Congratulations on moving to Plano area! I am a mortgage loan officer in this area with children and their Dad is from the Greater London area who lives in this area also, so I know what you are talking about. You will be happy in this area as it is very family orientated. Like the UK, Plano has lots of parks in the communities. There will be some culture shock but not as much as some areas. Also in this area you will find other families from the UK to help you out. Does your husband have his green card or will he have it before you leave? You will be able to get PG Tips tea, H P sauce and even Christmas Puddings. You will even be able to get your Christmas crackers here! I know what to buy to make those roast potatoes and parsnips! I will gladly help you anyway possible. I can also help you with a pre-approval for a mortage. You can email me at ssmith@1bluesky.com or call me at -800-681-2353 and I will start you on getting the information that you need for the pre-approval letter for a mortgage. The hardest part will be driving on the right side of the road! You have a new adventure ahead of you. Ask any questions and I will help you.

Sera M. Smith
Mortgage Loan Officer
ssmith@1bluesky.com
1-800-681-2353
214-405-7264

I'm in London if you want to call me. Mobile number is 07507623182

I am writing because I just want to make sure that all of the real estate agents that chimed in know that I really appreciated all of their advice on areas, house buying and loans. If we can choose a realtor through the relocation service, and I think that's a good possibility, I will certainly select one of you to represent our leasing/buying needs.

Thank you!

oh! I just found a lot of homes for rent on hotpad...my guess is we'd need $2-$3k a month.

Thank you for the info on the leasing market, Ronda. I think renting for a year is probably the best idea and either buying what we're in or something else in a place better suited to our family as our oldest won't be in elementary school yet anyway. It's such a big lifestyle change, you never know what we'll really prefer in a year's time.

Debbie, you have nearly sold me on Plano. Wow! the shopping looks fantastic. You say you are in the UK now? We don't have much here at all in terms of shopping outside the major cities. the limitied possibilities here have really saved me a load of money! I will look at the neighborhoods you describe.

Itsgold - thanks for the info on the new homes and schools. I am not sure what type of education I prefer right now although my daughter goes part-time to a great inner city public day care at the moment.

I have to say that overall I am very impressed by the housing choices and options the north Dallas area seems to offer and it does make the prospect of moving a little more exciting.

Everyone who has replied really has been very helpful!

Just one last question? I was wondering how much leasing might cost per month? His relocation package offers assistance with closing costs, but if we postpone buying for a year, they won't help us with that. So, I am thinking if we could negotiate that they pay rent for X amount of time instead to help us save the money for closing costs. Any thoughts?

You mentioned renting for a year. So, I wanted to address that. We have a big lease market here in the North Dallas suburbs, and it has even expanded into areas of the suburbs after Fall/Winter's recession of 2008, so your choices for residential leasing are much bigger than in past years.

My advise is to go through a buyer interview, so that an agent can really narrow down your search to homes you would actually consider living in. And, rent in an area that fits your purchase criteria. It gives you a chance to try out the neighborhood and the home. If it suits you, many of our 'landlords' are really home sellers who went into leasing out of necessity last year and would not mind selling you their home. Renting a home that you would consider buying saves you the expense and hassle of moving twice.

Buyers new to the area, whether from other states or other countries, can require time to get to know a city as large as Dallas. I remember when JCPenney moved to Dallas from New York in the 1980's, there was a big culture shock as people figured out if they wanted to live in the suburbs or closer to downtown. Many of those associates moved again within the first 1-3 years of moving to Dallas. I know one family that considered moving back to New York, until they discovered the Uptown area of Dallas and got closer to restaurants, theatres, shopping, and museums. They moved closer to downtown and have lived in the same home for over 20 years. A metropolitan city like Dallas has something for everybody, so leasing for a year can be a very smart investment of time to get to know the area and how it will best suit you.

By the way, on the restaurant front - Dallas is known for shopping and eating...you won't have to miss a thing. You can have your Tex-Mex, Indian, Costa Rican, German, Cuban, and typical American cuisine, and then some. And, because there are so many restaurants, you'll find the service level is higher at many of our restaurants. Word of mouth on bad service will kill a restaurant in Dallas very quickly.

