The Best Apartments in Dallas – How to Find Them!

Rick Magliano

How can you make sure that you are getting the best apartment at the best price in the Dallas area? Searching through the three thousand apartment options in Dallas can be a daunting task. In the end, you are likely to waste a lot of time going and visiting numerous communities that do not even have what you are wanting, and at the same time, passing up the best apartments that you weren’t even aware existed.

In searching for the best apartments in Dallas, it’s important to understand the framework of the city. Dallas is a Metroplex, which by definition, means that it is composed of a variety of suburbs that are all linked together to form one composite city. Even though each suburb is unique, it still is considered to be located in the city of Dallas. For instance, if you take just one of the suburbs as an example – Carrollton – when you are mailing a letter to the Carrollton area, it doesn’t matter if you address the envelope “Carrollton, TX” or “Dallas, TX”, because the postal authorities recognize that they are one in the same. So, when we refer to Dallas in this article, we are including all of it’s components…all suburbs that make up the illustrious city.

When individuals are relocating to Dallas and are not very familiar with the city, part of the problem lies in that they do not realize how big the city is, and that it is composed of so many “sub-cities”. They underestimate the number of apartment options that they will face when they arrive and are very surprised to see when they get here that they are facing thousands of rental homes to choose from, in a number of different areas. How can they possibly find the “best” rental choice amongst so many choices?

Well, before we can answer that question, we must clearly define what is meant by the term “the best apartments”. This phrase will mean something different to different individuals. For one person who is needing something economical but safe, the best apartment to THEM might be a small efficiency one-room apartment that is located close to their work. For another person “the best apartment” might mean something with a beautiful view. For still another, it may be a property that has the most luxury amenities. So, really, the key to finding YOUR best apartment comes down to defining what exactly you are looking for, and where.

Whether you are relocating to Dallas, or you already live here and just want a change, here are the 4 steps to get started in finding the best apartment for you:

FIRST, it is critical that you determine exactly WHERE in the Dallas Metroplex you would like to live. Since Dallas is composed of a mixture of various suburbs, narrow down which area exactly you would want to relocate to. You might decide on an area based on where you work, making sure you are within close proximity. Or perhaps you are more concerned about being located close to a particular school, or a particular family member. You may want to stay within so many miles of these destinations, or within so many minutes drive time. You also may want to research and investigate what each sub-city of Dallas has to offer before you make your choice. In general, the further North you go from the downtown area, the newer and nicer the city of Dallas becomes. Try to avoid the areas South of Downtown Dallas. Here are some of the many options in Dallas to choose from:

Plano – Great destination for families. Located 20 miles North of Downtown Dallas. Great school districts and youth sports leagues. The population now exceeds 250,000. It was recognized as the 8th safest place to live by the FBI’s most recent crime statistics. Plano is also a great place to do business.

Addison – Popular area for those seeking entertainment and nightlife. Addison is located 13 miles north of downtown Dallas and is connected to downtown by the Dallas North Tollway. With more than 150 restaurants, Addison has one of the highest restaurant per capital ratings in the nation. The main Street in Addison (known as Beltline) is also called “restaurant row”, because you can find ANY restaurant that you have ever imagined on this street. Addison is also home to a world class mall called The Galleria. Addison is also known for it’s frequent annual outdoor festivals, such as Oktoberfest, Taste of Addison, and the Shakespeare Festival. In addition to entertainment and nightlife, Addison is also a major hub for leading businesses.

Lewisville – Has an atmosphere similar to a small town, but functions and offers the amenities of a big city. Lewisville is located 20 miles north of downtown Dallas. It’s also only a 10 minute drive to DFW International Airport, the 3rd busiest airport in the world. Shoppers can shop ’till they drop at Vista Ridge Mall, which offers more than a million square feet of retail shopping among 160 specialty retailers. For those who enjoy the outdoor life, Lewisville is known for it’s many golf courses and has close proximity to 2 large lakes, including Lake Lewsiville.

Carrollton – Residents are drawn to the City of Carrollton for its high quality of life, abundant parks, schools and safe neighborhoods. In 2008, MONEY Magazine ranked Carrollton 15th in the country as the Best Place to Live. Carrollton is located 20 miles north of downtown Dallas and just 10 miles away from the DFW International Airport. Entertainment is nearby as Addison is only a few miles South of Carrollton for access to over 150 restaurants and the upscale Galleria Mall, and Lewisville is only a few miles North of Carrollton with access to Lewisville Lake and the Vista Ridge Mall. Carrollton residents enjoy more than 1,200 acres of developed park land, numerous playgrounds, biking trails and tennis courts. Two 18-hole golf courses in Carrollton have been rated among the top municipal golf courses in the state. Carrollton is also a great place to do business with over 5,200 businesses. It was also named recently as Texas’ safest city. The Carrollton School District is “Recognized” and offers a high quality of education.

Irving – entrally located in between Dallas and Fort Worth and directly adjacent to the DFW International Airport, you have access to many areas of the Metroplex, whether you love sports, shopping, art or the outdoors. With a population of around 200,000, Irving is a vibrant city known for its cultural diversity. Irving children enjoy a high quality education. Home to thousands of corporations and the global headquarters of five Fortune-500 companies, you’ll discover gleaming skyscrapers, two spectacular master-planned communities (Las Colinas & Valley Ranch) and the state’s only five-diamond rated resort, the Four Seasons. It is here that you can catch the Byron Nelson Championship.

