Anyone here live or lived in Texas?

[Dlpfcb]

Originally Posted by Mosaud1998

You weren't wrong lol. That's weird

Haha nice find, Boise Idaho!

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by Dlpfcb

Haha nice find, Boise Idaho!

GOT EM

How's Idaho?

[Dlpfcb]

Originally Posted by Mosaud1998

Why's that?

Getting a massive amount of people from the west coast coming in and builders slowed down on new builds. We went from a median price per foot of around $130-$140 like 5 years ago to well over $200 a foot now. Just last year there was 1650 houses for sale, now we have only 300. With being rated as the fastest growing state this year and projected to be top 10 again next year, this is bad combo. They just can’t build fast enough so housing is climbing at a crazy rate for BOISE, ID! I do really recommend it here if you like a city that is big enough to be comfortable without all the big city craziness of traffic etc.

[svt1998gt]

i just moved back to the Dallas area from Orange county, CA but my situation is much different than yours. I have kids starting their school years and a 17 month old, so we looked for a good school district, quiet area to raise a family. plus all of our family lives in the area so free babysitting is a blessing.

I am in a better home at a 1/3 of the mortgage, but my property taxes are the same as property tax rate here are double what i paid in OC and my home is 500k cheaper. Timing was great as i got 2.5 fixed for 30 years on the home i am in property insurance is higher but my HOA is much cheaper as well.

Gas is about half the price, tolls are cheap, overall it depends on what your goals are. The prices have gone up alot as inventory has slowed down but the increase of people moving to TX hasnt slowed down.

the job market is strong in the dallas fort worth area, with a variety of industries here as well.

[MKSixer]

I lived in Las Colinas for several years and Arlington for a couple more. Played golf at the 4 Seasons 3 days per week when I wasn't traveling and 10 minutes from the airport were the chief draws for me. Loved it.

Daughter was born there and even though she lived there for a total of 6 weeks as a new born, she considers herself a Texan!!

I love Texas. In order, I'd live in DFW, Austin and Houston.

[Machinebuilder]

People move for lots of reasons but going to an area because its cheap is not the most important. Think family, friends, lovers, recreation, job prospects, weather, culture, politics, first. Think of your quality of life and happiness first. Moving far is not easy to do even when young.

[erickonphoenix]

I forgot where I read this but I thought this review of Texas kind of nailed the experience.

"Texas is a state of compromises. It doesn't really do the best of anything but it is very good at a lot of things. You will never find the majestic views of the Grand Canyon, but the Guadalupe Mountains aren’t bad. You won’t find anything like Palm Springs, but Marfa is pretty cool. You can't find the majesty of Big Sur but Big Ben national park has some nice scenery. You will not find the bustling metropolis like New York or Chicago, but if there’s a big event, Dallas and Houston can have a moment or two. There are no beaches like Cancun or the Bahamas but South Padre can look almost as good on the right day. There are no driving roads like the Malibu Canyons but the Twisted Sisters in the Texas Hill country isn’t half bad. Of course when all else fails, Texas has four major airports with direct flights anywhere you want to go in the world. So, you can use all that cash you’re not spending on inflated real estate and state income taxes then book a two week trip to Santorini.”

[EricVR4]

Another note about Houston since someone else brought it up and I forgot to mention it last night.....if you do end up buying or renting here, definitely ask if the area has flooded before. Due the insane growth here in the last couple decades, and our temperate climate (avg rainfall over 100 inches per year), it floods in certain areas pretty easily. Lots of concrete and nowhere for the water to absorb into.

It all depends on the area though and how it's built. The house I grew up in and where my parents have lived for the last 30 years has never flooded once and we've been through multiple hurricanes/tropical storms/etc.

The hurricane stuff is a little overblown too. We're not Louisiana or Florida who seem to get targeted by them a lot more. We do get them, but it's not like it happens every month or even every year. I can remember 2 of them hitting us directly since 2008 (Ike and Harvey). We get bits and pieces of some that hit other parts of Texas, Louisiana, or Mexico but a direct hit isn't all that common.

[E92inNC]

Originally Posted by EricVR4

Another note about Houston since someone else brought it up and I forgot to mention it last night.....if you do end up buying or renting here, definitely ask if the area has flooded before. Due the insane growth here in the last couple decades, and our temperate climate (avg rainfall over 100 inches per year), it floods in certain areas pretty easily. Lots of concrete and nowhere for the water to absorb into.

It all depends on the area though and how it's built. The house I grew up in and where my parents have lived for the last 30 years has never flooded once and we've been through multiple hurricanes/tropical storms/etc.