Have a blessed day!
Ronda


Ronda Allen-Realtor and Certified Purchasing Manager
CEO of comingsoonhomes.com
RE/MAX Dallas Suburbs
#1 Office for RE/MAX in the North Texas Region at mid-year 2009!
Follow me on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/comingsoonhomes

Look along Midway, heading north from around Hebron (544) up through Frisco. There are some great neighborhoods in Plano on the east and west sides of Midway. Midway is the next major street west of the Tollway. Some of the neighborhood names are Glen Meadows, Parke Brooke, Glen Hollow, Westover Estates, On Parker Rd, just west of Midway is Arbor Hills Nature Preserve. It is a spectacular park with hiking trails, kiddie playground, bike trails, pavilions. There are year round activities and it is hugely popular. You can go to planotx.org and check it out, but the pictures don't really do it justice. Also close by (Parker Rd, just east of tollway) is the Tom Muehlenbeck Recreation Center which is state of the art and also hugely popular. 3 pools, gyms, walking track, state of the art exercise equipment all housed in this beautiful facility. Can you believe its 130 bucks a YEAR! There are loads of wonderful parks near neighborhoods in Plano, which is another reason its so desirable. Its a different way of life that I was used to when I first moved, the back gardens are usually small, and most take the kids and go to the parks. So be prepared when you start looking, as the joke is the house has more square footage than the garden. Be sure and check out The Shops of Legacy, which is at Legacy and the tollway. It is a fun place for you and your husband to go out on a date night.
On Midway, south of Hebron, areas are a little dodgy. Off the Tollway, south of Hebron, prices are high.
To check out Frisco, go up the Tollway and you will find some lovely areas to the east of the tollway.
Schools are highly rated in both Plano and Frisco. Since your husband will be working in west Plano, I think your best options are Plano and Frisco along the tollway corridor. Hope this helps!

I didn't go to school here in Plano, but I know quite a few teachers in the area. The schools in Plano, both West and East Plano are very well funded - thanks to the property taxes. As for teaching and material, I would search the news on dallasmorningnews.com and Google News search to find out some things about the public school system. I know a few of the teachers in Frisco and Plano ISD seem especially pleased with the students because they're well behaved. In Plano, all the elementary schools I've seen are usually near a park or very close to a neighborhood. I've rented two homes and noticed on both occasions that the schools were located in a park. Check elementary schools zoned to zip codes 75075 and 75093 for reference.

Aside from the public school system, there are also some very competitive private schools in the Dallas area, but they are not close to Plano. I know a few people who went to Greenhill, St. Marks, and Hockaday - they all seemed to have turned out fairly normal. Beware though, these schools are really pricey. Personally, I don't think that kind of money is worth the expense until high school or so, as private tutoring and mentoring can be cheaper and better.

Not all the homes in West Plano are expensive, just stay out of Glenn Meadows and parts of the Willow bend area. I noticed a new neighborhood off of the streets Parker and Ohio

link: [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&…

has a bunch of new homes in your price range. Hotpads dot com has a nice map of homes for sale and foreclosure listings. In addition, you might want to look at the Frisco area. Property taxes are alot lower and it's still close to the West Plano area. One of my friends recently bought a home there in one of the planned communities and it's great.

As you mentioned, renting wouldn't be a bad idea until you figure out where you want to settle down. This would buy some time to really get a feel for the area and if it's right for your family. There's plenty of town homes and homes for rent in Plano, so that could be an option.

My husband's office will be in West Plano, which is why I thought Richardson or Plano might be a nice location to settle in initially. Believe me, neither of us are up for a long commute with a young family! I plan on returning to the workforce in about 3 years and I think after looking into it, Dallas or McKinney might be my best bet. But, that seems an awfully long time to rent a house and a short time to own one.

I guess, in short, I am really looking for a place with good schools, $275-350k budget, 3/4 beds, easy commute to West Plano, a sense of community, nice parks and trails because we are walkers weather permitting. I prefer older homes but have seen new ones that I like. Having a play area in the backyard is important to me. I would view a pool as a safety hazard atm. I probably wouldn't want more than 3000 sf for energy reasons and I am put off by having too much to keep clean and decorate (because it is mostly down to me)! I looked into property taxes and they are a bit higher than I expected.

I would miss British food especially Indian and good pub grub - you get such a huge variety here now, but that's OK. I miss Tex Mex and warm, friendly ppl! So, it's a trade off.

Are there any other areas that might suit us based on what I've said?

