Places to live in TX

Not quite as hip as Austin, maybe, but check out some of the areas in Dallas. Highland Park / University Park / Turtle Creek is very nice, close to the hip spots in town, but you'll have a hard time finding a gated community. Plano will have the gated communities, but not a lot of hip young folks there. If you're thinking about starting a family at any point, look closely at Frisco. There are some very nice communities there, and your $350-500k will go a long way. Frisco also has good retail, soccer and minor-league baseball, and is home to the DFW area's new Ikea store!

There are some nice areas in Houston as well, but I'm not as familiar with them. Maybe someone else is?

 

Don't forget about Fort Worth. Not as hip (or crowded) as Austin or SA, but has a lot to offer. Lots of very nice houses in your price range. No traffic problems to speak of compared to Dallas, Austin, Houston, SA, etc.

 

For that age/money combo, I would probably stay in the Uptown, Knox/Henderson, M Streets, or Lakewood area of Dallas. You can buy a nice place in the suburbs, but I am afraid you will be surrounded by older couples and plenty of kids. That's cool if you are into it, but the younger/hipper crowd is definitely closer to downtown. And for $500k, you can pick up a sweet condo, or cool old Tudor style house.

For suburbs, you can always come out to live in Southlake with Rob and I and a few others. Keep in mind, I am 30, and my wife and I are the youngest in the neighborhood and one of three couples without kids (though one of the other couples just announced they are pregnant). But, it's definitely a nice place to settle down.

 

Good point - why don't bring over some of those in-car videos this weekend and we can watch them upstairs. I've got some beer that needs to be taken down.

 

That's quite a jump from looking for a $1000/month apartment.

You would have a very hard time finding a home in a gated community in Austin for less that $700,000.
We don't really need gated communities here in Austin, but most of the homes that are in gated communities are around a million dollars or more. Lots of the nice homes here aren't in gated communities, but lots of them do have their own gates.

 

Austin is a small town grown BIG, Dallas has the fashion industry and the hot babes it attracts......Houston has HEAT and HUMIDITY but a great cultural scene.....


I'm from Galveston........a little coastal vibe there, with the NASA Clear Lake scene, think Keels and Wheels.

For my money it'd be hard to beat the Hill Country......New Bransfels, Dripping Springs, Wimberly., San Marcos.......check that out some time....Go hang with Charlie Robison and the Dixie Chicks.......Kelly Willis at Gruene Hall...


Just scatter my ashes out on the dance floor, with the sawdust!!!!!


Come on down!

 

? 100% jump? Two grand a month isn't going to get you a $500k house unless you are putting 50% down.

 

Sorry for the quick highjack but I live a few doors down from our (Southlake) mayor. He also has a nice yellow Espirit!

 

Southlake is good.

Demographics,

Average home value $384,000
Average home sale in 2004 $428,000
Average household income $150,278
Average age 37 years
Population: 26,700
Population cap: 30,100 in 2010


Just 15 minutes from D/FW airport and located very close to both Dallas and Fort Worth. Still a laid back feel. You really need to look in Southlake. Everything is new or newish as the town has really developed in the last 8 years.

 

A practical suggestion for someone of your age (speaking from experience as our youngest kiddo is 36) is not to put all your money into a house and definitely don't waste good income on a high price apartment. Both our kids are homeowners and are much better off than renting apartments. Get a good place to live and buy property in the corridor where development is occuring or about to occur - a wiser use of funds. Obviously our interests are way different than yours as we we "have been there done it" living many years in fashionable North Dallas and now are much happier on 30 acres with no neighbors, our cows, horses and other critters. We have a friend with an absolutely stunning home in Fort Worth in a beautiful section of town without having all the traffic/theft/rape, etc. problems encountered in many of the high "rent" areas of Dallas. Just remember that "they don't make land anymore" - if I were looking to purchase land, it would be in the Weatherford area!!

Good luck with whatever avenue you choose to take.

Carol

Understand about CA living costs - our son had an apartment in Sunnyvale and also in Davis - ouch!!! Actually the perfect world - couple hours to the mountains, hour to the beach, etc. . . . .

 

Don't forget you gotta pay taxes on that too. Depending on how much you put down 5-20% I think you'd be looking at somewhere in the 4-5k/mo. payment range.

BTW, I really like Houston a lot. I have a great home (granted no yard) 5 minutes west of downtown in a great neighborhood, everything I could possibly need or want is no more than 10 minutes away. Great restaurants, great clubs and bars, perfect for someone your age who has that kind of money. In the last two years I've driven less than 12k miles. My kind of living.

 

I moved to Texas from California 12 years ago. I visit California many times a year becasue my family lives there. I am so glad I moved here and will never even consider California as a place to live full time. Texas has low crime, great quality of life, friendly people, beautiful women, low cost of living and many more perks!

The problem I have is when people move to Texas and try to change it to the state they moved from.. Your are correct when you say "adapt" becasue thats what you should do. Dont bring California with you, come to Texas and adapt to our wonderful way of life, we welcome anyone to our state just dont change try to change it to California.

Let me know if you want to look around the DFW area, I will gladly drive you around and show you this part of Texas.


(fine print) I am not trying to offend anyone by this post its just being a home builder I meet a lot of people moving to our area and I have delt with many people from out of state attempting to change local laws, neighborhood rules, zoning laws etc to reflect the state they are from.)

 

Good advice.

 

21 or 22? Austin!! Clearly!
(Given no other criteria to go on, seems a no-brainer to me.)

 

Austin is definetly the most fun/hip/exciting city to be in for someone your age.

Check out "Circle C" in Austin.

The cheapest gated good communities I can think of in Austin would be in Barton Creek -- Wimberly Lane and Lost Creek. That'd be $700+

 

I believe Dallas has the highest crime rate of any metro area in the US.

 

Most of Circle C isn't gated, but they do have a small gated section where the homes are from $200,000 - $300,000. It's a great community but there are several other neighborhoods I would rather live in with your price range. I would find an older house out in the hills. The only views in Circle C are of other peoples homes and the homes are just a few feet apart.

If you are serious about Austin, I have several conections in the Real Estate business. I can find you a great place in Austin for that price range, but not in a nice gated community.

 

I live in Fort Worth

 

Although I lived in DFW for nine years and loved it too (Fort Worth is a great "little town" with wonderful museums and a fun downtown and Dallas is, well, Dallas). Houston has great culture but the city is a little too humid for me. San Antonio is a great weekend but I wouldn't want to live there. The coast would be fine if you don't have to earn a living. Austin has a great economy, wonderful Hill Country views, lakes, and a lot of fun (music, bars, clubs, etc). At your age I would agree, no other choice but Austin.

 

In California property tax in 1% of your homes value in Texas we havent any state income tax so property tax is much higher depending on where you live.


Good LucK!