Does anyone know how far Carrollton is from Ft. Worth and if the commute is okay or awful? What are nice areas around Ft. Worth for home buying? Any thoughts are appreciated.

That commute would be pretty bad. Whenever you have to cross/pass DFW Airport, it adds time and congestion. From downtown Carrollton to downtown Fort Worth would probably be close to 45 minutes, if not longer. With the long drive and awful Dallas County property taxes, I'd choose NOT to do that! Fort Worth is a much more laid-back city than Dallas, and it has a much stronger "small town" feel to it. Fort Worth also has more cultural life (museums, theatre, etc) than Dallas.

Fort Worth's southwest side (near Hulen Mall) is nice, with mostly newer homes. A very nice area of Fort Worth is near TCU and University Drive. Depending on your budget, there are lots of homes in all price ranges in Fort Worth.

Thank you for your response. I don't know a thing about the area and my husband may take a job in Ft. Worth. I need to find a nice and safe area to buy a home but I like older homes with charm. I'm worried about the heat and the bugs. In the NW, we get very little of either! I guess I'll adapt.

Carrollton has lots of older homes, although I wouldn't say they have "charm;" they're just "older."

For "older homes with charm" and a reasonable commute to Fort Worth, I'd highly recommend Grapevine. The area near downtown has some darling older homes (built in early 1900s) that have been restored and/or well-maintained. Fort Worth proper also has lots of neat older homes, especially in the area near TCU that I mentioned before.

Yes, North Texas gets hot in the summer, but practically everywhere is air conditioned, so it's not unbearable. The only time you notice the heat is when you run from your AC'd home or office to your AC'd Car!

Yes, we get mosquitoes in the summer, but they are easily controlled by removing standing water on your property and wearing insect repellent when you'll be outside in the early evenings. Any other bugs can be kept at bay by a good pest control company.

Hey, look on the bright side: you won't need that snow shovel anymore.

Boy you're right about the snow shovel! Thanks a lot for the information. It's really helpful!