Your Expert Guide

Mira Vista: The Fort Worth golf enclave with manned security gate entry

There are so many great places to live in Dallas-Fort Worth that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

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Donna Kyle Veale knows luxury markets. Before joining Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty in early 2018 as an advisor in Fort Worth, she spent decades as a licensed real estate broker in Telluride, Colorado. There, she still owns a boutique real estate office.

She is a well-connected resource for her clients both in Texas and Colorado, with decades of experience in development, contract negotiation, and closings, as well as administration.

Following her marriage to a sixth-generation Texan in 2019, it was only a matter of time before Donna Kyle made the move to the Lone Star State.

When it came to choosing where to live in Fort Worth, she chose Mira Vista. Before deciding on the gated community, which features a manned guard station, over every other luxury neighborhood in the city, she hosted open houses, met neighbors, and socialized at the clubhouse

Now a five-year resident of Mira Vista, she sums it up with the tagline: "Live in a Beautiful Environment."

Donna Kyle offered up a few of her personal favorites about life in Mira Vista. Here's her guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
Start — and often finish — at the Mira Vista clubhouse, the social heart of the community. On Sundays, a Prime rib brunch draws members and their guests, while summer brings casual eats by the pool.

Beyond the gates, residents are spoiled for choice with the many restaurants along the Bricks, the dining options of University Village, and more casual fare in nearby City View. "My favorites in those areas are Rise, Paris 7 Restaurant Français, and Silver Fox Steakhouse," says Donna Kyle.

Where to play
The centerpiece of the Mira Vista lifestyle is its world-class golf course, a spectacular layout with exhilarating views that is considered one of the most outstanding championship golf courses in North Texas. The community's vibrant men's and women's golf associations keep the tee sheets full and the social calendar just as busy.

The gated neighborhood is wonderfully walkable, with outdoor spaces that wind past attractive custom homes and a greenbelt. The Club offers monthly family events that cater to diverse interests — part of what Donna Kyle describes as a club culture that brings real value to residents of every age. Multi-generational households are common here, from young families to longtime members.

If you like lake activities, Benbrook Lake is just to the west of Mira Vista. "When out-of-town guests request a Western experience, we take them for a trail ride at Benbrook Stables or to see the longhorn herd on the Northside," says Donna Kyle.

What to see
Mira Vista sits in southwest Fort Worth, with the Chisholm Trail Parkway delivering you to the heart of downtown in about 15 minutes.

The renowned Cultural District is home to architectural masterpieces, from the classical limestone facade and giant angel sculptures of Bass Performance Hall to the serene water features of the Water Gardens and the minimalist glass design of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

And the rugged western heritage of the historic Stockyards is alive and waiting — all this and much more in Fort Worth.

Where to live
The homes in Mira Vista are unique designs customized to fit the luxury lifestyle of the neighborhood, with a diverse array of custom architectural styles. Expect Mediterranean residences showcasing stucco exteriors and clay tile roofs, traditional homes emphasizing sophisticated luxury, contemporary streamlined designs that utilize native limestone and glass, and Texan rustic-luxury that integrates indoor-outdoor living with reclaimed timber and stone.

That variety of tasteful luxury on spacious homesites is what Donna Kyle calls the community's true hidden gem.

Both primary residences and second homes are represented, with owners occupying three- to nine-bedroom residences priced from $1.4 million.

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty

The homes in Mira Vista are unique designs customized to fit the luxury lifestyle.

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Donna Kyle Veale works and plays in Mira Vista. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email donna.kyle@sothebysrealty.com, or call 970-708-1535.

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living single

Fort Worth ranks among 10 most affordable U.S. metros for living solo

City of Fort Worth / Facebook

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Not everyone is cut out for living with roommates, but finding an affordable place to live alone can be tricky. Luckily, Dallas-Fort Worth sits among the top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for living by yourself, according to a new report.

Analysts at Apartments.com discovered North Texas renters spend the seventh lowest share of their monthly income on single-bedroom rent out of the 50 biggest metros in the U.S.

The study used a 30 percent "common budgeting guideline" to calculate the share of median renter household income spent on one-bedroom asking rents across the 50 largest U.S. metros, and determined renters can only afford to live alone in 24 of the 50 metros without crossing the 30 percent threshold.

The median annual income of a DFW renter household is $63,172, and the findings show the typical asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment comes out to $1,348 per month. The study determined single renters spend 25.6 percent of their monthly income on rent based on the budgeting suggestion.

Texas' favorable rental market also extends outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex: Austin surprised as the No. 1 most affordable metro for living alone, and San Antonio appeared among the top 10.

Austin renters spend the smallest share of their income on single-bedroom apartment rent, at 23.1 percent. That's based on a median renter household income of $70,008 and a $1,348 monthly one-bedroom asking rent price.

Dwindling rent prices and the prevalence of major tech employers are also attracting new renters, and the city has an 11.6 percent apartment vacancy rate.

"The average rent in Austin has decreased year over year, and construction of new housing increased by 30 percent over the past decade," the report's author wrote. "Tax incentives in Texas draw large tech corporations, like Google and Apple, to the Austin area, which has increased average wages, added more jobs to the local economy, and attracted renters in the process."

San Antonio ranked right above DFW in sixth place nationwide with solo renters spending 25.4 percent of their monthly income on single-bedroom rent, coincidentally the same share as single renters living in Raleigh, North Carolina and Salt Lake City, Utah.

This is the income and one-bedroom rent data in San Antonio:

$51,029 – median renter household income
$1,082 – one-bedroom monthly asking rent

A separate Apartments.com survey found 39 percent of U.S. adults would never feel comfortable living with a roommate, and 16 percent of renters would rather pay more in rent to live alone than consider living with a roommate.

"Factors contributing to lower rents may include recent high levels of construction, rising vacancy rates as renter demand catches up to supply, and fewer regulations, such as flexible zoning and lower development costs compared to other parts of the country," the report said. "Living alone has become a non-negotiable for many renters, and some renters are willing to make tradeoffs to afford this lifestyle."

The top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for living alone are:

No. 1 – Austin
No. 2 – Oklahoma City
No. 3 – Phoenix
No. 4 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 5 – Salt Lake City, Utah
No. 6 – San Antonio
No. 7 – Dallas-Fort Worth
No. 8 – Denver
No. 9 – Portland, Oregon
No. 10 – Columbus, Ohio

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