KnowYard Community

Bought a home warranty for $600/year. Covered the AC repair and a plumbing issue in the first 6 months. Paid for itself twice over. Get one for the first year at least.

You forgot to mention the drive itself. Taking 30 east over the lake is scenic, especially at sunset. The bridge over Lake Ray Hubbard is one of the best views in DFW.

Older suburbs that haven't been "discovered" yet by flippers. The apartment complexes built in the 90s-2000s that are well-maintained but not trendy. Those are the sweet spot.

Find a place that makes their tortillas in house. That's the only criteria that matters. Everything else follows.

The unequal appraisal argument is your best weapon. If your neighbor's identical house is appraised at $50K less than yours, that's hard for them to justify. Use their own data against them.

The brisket sandwich is legitimately good for what it is. Is it better than a dedicated BBQ joint? No. Is it the best food you can get without leaving a gas station parking lot? Absolutely.

I use a pellet grill and I'm tired of pretending I'm sorry about it. The brisket is good. My family loves it. I don't care about your offset smoker opinions.

Bacon egg and cheese on flour with green salsa. That's the order. Every time. Don't overthink it.

The family-owned Chinese spot near me has been open since the 80s. Same family. Same recipes. Still the best egg drop soup I've ever had.

HVAC is the play in Texas specifically. It's 100+ degrees for 3 months a year. Every AC unit in the state needs regular maintenance. The demand is endless.

The caveat is that trades destroy your body. I'm 38 and my knees and back are shot. The money is real but so is the physical toll. Have a plan for what you do at 50.

Old school Tex-Mex places are the best example of this. The ones where the enchilada plate is $9.99 and it comes with rice beans and chips. No substitutions. Perfection.

Texas has basically zero rent control and no statewide cap on increases. Your only leverage is threatening to leave. And honestly? Sometimes you have to follow through.

Show up to HOA board meetings. Seriously. Most boards are 3-5 retired people with nothing better to do. You show up with 5 neighbors who are also sick of it and you can vote them out.

There's a burger joint near me that's been cash only for 30 years. No website. No social media. Packed every day at lunch. That's the ultimate endorsement.

Protested 5 years in a row. Won every time. Average reduction of about $20K in appraised value. The informal hearing is where it happens — bring your comps printed out and be polite.

The "but you get summers off" crowd has clearly never met a teacher. My wife spends summer doing curriculum planning, professional development, and setting up her classroom. It's unpaid work.

Read your CC&Rs cover to cover. Half the violations HOAs send out are either not actually in the rules or they're enforcing selectively. If your neighbor's trash can is visible too, document it and bring it up.

Drive through the area at night before you sign anything. If you feel uneasy at 10pm on a Tuesday, trust that instinct.

the best seminar experience ive had in DFW was at Lovato BJJ. the combination of Rafael Lovato Jr plus a visiting world-class instructor created a learning environment that was on another level. if Lovato announces a seminar, go

My wife is a teacher and her take-home after insurance, retirement, and union dues is about $3,200/month. Our mortgage alone is $2,100. Do the math.

Anyone know what's going in on the pad sites at Lakeview and Dalrock? I've seen permits but no signage yet. A good restaurant there would do well — that intersection has great visibility.

Skip the job boards for the first week. Reach out directly to everyone you know. LinkedIn connections, former coworkers, friends of friends. 70% of jobs are filled through networking and that's not a cliché.

Look for areas near good school districts. Even if you don't have kids, school district quality correlates with neighborhood safety and maintenance. It's a useful proxy.

Trades. HVAC, plumbing, electrical. Most will hire you with zero experience and train you. Starting pay is $18-22/hr but within 2-3 years you're at $30+. Texas needs tradespeople badly.