Some Dallas real estate questions
Apr 6, 2010, 7:03 pm
#47
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Also, as a former Dallas resident, I'd steer clear of the south suburban area. I'd be looking at the "M Streets," Lakewood, and (select areas of the) Lake Highlands neighborhoods of east Dallas from a location, location, location perspective. From a school district perspective, you'd be in Dallas. The kids would have to go to private schools.
Apr 7, 2010, 6:17 am
#48
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The "M Streets" is a neighborhood - it should be familiar to any reputable Realtor you work with. They are the streets (mostly beginning with "M") that are east of I-75 north of Knox/Henderson, south of Mockingbird, that surround the Greenville Avenue corridor. This has been a very desirable neighborhood, particularly since the mid-90s when lots of young professionals started buying these houses as their occupants aged/died and refurbishing them.
The Fort Worth equiv of the "M Streets" is Arlington Heights although we are about a decade behind the curve on the refurbishment.
The Fort Worth equiv of the "M Streets" is Arlington Heights although we are about a decade behind the curve on the refurbishment.
Apr 7, 2010, 8:24 am
#49
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Would buying a house that has always been a rental property, be a risky one? especially something that does not have a sprinkler system? I'm thinking that the tenant would not have taken good care of the property. This house also has a lot of updates done to it.
Apr 7, 2010, 4:40 pm
#50
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When you mention "sprinkler system", I gather you're referring to the outside variety. Yes, they are more cosmetic than hoses, etc., but can become troublesome (like children) as they age. Maintenance-intensive may describe some well. Look at it this way....Come July, a brown yard needs less mowing! A couple of tractor tires converted to flower planters, old car batteries edging the flower bed, and an occupied double gunrack in the back of your pickup, and the neighbors won't complain.
Previously rented or owner-occupied? Well, owners and their families are generally less destructive than your average renter, but updates and cosmetics by the owner can remedy a lot of shortcomings.
Keys? A good inspector; HVAC (age, condition); Roof; Plumbing, inc. HWH; Electrical, inc. adequate circuits; insulation (attic/walls); Windows and doors, operating hardware and exfiltration/infiltration, Foundation condition? Place tennis ball on floor inside front door. If it rolls to back corner of house, selective subsidence has occurred. If dining room has 6" step in middle of room, situation worse. Consult Starwood Lurker for remedies or suicide pills.
If it looks and feels comfortable and the price matches comparables close by, you only live once, so go for ti.
Previously rented or owner-occupied? Well, owners and their families are generally less destructive than your average renter, but updates and cosmetics by the owner can remedy a lot of shortcomings.
Keys? A good inspector; HVAC (age, condition); Roof; Plumbing, inc. HWH; Electrical, inc. adequate circuits; insulation (attic/walls); Windows and doors, operating hardware and exfiltration/infiltration, Foundation condition? Place tennis ball on floor inside front door. If it rolls to back corner of house, selective subsidence has occurred. If dining room has 6" step in middle of room, situation worse. Consult Starwood Lurker for remedies or suicide pills.
If it looks and feels comfortable and the price matches comparables close by, you only live once, so go for ti.
Apr 7, 2010, 7:13 pm
#51
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When you mention "sprinkler system", I gather you're referring to the outside variety. Yes, they are more cosmetic than hoses, etc., but can become troublesome (like children) as they age. Maintenance-intensive may describe some well. Look at it this way....Come July, a brown yard needs less mowing! A couple of tractor tires converted to flower planters, old car batteries edging the flower bed, and an occupied double gunrack in the back of your pickup, and the neighbors won't complain.
Previously rented or owner-occupied? Well, owners and their families are generally less destructive than your average renter, but updates and cosmetics by the owner can remedy a lot of shortcomings.
Keys? A good inspector; HVAC (age, condition); Roof; Plumbing, inc. HWH; Electrical, inc. adequate circuits; insulation (attic/walls); Windows and doors, operating hardware and exfiltration/infiltration, Foundation condition? Place tennis ball on floor inside front door. If it rolls to back corner of house, selective subsidence has occurred. If dining room has 6" step in middle of room, situation worse. Consult Starwood Lurker for remedies or suicide pills.
