AVOID Moving to the WRONG Area in Dallas, Texas

If you're thinking about moving to

Dallas, you're probably looking at all

of these uh gorgeous homes online right

now. But wait, some of these houses

might be amazing, but if it's in the

wrong area of Dallas for your lifestyle,

you might just be putting that home back

on the market in a year. So, today I'm

going to walk you through exactly which

areas in Dallas are actually good places

to live and which ones you might want to

avoid. Now, let's start with the areas

you might want to think twice about

before making that big move to Dallas.

And to give you some context, Dallas can

be broken up into five major rings.

First of all, you have the inner ring,

and this is really the heart of Dallas,

which is dense, fast-paced, and full of

energy. And then you have the second

ring, which is a little older uh

character filled areas that are just

outside the core. And then you have the

third ring which is classic established

neighborhoods with more space and a

suburban feel. Uh you have the fourth

ring which is really kind of quiet

familyfriendly suburbs. And uh then you

have the outer ring which is rapid

growth areas with new developments, big

homes and wide open spaces for now. Now

there are definitely some spots you want

to be careful about. And I'm talking

about areas with major construction

projects that could disrupt your daily

life for the next few years. Now, like

take a LBJ or 635 in uh North Dallas.

It's undergoing a massive construction

project that won't be done until 2028,

making it an absolute traffic nightmare.

Parts of downtown where they're

constantly tearing up roads for utility

work and new highrises going up. And

then you've got some neighborhoods that

are experiencing growing pains because

of the rapid development, especially in

those transition zones between uh the

different rings. Then you've got some

areas like Valley Ranch and Los Kalinus

that are amazing communities, but

they're getting surrounded by more and

more developments that are really

changing the feel of those neighborhoods

pretty dramatically. And if you're

looking for communities with more stable

character, I mean, later on you'll see

some great ones with really unique

lifestyle advantages that are being

preserved despite all of the growth

around them. Now, speaking of traffic, I

mean, Dallas ranks as the 17th most

congested city in the US, and the

average driver here loses 38 hours uh to

traffic every year. And that's basically

a full work week just sitting in your

car uh going nowhere. I mean, how crazy

is that? But some of the worst spots, I

mean, you look at 75 and 635, the high

five, where speeds drop to, they say up

to 22 miles an hour during rush hour.

You're literally just inching along. And

then you got 635 East averaging only 26

miles an hour. and uh the I30 Mixmaster

where you're looking at 18 mph during

peak hours. I mean, it's brutal. So, uh

here's something that may shock you.

Midday congestion now rivals or even

beats traditional rush hour. So, even

locals don't realize this. So, if you're

uh working from home thinking you'll

just run errands during the day and

avoid traffic, well, that strategy could

uh cause you some problems still. So,

the best advice I can give you is

physically drive your potential commute

route uh at the actual times you'll be

traveling before making an offer. Don't

trust Google Maps uh estimates or uh

what some listing agent tells you about

drive times. I mean, you need to

experience it for yourself. So, if

you've already got a job lined up here,

choose your neighborhood based on uh

where you'll be working. If you're

heading to Uptown, look at Lakewood or

the M Streets. uh working in Plano or

Richardson, maybe check out far north

Dallas or even southern Frisco uh for

some more reasonable commutes. And I

cannot tell you how many times I've

heard of people selling their houses and

um losing money uh within a year because

they uh bought in the wrong location.

So, if you're serious about finding the

perfect Dallas neighborhood that

actually fits your lifestyle, go ahead

and hit that subscribe button uh because

uh we're the number one relocation team

in all of Dallas, Texas. We help

hundreds of families navigate this every

single year. And I I I really give you

the heads up on all of the videos on

this channel as well. And just by

subscribing, it could save you hundreds

of thousands of dollars. But let's talk

about another major issue that most

people completely miss, which is school

districts uh and their boundary changes.

So, this one's pretty big if you've got

uh kids, of course. So, I mean, the

crazy growth that's happening all

throughout uh Dallas and Fort Worth has

led to some major uh boundary changes

and reszoning and several ISDs,

including Prosper, Denton, Irving, uh

and Dallas with new zones coming for

2025, 2026. I mean, Prosper ISD is

exploding. They added about 3,000

students every single year. Uh they're

opening Richland High School in fall of

2025, and they update their attendance

boundaries sometimes every year. And

it's not just Prosper. I mean, Irving

ISD is uh mashing together several

different middle school feeders as well,

and Dallas ISD is splitting elementary

zones in far north Dallas. So, I know

too many cases of families buying in a

specific school zone uh 6 months later,

it's like, well, the district gets

resedoned and suddenly their kids were

assigned to a completely different

school. So, this this happens quite

often and especially in the fast growing

suburbs. So, the boundary shifts in just

the last 24 months, pretty crazy. I

mean, some neighborhoods that were zoned

to one elementary school for the last

decade or so have suddenly shifted to a

brand new campus out of nowhere. So, the

the question is is how can you protect

yourself from this? Well, first of all,

never trust old listings or outdated

info about school assignments. Always

download the current attendance maps and

get those straight from the district

website. Second, uh if being in a

specific school is a deal breakaker for

you, try writing a contingency into your

contract that lets you back out if the

school zoning changes before closing.