The hurricane stuff is a little overblown too. We're not Louisiana or Florida who seem to get targeted by them a lot more. We do get them, but it's not like it happens every month or even every year. I can remember 2 of them hitting us directly since 2008 (Ike and Harvey). We get bits and pieces of some that hit other parts of Texas, Louisiana, or Mexico but a direct hit isn't all that common.

I’m looking to move eastward myself in the next few years and the natural disasters -tornadoes/hurricanes- is a big part of the reason why my preferred destination is Texas.

[gjm120]

Been in Houston about forever...

I don't think there is a major urban area in the US that is less expensive to live in than Houston. Property taxes aren't low, but, not outrageous and no state income tax. Housing costs rise greatly with proximity to downtown or the Galleria area. What you pay depends on what commute you are willing to suffer. Schools in the outskirts tend to be better than close in - especially the case for middle and high school.

From what you've written, appears suburban living is not for you. Look hard at Midtown.

Yes - it's not pretty. I grew up in one of the prettiest cities in the US and still spend a good bit of time there. So I'm really aware of how unattractive Houston can be. But it isn't that bad.

Traffic is a nightmare - what big city is it not. Hot climate but honestly not nearly as humid as say New Orleans. Humidity depends somewhat on where you are in Houston. I'm NW and consider it fairly dry.

Very culturally diverse with the eateries and food shopping to go along with that trait. Everybody in Houston seems to get along better than other big cities. I think that is somewhat because Houston (and TX in general) has had a good job market.

Mostly echoing what EricVR4 said except he doesn't know what real humidity is.

[EricVR4]

Originally Posted by gjm120

Been in Houston about forever...

I don't think there is a major urban area in the US that is less expensive to live in than Houston. Property taxes aren't low, but, not outrageous and no state income tax. Housing costs rise greatly with proximity to downtown or the Galleria area. What you pay depends on what commute you are willing to suffer. Schools in the outskirts tend to be better than close in - especially the case for middle and high school.

From what you've written, appears suburban living is not for you. Look hard at Midtown.

Yes - it's not pretty. I grew up in one of the prettiest cities in the US and still spend a good bit of time there. So I'm really aware of how unattractive Houston can be. But it isn't that bad.

Traffic is a nightmare - what big city is it not. Hot climate but honestly not nearly as humid as say New Orleans. Humidity depends somewhat on where you are in Houston. I'm NW and consider it fairly dry.

Very culturally diverse with the eateries and food shopping to go along with that trait. Everybody in Houston seems to get along better than other big cities. I think that is somewhat because Houston (and TX in general) has had a good job market.

Mostly echoing what EricVR4 said except he doesn't know what real humidity is.

That's fair

Houston is humid but not on New Orleans level because it's at least above sea level. The rest of the Gulf Coast has pretty unbearable humidity too. I grew up on the NW side in Spring but currently live in the Rice Military/Westcott area and it's definitely more humid down here. Pretty crazy how 30 miles can make that much of a difference.

I can also echo that Houston seems to get along better than other bit cities. It's something about the culture here. We're the 4th largest city in the US and have some of the most important and critical industries globally, but for whatever reason we don't tend to get the respect we sometimes deserve. Like we're an underdog or something. Especially when it comes to sports. The national media doesn't seem to like anything to do with Houston in that regard. Because of all of that, a lot of people here have a chip on their shoulder and an "H-Town vs. Everybody" type of mentality. Whether you were born here or just live here, you're part of that too, so everyone kinds of bands together. I love it

All that being said though, despite how much I love Houston and Texas in general....I'm a mountain and cold weather fan. I disappear into the mountains (Colorado, Utah, Alaska, Patagonia, Iceland, where ever) as often as I can and will leave Houston at some point. But for now, I'm taking advantage of the economy here and lower cost of living and making full use of it.

[P1]

Originally Posted by erickonphoenix

Please don't move to Austin.

No mention of the insane homeless problem Austin is facing right now?

[gjm120]

Originally Posted by EricVR4

That's fair

Houston is humid but not on New Orleans level because it's at least above sea level. The rest of the Gulf Coast has pretty unbearable humidity too

Ever spent anytime in Charleston, SC? Makes Houston feel arid.

[EricVR4]

Originally Posted by gjm120

Ever spent anytime in Charleston, SC? Makes Houston feel arid.

Never been to SC, no but I have an uncle that lives there and he said the same thing. I lived in Charlotte, NC for a year when I was really young but don't remember much about it.

[PKL]

Originally Posted by dinonz

A house like that in Austin would be easily $750K plus. El Paso is well... research it. I have a 3600 sq ft Taylor Morrison home that's 4 bedroom 3 1/2 bathroom, assessed at $632K and my property taxes were $17K.

