Globetrotter James Bell puts down roots among oil tycoons in Dallas

Jun 29 2008 Laura Daviason

Globetrotter James Bell has lived all over the world but has put down roots in glamorous Dallas, Texas.

The Scot left his native Airdrie at 19 to work in the travel industry and has had stints living and working throughout Europe and the US.

He's now a vice-president with student travel specialists STA Travel and works from their head office in the Lone Star state.

He said: "I feel settled in Dallas.

It's a great place to live and the property here is so affordable.

"I lived in west Hollywood in LA for three years before here and the prices there were a joke. I rented a two-bed house and my monthly rent was way more than what my mortgage is now on my three-bed house in Dallas.

"If I was going to buy in LA, I could have just about afforded a studio apartment in a less desirable part of town. To buy the kind of property I was renting there, you'd be looking at putting down a deposit somewhere in the region of Û1million. It's mad.

"When I started house-hunting in Dallas, I couldn't believe the value for money."

James paid just over Û400,000 (£202,000) for his fab pad - a bargain compared to house prices in the UK. James and his partner Theo Kitchen, both 41, planned their move to coincide with James' work relocating to Dallas and started their property search months before.

Travelling to the city at weekends, they would meet an estate agent who hand-picked houses to meet their requirements.

James said: "The realtors in America are invaluable if you're househunting. It's not like estate agents in the UK who will send you a few schedules and leave you to get on with it.

"I spoke with my realtor regularly on the phone and would tell him exactly what I was looking for.

"He set up a website that was personalised to me with a number of properties for me to consider.

"I ticked various boxes about what I liked then he'd have new properties lined up for me to view when I went to Dallas. It was a huge help."

In LA, James' main problem was having to compromise on things he couldn't afford but in Dallas his toughest decision was choosing between three and four bedrooms.

He said: "It's like the UK - some places are more affordable than others. I'm glad I'm living in a place where I can afford a decent standard of living.

"I love the house and it's a nice place for my family to visit. My parents and sister still live in Airdrie and they come out to see me when they can."

James' house was built in the 50s and extended to its present L-shaped floorplan in the 90s.

It was fully refurbished when he picked up his keys in summer 2006 so all he and Theo had to do was concentrate on decor.

James said: "We just added furniture. We didn't have to do much work on the inside but we radically changed the outside."

The couple put in a pool to help them cope with the scorching Texan temperatures, which can top 100F in summer. It took months but James reckons it is a worthwhile addition.

He added: "I always wanted to live in the Hollywood Hills and I reckon this is about as close as I'm going to get.

"The area reminds me very much of that part of Hollywood.

I'm really happy."

FACTFILE

Confirm everything important in writing because verbal agreements are not enforceable under US law.

If buying off-plan, confirm that any initial booking deposit is paid into an escrow or third-party account held by an independent title company.

Since completion on your property purchase will require all outstanding balances to be paid, factor in enough time to allow for mortgage approval. This generally takes two to three weeks in the UK but US approval can be much quicker.

If you hope to generate income from your property by letting it out, check the home is in an area zoned for short-term rentals.