The BEST Areas of El Paso Texas in 2024 | The FAR EAST

The Best Areas of El Paso in 2024: The Far East

Welcome to living in El Paso, Texas. We provide you with as much value as possible about El Paso neighborhoods. If you're considering moving to El Paso, understanding the different areas of town is essential. We update these videos annually. In this episode, we're covering the Far East, an area that's always been popular but is experiencing significant growth.

Overview of the Far East

The Far East is called that because it's east of Loop 375, which circles the entire city. Located in the Northeast quadrant of El Paso east of 375 and south of Montana, this location is important for understanding traffic and transportation.

While Central El Paso is where the city originally developed, followed by the Northeast and West sides, then the East Side near the airport, the Far East and Horizon City are newer suburban areas that developed as the city expanded. The Far East's zip code is 79938, making it easy to search for homes on Zillow or similar sites.

The oldest homes in the Far East date from the early 2000s, though some are slightly older. The vast majority were built from 2005 to 2010, with significant new construction being the norm. It's one of El Paso's newer areas. While Central El Paso has homes from the 1950s, the Far East is dominated by newer construction, predominantly from 2010 onward.

Community Amenities

One thing people appreciate about the Far East is that everything is right there. You don't live here and then drive to the West Side for groceries or to Central for schools. The area has fantastic public schools that are beautiful, well-maintained, and full of kids. Several newer schools have recently opened, including a tuition-free charter school that's become quite popular.

A few years ago, a major new Albertson's opened. When I first started documenting this channel, I'd drive around filming empty strip malls that were under construction. Those strip malls are now completely full with hair salons, nail shops, restaurants, and everything else you could want.

The Far East has several large, nice gyms, including the Beast Recreation Center, which is awesome. The Oasis water park is located here as well. Parks, dog parks, and recreational facilities are abundant. Essentially, everything you could want is available in the Far East.

The main drawback people mention is traffic, particularly during rush hours in the morning and afternoon. This is partly because the Far East is an extremely popular area offering newer homes at lower prices compared to the West Side, excellent amenities, and strong appeal to military families seeking new construction. Montana Street is being expanded to help with congestion and will eventually run parallel to Interstate 10, helping you reach the airport more quickly.

While longtime El Paso residents used to having different traffic patterns notice the changes and complain, people relocating from places like California often comment that the Far East traffic is nothing compared to what they're accustomed to. It's a matter of perspective.

Military Appeal

The Far East is probably the most popular location for military families. To get to Fort Bliss, you simply jump on Loop 375 and head west-you can be on base in 10 to 15 minutes. This makes the Far East ideal for military relocation.

Home Prices and Market Stats

In the Far East, home prices range from $160,000 to $170,000 per square foot at the lower end, up to homes priced at $800,000 (though these are rare). Most realistically, you'll find homes up to around $650,000 for really nice custom homes. We visited one parade of homes showcase home that sold to a builder buyer in that range.

For resale homes, people typically find options in the $200,000 to $250,000 range. New construction starts around $250,000 to $350,000, which is the sweet spot for most home buyers. Some builders offer lower prices for smaller homes around 1,100 square feet, but realistically expect $250,000 to $350,000 for new construction.

Back in 2020 when I first filmed the Far East, homes were typically $200,000 to $275,000. Now, four years later, they've appreciated considerably, with $250,000 to $300,000 being standard. You might find homes under $200,000, but these usually sell quickly-often to investors-or there are usually 50+ offers on the property. Homes at these price points often have issues the seller is unwilling to fix, which is why they're priced lower.

Resale homes average $200,000 and up, with $250,000 being more typical for most resale homes.

New Construction Builders

The Far East has numerous builders. Some builders are similar regarding finishes, while others are higher-end with superior insulation and finishes, and there's always custom home builders available.

Popular builders in the Far East include Saratoga, Edwards, Canon Point Homes, Beazer, LA Homes, and Classic American. Big builders are well-represented. The vast majority start at $250,000 to $350,000, with many homes in the $260,000 to $320,000 range depending on the builder.

Saratoga offers slightly lower starting prices, but entry-level homes can be competitive to obtain and sometimes feel a bit chaotic. That said, Saratoga's popularity is a reason why the Far East is so popular-everyone wants to move there.

Most builders are present in the Far East except for the really expensive custom homes. You can find lots of options for new builds, making it an excellent location whether you're an investor looking to buy homes for long-term rental (many investors focus on the $250,000 range), or any other buyer type. Builders regularly offer incentives, with lots of good movement in the market.

Why It's So Popular

The Far East is arguably the most popular location in El Paso. It's growing, expanding, and continuing to develop. There are still areas that need infrastructure development-we joked about an area called Homesteads Meadows South where homes existed years ago but lacked utilities like water, sewer, or gas. That area is now completely developed and blowing up with new construction.

The Far East is home to newer schools, excellent amenities, newer homes at reasonable prices compared to the West Side, and strong military family appeal. It's a premier location for relocation.

Infrastructure and Future Development

Montana Street expansion is underway, which will significantly help with traffic and provide a parallel route to Interstate 10 for quicker airport access. Continued infrastructure development is supporting the rapid growth in the area.

Getting Started

If you're interested in purchasing or selling a home in the Far East, reach out to us. Whether you're an investor looking to buy homes to rent long-term, someone seeking new construction with competitive pricing, or any other buyer, the Far East offers excellent options. We appreciate everyone watching the channel and providing value about El Paso is what we're committed to.