Whether you’re a first-time home buyer; a home owner looking to upgrade from your current home, an empty nester looking to downsize, finding the best home for your needs can be an overwhelming process. Here is some information about different types of homes available in the Texas market.
SINGLE FAMILY HOME: A single-family home is an individual, freestanding, unattached dwelling unit, typically built on a lot larger than the structure itself, resulting in an area surrounding the house, known as a yard. A single family detached home has open space on all four sides and is not attached to any other structure. Majority of the homes sold in DFW are single family homes.
CONDOS :: A condo owner buys only the interior living space of the condo; they do not own any portion of the land underneath the building. Benefits of owning a condo include low maintenance property (there are no weeds to pull), access to resort-like amenities like fitness clubs and swimming pools, and an increased feeling of safety.
Some disadvantages of condos are high association fees required each month and a condo owner’s limited ability to make decisions regarding the entire building.
Condos are not very popular Dallas area and are typically reserved for the more urban areas of Dallas and Ft. Worth, and thereby encourage walking access to nearby restaurants, grocery stores, and retail stores
ZERO-LOT LINE HOMES : A zero-lot-line property is one where a home or building has at least one wall placed on the boundary line of the property, leaving virtually no room between the building and the boundary line. Townhomes, patio homes, and garden homes are all considered zero-lot line homes. At the same time, a larger-sized single family home can also qualify as a zero-lot line home if it is built along the property line. Zero-lot line homes provide for little to no yard, which reduces the overall maintenance of the property. This can occur when individual plots are small, and it maximizes living space at the expense of the yard. Another term commonly used to describe a zero-lot line home is a narrow lot home.
TOWNHOMES : Townhomes are typically clusters of attached homes. In the Dallas area, there are often 3-5 townhomes attached to create one larger building. Townhomes usually have 2 or 3 stories and sometimes include a small private backyard. Advantages of townhomes include low maintenance, small yards, and HOA-managed common areas within the community (which sometimes includes a pool, fitness center, or walking trails). Disadvantages are shared walls between homes (think noisy neighbors and lack of privacy), often they are multistory, and resale value is sometimes an issue.
PATIO/GARDEN HOMES :: The terms “patio home” and “garden home” can typically be used interchangeably. These are zero-lot line homes that are detached. These homes have private yards, sometimes at the rear of the home and sometimes at the side of the home. Because these are zero-lot line homes, there is very little space separating two homes. The outside wall of one home also serves as the “fence” for its neighbor.
Patio homes provide a unique home experience for buyers. They are smaller homes on smaller lots, which allows for true home ownership (as opposed to a condo) but with a low-maintenance lifestyle. At the same time, they are detached homes which provide increased privacy that townhomes and condos can’t offer. Patio homes can be single or multi-story homes, making them flexible to meet the owner’s needs. Patio homes can be part of an HOA, which can provide services to further encourage a low maintenance lifestyle.
Disadvantages of patio homes include the lack of windows on the side of the home which is built on the property line
Single family homes are usually preferred by young families with children. Condos, townhomes, zero-lot line homes, garden homes and patio homes are just some of the housing options available to empty nesters and those looking to downsize. Hopefully this clears up some of the confusion and helps you determine the best type of housing for your needs.
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS?
If you’re actively searching for a buyer’s agent in Dallas I would be honored to help you. You can read my five star Zillow Testimonials here or watch the five star video testimonials here that my past clients have had great experiences working with me.
Nitin Gupta, CRS, GRI, REALTOR - your Top Dallas Buyers Agent will help you with all the steps of the home buying process (negotiate offers, paperwork, answer phone calls, write contract, handle appraisers, and so on) This provides our buyers, like you, superior services that are always in your best interest.
Selecting a top Dallas realtor to be your advocate and trusted advisor as your Dallas Buyer's Agent is an important decision. Feel free to contact us now. Good luck with your search and I look forward to working with you!
About us: Professional Dallas Relocation & Real Estate Services.
As a Real Estate Professional, I understand the challenges that arise from a Relocation. I work with families including physicians who are relocating to Dallas metro area including Dallas, TX. I have earned a number of real estate certifications and designations in an effort to learn and provide excellent customer service to my clients. As a CRS, ABR & GRI, I can offer my clients experience as an Agent and REALTOR®, top Industry Customer Service, in-depth, up-to-the-minute and comprehensive market knowledge; honesty, integrity, dedication, and professionalism in my business.
Whether you are an individual simply relocating to Dallas from California, or moving your entire family from areas like San Francisco, Fremont, Palo Alto, Los Angeles, San Diego in California due to transferring with your company, we can help. Our relocation professionals ease the transition whether you are moving across town or across the globe. We will work with you to find an area that best suits your professional, family and lifestyle needs. Since many of our clients are relocation buyers, we have all the tools you need to help your home search. Whether it is video previews of homes, extended work hours, digital signatures for documents or more, we can make this process as comfortable as possible no matter where you are located.
What is most important to you in your new city - McKinney? With a little bit more info about what you’re looking for in a new city, we can help you determine whether or not Dallas would be a good fit. Send us an email at info@NitinGuptaDFW.com, fill out our Relocation Questionnaire, or give us a call at (469) 269-6541 to schedule a no obligation consultation. We’ll give you honest advice about Dallas that you can use to help make your relocation decision. In the meantime, check out our Guide to Relocating to Dallas.
