single gal considering buying a condo/townhouse (Dallas, Carrollton: for sale, lease)

[sunnysky]

First time homebuyer here. Single gal, in mid-20s, no children. Considering a condo or townhouse because I'm not big on yardwork. I'd probably buy in mid-2010.

Some things about me:

Price range $100K give or take a few thousand. I can put down about 5 percent.

Don't care too much about age of property as long as it has been well-maintained.

Don't care much about resale value going way up. Just don't want it to go down in value. As long as I get back what I put in, I'm happy.

Don't want to live amongst too many renters. Don't mind if there are some renters, but would prefer more owners in the community.

Kitchen upgrades and wood or laminate floors throughout would be nice, but not dealbreakers.

Square footage isn't important. My current apt. is 600 sq. ft, so long as it's not smaller than that, I'm fine.

I live in Carrollton now but think I'd prefer a condo/townhouse in Central or North Dallas. I work in Addison, but condos here seem out of my price range.

What are some good areas or zip codes to look at? Any other thoughts?

Thanks.

[Smito]

Originally Posted by sunnysky

First time homebuyer here. Single gal, in mid-20s, no children. Considering a condo or townhouse because I'm not big on yardwork. I'd probably buy in mid-2010.

Some things about me:

Price range $100K give or take a few thousand. I can put down about 5 percent.

Don't care too much about age of property as long as it has been well-maintained.

Don't care much about resale value going way up. Just don't want it to go down in value. As long as I get back what I put in, I'm happy.

Don't want to live amongst too many renters. Don't mind if there are some renters, but would prefer more owners in the community.

Kitchen upgrades and wood or laminate floors throughout would be nice, but not dealbreakers.

Square footage isn't important. My current apt. is 600 sq. ft, so long as it's not smaller than that, I'm fine.

I live in Carrollton now but think I'd prefer a condo/townhouse in Central or North Dallas. I work in Addison, but condos here seem out of my price range.

What are some good areas or zip codes to look at? Any other thoughts?

Thanks.

Try looking at Copperfield in Northeast Dallas (Lake Highlands, 75243). There is a mix of patio homes, townhomes and condos. Condos can be bought for under 100K. Townhomes start at around 135k. Search streets Coppertowne, Brittania, Barnaby and Towneship. Address for all condos is 8600 Coppertowne Lane.

[sunnysky]

Smito,

The townhomes in the photo look really nice. Thanks a lot. I'll check it out. How long of a commute is it from Lake Highlands to Addison?

[Smito]

Originally Posted by sunnysky

Smito,

The townhomes in the photo look really nice. Thanks a lot. I'll check it out. How long of a commute is it from Lake Highlands to Addison?

The commute in the morning should be 20 minutes depending on where you need to go in Addison. I don't travel LBJ Freeway in the morning. I use Royal Lane to Dallas North Tollway and head straight north.

[Boo_lew]

You should also check out 75206, the area between Greenville Ave. and Skillman. There are quite a few listings in your price range.

[sunnysky]

Thanks Boo_lew.

Did a search on that zip.

One in particular on Martel Avenue looks really nice for only $69,000. Are there any drawbacks to living in this area? What's crime like? It's near Greenville & Mockingbird.

Another on Northway Drive also looks nice. It's $108K. Is this a better location? Would it be a good buy?

[ISellAddison]

Check out the small condo community (35 units, give or take) in Addison on Brookhaven Club Drive. The new Vitruvian Park 117 acre complex is going up right next door and property values there should increase when the project is completed. There is a 3 bedroom unit for sale by a broker and another 3 bedroom for sale or lease by owner. They're both close to your price range and you get the benefits of Addison living.