And then also call the district as well

if they're they might know of something

that's happening here in the future. But

look at how that district has grown in

the uh or reszoned in the past as well.

So areas near the edges of the current

boundaries, especially uh in the boom

towns like uh Prosper and Frisco and

Princeton are really vulnerable for this

type of resoning. So stability really

matters to you. Established

neighborhoods in the middle of

attendance zones are usually safer bets.

And then also just research the

district's overall quality, not just the

one campus. If uh all the schools in the

district are solid performers, but if

you're banking on that one star, it

doesn't make sense. Okay, now that we've

covered these big challenges, I'm going

to show you some really incredible areas

that offer uh serious bang for your buck

while still giving you that Dallas

lifestyle you're looking for. Now, are

these affordable areas perfect? No. They

definitely have some tradeoffs, I'll be

straight up with you about. But, you

know, if you're looking for value and

don't mind a little compromise on some

things like commute time or even having

uh every amenity right at your doorstep,

I mean, these spots could be exactly

what you're looking for. So, if you're

looking for more custom guidance or have

specific needs, I'm more than happy to

uh speak with you about that. All you

need to do is reach out uh to the email

on the screen and we can have a personal

conversation, of course. All right,

let's start out with one of my favorite

uh value plays in all of Dallas. And if

you're looking for the best value in

Dallas, I mean, you should check out

Princeton. So, it's one of the most

budget friendly cities in all of Colin

County. And you can get new construction

with builder warranties at prices that

may surprise you. I mean, the numbers

here are pretty compelling. The median

price alone is around $34,000

with a price per square foot of around

$172, which is the lowest in all of

Colin County. And the prices here are

literally half of what you would pay in

Frisco, which is what we'll talk about

here in just a minute. But the market in

Princeton has actually seen a 14% dip in

prices year-over-year. So, that's

created some better opportunities for

buyers, mainly because of a big surge in

uh new construction as well. But the

crazy thing is is Frisco, uh, like I

said, we'll talk about here in just a

minute, uh, looked just like Princeton

about 15 to 20 years ago. And think

about Frisco now. Early buyers who

jumped in back then are sitting on some

crazy equity. And also, did you know

Princeton was named one of the fastest

growing cities in the entire country?

And that's really for a good reason. I

mean, the schools are pretty good. Uh,

Princeton is currently rated with an A

minus. Uh, so the community's got a good

vibe. uh you get so much more for your

house uh for your money in that area.

But what I really like about Princeton

is the community feel that they've

started to build there. So they've got

some pretty cool local parks, community

events. They've got a small town feel

while still being really close enough uh

to a lot bigger stuff, right? You're

just a quick drive to McKini. You can go

to the historic downtown or even to all

the new stuff happening in McKini. And

that area keeps developing even more. I

mean, you're close to Frisco as well or

even uh Allen or Melissa. So, Princeton

sits about 38 mi from downtown Dallas.

Uh and US 380 is under construction for

widening and which will finish somewhere

around 2027. So, if you're commuting

downtown or to the western side of the

the metroplex, I mean, you'll you'll

need to factor that in. I mean, the

traffic on 380 during rush hour can be

nightmare. I mean, Princeton is perfect

really for first-time home buyers,

though, remote workers who don't need to

commute daily or investors looking for

rentals with solid appreciation

potential. So, if you're cool with the

drive or you work locally, I mean, this

is one of the best value plays that

you're going to find in all the Dallas

area. All right, next up is going to be

Aubrey, and it's got some pretty uh good

mix of rural charm with amazing new

development. So, it's perfect if you

want a space with a little bit of a

quieter vibe. I mean, price-wise, the

median list price in Aubre is around

$322,000,

which actually dropped about 6.9% from

last year. I mean, price per square foot

is around $185. The schools are a pretty

big draw. So, gym sprayer elementary and

Ralph and Marilyn Ber Elementary. I

mean, within Prosper ISD have the A

ratings that people are looking for. So,

uh, but if you drive through Aubrey and

you'll see that these gorgeous, uh,

master plan communities with resort

style amenities, uh, but you're still

surrounded by really nice countryside

and small town feel, you just really

can't find closer to the city. But, uh,

one of the hottest new developments is,

uh, High Point with modern homes and

really cool amenities in a really nice

setting. So, the master plan communities

are popping up in Aubrey now, and

they're giving you a taste of what

you'll see in Prosper, which I'll show

you in a bit, but at literally half the

price point. I mean, you're getting

these amazing resort style amenities

without that uh Prosper Premium really.

