Unreal Estate Game: North and West Texas

[Rain Man]

Assume that you idly buy a state lottery ticket while getting a doughnut at 7/11, and voila! You're a winner! You win your choice of one the five houses that will be shown.

I'll give you five houses in a state, and you vote on the house you would take.

Background rules:

Assume that your job situation won't need to change - you can find an identical job or work from home or whatever, so jobs don't matter.

Consider the house itself and the location and anything else that's important to you (schools, restaurants, lot size, etc.). Feel free to do a google map search to check out the neighborhood and the area.

You cannot sell the home. You can live in it as long as you like, but when you move out, it reverts back to the state as a prize for a future winner.

All houses will generally be in the $900,000 to $1 million price range.

All maintenance and utilities and taxes are cost-neutral compared to your current home.

If you wouldn't move into any of these homes, you can instead accept a cash prize of $50,000 (tax free).

Today's state is the northern and western reaches of Texas. Here are your five houses:

Dallas - http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2235-Madera-St_Dallas_TX_75206_M76509-63293#photo0

El Paso - http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6009-Pinehurst-Dr_El-Paso_TX_79912_M85022-57556#photo0

Fort Worth - http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/6001-Laurel-Valley-Ct_Fort-Worth_TX_76132_M75572-56384#photo0

Midland - http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/5203-S-County-Road-1065_Midland_TX_79706_M72110-48930

Possum Kingdom Lake - http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1011-N-Mesquite-Rdg_Graford_TX_76449_M71010-52492#photo0

[eDave]

El Paso casa is pretty sweet.

[Rain Man]

My rankings are below. I'll be honest; I really struggled with this area. The architecture for the most part is overwhelmingly pedestrian or just bad. I would probably take the $50,000 given the choices here, but for game purposes I'll assume that I have no choice about moving.

#1 - Dallas - I like funky. I'm hip to funky. But this is pretty funky. And I don't trust the ability to live long term in an all-white house. The neighborhood seems to be one of those odd gentrifying neighborhoods that doesn't gell and is trying too hard, but at the same time it's close to restaurants, including one called the Velvet Taco. At least, I assume that's a restaurant.

#2 - El Paso - There are parts of this house that are awesome, and parts that make me cringe. Is that a multi-faceted mirror on the ceiling in the dining room? But the pool courtyard is awesome and the views are great. In the end, it's not in a walkable neighborhood and ... man, it's right across the border from Juarez. Serial killers and drug wars can't be long-term assets. But it's a strong contender in this group.

#3 - Fort Worth - It's just a big suburban house at the end of the day. A nice one, but not unique at all. The closest restaurant is a Chick Fil A, which wins points, but it's not an easy walk. Meh.

#4 - Possum Kingdom Lake - If you map this, it's actually in the town of Graford. I included it mostly so someone could tell me of Picture 32 is showing an elevator or stairs or a ladder, and also because I like the name "Possum Kingdom Lake". This house is so-so, and it's so remote that you just know that and know that you're not going to go to a restaurant or anything (though it's not really that far from the edges of Fort Worth). Not worth the trouble, though.

#5 - Midland - I had high hopes for this house, but I can't get past the fact that the main room looks like a place where you'd hold a cattle auction. The floor looks like hay, it's got those multiple ceiling fans, and ... it looks like a place where you'd hold a cattle auction. I like the fact that it's got acreage, but it's not exactly scenic acreage.

[Rain Man]

El Paso casa is pretty sweet.

I really like that pool area with the mountains through the gap.

[rockymtnchief]

Ft. Worth

[WhawhaWhat]

Possum Kingdom Lake. It's hot as fuck in Texas so the lake access would be nice. I like the El Paso house a lot but not the El Paso area.

[tx4chiefs]

I picked El Paso for the house. City I'd least like to live in though.

[Dartgod]

None of them really knocked my socks off, so I'll pick the one on a golf course. Ft. Worth it is.

[scho63]

Fort Worth for me

[loochy]

Dallas - This house is in a really cool and trendy neighborhood. It's really close to the lower greenville area, which is full of unique restaurants and bars. It's also near uptown, which is the land of $50,000 millionaires, douchebags, and cocaine. This may be your house if you are into that kind of urban thing. I vote a definite no on this one.

El Paso - Just sucks as a place to live. Pass.

Fort Worth - this house is actually about 5 miles from my house. It's in the Mira Vista neighborhood. It's a gated rich neighborhood. There is a hospital near by, the best private school around (Trinity Valley), and it's right on the edge of the city. There is not much traffic or crime on this end of town. I really like Fort Worth as a place to live. I choose this house.

Midland - No. It's similar to El Paso in that I would NEVER want to live there.

Possum Kingdom - Possum Kingdom is a really cool lake. It's deep with clear water and has excellent striped bass fishing. I love that this place has it's own dock. The house is pretty nice, but I still pick the Fort Worth house over this.

