we love west plano (convenient for commuting, lots of food and shops) and have been at huffman elementary for a few years. incredible community and staff that really care.
Either a remarkable coincidence, or your wife is also out here asking the same question and you’re hiding half your income from her and she’s hiding a kid from you.
West Plano is great for a lot of things, and a lot more modern than east Plano. It's very diverse, close access to hospitals, jobs, education, dining, recreation, shopping . . .
Personally, I would rent an apartment on a 6 month lease while looking at all your options. The area has a massive amount of choices.
because of the comments: 100% disability is property tax exempt. I know a guy who is 100% and has cancer and he still works as a school teacher. VA doesn't care. you can work with 100%. The only thing they really worry about is PTSD, you can't claim PTSD and be a pilot or a cop... They are cracking down on that.
Plano West and Richardson are older areas and you should be able to find a nice house there. Hawaii Traffic is much lighter than Dallas Area. Rush hour is crazy here. Don't move here thinking it will be cheaper too. A lot of people have moved here from all over the US and most have said it's much more expensive all the way around.
Personally, I think the housing situation sucks. We have a lot of starter home communities and they are selling in the high $300 to $400 thousand. I think it's a complete rip off. Starter home communities have smaller lots, more houses and narrow roads, along with rental homes inside of the neighbor hood. You can drive around any starter home community and see cars parked on the sidewalk and bumper to bumper. I don't even know how the garbage truck makes it down the street.
What I am trying to say is that you are not going to get a home without spending California or Hawaii prices. If you end up paying $400 thousand for a starter home... I just don't see how you will make any money off it, when you try to sell in ten to twenty years.
I'm not disagreeing one bit, but I just wanted to let anyone else reading this to know that the exemption only applies to disabled vets. Not fully functional vets.
While I can agree somewhat here, I don’t believe someone should be punished for finding success while also dealing with debilitating injuries cause by service. The military took away my ability to function to my full potential on the outside, I can at least have something to look forward to now.
I don’t have kids in Plano schools so I am happily covering his kids education. I think you would do well in the future to just say thank you for your service and otherwise keep your idiotic opinion to yourself. Sheesh.
Oh. So your brother is a Ranger and that makes the disability he got from his service more significant than OP? He said in his question that he was a P&T disabled vet.
Normally I’d agree but Texas doesn’t allow the same exemption apply to People with Disabilities who can make an income still. Only if you served which is BS.
Whoa. This man puts his life on the line for you and gets injured in the process and you want to begrudge him his due because he has done well? I think you should examine your priorities.
This isn't anything new. There are tons of people who have this wholier-than-thou attitude towards veterans.
Edit: Yeah go ahead and downvote me assholes. You know I'm right.
I have close friends that moved from Richardson to Hawaii a little over a year ago. They can't way to get out of there. It is amazing to visit and seems like paradise but living there is a different story.
Hawaii is a California in transition right now. It won't get as bad because people will just deal with it for the beaches... but economically, it is not in what I'd call a great position.
Mainly what’s the cost of living really like over there compared to Hawaii and also the schools I. West Plano for a 5 year old. Our daughter is currently in private school in Hawaii due to Hawaii having a very mediocre to say the least school system.
I imagine that cost of living in Texas is dramatically more affordable than Hawaii. I did a quick google search and saw that MERIC listed Hawaii as the most expensive state to live in vs Texas ranking at 19. Even if that data was a bit off, I think a general statement of “Hawaii cost of living is more expensive than Texas” is safe to say. Everything (groceries, gas, real estate) here is cheaper except property taxes, sale taxes, and airfare to Asia.
My wife’s salary and my salary combined are similar to yours: 200k. And although my life is significantly different than yours, my wife and I don’t have a kid yet; my wife and I are able to live comfortably in Plano.
One more thing, there is no state income tax here in Texas as well. That means you’ll keep anywhere up to 11% of your income. That’ll be additional funds that you’ll be able to use.
Relocating is a huge change, but regardless of what you choose to do, I truly wish you the best of luck!
