moving- Southlake? Colleyville? Flower Mound? (Dallas, Plano: to rent, condo, how much)

[x10acn]

Hi, We have been transferred to DFW and we need to be close to DFW & Irving. We heard Southlake & Flower Mound were nice. Thoughts/suggestions on areas? We have actually rented a condo for three months so we can look around and decide on an area. Where should we look? Who are the big realtors in town? We will actually interview realtors when the time comes, we want to nail some areas down first, but who are the big dogs?
we have no kids though a decent school district is important as far as resale (unless it is an area where private schools are utilized as opposed to public schools.) Home price $400k-$600k.

[Squirl]

If it were me, I'd use my first few weeks in temp housing to drive thru different areas of interest to check out the vibe and traffic patterns and then zero in on my fave. Then I'd ID the "big dog" realtors who specialize in that area. I could give you recommendations of great realtors, but I would have a different one each for uptown Dallas, Las Colinas, Coppell, Plano and Flower Mound. So, besides your price range.....what matters that you want to be near for lifestyle, etc. Big yard, no yard? Tennis club, arts, dog parks, running trails, commute issues??? Those kinds of things are probably great to learn about on this forum.

[Rakin]

The 3 areas you mention are all top rated and so much will depend on how much you want to spend on a house. Southlake is fairly pricey and difficult to find a home less than $450k.

Did you look in Castlehills, Coppell & Las Colinas also ? These also are nice areas.

[x10acn]

Is Las Colinas nice?My husband was told twice not to have an Irving zip. We drove through there and it was very nice from what we saw. Of course we saw some not so desirable areas too but any decent size city will have both right? What's the word on Las Colinas?

[Rakin]

We down sized from a huge Coppell home to a very nice new home in La Villita in LC last year. If the commercial money had not dried up there will eventually be some very nice commercial development. Have you seen all the nice places along MacArthur & 635. Great restaurants & shopping.

Someone gave hubby bad advice. You should get someone who knows the area to give you a tour around and show you whats going on in Las Colinas, it's exciting and great for more of an upscale couple.

[Squirl]

It is a great area but the Irving schools are terrible. I live in LC and all the kids in our area attend private schools. However the LC and Valley Ranch zips 75039 and 75063 are served by good schools. In the DFW area, the schools are not always zoned to the city. If your husband works in Irving, you should look in LC. The Las Colinas Association

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by Squirl

So, besides your price range.....what matters that you want to be near for lifestyle, etc. Big yard, no yard? Tennis club, arts, dog parks, running trails, commute issues??? Those kinds of things are probably great to learn about on this forum.

My question, too. We need to know a little more about what you're looking for...

[nsumner]

I like Flower Mound a lot but its biggest downside is that there is only one way in and out of the city so traffic can be a bear. Southlake is a no brainer at first glance without knowing what you may like, it has the best schools, you will have a lot of homes to choose from as well that have the latest amenities most people want these days.

I think it's a wise move to rent for a few months to get acquainted with the areas and get a feel for what you will like.

Welcome to Texas.

Naima

[adixyz]

Originally Posted by nsumner

I like Flower Mound a lot but its biggest downside is that there is only one way in and out of the city so traffic can be a bear..

Technology has made easier to support statements with facts. Google maps now give multiple route option. Compare the options of going in/ out for all cities you are evaluating and the overall time you take between point A to B. It all depends on where you live,how far you are away from highways and your work location is. Some folks I know do not want to live near highways or populated cities. Try comparing traffic on internal roads and overall cars/ population on road. I am so glad I live in FM. Traffic is bad everywhere in Dallas during peak time on major intersections. Its all relative along with other personal factors in the house buying decision.

All major roads (2499/ 3030 and 1171) going in and out of FM are 6 lanes (3 lane each way) like any Interstate or planned to be. 1171 is under construction. The DFW connector project will further ease the traffic. There are other internal projects going on which will further smoothen the traffic. Check with FM town.

I live in Wellington and have 2 options to go to North Fort worth using 1171/35W as well as 121/183. Using 1171/35S takes me just 30- 35 mins for a 25 mile commute during peak time. It is faster from me compared to the commute time when I lived in Valley Ranch close to a Highway.

For Plano/ Richardson/ Frisco I take 1171(Main Street)/ 121 B, it takes me 40-45 mins. I can also go there using 121/635 (Grapevine Funnel) and 75.

For Downtown. I can take 114 or 635/35E. Agreed this will take 10 mins less each way if I lived in Coppell but it will be the same time or more for Southlake or Colleyville. Again depends on where you live and if its daily or occasional.

For Grapevine/ Colleyville/ Southlake I can options to take 114 or 26 near the Grapevine mall.

For Coppell or Irving I can either take 3040 or 121 or 635. I can even bypass the Grapevine funnel and go to Coppell/ Irving through Sandy Lane/ royal Lane.

For me "commute" was a factor but it trumped over top notch schools, future job locations and overall quality of life.

[loves2read]

Lots of people ask about FM and I have on been there few times--I thought it would be traffic hassle as well because of the road situation--thanks for some specific info