I mean, here's something that most uh

agents won't tell you about Aubrey. It's

actually split between two different

school districts depending on exactly

where you buy. Some areas are in Aubry

ISD while others are in Prosper ISD. So,

uh you got to know exactly where you're

looking if schools matter to you. But

the main challenges that are facing

Aubrey is really limited shopping

options. I mean, you'll probably drive

to Prosper or Denton uh for major stores

and the ongoing construction on 380,

which adds a lot of dirt and dust uh and

detours to your daily life. I mean, the

area doesn't have really any big box

stores or major restaurants yet.

Although, that's that's changing fast. I

mean, they're they're going to start

building all that here pretty soon, but

it's really perfect for those of you

that want a rural small town feel with

new construction options and reasonable

proximity to the metroplex. I mean, it's

really ideal for families who need more

space, want 3 to four bedrooms under

450K without leaving uh the area

completely. But also remember that while

these affordable areas offer incredible

value, I mean, you definitely need a

car, public transportation does not

exist and you'll be driving 35 plus

minutes to reach major job centers or

shopping and dining. I mean, I always

tell everyone that if you're considering

Princeton or Aubrey, uh, make the drive

during rush hour before you make an

offer. It's the really the only way

you're going to know uh, if the commute

works for you. But what if budget isn't

your main concern? And if you're looking

for those world-class amenities, then

top 1% schools, I want to show you the

luxury suburbs that are also dominating

the North Dallas market right now. As I

mentioned, we're going to talk about

Frisco. It's become the go-to uh luxury

suburb with a lot of housing options in

some of the most highly rated schools in

Texas. So, there's a reason it's been

one of the fastest growing cities in

America for uh many, many years and the

last decade or so. Um, if you look at

the numbers, I mean, the median sale

price now is at 691,000.

Now, that's down just slightly uh

year-over-year, but at $240 a square

foot as well, which is a lot more than

the 170 in these other areas I just

talked about. But um prices are actually

stabilizing while inventory is

increasing. But that's really giving you

a rare opportunity right now to get into

the market of Frisco and have some

negotiation power on your side. But

also, what really makes Frisco special

is it's got all the amenities, all the

schools, all the lifestyle. Well, I

mean, uh, Frisco ISD is consistently

rated a top 1% public school in all of

Texas. So, the district is really

soughta with strict attendance zone

policies and registration requirements

every single year. Uh, it's one of the

hottest suburbs in all of Texas for a

good reason. I mean, but if you're

looking for more of a hidden gym, also

with excellent schools, but with more

acreage and privacy, you'll want to

stick around because the last suburb

I'll cover is is one of those hidden

gems. But the developments here in

Frisco are crazy. I mean, Fields, a 12

billion dollar development that's under

construction will even include the new

Universal Kids Resort. Uh you've got

popular master plan communities like The

Grove, Lexington, and uh Starwood that

are just uh really cool places to live.

But beyond housing, Frisco has amazing

amenities. PGA headquarters, uh

professional sports venues including FC

Dallas and the Rough Riders. Plus,

you've got great shopping at like

Stonebar Center and the Star. And the

restaurants are really starting to blow

up here as well. I mean, the there are

parks and trails all over the city. And

here's the thing. I mean, despite the

premium reputation, you could say, I

mean, Frisco's market is actually giving

buyers more power right now than we've

seen uh in the last couple of years

because many sellers are taking offers

below asking price. So, if you've been

wanting to get into Frisco but thought

it was out of reach, I mean, 2025 might

be your year to make that happen, uh,

but Frisco isn't perfect. I mean, rapid

growth has led to major congestion,

especially near the Dallas North Tollway

and 121. I mean, uh, that ranks I think

56th for congestion statewide. I just

read the other day. I mean, traffic and

construction are constant. uh with the

commute to downtown it could be 45

minutes or so even an hour during rush

hour. So despite you know prices kind of

staying level if not declining just a

little bit. I mean prices remain almost

one and a half times the Dallas city

average making affordability a challenge

really for entry-level buyers. But

Frisco is ideal for families really

focused on education. You got corporate

relocators wanting a premium lifestyle

and those that are really seeking um all

the amenities with less competition than

during what just happened a couple years

ago. Then you have just north of Frisco.