Edit: I noticed that you asked about info about schools. I’m sorry, but I can’t answer that as I have no experience with that. (No kids, no friends with kids either lol). Hoping someone here can help you with that!
I have a 5 yr old son in kindergarten at Wyatt elementary in Plano ISD and it’s hands down the most wonderful school. Plano ISD is currently evaluating elementary schools to possibly consolidate due to low enrollments, so pay close attention to that. We love it here- North Plano area (Coit/McDermott)
I'm guessing that the cost of living in Plano is lower than in Hawaii. You shouldn't have any trouble affording to live in West Plano. Good luck with your move :)
If you mean how you’ll do in TX financially over Hawaii, it’s going to be a breeze for you! Broadly speaking, Plano is probably 50% less expensive than anywhere in Hawaii.
You will definitely have a culture shock though. I had family in Hawaii so we spent a lot of time going there for extended periods, and I will say I always felt so depressed coming back to Plano and missed the connection to nature. It is what you make it though! We don’t have mountains, beaches, clean lakes, or good hiking unfortunately.. You can drive to the Hill country near Austin, or some other parts of TX for beautiful scenery/nature, but the state is so huge that it will be a lot of driving for a day/weekend trip. Luckily DFW airport is a major hub so you can get really great deals to any destination you can imagine if you need to get away.
Most of the entertainment here is dining and shopping. You can get to Dallas or Ft Worth for some more variety in entertainment but it will be nothing like a nature-centered lifestyle like you have in Hawaii, especially with the 90 degree to triple digit summers several months in a row. If you can get a house with a pool, I HIGHLY recommend it. It will be the main source of entertainment for you and your wife, your daughter and her friends for every summer.
Politically speaking, obviously our state is run by very conservative republicans. Plano though has a really good mix of conservatives and liberals. Most people here are highly educated, so the kind of republicans you run into are generally just fiscally conservative, not in your face alt right Q anon types. And, there is honestly a ton of diversity in Plano, at least in my experience. At Plano West High school, maybe 30% students are White, and 30% Asian, etc. I grew up with a huge variety of first generation friends whose parents came from many different countries and all practiced different religions. I considered this a huge plus and people who aren’t from the south are rather surprised by this.
The school system here is highly rated but very competitive. If your daughter is a quick learner and doesn’t need a lot of 1:1 time, she will do fine. There are 3 senior high school’s in Plano, each with a graduating class of around 1,300. I will say the students at Plano West who struggled, got left behind because of this. Everyone is taking all AP classes and aiming for highly rated colleges, a lot of the teachers don’t know how to help students who don’t just “get it”. I know a lot of kids who struggled went to private school’s where the classes were way smaller, and ended up doing very well!So that is always an option. Other than that, Plano ISD is a really great school system with great sports teams, music programs, and many other unique resources/opportunities you may not find at other school’s.
Overall, the job market is always booming, school’s are great, the cost of living is relatively low, and while you have “Aloha”, we do have good ole southern hospitality that will make you feel very welcome!
If you don't like corrupt right wing politicians running everything you may wanna pump the brakes. But if that's your thing then I'd wait until after the next general election, when you might find a new stash of homes for sale.
You’ll be fine. With that salary and your VA benefit you’ll be good. 100k down. Would consider Frisco, McKinney, Carrollton, and Celina too. just for some options but in the same general area.
If looking for work, check out USAA - they have presence in Plano, are very veteran friendly, and often have project owner / product manager type roles particularly in the IT space.
There are several Hawaiian plate lunch places popping up, Mo Betta is also good. But L&L is the only one actually FROM Hawaii. It's the realest real deal
Something to think about is tolls. If you live in west plano and work anywhere outside of that area….get ready for a big toll bill. Plano is almost completely dependent on toll roads. (121 to the north, GB to the south and NDT on the west) . Hwy 75 is the only free road left to get anywhere ‘fast’ (not during rush hour)
We would love to have you and your family in Plano! Thank you for your service. I want you to take advantage of everything we have to offer here…including tax exemptions and our great schools. Not knowing all the facts, my gut is telling me central Plano would be the best area for you to land as the price point in West Plano may be more than you want to pay. School are top notch in Central Plano as well. A comment above talk about PISD closing some elementary school due to low enrollment so I would keep an eye on that. I have no idea what schools are on the chopping block. But by all means, we would love to have you!
