Planning to move to Texas

Enthuzed1 · 04-10-2007, 02:19 PM

Hey everybody, I was wondering if any of you from Texas could give me some of your wisdom about the Austin/Houston area of Texas.

I plan on staying there about 5-8 years and I know that flooding is the number one natural disaster in Texas. I was wondering which areas have the lowest chance of flooding. It is too damn expensive here in California but I love it here. But for what I'm paying to rent over here, I figured I can get a house there, save some money, and maybe move back here. I figure i'm still young, so why not? I will consider other areas of Texas if there's good reason. Thanks.

M.D. Holloway · 07:25 AM

Austin is very nice. Coming from the left coast you will like all that town offers in the way of things to do. Not many sections of Houston I would live in except for The Woodlands. Come to North Texas (Dallas / Fort Worth) and you won't have to worry about anything!

Joeaksa · 04-10-2007, 02:31 PM

If I had the choice, would consider the Hill Country, around Austin and San Antonio over Houston. Houston is nice but humid as hell in summer, and the hill country is a lot nicer.

I have lived in Dallas and Padre Island and would move to Austin in a heartbeat given the chance.

jjwood · jjwood's Garage

Live in Woodlands / Lake Conroe. Luv the Woodlands! But I'm a (univ of) Texas EX which means I spent the best years of my life in Austin. Austin (despite the population growth) still has gotta be one of the best places to live in America (and beyond)! Lots to do, awesome roads west & south of town, climate good...and just a "good" attitude.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Well, it all depends on why you're coming here. If you want to work, Houston is the place. Houston has the big industry in Texas. Texas is reasonably priced place to live and it offers everything you'd want.

Flooding: The good news is that after Allison, the 100-500-1000-yr flood maps were re-drawn.

What business are you in?

stomachmonkey · 04-10-2007, 04:47 PM

Austin rocks. I'd move there in a second. The whole breakfast burrito thing is a bit weird though.

Groesbeck Hurricane · 04-10-2007, 04:59 PM

What type of lifestyle are you looking for?

What type of weather do you crave?

You do realize the cities are MANY hours seperated from each other?

What industry are you in?

Flooding is not so much an issue as many make of it if you pay attention to the part of Houston you live in. You will have flooding most anywhere at one point in time or another. Even Dallas/Fort Worth.

austin552 · austin552's Garage

Austin 1, Plano 2, Houston no thanks.

Enthuzed1 · 04-10-2007, 06:05 PM

hey guys, thanks for the quick replies.

As for my profession, I'm in the culinary/restaurant industry, and my fiance is in architectural design. Yah, i've heard good things about a lot of places in texas, and wanted to see what's out there. Good to know I won't be bored when I'm there. I'll probably fly out there in the next couple months to go look around the area. Or maybe I should stretch out my cars legs? Either way, somebody's gonna buy me a beer right?

stomachmonkey · 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Enthuzed1
hey guys, thanks for the quick replies.

As for my profession, I'm in the culinary/restaurant industry, and my fiance is in architectural design. Yah, i've heard good things about a lot of places in texas, and wanted to see what's out there. Good to know I won't be bored when I'm there. I'll probably fly out there in the next couple months to go look around the area. Or maybe I should stretch out my cars legs? Either way, somebody's gonna buy me a beer right?

If you get to Austin go to the Congress Avenue bridge and check out the Bats.

Way friggin cool.

Did you know that Austin gets like 300 days of sunshine a year?

Culinary huh? Breakfast burritos. You get used to them.

There is some serious good eatin in Austin.

rhjames · rhjames's Garage

Austin/hill country is great. low humidity in the summer, temps not too bad. Ice in the winter. High tech in the Round Rock/Austin area.

Houston is 3 hours away (190 or so miles, depending how you go).