As in the UK, location is the most important element for predictable home values, however you must decide what is the most important thing for you and your family. My thoughts are where is your husband's office? A long commute makes for an unhappy husband, added expense to the budget, and general dissatisfaction within the family as to time spent together. The beauty of Plano, Richardson, Frisco and many other nearby areas is that you can find absolutely wonderful communities, schools, shopping in each locale. The area around the North Dallas Tollway is called the "Golden" corridor because of the ease and convenience in driving to most of the major ammenities in DFW. Home prices are usually higher per square foot, and more stable, but if your husband works, say in Wylie, it would not be a good fit. I would stress that home prices and mortgage rates are probably as low as they ever will be and waiting to buy is not in your best interest. Even if you buy now, realize later you want something/someplace different and decide to move, you have an opportunity now to build equity on some property.
As a more than 12 year resident of West Plano and also someone who isn't going to try to sell you something , I totally agree with the last answer (except Top Gear is on BBC America). I have just sold my large home to downsize and am in the UK for a few months for family business. Verizon FIOS is the absolute best. As I'm currently using BT internet/HD service here in the UK, I say again Verizon FIOS is the best. Before I buy my next home, I will verify that FIOS service is available-ha
McKinney is a very charming area, but my concern is that it is not convenient to many, many important places. Like the Airports, major Venues, better Retail. These are things that you have to decide how important they are to you and your family.
I remember how hard it was to move from a place I loved to Texas, but everyone is so friendly, the way of life so pleasant, you will be fine whatever you choose.
Very Best of Luck with your move!

As a resident of Plano for almost 10 years and someone who isn't going to try to sell you something, here's the following advice I can give you about moving here from Europe.

Getting a loan in TX isn't that hard right now. Lending policies in the USA are still pretty loose, despite the crash that happened last year. So yea, 15% down is no problem for a loan... and by the way 350k can get you a really nice house in Plano - much bigger then in the UK. Just try and show some restraint when looking at these McMansions because you still need to pay property taxes, and the electricity bills on these things can make you cry. Property taxes in the Willow Bend area are especially high, but the area is really safe. Plano has almost no violent crime and one of the highest paid law enforcement precincts in the area.

In general, the cost of acquiring property in Texas is cheap - especially compared to Europe. The main reason is the quantity of it, especially in North Dallas [which includes Plano]. For this reason, everything is spread out. Make sure you have funds saved up to buy a car for yourself - you and your husband will need separate cars.

When choosing a house, look for a location close to work. I advise a commute of around 10 minutes, however, most people in Plano have a 20-30 minute commute to work. If work is in downtown, there is a rail system for use that's pretty convenient. In Dallas, we have this thing called a 'Park and Ride'. It's where you drive your car to a train station to take the train to downtown. At first this concept seems weird... I mean ... really.. why not just drive there directly? Well, it's convenient because it saves the trouble of dealing with traffic. The main highways here can get pretty clogged. An all day ride ticket costs $4, this includes parking [versus $15-$30 per day parking in downtown]

Another thing about location is the ability to walk to stores. Most neighborhoods in Plano don't afford that luxury, however, you can get a good idea about convenience by entering prospective addresses in http://walkscore.com

I highly recommend west plano - despite the high property taxes here. There are lots of malls [3 within 10 minutes], stores, utilities, and proximity to major highways. The only problem is the commute to downtown, which clocks in about 20-30 minutes during rush hour. The area also has good voice, internet, and TV options. I highly recommend Verizon FIOS. If either of you need high bandwidth internet at a decent price, I can't recommend this enough - although it might not be as fast as the UK. The basic package starts around 15 MB down / 3 MB upload.

As for culture shock, I'm not sure if you'll find a whole lot of it. I've traveled around the UK and the culture isn't that much different from over here. Well ok... here are a list of differences:

The lack of Football [aka soccer]. There is a minor league football team here, but they're terrible. American football is a completely different story though. There's a brand new american football stadium in Arlington [about an hour away from Plano] that's giant. Search Dallas Cowboys and Stadium on Google.
No liquor sales in Plano, only beer and wine.
Baptist churches everywhere. There's these things called mega churches in the area. I guess there like cathedrals in Europe, except way uglier.
Mexican food here is actually Tex Mex.
Franchises... they're everywhere here. Plano has more franchise restaurants then you can imagine, but they're really well run.
Movie theaters. Cinemark's [large movie theater co.] headquarters is located in Plano. There's this theater in west plano that's one of the nicest I've ever been to in my entire life, seriously. Probably because this place is located next to their corporate office.
There aren't any rodeos here. You'll have to drive to Ft. Worth for that.
Pizza joints. Besides franchises, you'll find a suprisingly large amount of family owned italian restaurants here.
There's no British food here. However, my British friend has always told me that if you have a choice between British food and something else.. always pick something else.
Winter and Summer temperatures can be extreme sometimes. Summers can be around 37 degrees celsius [100 Fahrenheit] and winter temperatures can be as low as -1 degrees celsius [30 Fahrenheit].
There's no top gear or formula 1 racing.
We don't have pubs here, instead, just bars + restaurants.
Nonexistent football hooligans.
No one here drives at the speed limit here. Take the posted speed limit and add 10 mph.
Lots of people here still drive .5-1 ton SUVs and trucks .

