I work in oil & gas. Wife is a teacher. We signed a deal on a house in Brock in February when the world was semi-normal. Moved in by April and the effects of 2020 hit us...I was on a furlough rotation but never laid off. In July I received a job offer I couldn't pass up.....(I mean who gets a sign on bonus in 2020?!)...so I made the leap....

So I started a new commute of 64 miles one way. New job is off of FM 157 in North Arlington. I need to find a better way to commute here...2.25 - 2.5 hours in my pickup everyday is a drain - particularly with young kid at home and often flexible aka long hours in oil & gas.

We have family in Burleson & Godley...so southwest Fort Worth area could make sense. 45 minute max commute for my new job is a requirement but prefer less. I like Haslet but doesn't make an sense to be on the opposite side of FW from family.

Hoping to stay under $315k in our next home. School districts are very important as we have a little one and plan for more in the not so distant future...

Currently we're looking at a couple of new neighborhoods in Joshua ISD along Chisholm Trail.

Any particular recommendations on neighborhoods that fit our needs? Is there an area you know of that we should consider?

TIA

Another vote for Mansfield area given the school and budget numbers

In Laws live in Mansfield and it is a great area.

ETA there are some great neighborhoods around the lake that fit your budget.

Bedford? North Richland Hills? Schools might not be good enough, though I'm not sure about that. Just trying to think of where you can get a 315K house.

We prefer west of 35W. I'm from Midlothian (back when it was a small town, like grandpa was a sharecropper not far from the 67/287 interchange) and Mansfield is too close to Midlothian for me.

We have found several new neighborhoods going up in Joshua ISD with a Burleson address. At least 3 neighborhoods are easily within budget.

Looking for a realtor that knows Burleson/Joshua area well.

Johndeere5205 @ yahoo.com

Kennedale

I would recommend looking west of 35W in north Tarrant or Denton counties, the commute up 35W and then towards Dallas once you get to Fort Worth will drain your soul. At least on the north side you have Texpress lanes on 820/183 and 114 is available to use if necessary, should be some affordable options up there as well with decent schools.

In general on the west side of DFW, the bad commutes flow north and east in the morning.

Kennedale is an option, as there are some really nice subdivisions off of Bowman Springs. Kennedale is landlocked, so it won't ever get big enough for another middle or high school (unlike Midlothian).

You could come to Benbrook (new elementary and high school, they're expanding the middle school for a second time). Probably looking at 30-45 minutes depending on the time of day.

Unfortunately it'll be hard to get into your budget with a new home but there's plenty of older homes in the area. My preference is to stay west of 377. If you can spend a little bit more there's a house under construction in the new Whitestone Crest neighborhood by Steve Hawkins Custom Homes. I think it's 339k and you could probably still pick your finishes at this point.

The landlocked thing is a big reason why we bought in Kennedale

Look at the new planned community in sw Fort Worth called ventana. Will be excellent schools etc. I've just bought a house here. 2 of the 4 builders in here would be at the top end of your budget. You could take 820 around to arlington and avoid the 35.

Guessing 30 miles vs the 15 or so from Mansfield

My wife is a realtor in Johnson County, sent you a PM.

She will probably kick me in the shin for not seeing this last weekend, she was looking in Brock for a family wanting to move there from Mira Lagos. They wound up picking one in Peaster.

Just bought in Ventana back in August, on Pope Creek. Great neighborhood. Perry and Trademark are your top end, Meritage and Trophy also building out here.

Thanks for the replies. We have zoned in on Timber Creek in Godley or Rustic Meadows, which is Godley address but might be Joshua ISD.

I will look into ventana, haven't heard of it before.

I passed on a bigger home in ventana to build a better quality smaller home in Whitestone Crest. At least the builder in Whitestone is local to Fort Worth. Can't say the same for the builders in ventana. Their quality was severely lacking for my standard.

Additionally ventana is Fort Worth so that means more $$$ for property taxes compared to Benbrook.

My brother does NRH to Duncanville and says its not too bad.

wbt5845 said:

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GentrysMillTX10 said:

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Thanks for the replies. We have zoned in on Timber Creek in Godley or Rustic Meadows, which is Godley address but might be Joshua ISD.

I will look into ventana, haven't heard of it before.

