Dallas is a 9,000-square-mile metroplex with twenty distinct submarkets and a property-tax landscape that catches relocators off-guard. We've helped families move here from California, New York, Chicago, and overseas — the playbook below is what we run on every relocation.
Where most relocators land.
Where Grey Square clients tend to land. Each carries a different price point, school district, and commute profile — we match the right one to your family.
Highland Park · University Park
Tier-one schools (HPISD), walkable village core, established. Inventory tight; off-market is essential.
Preston Hollow
Larger lots, older money, strong public-private school options. Big runway on renovation projects.
Lake Highlands
Mid-century homes on tree-lined streets. RISD schools. Best value for first-time DFW buyers.
M-Streets · Greenland Hills
Tudor-revival cottages, walkable to Lower Greenville. Young families, design-conscious.
Frisco · The Star
Newer construction, top-ranked Frisco ISD, planned-community feel. Tech and finance corporate relocations.
Plano · West Plano
Plano ISD (one of TX's most-searched), corporate-headquarters corridor. Quiet, established, walkable to amenity centers.
Six steps, one playbook.
Most relocations follow this rhythm. We'll adjust to your closing on the other end.
Strategy call
Twenty minutes. We talk about the move — where you're coming from, what you make, what your family needs from a neighborhood. We tell you what's realistic in Dallas at your price point.
Lender intro
If you need financing, we put you with a Texas-licensed lender. Your TX pre-approval is different from a CA one — we get that locked before you tour.
Neighborhood tour
You fly in for two days. We drive you through the four or five neighborhoods that match your brief — schools, blocks, commutes — before any showings. This is where most relocations are won or lost.
Property shortlist
We send a curated list — on-market and off-market — every week. You fly back for a showing trip when there are at least three properties worth seeing in person.
Offer + option period
Texas option-period contracts are different from CA contingencies. We walk you through it. We handle the inspection, lender, title coordination from there.
Close + handoff
We're at the closing table. We hand you keys, vendor lists, school enrollment contacts, and the name of every neighbor on your block who matters.
Paul Blair.
Paul Blair has been in residential real estate for 22 years — New York, then 14 years in Los Angeles, now Dallas. He founded Grey Square to do fewer deals with higher standards. He holds broker licenses in Texas (TREC 698050) and California (CA DRE#01792671).
Dallas relocation questions, answered.
How does property tax in Dallas compare to where I'm coming from?
Texas has no state income tax, but property taxes are how the state funds itself. On a $1.2M Dallas home, expect $24K–$32K/year in property taxes (vs. $12K–$15K on a same-priced California home under Prop 13). The all-in monthly carrying cost is materially higher. We model both before you write an offer.
Which school district should I be looking at?
It depends on your kids and your price point. Highland Park ISD (HPISD) is the most-searched, smallest, and most expensive. Plano ISD and Frisco ISD are large, top-ranked, and more accessible price-wise. Richardson ISD covers Lake Highlands at a lower entry point. Coppell, Lovejoy, and Carroll (Southlake) are also worth considering. We'll talk through your kids' grades and personalities and tell you which district matches.
Is Dallas safe? Which neighborhoods?
The Park Cities, Preston Hollow, Lake Highlands, M-Streets, Frisco, Plano, and most of North Dallas are statistically among the safest urban neighborhoods in Texas. Crime concentrates in specific pockets of South and West Dallas — your buyer's agent will steer you correctly. We'll never show you a property in a neighborhood we wouldn't live in ourselves.
How far is everything from DFW Airport?
DFW Airport sits between Dallas and Fort Worth. Park Cities to DFW: 25 min. Preston Hollow to DFW: 30 min. Frisco to DFW: 25 min. Plano to DFW: 30 min. Lake Highlands to DFW: 35 min. Love Field (DAL) is 15 min from most central neighborhoods and runs Southwest's hub.
Do I need a car?
Yes. Dallas is a driving city — even in walkable neighborhoods, the next destination is usually 8 minutes out. DART rail is useful for commuting downtown but doesn't substitute for a personal vehicle.
What about hurricanes, tornadoes, weather?
Hurricanes don't reach Dallas (that's Houston's risk). Tornadoes are real but rare; storm shelters or interior rooms are sufficient. Hailstorms and severe spring thunderstorms are the bigger insurance consideration — homeowner's policies cost more than they would in California, and your roof will likely be replaced once or twice during a long-hold ownership.