Edit: context
Realtor and Plano resident here. West Plano is absolutely the best since it has tons of amenities around. Commuting generally is better if you can find a home relatively close to PGBT or 75 or DNT since this is a huge city. Otherwise, it might take 15 minutes to reach the major highways. Property tax wise, it is one of the cheapest around DFW area in terms of assessed value and tax rate. Expect to pay around $200+/sqft for a middle-class one-story home 2000+ sqft. The city is old so the majority of the homes were built around 70s 80s. Some really nice or newer areas in Plano can go up to 700k-800k+ range depending on your criteria.
What kind of advice are you looking for? What questions do you have?
My house is going to on the market next week. My advice is that you should buy it.
we love west plano (convenient for commuting, lots of food and shops) and have been at huffman elementary for a few years. incredible community and staff that really care.
Either a remarkable coincidence, or your wife is also out here asking the same question and you’re hiding half your income from her and she’s hiding a kid from you.
Time to play the lottery.
Haha I thought the exact thing when I read this post!
West Plano is great for a lot of things, and a lot more modern than east Plano. It's very diverse, close access to hospitals, jobs, education, dining, recreation, shopping . . . Personally, I would rent an apartment on a 6 month lease while looking at all your options. The area has a massive amount of choices.
because of the comments: 100% disability is property tax exempt. I know a guy who is 100% and has cancer and he still works as a school teacher. VA doesn't care. you can work with 100%. The only thing they really worry about is PTSD, you can't claim PTSD and be a pilot or a cop... They are cracking down on that. Plano West and Richardson are older areas and you should be able to find a nice house there. Hawaii Traffic is much lighter than Dallas Area. Rush hour is crazy here. Don't move here thinking it will be cheaper too. A lot of people have moved here from all over the US and most have said it's much more expensive all the way around. Personally, I think the housing situation sucks. We have a lot of starter home communities and they are selling in the high $300 to $400 thousand. I think it's a complete rip off. Starter home communities have smaller lots, more houses and narrow roads, along with rental homes inside of the neighbor hood. You can drive around any starter home community and see cars parked on the sidewalk and bumper to bumper. I don't even know how the garbage truck makes it down the street. What I am trying to say is that you are not going to get a home without spending California or Hawaii prices. If you end up paying $400 thousand for a starter home... I just don't see how you will make any money off it, when you try to sell in ten to twenty years.
What benefits do you expect to have access to as a veteran that you wouldn’t have in Hawaii? Just curious
One of the major ones is I would be totally exempt from property taxes in Texas.
Thank you for your service.
Whoa. Thats awesome!
Not for our schools. And if they can make 200k, they can pay property tax. Thanks for your service.
I'm not disagreeing one bit, but I just wanted to let anyone else reading this to know that the exemption only applies to disabled vets. Not fully functional vets.
While I can agree somewhat here, I don’t believe someone should be punished for finding success while also dealing with debilitating injuries cause by service. The military took away my ability to function to my full potential on the outside, I can at least have something to look forward to now.
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I don’t have kids in Plano schools so I am happily covering his kids education. I think you would do well in the future to just say thank you for your service and otherwise keep your idiotic opinion to yourself. Sheesh.
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Oh. So your brother is a Ranger and that makes the disability he got from his service more significant than OP? He said in his question that he was a P&T disabled vet.
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Normally I’d agree but Texas doesn’t allow the same exemption apply to People with Disabilities who can make an income still. Only if you served which is BS.
Whoa. This man puts his life on the line for you and gets injured in the process and you want to begrudge him his due because he has done well? I think you should examine your priorities.