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So the 45 minute max commute you said was a requirement is not really a requirement? Cause that'll be at least an hour each way.

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No kidding, you would be better off staying where you are if the commute is your primary motivation to move.

Ag CPA said:

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wbt5845 said:

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GentrysMillTX10 said:

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Thanks for the replies. We have zoned in on Timber Creek in Godley or Rustic Meadows, which is Godley address but might be Joshua ISD.

I will look into ventana, haven't heard of it before.

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So the 45 minute max commute you said was a requirement is not really a requirement? Cause that'll be at least an hour each way.

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No kidding, you would be better off staying where you are if the commute is your primary motivation to move.

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Ran the GPS and actually drove it Timber Creek in Godley to my office. 41 minutes. This neighborhood is far northern Godley and has easy access to Chisholm Trail.

I'm right off of Chisholm Trail and MacPherson. Plenty of homes in the budget. Many I would avoid, but a few good developments are around there. Rapidly growing area.

Just a consideration. If the current drive is 40 minutes, it will only increase in time if you are out south of Fort Worth around Chisolm Trail. As we've seen in every expanding direction, traffic outpaces highway capacity, then the arterials also lag the growth as these small cities (or the county in some cases) can't afford to keep up with growth. It's a problem everywhere, but if its 41 minutes today, it'll grow until the area you live in (Joshua/Godley/wherever) matures enough that they can afford to expand the roadways.

West/Southwest Arlington.

A large factor I may have failed to previously mention...babysitter aka grandma lives in Godley...

GentrysMillTX10 said:

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Ag CPA said:

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wbt5845 said:

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GentrysMillTX10 said:

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Thanks for the replies. We have zoned in on Timber Creek in Godley or Rustic Meadows, which is Godley address but might be Joshua ISD.

I will look into ventana, haven't heard of it before.

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So the 45 minute max commute you said was a requirement is not really a requirement? Cause that'll be at least an hour each way.

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No kidding, you would be better off staying where you are if the commute is your primary motivation to move.

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Ran the GPS and actually drove it Timber Creek in Godley to my office. 41 minutes. This neighborhood is far northern Godley and has easy access to Chisholm Trail.

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That tollway gets expensive fast if you are using it to drive to work everyday.

I'd do Mansfield or sw Arlington.

Corps_Ag12 said:

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You could come to Benbrook (new elementary and high school, they're expanding the middle school for a second time). Probably looking at 30-45 minutes depending on the time of day.

Unfortunately it'll be hard to get into your budget with a new home but there's plenty of older homes in the area. My preference is to stay west of 377. If you can spend a little bit more there's a house under construction in the new Whitestone Crest neighborhood by Steve Hawkins Custom Homes. I think it's 339k and you could probably still pick your finishes at this point.

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I would second this...except for the Steve Hawkins homes. We've had a couple of friends that had a bad experience with post build warranties out there.

There are plenty of options around Benbrook and Fort Worth along 377 at your price range. The elementary is fantastic and they are building additional schools in the area.

GentrysMillTX10 said:

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A large factor I may have failed to previously mention...babysitter aka grandma lives in Godley...

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Makes sense then.

There are great schools in Godley and Joshua. It's not like you cross the county line and hear banjo music. Some folks like a 40 minute commute that gets away from the crowds. I sure do.

Grew up in south fort worth/Crowley. Have lived in 76107, 76126, and now 76116 since my time in Aggieland. Wife is from North Arlington. We have ran this discussion countless times...

Living much south of 1187 on the tollway and you might as well add $50k to your mortgage. You'll be spending $200/m commuting from Godley or Joshuway on tolls.

Benbrook is great when there is no traffic. It takes a good 15m to get from the light at BMHS to the highway, and the more they build on 2871 the loop becomes slower.

Southwest arlington really has some hidden gems of neighborhoods, and you can be in that price point and in the Martin feeder pattern.

1902 to 1187 to 35 is free.

I'm starting to sound like my father...

You ever drive 1187? 919 to 35 must take 20 minutes these days, not 7 minutes like 15 years ago.

They finished the roadwork on 377. It's been pretty smooth lately.
As for South Arlington, it's a great location geographically. I'm not a fan of that area with my young family because that area is primarily empty nesters.