Anna Hong · REALTOR® · eXp Realty
A free local guide · Dallas–Fort Worth
A short, honest guide to narrowing down where to live — by your commute, your daily life and your budget — before you fall in love with a house. Written by a local agent, not a listings site.
Free · Instant download (PDF)
eXp RealtyThe problem
When you're moving here, “Dallas” usually means Dallas–Fort Worth: dozens of cities, several counties and many school districts. Two neighborhoods that look close on a map can be very different drives at 8 a.m.
From a distance, it's easy to start with the listings — fall for a kitchen, and work out the commute, the school district and the monthly cost later. But those are the parts you live with every day, and location is the one thing you can't renovate.
There's a calmer way to start: decide where your days will happen first, then look at houses. This guide walks you through it.
eXp RealtyThe guide
It won't tell you where to live, and it doesn't pretend DFW is right for everyone. It helps you decide where to look first — so the homes you tour are in places that actually fit your life.
About Anna
I'm a REALTOR® with eXp Realty in Dallas–Fort Worth, and before real estate I spent years on the lending side as a mortgage broker. That means I look at a move through two lenses at once: the home and the neighborhood, and the full monthly cost of owning it. For someone new to DFW, that combination helps you see the trade-offs clearly before you commit.
How I work with buyers
Why work with Anna
What I believe about buying
A calm buyer makes better decisions.
My first job is removing artificial urgency, incomplete information and fear of missing out.
A good purchase survives both the heart and the spreadsheet.
You should love the home, and the numbers should work — or we keep looking.
I'd rather lose you a house than have you overpay for it.
The same advice I'd give my own family.
What you get
We plan around a payment that fits your life, not the maximum on a letter. You always choose your own lender.
Including what staging hides, and permission to say no in the driveway.
And two numbers set in daylight: where we open and where we walk away.
Option, financing, appraisal and title — and the inspection read together, cosmetic versus consequential.
The difference it makes
Instead of guessing from a distance, you arrive knowing which areas fit your commute, what a home will really cost each month, and what you're trading off — with someone local in your corner.
Also selling a home in DFW?
Every listing I take gets its own launch strategy: preparation, a pre-launch campaign, professional photography and video, and weekly Friday updates.
The local market
The seven areas
The metro's most urban choices: Downtown and Uptown high-rises, established neighborhoods and DART rail.
FitsUrban living, high-rise or established neighborhood, and a DART commute.
An established city north of Dallas, with DART rail to Dallas and DFW Airport.
FitsAn established suburb with rail to Dallas and the airport.
Newer neighborhoods along the Dallas North Tollway, and a city still growing.
FitsNewer construction and a Tollway commute north of the city.
The Collin County seat, with a historic downtown and a mix of established and newer neighborhoods.
FitsA historic downtown with room to choose between older and newer streets.
North of Frisco, mostly newer homes in a town still taking shape.
FitsNew-build homes and a town still taking shape.
An established city right beside the north side of DFW Airport.
FitsAn established city minutes from DFW Airport.
Northeast Tarrant County, west of DFW Airport, centered on Southlake Town Square.
FitsTown-square living on the Tarrant side, west of the airport.
In DFW, city limits, county lines and school district boundaries often don't match — a home can have one city's address and sit in another city's school district. Knowing those lines, the drive at rush hour and the full monthly cost for a specific address is the part a search engine can't do for you.
Proof
Real estate clients
Working with Anna was an absolute pleasure!! They made the entire process smooth and stress-free, always responsive and professional. I felt confident every step of the way, and her expertise helped me find the perfect home. Highly recommend!
Heldana S., buyer · Google review
As an absentee property owner, I needed the additional support to sell these homes from thousands of miles away. When my contractor left my houses unfinished and in need of repair, Anna stepped in and coordinated the required repairs and improvements. I don't know how these houses would have closed without Anna and her professionalism.
David J., seller of two Dallas homes · Google review
From my years as a mortgage broker · mortgage-client reviews
Anna's clear concise communication about the loan process helped reduce anxiety and also kept me informed about the process and each step.
Anuradha S., Richardson TX · mortgage client
She has given step by step so that I don't get surprises. She is always there to respond to my questions.
Phuong L., Denton TX · mortgage client
Whether you're buying from across the country or across town, what clients describe is the same: clear steps, quick answers and no surprises.
Closings, clients and around DFW
Follow along
I share what I'm seeing in the DFW market on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn — calm, practical and local.
Your free guide
Get Moving to Dallas: How to Find Your Place in DFW — free, as an instant download.
No. It's a useful guide. If you'd like help afterward, just reply — and if not, that's completely fine.
No. You'll download the guide right away, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Yes. It's written for exactly that stage, when you're still deciding where to look.
Free · Instant download
Free · Instant download
Narrow down where to live before you fall in love with a house.