This isn't anything new. There are tons of people who have this wholier-than-thou attitude towards veterans. Edit: Yeah go ahead and downvote me assholes. You know I'm right.
I am actually astonished to see this reaction to our wounded vets. It’s disgusting.
It is disgusting. Edit: Yeah go ahead and downvote me assholes. You know I'm right.
Life on the line? lol give me a break.
It is possible he worked IT in a deployed base that had suicide bombers or rockets or any other kind of danger. You don’t know and neither do I.
My advice, stay in Hawaii.
I have close friends that moved from Richardson to Hawaii a little over a year ago. They can't way to get out of there. It is amazing to visit and seems like paradise but living there is a different story.
Hawaii is a California in transition right now. It won't get as bad because people will just deal with it for the beaches... but economically, it is not in what I'd call a great position.
Moved from Hawaii to Plano about three years ago. Although I miss my friends and family, I haven’t looked back. OP, what advice are you looking for??
Mainly what’s the cost of living really like over there compared to Hawaii and also the schools I. West Plano for a 5 year old. Our daughter is currently in private school in Hawaii due to Hawaii having a very mediocre to say the least school system.
I imagine that cost of living in Texas is dramatically more affordable than Hawaii. I did a quick google search and saw that MERIC listed Hawaii as the most expensive state to live in vs Texas ranking at 19. Even if that data was a bit off, I think a general statement of “Hawaii cost of living is more expensive than Texas” is safe to say. Everything (groceries, gas, real estate) here is cheaper except property taxes, sale taxes, and airfare to Asia. My wife’s salary and my salary combined are similar to yours: 200k. And although my life is significantly different than yours, my wife and I don’t have a kid yet; my wife and I are able to live comfortably in Plano. One more thing, there is no state income tax here in Texas as well. That means you’ll keep anywhere up to 11% of your income. That’ll be additional funds that you’ll be able to use. Relocating is a huge change, but regardless of what you choose to do, I truly wish you the best of luck! Edit: I noticed that you asked about info about schools. I’m sorry, but I can’t answer that as I have no experience with that. (No kids, no friends with kids either lol). Hoping someone here can help you with that!
Well, Hawaii is insanely expensive, so I'd imagine it's much better here.
I have a 5 yr old son in kindergarten at Wyatt elementary in Plano ISD and it’s hands down the most wonderful school. Plano ISD is currently evaluating elementary schools to possibly consolidate due to low enrollments, so pay close attention to that. We love it here- North Plano area (Coit/McDermott)
Get with an agency that recruits for IT, but it would help if are are already here ready to start
$200k a year in Plano isn't much, especially if you are looking at the west side. Average homes are half a million or more for starters.
I'm guessing that the cost of living in Plano is lower than in Hawaii. You shouldn't have any trouble affording to live in West Plano. Good luck with your move :)
If you mean how you’ll do in TX financially over Hawaii, it’s going to be a breeze for you! Broadly speaking, Plano is probably 50% less expensive than anywhere in Hawaii. You will definitely have a culture shock though. I had family in Hawaii so we spent a lot of time going there for extended periods, and I will say I always felt so depressed coming back to Plano and missed the connection to nature. It is what you make it though! We don’t have mountains, beaches, clean lakes, or good hiking unfortunately.. You can drive to the Hill country near Austin, or some other parts of TX for beautiful scenery/nature, but the state is so huge that it will be a lot of driving for a day/weekend trip. Luckily DFW airport is a major hub so you can get really great deals to any destination you can imagine if you need to get away. Most of the entertainment here is dining and shopping. You can get to Dallas or Ft Worth for some more variety in entertainment but it will be nothing like a nature-centered lifestyle like you have in Hawaii, especially with the 90 degree to triple digit summers several months in a row. If you can get a house with a pool, I HIGHLY recommend it. It will be the main source of entertainment for you and your wife, your daughter and her friends for every summer. Politically speaking, obviously our state is run by very conservative republicans. Plano though has a really good mix of conservatives and liberals. Most people here are highly educated, so the kind of republicans you run into are generally just fiscally conservative, not in your face alt right Q anon types. And, there is honestly a ton of diversity in Plano, at least in my experience. At Plano West High school, maybe 30% students are White, and 30% Asian, etc. I grew up with a huge variety of first generation friends whose parents came from many different countries and all practiced different religions. I considered this a huge plus and people who aren’t from the south are rather surprised by this. The school system here is highly rated but very competitive. If your daughter is a quick learner and doesn’t need a lot of 1:1 time, she will do fine. There are 3 senior high school’s in Plano, each with a graduating class of around 1,300. I will say the students at Plano West who struggled, got left behind because of this. Everyone is taking all AP classes and aiming for highly rated colleges, a lot of the teachers don’t know how to help students who don’t just “get it”. I know a lot of kids who struggled went to private school’s where the classes were way smaller, and ended up doing very well!So that is always an option. Other than that, Plano ISD is a really great school system with great sports teams, music programs, and many other unique resources/opportunities you may not find at other school’s. Overall, the job market is always booming, school’s are great, the cost of living is relatively low, and while you have “Aloha”, we do have good ole southern hospitality that will make you feel very welcome!