The only areas in Houston to reside in are:

Kingwood (where I live---north east of Houston proper---very similar to the Woodlands)

the Woodlands (north of Houston proper--rated in the top ten places to live in the USA)

Sugarland (southwest of Houston proper/expensive---10 Porsche Carrera GT's in the Houston metro area, all are in Sugarland)

Houston weather: winter is great---can't beat it, summer is humidity central---A/C is a must for the humidity challenged---tell your gal it just takes plenty of hair spray to live here....

Houston is a great place to do business, regardless of what you're into.

anything south and east of Kingwood is subject to Hurricane/flooding and chemical fallout from the petro/chemical industry.

we moved from California 20 years ago and haven't looked back.

the lower cost of living (from housing to groceries to taxes) will put another Porsche in your garage in short order.....(my $120K house would be $500K anywhere in California)

Come on over, it's like a whole other country.

Just be sure to close the door behind you when you leave the land of the fruits and nuts!

regards---rhjames

masraum · 04-10-2007, 07:43 PM

Austin is much more expensive than Houston which is pretty cheap. There are a few decent places in the Houston suburbs to live. Hopefully you can get work close to where you live or you could end up with a 1 hour commute. You can get anything you want in Houston, it's a huge city.

Austin has a lot more personality than Houston and is full of laid back weird California types. Austin has a big high tech IT scene. Austin gets hotter and colder than Houston since it's farther from the water. Austin is much prettier than Houston which is pretty much flat as far as the eye can see (if it weren't for all of the billboards and crap).

Houston is probably more likely to flood, but all you have to do is check the maps to see where it floods and don't move there.

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

The Woodlands floods, or a lot does anyway.

Lake Conroe, not too close to the water and your home will NEVER get water in it(unless the roof blows off) You are above the dam, or I was. I could see the dam out one window, and the 1097 bridge about 15 miles up the lake.

I was there for 1994 and 2001 when they had 100 year floods within 10 years of each other. The first one apparently caught fire and was on CNN for a few days. It also took out my buddy's house, his crushed Ford Escort was on CNN a few times that I saw

mark46 · 04-10-2007, 09:14 PM

Try San Angelo, or Abilene. never rains, 4000 sq ft house on 10 ac 70 to 100 k

David · David's Garage

Austin's the place to be, I'd move there in a heartbeat if I could convince my wife. If you have cedar alergies it can be a little rough.

It is the most expensive city in Texas so if you want to live near downtown or the university, expect to spend over $250K for a 1000 sqft house. Rent may not be so bad. If you're willing to live out of town, it's much more reasonable.

Tishabet · 04-11-2007, 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 125shifter

It is the most expensive city in Texas so if you want to live near downtown or the university, expect to spend over $250K for a 1000 sqft house.

$250k? For a HOUSE!?!?

masraum · 04-11-2007, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 125shifter
Austin's the place to be, ...... If you're willing to live out of town, it's much more reasonable.

I've got several friends who've moved from Houston to Austin because of the High Tech market in Austin. I've also heard that the prices are reasonable if you aren't trying to live in town. Of course, after Cali, almost anything will probably seem reasonable to you.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Yep, and that'd be uh spensive one, I reckon.

Median house price in Houston is closer to $150K. You can find some bargins for $150K, in the outer areas. But then your commute will suck. For those that live in San Diego, think living in Temecula and commuting in on I-15.

If you are a chef, and you want to work for a good resturant, you really have 3 choices: Houston, Dallas or Austin. I do expect, based on population and the sheer number of 6 figure salaries, that Houston has the largest number of fine resturants, next Dallas then Austin.

74-911 · 04-11-2007, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mark46
Try San Angelo, or Abilene. never rains, 4000 sq ft house on 10 ac 70 to 100 k

True, but that's also the bad news: it seldom rains. However you are in tornado alley and the land of occasional monster thunderstorms complete with large hail.

No one has mentioned one of the best places in TX: San Antonio

David · David's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Tshabet
$250k? For a HOUSE!?!?

A very small house. Probably built in the 50's, a two bedroom one bath. It's funny driving through the old neighborhoods and seeing new million dollar 4000 sqft houses next to old 1000 sqft houses. It's a little piece of California in Texas.