I could go on and on, but I'm sure you'll figure everything out. In general, most people here are fairly friendly to strangers and foreigners. I hope this was informative and good luck with your move.

thanks for all of the great advice on the local area and the basics of pre-approval...I really do appreciate it. My husband and I are looking over the relocation package information and may consider renting for a year before buying - just to firm up his credit in particular. But, I will check into that. I think we would be looking for a modest house (around $300k with a 15% deposit) as we are going to be keeping our house in London and don't want to overstretch with 2 homes, 1 salary and 2 kids. I am interested in more urban suburbs, but I also like the small town feel - so McKinney has peaked my interest. I think we just need to go out there and have a look around! Thank you again for all of the very useful information.

Working with a mortgage broker who can determine all facts qualify you for a home loan.

No sales offer will be accepted unless supported by lender approval OR when we have buyers agent for families non US residences have their bank overseas support letter purchase home.

Plano is a great area Direct Link you may find interesting.
http://activerain.com/blogsview/1205473/plano-texas-named-to…

There could be other communities close to Plano you can take inconsideration HOWEVER matter of short / long term goals, personal and professional obligations.

CONTACT OUR OFFICE TODAY
972-699-9111
Lynn A. Crosby ~ National Featured Realtor
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Lynn911
The Michael Group - "Dallas Business Journal 07’ & 08' list top realtors"
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The DFW area now is home to over 1million foreign born residents. There are people from everywhere here it now seems. The guy repairing my garage door today is from Northern England. My AC repairman is from South Africa. I sold a home last year for a guy who was born in Nigeria, grew up in UK, worked most of his years in US and definately had American kids, who wanted to relocate to Nigeria for a couple of years to support his company's African business....and believe me his kids did not seem to thrilled about moving back to the old country. Richardson was known for years to be the hub of the US and perhaps international telecom business. That also brought in people from all over the world who still remain in the area. To get a flavor you might check out http://www.planointernationalfestival.org/ . In my opinion Richardson has somewhat fallen off the radar lately with relocations...perhap as Frisco and McKinney offered new or newer homes.....but the people I know in Richardson still love it and seem to like the schools.
As far as preapproval goes I recommend a lender based in Plano and Richardson. Just email me for contact info. I help lots of clients relocating from overseas and many many lenders will tell you it is not a problem....only to tell you close to closing...."oh my ....I didn't know you weren't a citizen...or don't have a green card....or can't get your credit report....etc....etc..." For some reason my lender doesn't seem to have a problem with this....we've sold homes to plenty of people in you same situation. I do suggest getting preapproved now. Also if you can close by November 30th you may also qualify for a $8000 US tax credit.

Welcome to Texas..... if you have any questions or need more information feel free to contact me directly.

Bruce Lynn
Keller Williams Realty
214-675-6992
rb@teamlynn.com

Hello UKUSMom,

Welcome to Texas! We are, as our tourism office promotes, "A whole other country." You and your husband will indeed face some culture shock coming from Europe. There is a period of adjustment that can take years, but like some friends who recently relocated to Dubai, look at it as an adventure. Through social media like Facebook, we are probably more involved in our friends’ adventure than we were with their life in Texas. You will maintain relationships with your UK friends and develop many new ones here. Texans are a generally a friendly lot and you will find that you are not alone in moving to our area. Dallas is a cultural melting pot and Richardson is a very blended community.

Where you will feel most comfortable making your home depends on many factors. The style of house, commute to your husband's office, schools, your budget, proximity to shops and restaurants, density of housing, entertainment venues, even the topography of the land can provide you with either challenges or comfort in making your transition.

Unlike most of Europe where the age of a home is often defined in centuries, the Dallas area is only about 120 years old. Our range of homes runs from the first half of the 1900's in Dallas to the 50's and 60's in Richardson, 70's to 90's in Plano and Allen, to new construction in far north Plano, Allen, Frisco, and McKinney. The age of the area often defines the age of homeowners and their children. There is also a direct link to the maturity of landscaping and trees. North Texas is relatively flat prairie, so most trees are planted when homes are built. Unless you target homes bordering natural creeks and green spaces, the age of the trees directly matches the age of the homes. The location that you choose may affect not only how many kids there are in the neighborhood but whether there is a tree to hang their swing from.

