Small town N TX great schools (Dallas, McKinney: house, buy, maintenance)

[parrotheadtexan]

Hi there CD family.

With recent changes in my wife’s job and the reliability of starlink (reliable enough for email and meetings). We are looking to move away from the hustle and bustle. We are really dreaming of a small town with great schools in the north Texas area. The only thing I need is to be in the range of 2 hours away from the DFW airport (my travel for work is very seldom). Are there still any great small towns out there?

[ChristieP]

Sure, there are many. What's your budget for housing?

[parrotheadtexan]

$1M all in, build with land or buy existing

[ChristieP]

Are you wanting just a "normal" house in one of these towns, or are you wanting acreage? Keep in mind that acreage includes maintenance such as mowing, and you won't get an agriculture exemption on taxes unless you have 10+ acres.

Aledo
Rockwall
Sunnyvale (house will not be on acreage at your price point)
Lovejoy ISD (includes parts of Fairview, McKinney, Lucas and Allen)
Argyle
Celina

Building in a rural area often involved paying to have a well drilled or water run to your land, and the prices for that can be very high depending on how deep the water table is, or how far the water has to be run. Your water meter in a rural water supply company will cost around $1500, too.

[tcualum]

Aledo schools are overcrowded and have issues with racism.

[TheProtege]

Yeah, I'd replace Aledo with Midlothian.
Ag exemption can apply to land that is less then 10 acres if you're using it for certain purposes (growing crops / raising livestock, certain animals or bees buzz buzz) although it gets really particular about it. Most counties do go by the general 10 acre minimum if you're not using it, but it's a county by county bases. A lot of them also require that the land was used for Ag in the past.
Most of the small towns with great schools don't stay small towns for long. So do you want small town great schools now and just move again when your surrounded or out in the sticks with that small town feel but ok schools?

[MSgtMike]

Come see us in Farmersville. I would be happy to show you around.

[NP78]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Are you wanting just a "normal" house in one of these towns, or are you wanting acreage? Keep in mind that acreage includes maintenance such as mowing, and you won't get an agriculture exemption on taxes unless you have 10+ acres.

Aledo
Rockwall
Sunnyvale (house will not be on acreage at your price point)
Lovejoy ISD (includes parts of Fairview, McKinney, Lucas and Allen)
Argyle
Celina

Building in a rural area often involved paying to have a well drilled or water run to your land, and the prices for that can be very high depending on how deep the water table is, or how far the water has to be run. Your water meter in a rural water supply company will cost around $1500, too.

I would consider those suburbs rather than small towns,JMO.

I might suggest somewhere like Glen Rose for the OP.

The small town schools won’t match the suburban areas like Lovejoy ISD of course, but Glen Rose is one of the better ones.

[Threestep2]

Small town or good school - which one?
Two hours to Dallas airport keeps OP's options to a very small pool with his budget.But then is it 2 hours at random times or at midnight?

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by Threestep2

Small town or good school - which one?

Yes, exactly. Most rural ISDs are Ok but not great. Kaufman schools are the best in Kaufman County, and they are just average compared with the A-rated districts in DFW proper.

Originally Posted by Threestep2

Two hours to Dallas airport keeps OP's options to a very small pool with his budget. But then is it 2 hours at random times or at midnight?

Yes, exactly. And if he wants acreage, then that pool gets even smaller. Glen Rose is pushing it to be within a 2-hour drive to either airport.