Cheap(ish) Homes, Great School Districts

It’s not unusual — many of the great school districts in the Dallas/Fort Worth area are also in the priciest cities and neighborhoods.

So when the website Niche advertised that it could help folks find the best schools in your metro area, we decided to take a gander at their list, and then go on a mission to locate the cheapest abode a family could expect to find among their top five districts.

The results are as follows.

1.Highland Park ISD

Now, before you start laughing, yes, you can find affordable walls and a roof in Highland Park ISD’s boundaries. The catch is that if you’re looking for something less than $500,000, you’re probably going to be looking at a condo or townhouse.

We found this listing at 4314 Travis Street for $164,900. It has two bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, and is a cozy 1,082 square feet of space. It currently has a tenant, and as you can see from the photos, is nothing fancy, but it does get you into the coveted HPISD footprint and in one of Niche’s great school districts.

Need something a little bigger? If you really need a third bedroom, you’re going to have to spend more. This three bedroom, two and a half bath property at 3100 Rosedale Ave will set you back $525,000.

2. Coppell ISD

Once again, people with one or two children are going to be more likely to find an affordable home in one of the area’s great school districts as well. The Realtor claims that this two bedroom, two and a half bath condo at 228 Samuel Blvd. is the only property in Coppell less than $200,000, which isn’t exactly true, but it is the cheapest housing we found today.

But what is more encouraging is that for less than $250,000, you can have a three-bedroom, two-bath house. This home at 924 Sugarberry Drive has had a few updates, and some of the quarters (like the kitchen for instance) are a bit lilliputian, but it does boast three bedrooms and a second family room space.

3. Plano ISD

The good thing about Plano is that it is much more budget friendly. It comes in number three on Niche’s list, but what’s interesting is that we were able to find a three-bedroom home for less than $250,000. Yes, 3345 Devonshire Drive is still a townhome, but you have pool access (which with children in Texas, would be a real boon), and the place is pretty spacious.

Located in the Cobblestone Community, the home has 1,745 square feet of space with a fireplace and a combination of tile and carpet flooring. The kitchen is a decent size, and the open floor plan means you can make a lasagna and yell at supervise homework with your children at the same time. And at $217,900, it’s a pretty good deal to get into one of the great school districts.

But say you’d like something bigger — maybe four bedrooms? How about this 4/2, 1,556-square-footer at 3517 Claymore Drive? At $259,800, the home has new flooring and countertops and is a quick 10 minutes to the Dallas North Tollway.

4. Southlake-Carroll ISD

Yes, you could live in Southlake, but if you had Southlake money, would you be reading this story about affordable homes in great school districts? No. No you would not.

So haaaaaaaave you met Keller? Now, mind you, not all of Keller is in Southlake-Carroll, but some pockets are. The bad news is that even in these pockets of Keller, you’re still not getting a house for less than $500,000.

The cheapest home we found was this beaut at 3041 Trinity Lane, for $539,000 — which, honestly, is a steal in this school district where homes are generally in the millions. It’s four bedrooms, three and a half baths, and beautiful finishes throughout. And yes, it’s in Southlake-Carroll ISD.

5. Lovejoy ISD

Lovejoy ISD is in the Allen/Fairview area, and seems to be a great place to head to if you’re wanting a great school, but also like to be a smidge closer to wide open spaces.

This 2/2 at 1391 Sagebrook Drive is located in the Heritage Ranch golf community in Fairview. It has a study (so you could theoretically have three bedrooms if you needed it), and has a gorgeous lawn and backyard patio area. It is $310,00.

Need a little more room? How about a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home on 3.5 acres? This home at 10 Man O’ War in Fairview gives you more space indoors, and plenty of room to roam outdoors for $450,000.

Curious about Niche’s methodology? They explain that here, and where their data comes from here.