If it looks and feels comfortable and the price matches comparables close by, you only live once, so go for ti.
Previously rented or owner-occupied? Well, owners and their families are generally less destructive than your average renter, but updates and cosmetics by the owner can remedy a lot of shortcomings.
Keys? A good inspector; HVAC (age, condition); Roof; Plumbing, inc. HWH; Electrical, inc. adequate circuits; insulation (attic/walls); Windows and doors, operating hardware and exfiltration/infiltration, Foundation condition? Place tennis ball on floor inside front door. If it rolls to back corner of house, selective subsidence has occurred. If dining room has 6" step in middle of room, situation worse. Consult Starwood Lurker for remedies or suicide pills.
If it looks and feels comfortable and the price matches comparables close by, you only live once, so go for ti.
May I know what you mean by the bolded portion?
Apr 8, 2010, 6:33 am
#52
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before establishing permanence, i would do a couple driving practice runs from the chosen site to the place of employment.
although not on a par with washington dc, many of the traffic routes get really bogged down during rush hours.
also, remember to budget a couple hundred dollars a month for texas tollways expenses. they are now more expensive than the italian autoroutes.
although not on a par with washington dc, many of the traffic routes get really bogged down during rush hours.
also, remember to budget a couple hundred dollars a month for texas tollways expenses. they are now more expensive than the italian autoroutes.
Apr 8, 2010, 7:25 am
#53
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before establishing permanence, i would do a couple driving practice runs from the chosen site to the place of employment.
although not on a par with washington dc, many of the traffic routes get really bogged down during rush hours.
also, remember to budget a couple hundred dollars a month for texas tollways expenses. they are now more expensive than the italian autoroutes.
although not on a par with washington dc, many of the traffic routes get really bogged down during rush hours.
also, remember to budget a couple hundred dollars a month for texas tollways expenses. they are now more expensive than the italian autoroutes.
Apr 8, 2010, 8:24 am
#54
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http://www.ntta.org/NR/rdonlyres/72F...rices_PGBT.pdf
looks like $100 is a bit high if you have a toll tag. i did not realize the discount was so big.
i have a toll tag, have used it quite a bit, but never been charged, so i did not know what the toll tag rates were. i only see the money amounts on the booths.
Apr 8, 2010, 8:44 am
#55
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Will a sprinkler system help in preventing foundation problems? Not unless the sprinkleres are close enough to the house to actually maintain moisture content in the soil structure beneath the foundation 9and even then, theoretical solutions often don't work or turn out to be unnecessay. If a house has been there 10-20 years and displays no visible signs of foundation cracking/subsidence, I wouldn't worry. If concerned, I'd seek a reputable (BBB comfortable) foundation company to inspect the foundation.
The entire issue is simply not one to lose sleep over....
Apr 8, 2010, 8:53 am
#56
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1. You don't know where your spouse will be working.
2. The south end of DFW is not as desirable as the north end.
3. Your job offer seems sub-optimal, which leads me to believe you are viewing this as a stepping-stone, rather than a long-term multi-year situation.
Just like uncertaintraveler, I'm saying this respectfully. A house can become an albatross very easily. Your situation doesn't appear to be "settled" enough to rush out and buy a house.
2. The south end of DFW is not as desirable as the north end.
3. Your job offer seems sub-optimal, which leads me to believe you are viewing this as a stepping-stone, rather than a long-term multi-year situation.
Just like uncertaintraveler, I'm saying this respectfully. A house can become an albatross very easily. Your situation doesn't appear to be "settled" enough to rush out and buy a house.
Apr 12, 2010, 11:41 am
#57
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I am looking at one house that is in a good school zone but which had foundation problems but it looks like its been fixed. Once foundation problems occur and is fixed (they say there is a lifetime transferable warranty) is it very risky?
Apr 12, 2010, 2:23 pm
#58
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Life is a crap shoot and you can't pass the dice.....