One Transplant Trades Califonia Wildfires For The Greener Pastures of Plano

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From the Bay Area to Plano: Daniel Lalley shares his story of leaving California for the Lone Star State.

By Daniel Lalley
Special Contributor

The California mass exodus seems to have impacted everything from the housing market to the halls of Congress. And though COVID may have spurred momentum, the numbers indicate an eastward shift even before the season of stay-at-home orders and social distancing protocols. Before Tesla came to Texas and Joe Rogan rocked the Austin housing market, there was an 80,000-head influx of left coast transplants relocating to the Lone Star State.

With bright weather, a booming economy, and not to mention some of the best coastline in the entire world, many are scratching their heads at this sudden interstate shift. Why would you leave behind your friends, family, and career to come to a place so far afield?

As a former San Francisco resident, I have firsthand experience with this matter and can tell you there are many reasons one might pack up and put the entire road through California in the rearview mirror.

My Own ‘Gone to Texas’ Story

When I moved to San Francisco a decade ago, there was of course the good, the bad, and the ugly. I was attending the University of San Francisco and was drawn by the idea of pursuing my art in a city that fosters freedom of creativity. I loved the city for an array of reasons – the architecture, the atmosphere, the coastal roads leading down to Big Sur and up to big redwood forests. Sure, the Tenderloin was sketch and the transit kind of sucked but it was the city – It was supposed to be that way.

It didn’t really start to turn sour until political tensions came to a fever pitch in 2016. As Washington welcomed a “red wave” in the fall of that year, the pushback from their opposition became almost malicious in its defiance. And as the mecca of progressive politics, San Francisco sort of had the wind knocked out of it. The ensuing years saw more local regulations and fewer restrictions for homelessness, drugs, crime, and corruption. Add in a pandemic and it became pretty postapocalyptic.

I remember thinking, “Let’s get out of here,” on a day where the sky turned dark orange and lit our Japantown neighborhood like the surface of Neptune. The summer was punctuated by riots, lockdowns, and large-scale wildfires. When Governor Gavin Newsom announced he had no intentions of ever returning California to normal, we decided enough was enough. 

Avoiding Culture Shock in Deep Ellum

I’m from Texas and my wife is from Hawaii, but we met in San Francisco. When I suggested we move, it was either Dallas or Oahu, and, to my immediate dismay, my wife insisted we move to Dallas.

Since I had a decent feel for the Dallas vibe having lived off Lower Greenville earlier in life, I suggested Deep Ellum. Some friends told me it was up and coming, and there was a nice high-rise, the Case Building, that we were interested in looking at.

Deep Ellum is walkable and close to downtown, so there’s less culture shock for urbanites.

We took out a 15-month lease sight unseen at the Case Building, a decent one-bedroom with a good-sized bath and a ton of closet and kitchen space. The interior is hip, conducive to the midcentury, Eames aesthetic I had planned to do it up in. There’s a lot of exposed concrete, high ceilings, plus I really love some of the recessed lighting and the layout has a great flow. At just under $2K monthly, the amount of room and amenities here are sure to amaze even the most resistant West Coast relocators.

The neighborhood fosters its own cultural flavor on the outskirts of downtown Dallas. The walkability and shops made a great transitional space for introducing my wife to a different city with a slower pace.

Coming straight from San Francisco, I didn’t want to set us up somewhere with a suburban vibe just yet. I would definitely recommend this to anyone moving in from urban areas like Los Angeles, Oakland, or San Francisco. Don’t go straight for the culture shock of the cul-de-sac communities –  ease in and explore a bit first in an area with a more familiar feel.

From Renting in Dallas to Buying in Plano 

Around March of this year, we decided to take the next step. Having been able to save a bit on rent, we had a pretty good nest egg to put down on a house. Our experience as your typical “Californian” breaking into the all-out brutality of the Dallas housing market was not typical. We had enough money for a down payment and closing costs. We didn’t have a $475 cash offer to close in 24 hours on a house worth less than $300K – but we did get lucky.

Plano’s suburban housing stock and great location is attractive for California transplants.

We decided to buy in Plano because my wife took a job in Addison. I work in the Design District, but I also have a brand-new Mustang that I love driving. I can commute just fine. Another pro tip for transplants: Get a nicer car in Texas. It’s not going to get destroyed by the mayhem of mean street driving and there is plenty of parking.

After getting beat on a handful of offers, we found an incredible four-bedroom, three-bathroom, 2,400-square-footer off of Legacy for just over $400K. We were told not to even bother. There were all-cash offers on the table, some of them $60K over asking.

We told our Realtor not to waste her time but then we got a call a few days later. The resident revoked her contract with an investor and decided to only consider real families in the sale. We quickly got our offer together, drafted a letter to this patron saint of paltry offers, and got the house of our dreams for $10K under appraisal. It’s unheard of in this market.

The next part of this story is still in the works.

I just got word as I wrote that last paragraph that we are clear to close on our new house. We will be official homeowners in less than a week.

Moral of this story: If the Golden State isn’t going in the direction you desire, take a chance on Dallas. I can honestly say that from the food culture to the friendly people I’ve met along the way, this city has not disappointed. It has a great urban center with suburban options for those looking to start a family.

The only thing missing is the ocean. 

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