost!) which city/neighborhood you pick.

[poppy]

Thank you! We were looking at Southlake and Flowermound. But will definitely check out the other places. DH's job would be flexible so he could pick his hours to a certain extent. We were looking to move because we just could not afford that type of house here and there would be no yard to speak of. We almost paid $600K for a condo but now I am glad we waited. We def. want a house over 2000 sq. ft. but would rather live in a better school district and a smaller home. Highland Park is too expensive for us--we would just stay here at those prices. We are looking for a better COL. Also, are any neighborhoods within the direct path of the airplanes/airport that I should avoid because of noise?

How is the weather out there? I am actuallly originally from the tri-state area, so feel silly asking this, but my kids are CA babies. I am thinking the winters are pretty mild out there?

Thanks again mamas! :)

[twowhat?]

Thank you! We were looking at Southlake and Flowermound. But will definitely check out the other places. DH's job would be flexible so he could pick his hours to a certain extent. We were looking to move because we just could not afford that type of house here and there would be no yard to speak of. We almost paid $600K for a condo but now I am glad we waited. We def. want a house over 2000 sq. ft. but would rather live in a better school district and a smaller home. Highland Park is too expensive for us--we would just stay here at those prices. We are looking for a better COL.

How is the weather out there? I am actuallly originally from the tri-state area, so feel silly asking this, but my kids are CA babies. I am thinking the winters are pretty mild out there?

Thanks again mamas! :)

I actually don't mind the weather here at all. The fall, spring, and winters are awesome IMO. I actually love how the winters can bring a little bit of everything. Sunny, crisp days, some days even warm, and then a cold front can plummet temps below freezing and give snow/ice...it keeps things interesting:) Spring and fall are beautiful, with great play outside type of weather. Thunderstorms can be sudden (and drenching) but like I said, I think it keeps things interesting:) Summers are the worst - it can be really hot but it is usually not humid. So in that sense it is bearable And - the summer season is so long that there is SO much opportunity for water play. My only real complaint about summer is mosquitoes. But there are lots of things you can do to control mosquitoes around your home that are not toxic.

Flower Mound and Southlake are great family-friendly areas. Easy airport access too, in case anyone has to travel frequently for work. And you can get a lot of house for not so much $$ (Flower Mound more so than Southlake but since you're coming from CA, I know that even Southlake seems like a bargain!)

[kristenk]

Winters are pretty mild. We'll have snow and ice every once in a while but it doesn't usually stick around. A few years ago we had a pretty major storm and DD's elementary school ended up being cancelled for a whole week. We're not used to winter precipitation so ice throws the whole metroplex for a loop (which almost certainly annoys people who grew up in places where winter weather is typical!).

Summers are exceptionally hot. We've also been hearing more about West Nile Virus the last couple of years.

There are definitely areas that are in the flight path. You can probably look at google maps and see the orientation of the runways at DFW. One intersection in Southlake that can get pretty bad noise is Kimball Ave. and Southlake Blvd/1709, so I'd avoid houses in that area. I don't know which areas are bad for air traffic noise in Flower Mound.

Here's an article from D Magazine about the Best Suburbs 2012 (http://www3.dmagazine.com/content/best-dallas-suburbs-2012/). You can click on the individual listings to read more. That might help a little.

[megs4413]

Are you going to have a chance to visit before relocating? When we were first considering the area, we had pretty much settled on Grapevine/Southlake/Flower Mound, but then we visited and found that other areas fit our needs just as well if not better. Because your DH's commute is into Dallas, I would consider the Northern 'burbs because of the access via the DNT or 75. So, places like Frisco, Plano, Allen, Fairview.

[twowhat?]

Winters are pretty mild. We'll have snow and ice every once in a while but it doesn't usually stick around. A few years ago we had a pretty major storm and DD's elementary school ended up being cancelled for a whole week. We're not used to winter precipitation so ice throws the whole metroplex for a loop (which almost certainly annoys people who grew up in places where winter weather is typical!).



So the thing about wintry precipitation here is that it never sticks around long - so the problem is that if we get snow (which doesn't really create THAT hazardous of driving conditions), the snow melts some during the afternoon, and then it refreezes as black ice on the roads overnight. That's what the real problem is - it's ice! Ice is dangerous no matter where you are at and no matter what car you are driving. So it's different than living somewhere where it snows but the temps stay below freezing so the snow sticks around. We get the whole freeze/melt/freeze cycle which really does create hazardous conditions. Sleet is also an issue here because it's more dangerous on the roads than snow. So...I'm kind of glad we're extra cautious :D

[kristenk]

twowhat?, I agree that driving on ice (whether it be from sleet, melted snow that has frozen overnight or freezing rain that has frozen on the roads) is dangerous! I was more referring to the constant news coverage when we get winter weather, people driving too fast when they shouldn't, people creeping along when the roads have finally improved, etc. I just think we make a bigger deal about it than places that actually deal with it every winter. That's what I was talking about. (And I should admit that I love all of the news coverage, etc. when we have winter weather possibilities. I just know that some of it annoys my DH and inlaws from Michigan!)

[twowhat?]

twowhat?, I agree that driving on ice (whether it be from sleet, melted snow that has frozen overnight or freezing rain that has frozen on the roads) is dangerous! I was more referring to the constant news coverage when we get winter weather, people driving too fast when they shouldn't, people creeping along when the roads have finally improved, etc. I just think we make a bigger deal about it than places that actually deal with it every winter. That's what I was talking about. (And I should admit that I love all of the news coverage, etc. when we have winter weather possibilities. I just know that some of it annoys my DH and inlaws from Michigan!)