Fortunately the internet can provide a view into homes as well as communities from the comfort of your current home. Our Multiple Listing System can provide everything from photos and room sizes to a "Bird's Eye View" of a home. Be sure to work with a REALTOR to set up a search in the actual MLS. Sources like Trulia do not represent all properties. There are also many web sites for area cities, services, entertainment, and cultures. I would be happy to send you the links.

What you need now is an agent to bridge the gap between the web information and your personal needs. Take a moment to read the client testimonials on my Trulia profile and answers that I have provided for other Trulia customers. If you feel that we could work well together, plese contact me. I would be happy to work with the relocation department of your husband's company.

I spoke this morning with Carol Chambers who is one of my preferred lenders. Carol has worked with many buyers moving to the area from outside the country. She said you will have some challenges in purchasing a home. Your bank account and credit history in the U.S. will help and the more activity your credit history shows the better. However, your husband being the main income source will be the challenge. He will need to get a social security number as soon as possible. The current lending atmosphere is very restrictive and lenders have fewer loan programs to offer. Carol said that you are more likely to qualify sooner with a FHA loan that with conventional financing. To qualify for conventional financing, your husband will probably need to be in the country for a year and establish some credit history. FHA will allow more flexibility in using his income and your credit. FHA loans are limited to $271,000 for the loan amount. The factor that in the past has always helped sway a lender is the amount of down payment you make on the property. In the current market and your situation, 20% to 30% down may help you get a loan that you would otherwise have to wait six months for. Carol will be happy to provide more information on loans and some visa challenges that you should be aware of. Carol Chambers - Senior Loan Officer, WR Starkey Mortgage, 972-599-5287, cchambers@wrstarkey.com.

If you don't qualify for a loan now, you may need to consider renting a home for six months to a year. There are many homes available for lease and we can find something for you that will be in the community and perhaps even the same neighborhood that you eventually want to purchase in. I would be delighted to help you with both.

I am a little biased having lived in here for almost 20 years, but as you consider communities, take a look at McKinney. McKinney is a mixture of a historic Main Street America community of shops, boutiques, one of a kind dining experiences, and some of the best master planned communities in North Texas.

Hello and welcome to Texas!
I see that you have already received a wealth of information about the Plano/Richardson areas in general - and I agree that they are both fabulous cities to live. I assume that since you asked about these two areas your husband's employer is located in one of those two neighborhing cities. If that is the case, then his commute will be minimal. I will also reiterate that both the Richardson and Plano schools are highly-desired as they are both fabulous. You may want to visit the Texas Education Agency website for school statistics in those areas.

Of course, your first step to home ownership in the US will be to get pre-qualified for your mortgage. I recommend that you contact John Hardimon at PrimeLending. You can reach him at 214-695-2175 or jhardimon@primelending.com. He will be able to assist you throughout the entire home purchase process.

Your next step is to find a Realtor that you feel comfortable working with. Our team of professional agents would be happy to assist you. As a buyer, there is no cost to you for our services. Prior to your first visit we will assist you in determining the specific neighborhood(s) that you are interested in and we will begin sending you email updates with information on homes available that meet your needs. We are able to assist you with previewing homes while you are in the UK, and when you are able to visit we will make appointments for you to tour those homes. When you find the home for you, please know that all paperwork can be done remotely for your convenience. We will assist you throughout the entire process and we provide excellent customer service.

Please feel free to contact us directly if you have any futher questions.

Melissa Hailey
Coldwell Banker Jane Henry Realtors
North Texas Top Team, Realtors
214-418-0180
Melissa.Hailey@ColdwellBanker.com

Hello,
This is Roxanne DeBerry with Keller Williams Realty in Plano. I have been helping people relocate to the Dallas area for the past 30 years and would be happy to assist you. I feel that you should speak with a mortgage person to help you with answering the credit question. I have a very good lender whose name is Tim West at Prime Lending. His email address is twest@primelending.com and he can give you the information you require. Since he is a lender he will be able to tell you of any nuances that you need to be aware of. My team and I know this market extremely well and can assist you with informaiton about Richardson or Plano or any of the surrounding towns.

Thank you for allowing me to pass on this information to you as well as allowing the realtor community to be of assistance.

