THRILLHO wrote:You can only build so far north before you start losing the benefit of close proximity to Dallas & DFW Airport, and I think Prosper is that upper limit.
If we were a sensible region we would be trying to mitigate sprawl. Not gonna happen, but if we had a modicum of sense we would at least be rapidly densifying Plano and Frisco and redirecting that suburban sprawl southwards in the direction of the undeveloped land around 34/287. If downtown Dallas continues to improve it might regain some of its gravitational pull.
Even if you work in north Dallas or Richardson, someplace like Ferris offers the same commute as Prosper...
Even if what you say about commuting places like Ferris or Midlothian is true, the main issue that remains with the southern part of DFW are the schools. They're not *BAD*, but aside from Mansfield, they're not great either.
If people are going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a home, they want to be able to get the maximum ROI they can when it's time for resale (harder to do when your home is not in a competitive district) and also be able to send their own kids to the best of the best schools.
The commercial amenities still have to play catch up too. Ellis County doesn't even have a halfway decent shopping mall or warehouse club, never mind all of the higher-end / specialty stores found all over the northern suburbs.