KnowYard Community

For COBRA — check healthcare.gov first. Losing your job qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period. ACA plans might be significantly cheaper than COBRA depending on your income.

My Mexican friends refuse to eat at most Tex-Mex places. But they also admit that queso (which doesn't exist in Mexico) is addictive. Cultural exchange works both ways.

The electricity thing. I had no idea you have to CHOOSE your electric provider. Signed up for a variable rate plan my first month and got a $380 bill in August.

Location within Dallas-Fort Worth changes everything. North vs south is two different markets.

Year 8 here. You don't stop hating it. You just hate it quietly and then enjoy October through April knowing you earned it.

I used one of those companies that does it for you — they take 25-30% of savings. Got my value knocked down $40K. Worth it because I hate doing paperwork.

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.

Former Rowlett planning commissioner here. The TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district the city set up for Sapphire Bay is structured so that if the developer doesn't perform, the city's exposure is limited. It's not a blank check. The risk is mostly on the developer side.

as someone who moved from Ohio (wrestling state) to DFW, the growth here is impressive. its not Iowa yet but the trajectory is clear. these kids are talented and hungry

Adding this to the list. My wallet is not going to be happy.

got my blue belt in january after 2 years of consistent training at Alliance Dallas. my coach said i was the most improved student of 2025. coming from a guy who was told he had "no natural talent for grappling" by a drop-in instructor, that hit different

San Antonio sports fans don't play around. We take this seriously.

Smart thermostat was a game changer for me. Bumps up to 80 when nobody is home, drops back to 76 an hour before we get back. Saved about $40/month in summer.

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.

This happened to my coworker last week. Parked in the DART lot at 7 AM, came back at 6 PM and the passenger window was smashed. They took a gym bag with dirty clothes and a phone charger. Not even valuable stuff.

Good. People FLY through the Dalrock school zone. My kids go to Coyle and I watch cars blow past the crosswalk every single morning. A few tickets will change behavior.

File for unemployment the same day. Texas unemployment isn't much ($563/week max) but it buys time. Don't wait. The processing takes 2-3 weeks.

If the job posting has been up for 6+ months, either the role doesn't exist (ghost listing to collect resumes) or nobody wants it because the work environment is toxic.

Car insurance in Texas is insane and nobody talks about it. Mine went from $140 to $210/month for the same coverage. Zero accidents. Zero tickets.

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.

Rockwall Harbor is the move for a Friday night out from Rowlett. 12 minutes, park once, walk between bars. Bin 303 on a warm night with live jazz is perfect.

I will say this: Texas drivers are aggressive but they commit. It's the hesitant drivers from other states merging at 40mph who cause the real accidents.

the breathing thing is SO real. my first 6 months i would hold my breath every time someone passed my guard and then wonder why i was dying after one round. learn to breathe under pressure and your cardio doubles overnight

If you have little kids, the bounce house area is great but bring cash. Some vendors do not take cards. Also the face painting line gets insane so hit it first before the kids see the other stuff.

How genuinely friendly people are. I was suspicious at first. Turns out people just wave and hold doors open here. It's not weird, it's normal.

This is exactly why I keep a portable power station. Goal Zero Yeti 500 — keeps the fridge running for a few hours and charges all the phones. Worth every penny in Texas.