Holy fucking shit.

My house is assessed value of $1.325M and my property taxes are $16k for the year in LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

Wow Texas really does have insane property taxes

[Merami fan]

Originally Posted by PKL

Holy fucking shit.

My house is assessed value of $1.325M and my property taxes are $16k for the year in LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

Wow Texas really does have insane property taxes

But no state-levied income tax. $100k income in 2019:
California: taxed $28,943 (9.3% marginal).
Texas: $22,897 (0%).
New York: $28,355 (6.49% marginal).

My parents' property on Long Island: 1,8XX SQFT, assessed $9XX,XXX, total property taxes $17,XXX.
Another house in the neighborhood: 4,0XX SQFT, assessed $1,5XX,XXX, total property taxes $38,XXX.

From what I've seen around my area in Austin, the taxes would be significantly lower up to around the same as where I was in NY, but without the 6.49% state income tax. Sales tax is also slightly lower here.

[Vivek.]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

I 'lived' in El Paso once upon a time. Actually, it was Ft. Bliss. US Army Basic Combat Training, during the summer months. Sucked, to say the least. I've hated Texas ever since.

Son bought a house in Houston many years later. That sucked, too. Hot, humid, Hurricanes, floods.

I visited Houston a few times and it still sucks. Lousy zoning, bad weather.

Texas sucks.

I went to school in San Antonio. Definitely not one of the better cities in Texas so maybe my perception is skewed but I've been to Houston, Austin, Corpus, etc.

Whatever you save in income tax, be prepared to spend on suspension repairs. The roads are abhorrent. Unacceptable doesn't even begin to describe it. There would be railroad tacks crossing streets and the track is 5 feet above street level, so the road angles up sharply to compensate. Cool if you have a lifted wrangler but beyond that, ridiculous. Other cities seem a bit better than SA in this regard, and I wouldn't really recommend San Antonio in general. Good food for cheap there, though.

And like others have mentioned, once you buy property any tax savings goes out the window.

OP if you think 85 is hot don't ever, ever, ever go to Texas in the summer. It's also humid all year round, so 40 degrees in Texas feels like 20 in Colorado or Chicago.

I remember once it was 95 outside and softball sized hail started falling from the sky. Thank god I had pulled into the parking garage seconds before it started but I was genuinely scared for my safety running to my dorm. It also floods significantly, pretty much every time it rains. Expect to drive thru 6" of standing water with some regularity.

Gas is 30% cheaper than CA but everything is 50% further away.

I think Texas a nice place to have as a home base if you like to travel a lot.

[bosstones]

Originally Posted by EricVR4

...the businesses you see strung together will make zero sense at times. You'll have a daycare, a church, and then a strip club....all sitting in a row off a freeway

You've clearly never been to Guam.

[Darth One]

That makes total sense to me. Drop the brats off, sin, and then confess your sins all without changing your parking space

[Higgs Boson]

Originally Posted by PKL

Holy fucking shit.

My house is assessed value of $1.325M and my property taxes are $16k for the year in LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

Wow Texas really does have insane property taxes

Property taxes depends on your county in TX. My property taxes are 16k and my house is 940.

Also, Texas is very big. People who have been to one place in Texas and didn't like it can't judge the whole state. There are many places in TX I don't really like but there are a lot more I do really like, and really, as long as I like where I live, who cares about what's 1-8 hours away? Not me.

[stevenc]

I live in Houston and moved here in 1999 when I immigrated. I travel 40 weeks a year to all states and would not live in any other state.

Texas heat and humidity is legendary and takes getting used to. Austin is overated.

No state taxes. Property taxes are okay. Housing is less expensive but not cheap anymore. Economy is fairly strong and consistent. Lots of driving/ commuting since the cities and state are so huge.

My house is $750k and property tax is $10,500

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by stevenc

I live in Houston and moved here in 1999 when I immigrated. I travel 40 weeks a year to all states and would not live in any other state.

Texas heat and humidity is legendary and takes getting used to. Austin is overated.

No state taxes. Property taxes are okay. Housing is less expensive but not cheap anymore. Economy is fairly strong and consistent. Lots of driving/ commuting since the cities and state are so huge.

My house is $750k and property tax is $10,500

Damn, $10,500 property tax for a $750k house isn't bad at all. My parents paid $425k for their house when it was getting built (New construction). Its market value is around $630k now per the builders (if someone builds our house model now base price it $525k. Back in 2015 it was $410k). The tax on our house was $14k lat year.