Dennis,

In the Dallas area there are many suburbs to choose from with homes ranging from $100k to $10 million plus. It really depends on a persons preference as to where they'd like to live and if commuting in heavy traffic is/not an issue. Property taxes are higher in Dallas county compared to surrounding counties, but you're closer to the city. You could be in a $100k neighborhood, then 2 blocks away you might have million dollar homes. All in all the Dallas area is still reasonably priced compared to many other parts of the country. It's not a city that I see being affected by the so called housing bubble. If anything I see homes in this area continuing to appreciate, for a few more years at least. Summers can be uncomfortable if humidity is a problem i.e. asthma, allergies etc. The rest of the year is pretty enjoyable with mild winters. I visited a friends new home yesterday, they paid $169k for 2600 plus sq ft in a neighboring Dallas county with good easy on freeway access for a smooth commute into the city. 16 miles out. The home is custom brick with many upgrades, that would cost you around $750k in the Las Vegas or Southern Cal areas. So you can still get a pretty good bang for your buck in Texas. There's no shortage of shopping, restaurants or entertainment in the Dallas area, with several boating lakes near by. DFW airport is easily accessible from most suburbs making for a smooth departure. If you have any specific questions, just ask and I'll do my best to answer them or at least find out.

Sam
howie.doin@verizon.net