Has anyone lived in Texas and Florida to compare? (Jacksonville: relocation, property taxes)

[121804]

Originally Posted by floridadreamer

What I am interested in is the basic atmosphere, Are there trees or is it just big fields?

Depends on where you live in TX & what you can afford. Hill country is beautiful, but it comes with a price & a big one at that these days.

They are two completely different states in terms of geography. Keep in mind, TX is the largest state in land mass next to Alaska. It has the Gulf coast, central plains, & high plains. Each has its own uniqueness to it.

We are on the gulf coast side of Florida. It's ok but not something I'd sell the family jewels to move to.

[ARC]

I grew up in the Dallas area and now live in Orlando (9 years). I much prefer Texas. The Dallas area is home to many fortune 500companies and is a very white-collared city. It is possible to make more than $12 an hour in the Dallas area and a home won't cost you an arm and a leg.

Like others stated, Dallas has professional sports, the arts, parks, and everything else that makes it a real city. No, it is not close to the ocean and does not have as many trees as Florida, but it is centrally located in the U.S. It is easy to travel from Dallas to many points within the U.S.A. (for vacation/leisure or business travel for example).

The schools in the Dallas ISD may not be that great, but the school districts in the suburbs (especially Richardson and Plano) are some of the best in the country.

[blueoktober]

Before I moved back to Orlando I lived in Austin for a short stint. I loved it, don't get me wrong, but it really is way overhyped. Housing is cheaper yes, but no one mentioned the TAXES. A 200K house generally has about a 7-8k a year tax on it. A 500k house would have about 12k in taxes on it. So it's really not that much cheaper in Austin.

I loved Alamo Drafthouse and some of the cool inner city neighborhoods but I couldn't afford them there. I live in Downtown Orlando on a lake with cobblestone streets and shady trees side by side covering the roads. In Austin I couldnt even live near the University on a crap street for less than double what I pay here.

The other thing is that once you leave Austin, that's IT. In Orlando I can drive an hour and hit a beach or drive 2 and hit Tampa. There's so much to drive to here and in Austin you have San Antonio.

[Edvard]

My daughter just moved to Austin 2 months ago and loves it. She got a house first week, her job was lined up months in advance (running a local TV station) and she has a social life because there are a lot of people in their 30's/40's there. I'll go see her next month but she loved it her second day and has a lot more money in her pocket. She misses the beach but can afford to go to Texas beaches or come back out here.

[debntx]

Originally Posted by yukon

Hey debntx, have you discovered The Blue Goose yet? Yum!

The Blue Goose?? Do tell!!

[ARC]

Best Tex-Mex food on Greenville Ave. But I haven't been there since the 1980's!

Originally Posted by debntx

The Blue Goose?? Do tell!!

[MrTudo]

I lived in Dallas back in 1991 for a year and a half. Corporate environment.

It was purgatory for me.

[Floridamom1970]

I just want to add that I really liked living in a city where the median age was 30-something rather than 53, which is what it is here in good ole Dunnellon.

As far as beaches go.I can take them or leave them. I enjoy them when I have the opportunity but I really did not miss the beach when we lived in Austin. Here we are just too far away from the Atlantic to even bother going so we enjoy Fort Island Gulf Beach in Crystal River. It is not the greatest but it will do for now.

[MiamiRob]

depends on your tastes but I had family members who lived in San Antonio due to the military and they both hated Texas. My sister tolerated it for 9 months and came screaming back to Florida. She mentioned at how conservative the place is. Also had a friend who is a teacher from Louisiana & moved to Houston for a year. He didn't like it either and now lives in Santa Fe.

[prim2007]

Originally Posted by floridadreamer

I am mainly looking for input on the Dallas area. I already love Florida but there's a slight chance we could end up in Texas sometime in near future. What I am interested in is the basic atmosphere, Are there trees or is it just big fields?

I'm originally from Florida and have lived in several cities there. I've been living in Dallas for the past 8 years and currently commute bi-weekly to Houston due to my job. I think moving from Florida to Texas is a pretty easy transition. Neither state has a state income tax. College football is a favorite past time for both. Populations are growing and very diverse. If you have allergies, which I do, Texas seems to be a bit more problematic. Both places can have scorching hot summers (only Phoenix can rival the Texas heat). There's actually more change in season for Texas. I had to purchase a full lenth winter coat when I moved to Dallas. I never needed one in Florida. The housing is cheaper in Texas but the property taxes are a bit higher along with utilities. Plus don't expect much appreciation on the homes in Texas. It's definitely not as pretty in Texas (flat, lacks the trees and nice greenery) as Florida and you have to drive a ways to get to a nice beach. Also, the traffic in places like Houston and Dallas are much more congested than most places in Florida. On the other hand, I've enjoyed better shopping, night life and cultural activities here in Dallas. You don't mention what city in Florida and what cities you might move to in Texas. Miami, Orlando, and Jacksonville are very different cities so is Dallas compared to Austin. (Houston and San Antonio are pretty similar) so these are just generalities.