[loochy]

#3 - Fort Worth - It's just a big suburban house at the end of the day. A nice one, but not unique at all. The closest restaurant is a Chick Fil A, which wins points, but it's not an easy walk. Meh.
.

Nah, the closest restaurant is Mc Donald's. There is also an Einstein Bagels and Mama's Pizza, among other things. A grocery store is very close as well. There are a ton of food options along Bryant Irvin between the house and I-20.

[Otter]

These polls are making me realize how far my living preferences skew from the norm.</br></br>I'll again go for the land and isolation option with Possum King Lake. The kitchen could use a couple more bells and whistles but being in Texas I guess a smoker and grill year round works. Plus the lake looks really nice for fishing and swimming. I'd also imagine it's a good place for catching girls in bikinis almost year round. It's also the home I saw with any sort of character. The rest look like private office buildings. What's with glass for the stair railings?</br></br>If you're taking requests how about some Pacific NW area.

[ThaVirus]

Forth Worth, Dallas, and El Paso were all phenomenal.

Let me think about this...

[Rain Man]

Fort Worth - this house is actually about 5 miles from my house. It's in the Mira Vista neighborhood. It's a gated rich neighborhood. There is a hospital near by, the best private school around (Trinity Valley), and it's right on the edge of the city. There is not much traffic or crime on this end of town. I really like Fort Worth as a place to live. I choose this house.




Oh. Sorry about that "pedestrian architecture" comment, then.

[Otter]

Oh. Sorry about that "pedestrian architecture" comment, then. I sent an email to the realtor about picture #32. I'm quiet curious what that setup is myself.

[Rain Man]

I sent an email to the realtor about picture #32. I'm quiet curious what that setup is myself.

Let me know. I really can't figure it out. It looks too small to be stairs, but I can't imagine having an elevator there. I'm really curious.

[Bowser]

I picture AustinChief living in a setup much like the one in Dallas.


Forth Worth for me. Not a fan of golf course living, but I liked the house. Possum Kingdom Lake scored more points than I thought it would, and yes, that looks like an elevator. Looks handy, but you'd think it would still be a bitch getting stuff to and from the dock.

[Rain Man]

I picture AustinChief living in a setup much like the one in Dallas.


Forth Worth for me. Not a fan of golf course living, but I liked the house. Possum Kingdom Lake scored more points than I thought it would, and yes, that looks like an elevator. Looks handy, but you'd think it would still be a bitch getting stuff to and from the dock.

I noticed that I could see a door in Picture 31, which convinced me that it was stairs, but then in Picture 33 I noticed what looks like elevator buttons. So I bet you're right.

I like the green kitchen cabinets in Possum Lake, and also the great man cave building. I don't think I could do painted cabinets in my kitchen, though - I think you need a big kitchen to pull it off.

[Bowser]

I noticed that I could see a door in Picture 31, which convinced me that it was stairs, but then in Picture 33 I noticed what looks like elevator buttons. So I bet you're right.

I like the green kitchen cabinets in Possum Lake, and also the great man cave building. I don't think I could do painted cabinets in my kitchen, though - I think you need a big kitchen to pull it off.

Agreed.

Again, I'm kind of amazed at how crappy these interior decorations are, and I keep thinking about how much more I'll have to sink into the houses just to fix them up. I'm starting to think that my like of interior decorating style might be the problem here.

[BlackHelicopters]

Dallas

[Dallas Chief]

Fort Worth - this house is actually about 5 miles from my house. It's in the Mira Vista neighborhood. It's a gated rich neighborhood. There is a hospital near by, the best private school around (Trinity Valley), and it's right on the edge of the city. There is not much traffic or crime on this end of town. I really like Fort Worth as a place to live. I choose this house.



This is all you need to read. I had the opportunity to play Mira Vista on a half dozen occasions for charity events and the views are amazing for this part of the country. The same could be said for most of the homes there. If I could pick a place to live in the entire Metroplex, this would be it.

[loochy]

Oh. Sorry about that "pedestrian architecture" comment, then.

Meh, it's typical late 90s style.

[Go Royals]

Fort Worth. The area around there is booming right now. Actually just bought a house and moved out of Benbrook, but it's a great place.

[Gadzooks]

Is this over Rain Man? I've enjoyed seeing the varied parts of the Unites States that seem livable.
I had no idea that Flagstaff AZ even existed, yet I'd retire there. If possible, please keep educating us on the wonderful places that exist across the U.S.A.

[Rain Man]

Is this over Rain Man? I've enjoyed seeing the varied parts of the Unites States that seem livable.
I had no idea that Flagstaff AZ even existed, yet I'd retire there. If possible, please keep educating us on the wonderful places that exist across the U.S.A.

I was traveling the last few days and couldn't get to my files. Look for Delaware coming up immediately. Thanks for asking.