I mean Prosper is known for luxury new

construction. I mean resort style

amenities. You got strong community

vibe, but it also comes with some

challenges as well. I mean the market in

Prosper is even more premium than

Frisco. Prosper has a median sale price

right now of 935,000.

But that's a half a percent jump

year-over-year. And price per square

foot is around $258. So different

neighborhoods in Prosper offer various

price points and lifestyles. Of course,

you got Ren Winong Ranch with a median

sale price of 898,000. Star Trail has an

average value of 955,000.

Lakes of Prosper around 710,000.

I mean, the amenities in these uh

Prosper communities will blow you away.

I mean, Windinsong Ranch, of course, has

the 5 acre Crystal Lagoon with white

sandy beaches, the fitness centers, tons

of community events. You got Star Trail,

which offers residents uh you know,

resort style pools, the clubhouse,

tennis facilities, and the amenities uh

in the communities are are really

something else. The master plan

communities here remind me a lot of what

we'll see uh in Rock Wall later, except

there you'll get that uh really amazing

lakefront lifestyle that gives you a

completely different uh weekend

experience than what you'd have here in

Prosper. But as far as for uh schools,

Prosper ISD is another big draw and it's

something else. The district is

expanding like crazy. Uh Richland High

School and multiple elementary middle

schools are opening for 2025 to 2026 to

handle all of the new kids. Attendance

boundaries shift almost yearly. So

you've got to check out the latest maps.

Prosper ISD adds about 3,000 students

annually. And they're constantly opening

new schools and redrawing boundaries. So

uh the beautiful home from across the

elementary school that you love. Well, I

mean your kids might get reszoned to a

different campus within a year or two.

So be mindful of that. But another thing

to consider is that many of these master

plan communities have HOAs. Of course,

they pretty much all do uh with the

annual dues. And so you got to think

about that. I know in Windong it's about

500 bucks every quarter, which I don't

think that's too bad, but you have to be

the judge of that. So make sure you

factor that into your budget as well.

But then you've got ongoing construction

and road work projects for key roads

like uh First Street expansion. I mean

that that's been being worked on for the

last two years. I mean, the commute

downtown to Dallas is 30 miles, but that

can turn into 45 minutes to an hour. Uh,

so you got to be mindful of that as

well. But Prosper is pretty uh good for

luxury buyers seeking the newest and the

most premium amenities, you could say.

Families that are focused on top rated

schools and those who value really a

strong sense of community with tons of

organized activities and events. All

right, now let's shift to some uh

underrated gyms that offer unique

lifestyle advantages. Uh, and these may

not make the headlines too many times,

but they do provide some pretty

incredible and distinctive perks that

you should consider checking out. So,

Rock Wall offers an amazing lakeside

lifestyle with excellent amenities, but

also more reasonable prices than many of

the North Dallas suburbs. Uh, the median

home price is around 522,000 right now.

That's up 7.7%

year-over-year with a price per square

foot of around $186. But living in Rock

Wall means really instant access to Lake

Ray Hubard uh with two full service

marinas. You got yacht clubs and

waterfront dining. Uh there's a vibrant

music scene, summer concert series, and

really some amazing sunset views across

the water. I love it. It's one of my

favorite spots. Uh you got waterfront

parks, walking trails, bike paths, uh

community pools, tennis courts, and

fitness facilities all within these

developments. And then the revitalized

downtown has boutique shopping, art

galleries, farmers markets, some great

restaurants, uh with some good lake

views. I mean, you got Rock Wall ISD,

which ranks in the top 50 districts in

Texas, so strong academics and

extracurricular activities. And also you

got Sapphire Bay Resort and Marina.

That's a $1 billion master plan project.

Uh really set to add luxury

accommodations, entertainment venues,

and really uh more amenities. I mean,

that's technically in Rowlette, but it's

it's going to be a major part of Rock

Wall. And it's only 25 miles from

downtown. So many residents say that uh

the lake lifestyle completely makes up

for the little bit of that drive time.

But being able to go boating and enjoy

the waterfront restaurants on the

weekends really gives you like this

constant vacation feel that you don't

get a lot around Dallas. But the main

drawbacks are limited freeway options.

