Congratulations! You’ve decided you’re moving to Waco!

Things to Consider When Moving to Waco? Well first off, you probably should call a Realtor (insert hair flip emoji). We are your best resource when it comes to this area of expertise!

My name is Katie Snapp and my husband Brody and I decided to move from Dallas to his hometown nearly 5 years ago. We both work in real estate and even in this short amount of time, SO much has changed. I mean, Waco even has a Top Golf now! Hurryup, Trader Joe’s…

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farm-yard-wacoOne thing continues to remain the same: what newcomers often refer to as “Waco” is actually more likely McLennan County, a collection of small towns all within about 30 minutes of THE small town they came here for.

Although this blog post is in no way inclusive of all areas and perspectives throughout McLennan County, here are a few fun summaries on each community and what I think you want to know about them:

Waco Proper | You’ll find a lot of people really pride themselves on living in what they(we) hilariously refer to as “Waco Waco”, and I can totally see why! The old-world charm, mature trees, hip vibes, and convenient distance to downtown all definitely count as perks. This urban-adjacent area offers not just diverse home-styles, but a community full of different walks of life and flavors like what you might be more used to when coming from a bigger city. There’s also the prestige of the Ridgewood Country club and Lake Shore Drive areas where the select few get to enjoy a stunning lake view. It will cost you though! Boutique shopping and eating out is easy over here – large grocery hauls, not as much. And while Waco ISD schools are not currently the highest rated, the community as a whole has been experiencing a major polishing and is a constant focus for investors from around the world. There are also many private school options that can be more affordable than in bigger cities. Live Oak Classical, Vanguard Preparatory, or Waco Montessori just to name a few. If this sounds like a set up that fits your happening lifestyle – Castle Heights, Mountainview, Ridgewood area, Wooded Acres, or the Lake Streets could be the place for you!

Moving to Waco, TX
(Photo courtesy of Camille Johnson Realtors)

 

The 84 Corridor Woodway, Hewitt and North-McGregor – If you have dreamt of that suburban, stroller pushing, walking crew with a house that has all but the picket fence – you’ve found your spot. Beautiful, newer, masonry construction where things can be a little cookie cutter, but who doesn’t love cookies?! Several of the county’s most pristine planned communities are located here (Badger Ranch, Twin Rivers, Stone Creek Ranch, and coming soon Tanglewood) and you can find some of those coveted neighborhood amenities like parks, community pools, and even sidewalks (ooooo ahhhh). Or if you still want the mature trees and diverse 1970s-80s home styles, with maybe even room for a few personal touches, the hills of Bosque or Poage Park would be a great compromise. This area of McLennan County features the highly rated (but large) Midway ISD, some of the best of the FEW private daycare options in town and the most popular HEB Plus around. Around here you are “in town”, but not “up or down town”. Be prepared for that premium pricing, but the resale values cannot be beat.

Moving to Woodway, TX
(Photo courtesy of Camille Johnson Realtors)

 

Western Outskirts | Crawford & China Spring are west of Lake Waco, just a HWY 6 drive away. Here you can find room to stretch out or have an outdoor adventure, wide open spaces style. Small or large acreage is a lot easier to find around here and the public schools are big, but not AS big. We’ve even been hearing (granted for a while now) they’re even getting their own HEB. These parts are amongst the fastest growing when it comes to new residential construction, but commercial business is still trying to catch up, so you’re looking at a little bit more of a commute when it comes to that. Also – if being a short distance from a hospital is important to you, the way out might not be your cup of tea. However, if you love a good Ace Hardware, are good with Sonic on the regular, and like the idea of more land with ample mesquite trees – head on over yonder!