Oh yes! We love to make a big deal out of everything in TX!! :) Nothing more exciting than a *chance* of snow!!! And people here think their 4WDs can handle ice at normal speeds, which is just dumb as rocks (ever notice how all the disabled cars in ice storms are trucks/SUVs with 4WD? Idiots). We own an AWD vehicle. It goes great in snow. It slips on ice, just like everything else.

[poppy]

Winters are pretty mild. We'll have snow and ice every once in a while but it doesn't usually stick around. A few years ago we had a pretty major storm and DD's elementary school ended up being cancelled for a whole week. We're not used to winter precipitation so ice throws the whole metroplex for a loop (which almost certainly annoys people who grew up in places where winter weather is typical!).

Summers are exceptionally hot. We've also been hearing more about West Nile Virus the last couple of years.

There are definitely areas that are in the flight path. You can probably look at google maps and see the orientation of the runways at DFW. One intersection in Southlake that can get pretty bad noise is Kimball Ave. and Southlake Blvd/1709, so I'd avoid houses in that area. I don't know which areas are bad for air traffic noise in Flower Mound.

Here's an article from D Magazine about the Best Suburbs 2012 (http://www3.dmagazine.com/content/best-dallas-suburbs-2012/). You can click on the individual listings to read more. That might help a little.

Thanks for the article. That is very helpful. Does it also encompass school districts? I was told Highland Park is the best, but which are the 2nd and 3rd? I want the kids to go to the best one we can afford but also realized that if we pick a home in a better school district it usually has a better resale value.

[lovin2shop]

I think that among the top tier schools here, "best" is a pretty relative term. I think that they all provide an excellent education, but there are some very big differences between the schools. Many site HP as "the best", but I would personally did not choose to put my kids in this school system for a variety of reasons. Among the top ranked schools, there are some fairly significant differences in size, diversity, academic challenge, sports, etc. All of these are personal preferences, so it is hard to say what is best for each family's circumstances.

[poppy]

Thank you again for your replies. It's a lot to think about but also exciting to see the types of homes we could get for the mid-300 to $400K range, many of which have huge yards and a pool. It really is amazing and for me, I enjoy Socal with all the great parks and activities for the kids but would rather have a better COL and Dallas seems like a beautiful city also. We'd like to live in a town that has lots of things to do for kids. We actually visited Plano, which is where DH's brother lives. We'll have to go again and look around. We would probably stay with him for a week and hopefully buy something within a week or two. I never considered flying out there just to look for a home, but that's a thought. It would be a little hard with toddlers but doable. Winters seem fine, except for the ice. I actually miss winters. :)

[poppy]

I think that among the top tier schools here, "best" is a pretty relative term. I think that they all provide an excellent education, but there are some very big differences between the schools. Many site HP as "the best", but I would personally did not choose to put my kids in this school system for a variety of reasons. Among the top ranked schools, there are some fairly significant differences in size, diversity, academic challenge, sports, etc. All of these are personal preferences, so it is hard to say what is best for each family's circumstances.

I guess I just meant overall. Usually, it's ranked, not that everyone agrees with them. The OC Register ranked schools here (1) Irvine; (2) Los Alamitos (3) Laguna Beach. I just thought if I started from those areas, then I can narrow it down to our personal preferences. It's harder to really know what I like since I don't know much about Dallas.

[megs4413]

I guess I just meant overall. Usually, it's ranked, not that everyone agrees with them. The OC Register ranked schools here (1) Irvine; (2) Los Alamitos (3) Laguna Beach. I just thought if I started from those areas, then I can narrow it down to our personal preferences. It's harder to really know what I like since I don't know much about Dallas.

I'm not familiar with a ranking system like that, but you can look up the ratings that the TEA gives each school on their website:

ritter.tea.state.tx.us

Those are only based on test scores, though, as far as I know. When we were looking, we used greatschools.org. My kids are in private school now, though, after a year at one of the "best" rated schools in the suburbs.

[Gracemom]

You have lots of great choices. We live in Allen but we are in the Plano ISD. We love it. McKinney is also a great choice, but a little farther north on 75. We have friends in Fairview. They love their large lots and their Lovejoy ISD. They have less homework in the elementary level, which my kids are jealous of. I think you will find this area a great place to raise kids. There is so much to do in the Dallas area, especially if you branch out to Ft. Worth too. Good luck with your search!

[zukeypur]

I have no input, as I'm on the Fort Worth side of the world, but good luck with your search!

Funny about all of the weather talk....school was delayed by 2 hours today because of a dusting of snow and some ice. I've learned to just enjoy sleeping in on the mornings when the ISD over reacts. ;). I did see a semi in a ditch this morning after talking DDs to school, so I guess the delayed start may have been warranted. Still, growing up in the panhandle where we got a TON more snow, it makes me roll my eyes occasionally.

[kristenk]

I've learned to just enjoy sleeping in on the mornings when the ISD over reacts. ;).

I wish I didn't have to wake up at 6:30 to find out that I could have slept in, though! lol

[Corie]

I used to live in Flower Mound! :)

My brother & his family still live in Flower Mound.