Retiring in Tejas

[scottmandue]

No I'm not... but I do have family there (cousins) and I enjoyed Fort Worth when I worked there for two weeks.

But lets pretend.

The big deal breaker for me would be weather, my impression is extremes... very, very hot summers and very cold winters. It is a big place, is there anyplace that can be considered "mild"?

Also would like someplace with low crime, friendly people, and good food. Never been to Austin but it sounds cool, Visited aunt in San Antonio as a kid, it was nice but don't remember much.

This is all brought on by a report I heard on the radio that rated Tejas as #1 place to retire.

Thanks in advance.

[Rikao4]

that 'mild area'...
your living with the A/C blasting..

Rika

[bivenator]

Nice people, good food, no state income tax but you criteria for "mild weather" is pretty tough bill to fill. Austin is often the go to place when people recommend to transplants but the heat there and the growing pains of the city could be a deal breaker.

Its hot in Texas and humid on the coast.

Mid size city that I would consider would be Corpus Christie, small artist community would be Alpine, other than that the usual Austin/San Marcos area is nice.

[Steve Viegas]

Austin is pretty nice and the weather is more reasonable.

[stomachmonkey]

On the weather the basic rule is the farther south the more humid and nasty in the summer.

I'm from back east so I find the winters quite pleasent and mild.

Summer is brutal.

For food best get used to Tex Mex. They put frikkin pico on everything, they even eat burritos for breakfast.

The BBQ is awesome, unhealthy but hey, gotta die of something.

Drivers suck big time.

Sunday's are near impossible to get anything done before noon, nothing's open.

[sammyg2]

I heard the weather in Houston is "mild"

[futuresoptions]

Corpus Christi

[red-beard]

When I lived in Upstate New York, the summer temps would be in the low 90's in August and you would definitely get quite a bit of below zero weather in February. Temp swing about 100F with extremes of 120-130 over a year.

In Houston, I don't think it went below freezing last year. It never goes below 20. Normally the maximum temp is 98. So a regular yearly swing is around 70F, with Extreme swing being about 85F.

Late May through middle September is oppressive with the humidity. But really no worse than living through a Winter in upstate NY.

My pool is 81 F already. It has been above 70 for 4-5 weeks! It will be "open" until November.

Austin, the "swing" will be a little more, higher in the summer, a little lower in the winter, but the humidity is not there. Cost of living is higher. But there are lakes, and hills and it is a very nice area. Very good tech sectors. Manufacturing is in Houston.

[RWebb]

Balmorhea

[masraum]

The closer you get to water, the more mild you temps will be compared to farther inland.

Houston is ok, but I'd prefer to live in Austin despite the higher cost of living.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by masraum

The closer you get to water, the more mild you temps will be compared to farther inland.

Houston is ok, but I'd prefer to live in Austin despite the higher cost of living.

True & True

But, at this point in my life, from a business perspective, I'd rather be in Houston. We're about to start manufacturing a product. Houston is the place to be.

[Joeaksa]

Have lived in Texas several times in my life and enjoyed most of them.

Padre, Corpus were nice but humid and you do get the occasional hurricane there. Lived in Dallas area but will not do that again... but would look just a few miles West to Ft. Worth area and move there in a heartbeat. Also spent some time in El Paso and truthfully liked it there...

If I were to do it again, Ft. Worth or Houston for a large city, San Antonio or Austin for the "hill country" would prolly do it.

[Deschodt]

Just one comment... Property tax is BRUTAL in some areas of Texas... On a fixed income, that would be my #1 criteria.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Deschodt

Just one comment... Property tax is BRUTAL in some areas of Texas... On a fixed income, that would be my #1 criteria.

You can define your tax by the size and price of your property. If you live in the country, you need to have a "farm" or "ranch". My yearly property taxes here are definitely less than my property plus income tax in California. And the property tax has been fairly stable for the past several years.

[Deschodt]

Originally Posted by red-beard

You can define your tax by the size and price of your property. If you live in the county, you need to have a "farm" or "ranch". My yearly property taxes here are definitely less than my property plus income tax in California. And the property tax has been fairly stable for the past several years.

Oh absolutely... Just saying, it's a big factor and sometimes people forget about it.

Since you brought up California, and just to further the discussion of costs, I'm finding out my property tax + hurricane insurance + bug man + higher A/C bills make my cost of living higher in FL than it was in California (lower prop tax but state income tax), same sq footage... Lot of variables to include when figuring out where to retire.... ;-)

[rick-l]

Originally Posted by Deschodt

Just one comment... Property tax is BRUTAL in some areas of Texas... On a fixed income, that would be my #1 criteria.

no state income tax ????

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Deschodt

Oh absolutely... Just saying, it's a big factor and sometimes people forget about it.

Since you brought up California, and just to further the discussion of costs, I'm finding out my property tax + hurricane insurance + bug man + higher A/C bills make my cost of living higher in FL than it was in California (lower prop tax but state income tax), same sq footage... Lot of variables to include when figuring out where to retire.... ;-)

I can get a shirt laundered at the dry cleaners for $0.99 here. 10 years ago the same thing in San Diego was close to $5.

The closest equal to my situation back in San Diego would have been living in Encinitas (20 miles out from downtown and really nice suburb). To have a house and yard similar in size there, would have been about $2M (3400 sq ft house, 10K yard, 27000 gallon pool). The property taxes would have been twice what I'm paying here.

[Deschodt]

Yup, no doubt.... It really depends on many factors...

When you bought your house, its original value, is there a cap to the prop tax hike, what your income is (sometimes with a lower retirement income, paying a state income tax is not as bad as the property tax can be in states where there is no income tax), the cost of maintaining that house (FL humidity and bugs are a pain in the ass maintenance wise, for example), utilities, insurance costs, state tax, etc.... many individual and personal factors to consider !

[vash]

my brother gets reamed by property taxes. brutal! i think he pays more than i do.

other than that..i like texas. i would dig living in Austin.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by red-beard

I can get a shirt laundered at the dry cleaners for $0.99 here. 10 years ago the same thing in San Diego was close to $5.

The closest equal to my situation back in San Diego would have been living in Encinitas (20 miles out from downtown and really nice suburb). To have a house and yard similar in size there, would have been about $2M (3400 sq ft house, 10K yard, 27000 gallon pool). The property taxes would have been twice what I'm paying here.

I get my shirts laundered for $2.00/ea light starch.

3400 sq/ft + 10K yard + pool for $2M? You must be talking a couple blocks from the beach or killer ocean views. You can stay within 2 miles of the beach and drop that to $700K for a beautiful custom home with same amenities.