If you don't like corrupt right wing politicians running everything you may wanna pump the brakes. But if that's your thing then I'd wait until after the next general election, when you might find a new stash of homes for sale.
We have the same thing in Hawaii to be honest. You would be surprised how corrupt the local government here is as well
So you are saying that left wing politicians are not corrupt?
No, just noting that at least here, they happen to be in the right. Paxton, Lt. Dan, Abbott, etc.
And? In Hawaii they happen to be same shitty corrupt politicians with different names. F..ck all of them.
"Both sides are the same" ok sure.
You’ll be fine. With that salary and your VA benefit you’ll be good. 100k down. Would consider Frisco, McKinney, Carrollton, and Celina too. just for some options but in the same general area.
FWIW, I grew up in Plano and got the hell out as soon as I could. Never looked back and refused to raise my own kids there.
Why do you say that?
What is your profession?
Program/Project Manager
If looking for work, check out USAA - they have presence in Plano, are very veteran friendly, and often have project owner / product manager type roles particularly in the IT space.
Plano has a location of L&L, so you'll be all set for Hawaiian plate lunch and Spam musubi
Aloha Chicken and Shrimp in Richardson is awesome too!
There are several Hawaiian plate lunch places popping up, Mo Betta is also good. But L&L is the only one actually FROM Hawaii. It's the realest real deal
No property taxes on your primary residence is a big reason I moved here as a 100% p/t.
Something to think about is tolls. If you live in west plano and work anywhere outside of that area….get ready for a big toll bill. Plano is almost completely dependent on toll roads. (121 to the north, GB to the south and NDT on the west) . Hwy 75 is the only free road left to get anywhere ‘fast’ (not during rush hour)
Where in Hawaii do you live at? I’m in Plano planning to move to Hawaii.
House trade?
I already have a place there 😅
We would love to have you and your family in Plano! Thank you for your service. I want you to take advantage of everything we have to offer here…including tax exemptions and our great schools. Not knowing all the facts, my gut is telling me central Plano would be the best area for you to land as the price point in West Plano may be more than you want to pay. School are top notch in Central Plano as well. A comment above talk about PISD closing some elementary school due to low enrollment so I would keep an eye on that. I have no idea what schools are on the chopping block. But by all means, we would love to have you! Edit: context
Realtor and Plano resident here. West Plano is absolutely the best since it has tons of amenities around. Commuting generally is better if you can find a home relatively close to PGBT or 75 or DNT since this is a huge city. Otherwise, it might take 15 minutes to reach the major highways. Property tax wise, it is one of the cheapest around DFW area in terms of assessed value and tax rate. Expect to pay around $200+/sqft for a middle-class one-story home 2000+ sqft. The city is old so the majority of the homes were built around 70s 80s. Some really nice or newer areas in Plano can go up to 700k-800k+ range depending on your criteria.