Roxanne

First of all...welcome to Texas! Having lived in Europe myself I can appreciate your concerns about culture. The North Dallas area (which includes Plano, Frisco, Richardson, McKinney, etc) is very diverse however ~ My clients come from all over the world - Europe, East Asia, Middle East, you name it! We also offer relocation assistance/acclimation as part of our service to international clients.

I have an excellent lender recommenation as a starting place for your pre-approval, so please feel free to contact me for that information. It is always a good idea to shop rates, and you can have multiple inquiries from lenders within a 30-day period which will NOT adversely affect your credit.

I'd be happy to help you further ~ once I know more about what your needs and expectations are I can help narrow your focus to areas that would suit you the best.

Feel free to call or email - you can reach me at 469-450-1326 or andrea.brooks@kw.com. You might also want to visit my website at http://BrooksTeam.com where you can search our listing database for an idea of how far your dollars will go in our market.

I hope to hear from you and wish you the very best of luck ~ I think you'l be very happy here!

Best regards,

Andrea Brooks

Hi Uk US Mom!

Congrats on your Bub on the way & welcome back! I have worked with international clients (Australia, etc) who come here to purchase homes from me. I have a great lender in mind for you who is familiar with working with US citizens living abroad and necessary loan documentation you will need, email me for his contact information and you can begin talking with him today. He will be a great asset to you and walk you all the way through the process. So, definitely contact me to get into contact with him, my email is: NicoleArenas@ymail.com If you have several lenders pull your credit, it can adversely affect your score, thus your ability to purchase a home possibly, so I'd talk to two lenders, see who you want to work with then once you make your decision, have your lender pu ll your credit. Be sure to get a GFE.

Dallas is en exciting city made up of all cultures, and while the South is traditionally known as the bible belt, there are many places for you to live and be comfortable around your surroundings. I would love to help familiarize you with the city and 13 currounding counties so that you can make an educated decision regarding the town you would like to live in. Europe and US differ in culture, sure, but we offer much lower housing prices than Europe, great schools, you will find culturally rich activities: the arts, science's, entertainment, sports are alive and well in Dallas.

Richardson has really undergone a major transformation over the years, it offers affordable and luxury residences, you will find homes here with character and new homes, The Eisseman Center, Parks, Businesses also add to the flavor of this town.

BusinessWeek magazine recently ranked the City of Richardson second in the state of Texas as the best, most affordable place to raise children. The magazine partnered with a provider of real estate analysis to determine each state’s best affordable cities for raising children. The key factors in the analysis were school performance, affordability and safety. The study also considered cost of living, air quality, job growth, racial diversity, local parks, ball fields, zoos, recreation centers, museums and theaters. School performance and safety were weighted heavily, as were amenities and affordability. Only cities with populations of more than 50,000 and median household incomes between $40,000 and $100,000 were ranked.

About the city of Plano, it is about 20 miles north of down town Dallas, comprised of about 750,000 residents; it boasts highly ranked schools, lifestyle, West Plano offers homes (30+ years) and newer, more modern homes built in 2006-2009. The average homes price is $250,000. while there are homes up to $4 million in Plano. This city is mostly "built-out" but there is still new construction taking place. Plano is known as a town comprised of wealth and boasting highly ranked schools and lifestyle. (Income is approx. $80-$100,000 for a family of 4) Plano also offers: museums, shopping, dining, parks and entertainment.

Both Richardson and Plano have major city convienences such as libraries, hospitals, post office's, Groceries, etc.

In the Dallas area, you have the city of Dallas and 13 surrounding counties. Another city that is drawing a lot of people is Frisco.

Please contact me so that I can help you get started if your husband's company is providing a relocation package, you can most times choose your Realtor who can then be a referral and I can explain that to you in better detail.

I hope this is Helpful to you!

Contact me today!

Sincerely,
Nicole Firebaugh Arenas

Richardson/Plano area is fabulous, in fact it's where I live, for the same reasons as you are discussing. The schools for the kiddos are fabulous (RISD was ranked #1 in large school districts). The communnity is centrally located to shopping, the arts and transporation.

As to your obtaining a loan, I doubt your international status will cause you too many issues. I have worked with many couples coming from overseas without a hitch. You will just need to meet lending requirements.

If you like, you can send me your e mail address and I can forward several lenders here in Dallas that I recommend who can pre qualify you. That way you know your price range and can narrow down your search area. I can also set you up on a gateway to our MLS that will privide you with automatic updates of new properties on the market that fit your criteria.

Looking forward to helping you!
Helen Karuba