Uptown Dallas – Located within only 1 or 2 miles from Downtown Dallas, an apartment or loft in Uptown Dallas is your window to a vibrant world filled with a Metro-attitude. From your Uptown Dallas apartment, you can explore the city of Dallas and enjoy comfortable modern urban living. You can define this area as a conglomeration of “contemporary, urban, metro” and “old-world retro charm”. Neighboring stores are filled with eclectic galleries and interesting and unique modernized antiques. From old restored historic buildings turned into modern contemporary lofts and apartments, to the most newly built urban communities, uptown Dallas has everything you are looking for, including a very diverse selection of restaurants on every corner located just outside your front door. Many residents of Uptown Dallas do not even have or use a car. They can access practically everything by just walking around the corner.

Downtown Dallas – it’s been said that the only thing that rivals the restaurant scene in downtown Dallas is the arts scene. The Arts District is the largest urban arts district in the country, stretching 17 square blocks. A downtown Dallas apartment puts you within steps of museums, theaters and other artistic arenas. Not to be outdone, there are an eclectic array of restaurants that rival NYC and shopping for every taste and price point. From contemporary historic lofts that renovate existing spaces to modern newly built luxury resort apartments, your urban living choices dot the landscape and capture the skyline.

Besides the Dallas suburbs mentioned above, you have many others to consider as options such as: Frisco, McKinney, Allen, The Colony, Denton, Arlington, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Grapevine, Garland, Mesquite, Richardson, and more – all of which are considered to be in the city of Dallas.

SECOND of all, once you have narrowed down the area where you would like to live in Dallas, the next step is to decide what KIND of rental home you would like to live in. Do you prefer a loft? Or a flat? How about a split level (townhome)? A highrise building or a historic building that has been converted to rental units? You may just prefer a regular, but nice apartment community. In addition to deciding what type or types of properties you are willing to consider, also decide how many bedrooms and bathrooms your new apartment needs to offer. Most properties in Dallas have certain occupancy rules that only allow no more than 2 adults per bedroom. So, for example, if you have a family of 4, you would need a 2 bedroom minimum. You may even have in mind a certain amount of squarefeet that you don’t want to go under. The area that you choose will have a bearing on which kind of rental homes are available. For instance, if you want to live in a contemporary loft or an urban highrise or historical building that has been converted, you will likely have to stick to the Downtown and Uptown areas of Dallas. You will not find many of these options anywhere else in Dallas. But the further North you go, the more you will find of nice, newly built 2 and 3 story apartment complexes with individual attached garages, as well as newly built townhome communities.

THIRDLY, now that you have a general idea WHERE you want to live, and WHAT kind and size of apartment you need, the next step is to decide HOW MUCH you are willing to pay. What amount do you not want to go over? Most apartments in Dallas require that you earn approximately 3 times the rental amount. So, for instance, if your income is $3000 a month, then you probably would only qualify for an apartment that is about $1000 a month in rent. Keep these requirements in mind when you are deciding what rent amount you are willing to pay. Apartment communities in Dallas do verify your income as well. You must show evidence, such as paycheck stubs, that you earn 3 times the rent amount. If you are being transferred here to Dallas or you are relocating and starting a brand new job (you wouldn’t have paycheck stubs yet in that case), then you can present a Hire Letter to the apartment community as proof of your income. The Hire Letter should be on Company Letterhead and clearly state what day you will begin your employment and what your income will be. It should be signed and have contact information. The apartments will usually call to verify the letter. If you provide paycheck stubs, they will likely also call your current employer and verify the paycheck stubs.

LASTLY, now that you have in mind a good general idea of what you are looking for, the fourth and most important step in finding YOUR perfect apartment is to call a reputable DALLAS Apartment Locating company to assist you in providing a free custom list of all the properties in the Metroplex that are the closest match to your specific criteria. The first thing they will do is ask you is for a detailed description of where you want to live (which suburbs are you willing to consider), how much you want to pay and can qualify to pay in rent, and what kind/size of property you want. Since you have already narrowed down this information, you will be ready to give it to the Locator and this will make the process much smoother.

Using a good, experienced Apartment Locator who is located in the Dallas area and has an in depth knowledge of all the 3000 rental properties in Dallas, is the quickest and easiest way for you to find the apartments that best match your criteria. They will not only save you a ton of wasted time exploring properties that are NOT a good match for you, but they also will make sure you are informed about the best specials and deals that are being offered in Dallas. Most renters end up saving an average of $500-$600 by using an Apartment Locator. This is because the Locator guides them to all the great deals that they would have otherwise not known about. The list that your Apartment Locator gives you will provide information such as pictures, floorplans, maps and details for every property in Dallas that they feel represents the BEST matches in the Metroplex for YOU.

Even if you have lived in Dallas your entire life, new properties are being built every day in this ever-expanding city. It is likely that there are options out there you are not even aware of. Take the guesswork and stress out of your Dallas apartment search and let a reputable local Apartment Locating Company help you.

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