You only have I30 and 205 which can lead

to bottlenecks, especially uh at the Dow

Rock exit. So, uh there aren't many

major corporate campuses locally,

meaning uh many of the residents commute

into Dallas or Plano, but it's ideal for

lake lovers. I mean, value uh seekers

who want more affordable luxury than

just northern suburbs and uh eastern

commuters who want to avoid the traffic

nightmares really of the northern

corridors. But if you're looking for

privacy, you want acorage and upscale

rural atmosphere, Lucas. I mean, that

offers something truly unique within the

Dallas area. The median list price,

though, is about 1.3 million. Uh, and

that's up 44% year-over-year. Uh, and

that's the highest appreciation rate in

the entire Dallas area with a price per

square foot of around $321 on average.

And what really makes Lucas stand out is

the lot sizes. Most homes sit on large

lots, 1 to 3 acres. Uh you got luxury

amenities, privacy, uh peaceful country

atmosphere, really just minutes from

Allen and Plano. So many properties use

well and and septic systems giving you

that true country feel. But master plan

communities like Lucas lifestyle estate

offer really resort style facilities,

including indoor heated pools. You got

gyms, yoga studios, club houses, cinema,

art studio, bowling, and and much more.

So, it's really appealing for buyers in

the 55 plus as well. Many gated

communities, uh, focused on luxury,

maintenance-free lifestyles. Schools are

another major advantage. Lucas is served

by top tier Lovejoy ISD, which

consistently ranks among the best

districts in Dallas and sits in the top

five statewide for star uh, mastery. And

so what's really fascinating about Lucas

is that it's managed to keep its rural

character really despite being

surrounded by rapid development in all

directions. So you get the peace and

quiet of kind of like country living,

but can still grab a dinner at a really

good restaurant or shop with high-end

stores uh within just a short drive. But

the main drawbacks are limited

walkability. I mean, most amenities and

grocery stores are going to be 10 to 15

minutes away. Uh and you got the higher

price point. I mean, homes in Lucas are

in the luxury range. you got very

limited availability of smaller entry

price points. But if you want acorage

and privacy, I mean, you're going to pay

a premium for that. But Lucas is really

perfect for uh buyers wanting that

privacy, the acreage, and that luxury

lifestyle really without isolating

themselves from the city. And so, it's

really ideal for those who want uh rural

tranquility, but really need access to

top schools and shopping centers. Plus,

you're right by Lake Leavonne as well,

so you got easy access to that. So,

which of these areas would I personally

choose? Well, it really kind of depends

on your uh situation. I mean, if I was

relocating to Dallas with young kids and

wanted really the best combo of school

amenities and reasonable commutes, uh

I'd probably look at something a little

bit more established, I mean, probably

the Frisco area would be ideal. Uh if I

look for best growth potential and

value, I might check out Princeton or

even Rock Wall where prices are a little

bit lower, appreciation potential is

pretty strong. Uh, but here's what I

really suggest uh when making your

decision is you really just um you know

be honest about your commute

preferences. If you hate driving more

than 30 minutes, uh cross the outer ring

suburbs off your list unless you work

remotely. So the money you save on

housing isn't worth it if you're

miserable during your daily drive. But

also second, you could prioritize what

matters most to you. Is it the schools,

the lot size, the amenities, or really a

price point? So, um, no area may have

everything that you want, but you you

know what you're willing to compromise

on. Uh, but if schools are your top

priority, I mean, look at Frisco, parts

of Prosper, uh, Lovejoy ISD and Lucas. I

mean, uh, if you want the most house for

your money, Princeton and Aubrey offer

really great values. But if you think

about long-term plans and you're likely

to move in three to five years, consider

some of the areas with the strongest

appreciation potential. And if you're

planning to stay put for, you know, 10

years, focus on areas with stable uh

infrastructure and amenities. But

lastly, visit at different times and

days. I mean, a neighborhood can feel

completely different at 8:00 a.m. on

Tuesday versus, you know, 7:00 p.m. on

Saturday. But drive around, talk to the

locals and get a true feel of what's

coming. And of course, give us a call

because again, there's no real

universally best neighborhood. But

actually, after we have a personal

one-on-one conversation for you, uh we

usually do uh place people in uh the

best place possible. Now, of course, I

can't really promise like uh something

that checks every single box, but

actually after we have a conversation

with our clients, I mean, we're able to

get them uh if not the perfect place,

the closest to the perfect place

possible, uh just depending again what

they're looking for, but we like to

narrow that down. But everything is

always individualized. That's why I love

talking to you one-on-one. So, I

recommend just giving us a call, shoot

us a text, or email me at the

information that's on the screen or in

the description below. Again, as the

number one relocation team, we help uh

hundreds of people navigate this every

single year. We'd be happy to help you

make a smooth move to Dallas. And until

next time, I hope to show you around

town, but also check out this video

because it's definitely going to help

you on your home search.