East of 75, South of Mockingbird, and directly east of Highland Park is an area referred to as "M-Streets". Here you'll find a collection of well detailed Tudor cottages which are in very high demand (great for first time buyers). Appreciation is good. Prices range from around $300,000 up to around $500,000. The area skirts the popular Greenville road location of mall shops and great restaurants.
South of LBJ and East of 75 (Central Expressway) are neighborhoods that generally have more similar houses within an area.- approximately $250,000 and up. The White Rock Lake area is almost due east of the Park Cities. Again, prices are generally $300,000-$500,000 but there are areas near White Rock Lake that go considerably higher, topping at around $3.6 Million (6/29/05).
Just North of LBJ, East and West of Preston Road is an area referred to as "Far North Dallas" because 20 years ago, it was! On the whole you can find 2800-3400 square feet under $400,000 - in most cases under $300,000 depending on the age of the home, most are ranch and/or California ranch. There are many Country Clubs in the Dallas area. This particular area has several. Generally the homes around the clubs and within pockets of newer homes will be considerably higher $. However, you will generally get good value for your money and the property values will respond accordingly.
PLANO is directly north of the northernmost Dallas area. Lots are not usually large and tree laden but the houses are new(er), the square footage is large and the schools are some of the best. You can find a 3400 square foot home with 3-car garage for $350,000 to $500,000 depending on where you look, if you are near a planned community or a country club and/or if you do have trees and one or two lakes within your neighborhood. My computer serves as my "server" for ALL of the real estate areas in the Dallas market (downloading all listings every few minutes) and Plano has by far the largest number of homes for sale in the Dallas metropolitan area. I find the easiest way to search listings for a customer is just to plug in price and bedrooms and eliminate from there. The listing prices as of 6/29/05 range from a low of around $100,000 to a high of $8.5M
MC KINNEY still further north (about 45 minutes from downtown Dallas) and has become the largest "bang for the buck". There are two major planned communities, Eldorado and Stonebridge. The school system is terrific and there are actually elementary schools within walking distance of most homes! The homes are laid out in various communities by pricing - which is directly affected by Golf courses, and many other amenities. Stonebridge even has a "sandy beach"! There are major shopping centers, lots of restaurants and all the options that you would expect from a major city - which this is quickly becoming. The medium house price is around $200,000 to a high of $2.7M
I have far from covered the extent of the choices that you have in the Dallas real estate market. There are other areas/communities that are available as well as other TYPES of housing. Dallas has many "ZEROLOT LINE" communities with means you have a home with a small patio/yard. These homes are not to be underestimated in terms of square footage or price, however. Depending where you choose to commute from, you can buy a Zerolot line home from less than $200,000 to well over $2M. These homes might be for you if you want the house but not the yard!
Yes Virginia, if you are really considering a move to Dallas, - you WILL need a Realtor and a map. Allow me to help you.
