Seattle vs. Austin cost of living comparison (Spring, Georgetown: real estate, house)

[jwb123]

That's quite a run-on paragraph with a lot of issues jammed in - but I will try and address what you have brought up...

What are you going to do if, heaven for bid your property goes up 100,000 in 5 years, now your 200,000 prop that your paying 5-6 thousand on in prop tax, is now 300,000costing you 7-9,000.

My area of Round Rock (Forest Creek) has not shown that sort of appreciation. I am not too worried about it - but as I said in my above post, I do believe there should be a cap, or some form of relief - but I can also see that my tax money is being well spent.

On the flipside to that comment, while my tax money is being well spent, it should not be the burden of homeowners to fund the majority of these things.

Take a visit to the Western States and get out of the humidity, it can't last forever.

Personally, I am not finding the heat, so far, nor the humidity, to be particularly opressive this year. We have had a lot of rain, and that has provided more vegetation than normal - which is helping to keep things cooler. Of course, it's not yet July or August....

I have "taken a visit" to the Western States. As I stated, I just moved from Seattle. We lived there for almost 10 years - quite longer than a "visit" and I still say give me the heat over the 50 degree, constant drizzle much of the year.

I think its 80 degrees in Seattle.

Doubtful. It did get into the 60's and a day of 70's last week, which is not normal for June. June is usually still spent in the 50's and low 60's, furnace on, drizzle still going. It get's into the 80's in July and August, for a few weeks.

Thats alot of HOA at 200 dollars a month. The most I ever paid was 70 a month. For 200 they better grocery shop for me and better include daycare for my 5 year old boy. You know its not really fair to bring up your 200 dollars HOA because it does not represent the majority of Seattle.

I don't know where you lived in Seattle, or what type of home you had - but actually a few hundred a month is on par with condo/townhome developments through out Seattle and it's suburbs.

Day care for a 5 year old, full time, will run you several hundred - probably about $40 a day at least.

[jwb123]

It's especially wierd to go from that Mercury heat to inside 68* air conditioning...not healthy, in my opinion. The winters can also be SHOCKINGLY cold...we DO have at least a couple of freezes which kill everything in the ground...that's hard. December and January heating bills can be insane. The weather is tough, enough said.

We keep our home AC set to 78 or 79. I don't really know anyone who lives with their home set at 68. That's pretty cold, and I would be uncomfortable. 79 can get a tad warm for a bit, but that's what shorts and ceiling fans are for.

I don't know where you moved from - but I would not consider Austin "shockingly cold" in the winter, or say that the weather was "tough".

I do think the chill here in the winter feels different than the chill in Seattle - but it's not anywhere near the eastern states sort of "cold". We had that one ice storm here this winter, but I hear that only comes every 5 years ago - and we actually enjoyed it.

I don't find the heating bills to be any more high or low than anywhere else you would need heat in the winter. My furnance in Seattle was gas, as is my furnace here - and you actually need the furnace less here in the Austin area than you do in Seattle - so it's either a wash, or fairing slightly better here in Austin, in regards to cost.

The one month of true winter weather in Austin far outweights the need for a furnance, and other winter materials needed in Seattle.

I'm not sure where you would need to live mimimomx3 - if you are not able to withstand heat OR cold... perhaps San Diego? I hear it's nearly always 70ish there.

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by Jenbar

We keep our home AC set to 78 or 79. I don't really know anyone who lives with their home set at 68. That's pretty cold, and I would be uncomfortable. 79 can get a tad warm for a bit, but that's what shorts and ceiling fans are for.

--My observations about the inside temps are about stores and businessess....those are the ones who keep things super cool.

I don't know where you moved from - but I would not consider Austin "shockingly cold" in the winter, or say that the weather was "tough".

--I'm a native Texan (ok, moved here when I was 2) who lived for 10 years in the DC area. I say 'shockingly' because you go from 100's in May-September to the 20s/30s for the 2 winter months


I do think the chill here in the winter feels different than the chill in Seattle - but it's not anywhere near the eastern states sort of "cold". We had that one ice storm here this winter, but I hear that only comes every 5 years ago - and we actually enjoyed it.

