Interracial Couple Considering Austin (Houston, Dallas: sales, apartment complex, foreclosure)

[Hatless Wonder]

Hi! I'm Black, Hubby's White. We currently live in Boston, but we want to leave when I finish my degree, and we're considering Austin. I have some relatives down there, and it doesn't sound like a place where our lives would be in danger (unlike Vidor or Beaumont).

How is the housing market? How's the job market? Are the property or sales taxes that bad? How are the winters? How about traffic?

[houstonman]

Come on now. Dont be too harsh on Texas. I have heard some real horror stories about the racial elements in and around Boston. Austin is a great town, and for my money, is probably more socially progressive than Houston or Dallas put together.

[southaustingal]

You've probably seen the tax rates in other posts. Yes, they're that bad. So bad in fact that an article on Yahoo last week listing the top ten foreclosure cities listed Dallas and Fort Worth with the cause as escalating property taxes. They were the only two cities on the list with property taxes cited as a reason for foreclosure. Half of my total mortgage is taxes. On the upside, there's no state income tax, just sales tax of 8.25%.

About the job market, it depends on what field you're in. If you work in customer service, construction, the health profession, or electrical engineering, job hunting will be much easier for you than for others. If you're a professor, you might look elsewhere, unless you like teaching at a community college part-time with no benefits until someone at a four-year university dies. Competition for jobs here is stiff because, as it is in Boston I'd assume, lots of people go to school here and stay. We have one of the most educated workforces in the nation--great for employers, bad for job hunters.

About the interracial issue: I've lived in several South Austin neighborhoods, including Buda (a suburb south of Austin), and in each neighborhood I've had interracial neighbors. My daughter has interracial friends. Trust me, no one tries to kill them. I'm sure they run across the occasional bigot--hey, every village has an idiot. I know Vidor, and I know what you're saying. I definitely wouldn't recommend living there. I think the Austin and San Antonio areas would be the best choices. (No offense intended to folks in Dallas or Houston--y'all are good people, too.)

[deeptrance]

Anyone with the user name Hatless Wonder has to be an interesting person! We need you in Austin, you weirdo! And tell us the story behind the name.

Originally Posted by Hatless Wonder

How is the housing market? How's the job market? Are the property or sales taxes that bad? How are the winters? How about traffic?

You've gotten some good answers already and you can find more by looking at other threads addressing these questions, but I'll throw in my own 2 cents.
Housing market is sizzling in some areas, fizzling in others. It's a very unstable wild market in some ways, and you need to work with a trustworthy and SMART agent to get a good deal on a place that will appreciate in a location you desire. That's kind of complicated here because the variety of neighborhoods is overwhelming!
Taxes? Come on, you live in MA and you're worried about taxes? Just teasing. We have no state income tax. You get dinged based on where you live, how your property is appraised, and how much you spend on taxable items (basically everything except food and medicine.)
Winters are paradise. Summers are heinous. Everything in between is pretty nice too. Basically it's too hot for 4 solid months --- 5 some years, 3 other years, but averages about 4 straight months of over-90 every freaking day and it never cools below 70 at night. But winters, ahhh..... the sky is beautiful, the air is crisp, we're having highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s with scattered pretty clouds, it's about as perfect as can be! We occasionally get ice storms, gloomy cold rainy days, warm humid days, but the thing that's great is that none of it is unbearable and it's constantly changing, so the variety is really sweet.
Traffic? Get a scooter or learn how to meditate while driving. It's awful. Then again, it depends when and where you commute. And it's not as bad as Boston, so you'll probably think it's fine. But Boston has GREAT public transportation for a US city. Ours is really pathetic, just a bus system and the constant promise of an over-priced and not-very-well planned slow rail system. Won't be anything like your subway system. Best thing to do is live where you work, and do both in an area you really like so that you're not constantly in your car.

Good luck, and please choose Austin! I'm a cheerleader for more interracial couples, gays, artists, etc., to keep coming to Austin so that we can stay progressive and not get overwhelmed by people who just move here cuz they have money.

[southaustingal]

Originally Posted by deeptrance

Anyone with the user name Hatless Wonder has to be an interesting person! We need you in Austin, you weirdo! A

I'm a cheerleader for more interracial couples, gays, artists, etc., to keep coming to Austin so that we can stay progressive and not get overwhelmed by people who just move here cuz they have money.

Well said! And I think anyone named Hatless Wonder has to be a bit more interesting than the cosmetically enhanced, Hummer driving folks who are moving to my neighborhood in droves. We *need* more Yanks from the Northeast down here!

[deeptrance]

Originally Posted by southaustingal

...I think anyone named Hatless Wonder has to be a bit more interesting than the cosmetically enhanced, Hummer driving folks who are moving to my neighborhood in droves.

Oh dear.... yes, you need Hatless Wonder indeed! You must be in one of the pricier parts of South Austin. Ain't no hummers in my apartment complex parking lot, other than the kind that you give rather than drive... (how long before that gets deleted? )

[carolinajack]

Grew up in DFW area in the 80s and there werent that many problems back then with Interracial couples and certainly every place North and South have racist but also many more good decent folks

[jwynne2000]

Originally Posted by deeptrance

Good luck, and please choose Austin! I'm a cheerleader for more interracial couples, gays, artists, etc., to keep coming to Austin so that we can stay progressive and not get overwhelmed by people who just move here cuz they have money.

I love this guy!

[carolinajack]

yes sir deeptrance is an awesome man, and thanks Deeptrance if you think it is comfortable for IRs to live in Austin that is great--I could be close to my beloved country music, good tex mex and bbq, ride my pickup to my farm in grandbury, and get down to SA and up to Dallas when i could.

How are older homes in the downtown Austin area?

any websites on the social and livability of Austin area>

[LindaTx]

Originally Posted by Hatless Wonder

Hi! I'm Black, Hubby's White. We currently live in Boston, but we want to leave when I finish my degree, and we're considering Austin. I have some relatives down there, and it doesn't sound like a place where our lives would be in danger (unlike Vidor or Beaumont).

How is the housing market? How's the job market? Are the property or sales taxes that bad? How are the winters? How about traffic?

Everyone is welcome here, because everyone is from some where else.
I do relocation, and am a realtor and investor here in Austin. I sell new homes and thats where the real buys seem to be. This time of year nbuilders are coming off prices $10,000-$40,000. I have a house new now 5200 sq ft for
$689,000 on almost a acre, 30 min to downtown. So prices are really good. You can get 3500 sq ft for under $250,000. Schools are good here too.

Job market depends on what you do. But I have people moving here the whole year. There is a lot of growth going on with all are new toll Rds. I sold in Houston 15 years, and never felt too safe, I have been here 5 hears and love it. I am a Grandma of 9, who grew up in Dallas, so I know Texas well. Austin is a lot like North Dallas, you will love it here and the people.
When your ready I will can send you a full info pack telling you all about Austin.

LindaTx