Moving to China Spring, TX
(Photo courtesy of Camille Johnson Realtors)

 

Small-town Feels | Lorena, Robinson, McGregorThink Friday Night Lights, minus the tumble weeds, but plus easy access to I-35. They’ve got higher rated schools, with lower teacher/student ratios, and are often sought after if you want your children to be able to play multiple sports without having to necessarily be NFL draft ready. They all have some of the cutest homecoming parades, small local businesses, and lots of friendly neighbors. Lorena in particular is undergoing a huge development as what once were agricultural fields and private ranches are turning into higher end neighborhoods with lots of $300-700k homes being built. Can’t say all of the hometown locals are thrilled about the new construction, but what has been built sure is pretty to look at! McGregor is also home to the nation’s leading, private space exploration company – SpaceX. In these little towns, homes fly off the shelves even faster than one of Elon Musk’s rockets.

Lorena house moving to Waco
Sold Listing by Camille Johnson, Realtors

As I mentioned, I can’t include them all, but I would be remiss to not note that the West, Lacey-Lakeview, and Bellmead areas up I-35, towards Dallas, are getting just as refreshed as everything else and can be a fine option, especially if you are on a budget!

We are THRILLED you have chosen or are considering moving to “WACO” and encourage you to explore your options – but remember, calling a professional can be very helpful (wink).

Katie Snapp
Camille Johnson Realtors
https://www.camillejohnson.com/agents/katie-snapp/
254-294-5900
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Katie is a Co-Owner of Waco Moms. She is a 9th generation Texan who grew up in a military family, saw and enjoyed the world, but got back to Texas as quickly as she could! She fell in love with her husband's hometown (the first true hometown she's ever had) and hopes to be in Waco for many more generations to come. Katie met the love of her life, Brody Snapp, while a student at a Texas A&M football tailgate and after he patiently waited for her to live her urban, corporate America dreams, they tied the knot in 2016 and have been in the Waco area ever since. In 2018, they welcomed their first baby girl, Stella, and 19 months later, welcomed sweet Sienna. In Waco, they are surrounded by family and life long friends and love the family friendly and peaceful environment this community provides. Katie began her professional career quickly realizing that a cubical at the sought after Goldman Sachs was not for her - but for the past 6 years has had a thriving real estate business as a top producing agent with Camille Johnson, Realtors. Prior to that her background included being an award winning marketing and sales representative in a billion dollar Dallas high-rise industry, a regional marketing and sales manager for luxury student housing all along the west coast, and a year of working as a part of Joanna and Chip Gaines' marketing team as they re-launched the Magnolia Realty branch of their company. Katie is very excited to get work alongside her best friend and most respected fellow Realtor, Catia Sykora as they take Waco Moms to the next level. She has a true passion for supporting and showcasing her community and most importantly, connecting moms!

6 COMMENTS

  1. Wow that has been so helpful. We are looking relocate all the way from Australia for my partners work. I love the look of Waco and yes am a huge fan of fixer upper. Thanks for your post

  2. Any opinions on Valley Mills? We are looking to move but would like to own at least a couple of Acres. Thanks!

  3. Hi! Valley Mills is beautiful, friendly, and more affordable than other areas. It is also only about 30 minutes from downtown Waco. I have family with children who have grown up there and they love it! Very small school but just what you would expect for a very small, Texas community

  4. This is an awesome article! I’m a single mom originally from NYC, looking to buy a condo or manageable single home early next year (not a fan or yard work). I love your background since you have big city experience which I can relate to. I’m not a fan of waco but don’t have a choice being here, for now at least. My biggest issue is the lack of diversity that I grew up with in Nyc. I want my daughter to grow up in a school system like such. With prices on the rise, I don’t know when it’s a good time to buy or which area is best to buy. Sometimes I feel like Realtor.com is limited with their inventory.

  5. Bishop Reicher is an additional amazing PK3-12 school in Waco proper (sadly left out of this article!). So glad we moved to Waco and found this amazing school for our children – highly recommend if you are looking for an affordable, classical education offering for your child.

    https://bishopreicher.com

    • We love Bishop Reicher! Thank you for the mention. We wish we could have touched on every school for this particular publication, but definitely strive to with our School Guide that will be coming out next month. Please encourage Reicher to look into being a part of it!

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