decisions, decisions, plz input thx (Austin, San Diego: apartment, for rent, credit)

[luvmykids08_10]

My husband and i are thinking of moving to texas nxt year but we cant decide what city.. we have two lil girls ages at the time of move will be 3 and 9 months, we are 23yrs old. i am a cna looking to become a lpn then rn, my husband is kinda just gonna go with the flow and get a job where ever because thats just the way he does things. We are looking for a good head start for my oldest and a good daycare for my youngest, we also would like to be in a city where we can find alot of things to do without having to always spend money. We will be able to spend $600-$650 for a two bedroom apt or home either is ok. we are also looking at things for the future like buying a house so can you tell me a lil about the house market there.. and how is the economy? Right now we're in Michigan so you already know how are economy is here. We just want a fresh start for us and our girls so if you can give me a few pointers and things like that about Texas in general and also any city you think we might be compatible with would be nice thank you so much.

[Tim_Barton]

I meet a couple of clients that relocated here to Austin from Michigan. They comment as you about a fresh start, but after being here in Austin area, all 3 of them commented that they were planning to go back home to Michigan.

I asked why and they said they praise how magical their State was, and the truth is, I only have one out of the three that already moved back and are much happier back home.

I never been the Michigan, but from what I gathered it does seem like a very pretty State!

[h886]

I wouldn't move without having a job lined up ahead of time for at least one person. I've had several neighbors have relatives move here with the hopes to "just find something" and they're still unemployed a year later. The university here pumps out thousands of graduates each year who already have connections and want to stay in the area. The economy is still very tight in this area and hasn't really improved much in many sectors. At least from my observation, people are hanging on to the jobs they have. $600 a month for a two bedroom apartment also seems low to me unless you don't mind what neighborhood you live in (you mentioned having kids, so I assume this is a concern.) You'll also need to factor in the cost of your electric bill, which can be considerable in the summer when it's so hot.

[hoffdano]

I'm not especially well informed in this area - but it SEEMS that medical care is exploding all over the Austin area. New medical facilities are being built, including a new hospital in the Lake Travis area. So I suspect job opportunities should be solid for people in the nursing field.

But I haven't looked specifically into the job market and I strongly suggest the OP do good research.

$600 per month for a 2 BR apt does NOT seem do-able to me in the better areas of Austin.

[mark311]

Originally Posted by luvmykids08_10

We are looking for a good head start for my oldest and a good daycare for my youngest, we also would like to be in a city where we can find alot of things to do without having to always spend money. We will be able to spend $600-$650 for a two bedroom apt or home either is ok. we are also looking at things for the future like buying a house so can you tell me a lil about the house market there.. and how is the economy?

I would really look into the daycare options in the Austin area before I made any decisions. I've heard that daycare is really cheap in Michigan? Infant daycare in the large accredited centers here in the Austin area runs about $1000 per month. We paid $1150 recently. You'd probably be looking at the ~$600ish range for your 3 year old. I personally would budget at least $1500 per month for your two children to be in full time daycare. $650 for rent might be a little low as others have stated for a 2 bedroom in an acceptable family area. The Austin area is a bargain for those of us who have relocated from more expensive cities like San Diego or San Francisco where we were paying around $1800 per month for a 2 bedroom apartment. It's not as much of a bargain if you're from a state with a lower cost of housing/living.

[JazzOne]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

$600 per month for a 2 BR apt does NOT seem do-able to me in the better areas of Austin.

I pay $1,050 for a two-bedroom in a nice but aging part of town, and my place is one of the cheaper deals in the neighborhood. I wouldn't be real comfortable anywhere with rent as low as you're looking.