Moving to Dallas
 

My Fiancée has a job offer in Dallas area, Addison. We are planning a trip next month to visit the area. Any advice to this area? Good places to live? We are from Iowa so this will be a big change for us! Any advice would be wonderful.

My TA has been in the Addison/FarNorthDallas area for 20 years.I visit often.The areas north of Addison are booming...Plano,Frisco,Allen and to the northwest Carrollton.Yes, it will be a change to say the least.But it depends what you are looking for.What is your budget for housing?Do you want to rent or own?Here is a link to new homes in the area...there is a weekly TV show on Sunday mornings known by the same name.
http://www.hotonhomes.com/.....BTW my TA lives in FarNorth Carrollton.His neighborhood is less than 8 years old and all the houses have in this short time increased in value by 50%....Hope I have helped........S

See the suburb thread I just topped...

I would rather be the only woman on an merchant marine ship.
Learn these words !!!

HOT
HUMID

Janda

You must never have been to Houston.

Or Tampa!

Addison will be a BIG difference from Iowa! Addison is a neat little town that has lots of apartments/townhomes, fun restaurants/clubs and businesses. Most of the residents are young professionals who enjoy living close to their work and the nightlife. Addison is also well-known for its annual Oktoberfest and July 4th festivals.

If you are looking more for a house, or a dwelling with more yard than an apartment/townhouse, I would recommend the nearby suburb of Carrollton. There are houses in just about every price range there. (FYI, the average 3/2/2 house in Dallas is arond $125,000.)

If you have more money to spend, Plano is just North of Addison and is a popular choice with families. Houses there are more expensive, but the schools are better than Carrollton or Addison (DISD).

Yes, Dallas is hot, and the summers are usually humid. But you can sell your snow tires and snow shovel because you won't need them here!

moving to dallas!?!!

WHY??? don't take the job offer

>)

I have been to Dallas and Houston and there isnt enough money to get me to move there. Who needs that sweltering heat and humidity !!

For everyone that has expressed to me how humid it is in TX, I guess you have never been to IA in the summer. We have VERY humid days also. I do like the comment about not needing our snow tires anymore or snow shovels. That will be a BIG plus!! I have been threw enough snow storms in my life and really don't care to see snow again! Or drive on ice. Thank you for all the advice on the schools and areas that are best to live in. :-)

amitae...I was in Dallas in February.On Monday morning I went jogging in the balmy 65D weather,nice gentle breeze from the south.Tuesday afternoon at 5.30pm the wind was howling from the north,ice pellets peppering the windshield, and by daylight Wednesday there was a 4 to 6 inch coat of ice.The entire area was paralyzed!So,keep the chains.I finally got out of town and back to LA by Thrusday night.For the locals,it was pretty horrible.

That was a bad storm... we stayed at home for 3 days.
However, that was the first bad winter storm we have had in years. Generally we get one small ice storm a year and it melts by mid-day. Often we are wearing short sleeves at Christmas. I don't even own a heavy coat.
To me San Diego has perfect weather... but I'll take Dallas weather over most regions anyday!

Chains and snow tires are useless for driving on ice. When there is a major ice storm (usually not more than once every 3 years), the city just shuts down and everyone stays at home.
I like Texas because I'm not a winter person, and we do have air conditioning for the hot summer months. I can vividly remember wearing a short sleeve T-shirt while riding my horse in February. I have a heavy coat, but I only wear it for a few days a year.

Amitae, do you need more advice about moving to Dallas?

Yes! I will take any info about the City. Or sites that would be helpful to look at. I'm excited to visit the area! My Fiancee is a big time golfer so he is excited that he will be able to golf more then just 5 months a year and I love to travel and meet new people.

For the latest news about the DFW area, www.dallasnews.com is the Dallas Morning News site. Their Guide is excellent for its listing of area events and festivals.

Are you looking for a house or apartment/condo/townhome? Own or rent? Budget? Are schools important? These will likely be the deciding factors on where you want to live.

Amitae,
My wife and I live in Dallas (Plano/City) and we came from CA. Dallas is a good city to live in. Of Course it can get hot in Summer. There are good and bad no matter where you live. Enjoy your time here and if it is a great opportunity for you and your Fiancee why not take it. You can find a good place to live based on your budget. When you are down here you can also look through yellow pages for a relator/apartment places. Plano, addison, Friso and Allen are growing area. Depend upon where you and your Fiancee will be working and how far/how long you are willing to drive and also how much you want to spend.

We will be looking for a house. Since he will be working in Addison I'm sure I will try to find a job in that area also. If we like that area I hope to find a home there also. We are not real worried about schools yet since we do not have kids and won't for a couple of years.

I hope that his company will help you find a good Realtor to assist in the home search. :-) What will your budget be for a house?

The Addison/Far North Dallas area has many amazing, extravagant homes (over $1 million, on golf course, etc.) if your budget will allow that.

If you're looking for something more reasonably priced, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, or Northwest Dallas will have some alternatives.

If you're wanting to stay within a 30-minute drive from work, you can also include West Plano in your search.

I know this is the least helpful comment ever but, after living in Dallas/Plano for 2 years I feel compelled to say...my sympathies.

If we were to live in an apt. for a while where do you suggest we look? I realize like every city there are good apt and bad ones.