--It freezes at least once every year. Yes, ice storms come every couple of years, not like being snowed in in DC! The cold is hard to deal with... FOR ME.

I don't find the heating bills to be any more high or low than anywhere else you would need heat in the winter. My furnance in Seattle was gas, as is my furnace here - and you actually need the furnace less here in the Austin area than you do in Seattle - so it's either a wash, or fairing slightly better here in Austin, in regards to cost.

--DH is always complaining about the gas bill in the winter and the electicity for AC in the summer..

The one month of true winter weather in Austin far outweights the need for a furnance, and other winter materials needed in Seattle.

I'm not sure where you would need to live mimimomx3 - if you are not able to withstand heat OR cold... perhaps San Diego? I hear it's nearly always 70ish there.

--Oh, I love the beach and the weather (except for the winds I hear about?) in California, but Texas has always been my home.

[GANKS]

Wanted to chime in here. I got my home owners insurance quote back for Austin and it was only $100 more than my house in Seattle which is half the size. Hopefully the car insurance is cheaper here also.

Now that I'm looking at it, the policy does not include mold remediation. Is that normal? Is that needed here? It does go way up if you include that, maybe that explains the cost difference...

[Twincerely]

Originally Posted by Jenbar

Doubtful. It did get into the 60's and a day of 70's last week, which is not normal for June. June is usually still spent in the 50's and low 60's, furnace on, drizzle still going. It get's into the 80's in July and August, for a few weeks.

Yep... it's drizzly and dreary today. Yesterday too. We'll be lucky to see bits of sun here and there. July is typically sunny, but I spend most 4th of July's with a sweater on to watch fireworks. Then the rain comes back by mid August/September. And yes... HOA's are typically in the hundreds.

A lot of people love Seattle and I can see why (well... for a month or two a year I can see why), but it isn't for me and it isn't for Jenbar. We'll gladly pay the property taxes in Austin.

[mimimomx3]

I apologize for messing up the post and reply.... My reply is in bold. As far as the weather goes, you have to prepared for just about anything in central texas..floods, drought, cold, hot, humid, tornadoes, we get it all. If you wait long enough the weather will change! It's part of living in Texas.


--My observations about the inside temps are about stores and businessess....those are the ones who keep things super cool.

I don't know where you moved from - but I would not consider Austin "shockingly cold" in the winter, or say that the weather was "tough".

--I'm a native Texan (ok, moved here when I was 2) who lived for 10 years in the DC area. I say 'shockingly' because you go from 100's in May-September to the 20s/30s for the 2 winter months


I do think the chill here in the winter feels different than the chill in Seattle - but it's not anywhere near the eastern states sort of "cold". We had that one ice storm here this winter, but I hear that only comes every 5 years ago - and we actually enjoyed it.

--It freezes at least once every year. Yes, ice storms come every couple of years, not like being snowed in in DC! The cold is hard to deal with... FOR ME.

I don't find the heating bills to be any more high or low than anywhere else you would need heat in the winter. My furnance in Seattle was gas, as is my furnace here - and you actually need the furnace less here in the Austin area than you do in Seattle - so it's either a wash, or fairing slightly better here in Austin, in regards to cost.

--DH is always complaining about the gas bill in the winter and the electicity for AC in the summer..

The one month of true winter weather in Austin far outweights the need for a furnance, and other winter materials needed in Seattle.

I'm not sure where you would need to live mimimomx3 - if you are not able to withstand heat OR cold... perhaps San Diego? I hear it's nearly always 70ish there.

--Oh, I love the beach and the weather (except for the winds I hear about?) in California, but Texas has always been my home.

[Trainwreck20]

Okay, I think the original topic was cost of living....weather has been more than adequately covered elsewhere in other topics. Or, feel free to start another .

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

Okay, I think the original topic was cost of living....weather has been more than adequately covered elsewhere in other topics. Or, feel free to start another .

Thanks. I don't know the cost of living in any area other than Texas...it's expensive to heat my house in the winter and cool it in the summer. Nuff said on my part...

[jwb123]

It's less expensive to live in Austin, in comparison to Seattle.

[malarkey]

Originally Posted by Jenbar

It's less expensive to live in Austin, in comparison to Seattle.

and that's what I'm countin' on.