Houston or Austin? And what type of house should I buy? (The Woodlands: crime rates, lawyer)

[wadpro]

Hi everybody. We plan to move to Texas from Europe and I need some advice on which city we should choose and what kind of house should we buy.

We have a daughter (1.5 yo), I am lawyer but before practising here I need to get a masters degree (LLM) from a law school (and I would want my daughter study law too actually.) my plan is doing business here until I finish law school. And of course like everybody we want live and rise our child in safe place where the schools are really good.

When I make a comparison, both cities have top and bottom lines.


Houston is bigger, more crowded and has a bigger economy and business opportunities. Besides it has a bigger international airport with direct flights to Europe. But Houston has a worse traffic than Austin and also has higher crime rates.

Austin is smaller but nicer and safer city I think. And Austin has a better law school (UT) for both me and my daughter.

My questions :

1- I'd like get your opinions about these two cities first. Which one is better and more suitable for me? They say The Woodlands and Katy are the best places to live and grow child in Houston. Is that correct? And what about Austin? Where are the best places in Austin? Do you recommend ranch communities outside of the city like Santa Rita or Sienna Ranch?

2- As I said my daughter is only 1.5, so for me how important is living in place where high rank schools are located?

3- Where in Houston or Austin should I buy a single family home?

4- Of course I will buy a house for living but I also want to make a good housing investment and I want to buy a house that I can easily sell whenever I want. So what type of house should I buy? One or two stories, 3,4 or 5 bedrooms?

Many thanks...

[nana053]

For heaven's sake, don't try to program your 18 month old dd into law school. You can't know what she likes yet much less whether or not she will be law school material. Please let her be a child.

[Thoreau424]

I wouldn't worry as though Austin is overall "more safe". You can find areas equally in both towns that at about the same level.

Austin - to me at least - seems very difficult to get around. I'm talking about mobility. Houston has been spread out for quite awhile, with planning in mind for road expansion. I don't think that was ever done in Austin, and wasn't an issue, until the past few decades and explosive growth. They seem constrained as to how to resolve it. I'm not sure that they'll ever catch up.

You could buy a similar home in either town. Obviously, there will be many more options and choices in Houston vs. Austin. Austin is younger and hipper too, while Houston is more balanced out in age and mood. On the other hand, you might enjoy the slightly drier climate in Austin, and the quicker access to prettier scenery in the Hill Country.

I'm not sure if it is important to you, but you'd find more natives of England in Houston than Austin. It's more international and diverse.

I didn't answer your questions specifically, but there are a lot of factors to look at (i.e. probably many that you aren't currently thinking of). I'd do a lot more research at the high level first, concerning these two very different cities and areas (and others), before getting to the lower levels. What if you only really focused on houses and neighborhoods, and got a house that you wanted, only to find the city and area a bad fit?

Maybe there are other cities to consider as well?

[houston-nomad]

I prefer Austin. But Houston is a relatively affordable city with a lot to offer. Austin is just a nicer place to live, I think. But the traffic there is terrible too. figure out your budget and where you're going to law school. Choose based on that. You're not going to live there forever, you're not going to own your house forever, and you can't choose your daughter's law school when she's 1.5. Focus on more immediate issues.

[PedroMartinez]

For you, Austin.

[testmo]

As a lawyer, houston. Traffic is worse in austin and which city is nicer is subjective. I like houston a million times more than austin

You can live anywhere in the world and go to UT law if youre accepted. Being from an austin high school doesnt make the process easier

[houstmom]

Have you been accepted into UT Law School yet?

Once you graduate, what makes you think you will stay in Austin for your job? Considering the poor outlook for well paid attorney positions, you will probably need to look beyond Austin and even Texas to find a job.

[PinkLadyK]

I would apply to school and see where you get in and then decide where to live. UT Law is incredibly competitive, and your options in Houston aren't unlimited either. You may have to go outside of both cities to get your degree. Buy your house later, when you know where you will be working.

[acousticset]

Austin in heartbeat.

[Denver303TJC]

I've lived in Austin for 1.5 years, so I can give my 2 cents, I suppose. Austin is a fun city to live in, but as others mentioned, traffic here is getting awful. Outside rush hour it isn't too bad, but when rush hour hits....it's on. I can still see the horrific image in my mind of going down Lamar Blvd during rush hour and seeing the "2 miles, 20 minutes" and red line on my iphone maps. Granted, Houston has plenty of traffic horror stories, but Austin ain't what it was ten years ago.

I'm not sure which you'd like better; do you want to be in a city which has a big international feel to it? Many people from big American coastal cities visit Austin and say, "Meh", so it'd be best to visit both cities before deciding. Austin has a metrorail train line, but as of now, there is only one line. I plan on moving to Houston, so I guess I'll see firsthand how it differs from Austin. Do you prefer dry heat or wet heat? Austin is hot, but a bit dryer than Houston in humidity terms.

I'm not sure of the outlook for lawyers in Austin, but I'm thinking Houston would have better opportunities, unless you attended UT and were connected with the UT lawyer alumni. I feel that both cities have safe and desirable areas. Austin has some nice suburbs, but you gotta deal with the commute if you choose to live in the burbs (ditto with Houston).

I like Houston and Austin, but I suppose it depends in which city you could get a better job.