Questions on the Katy area (Houston, Austin: waterpark, HOA, home owners insurance)

[paragon]

My wife and I are coming to Texas on Sunday(7/6) to try to see Austin and Houston and get a better feel for which we prefer.
From my research, Katy seems to be within the range I'm looking for: house 2500+ sqft 4+ bed 2+bath, under 200k
I do have a few questions though:
1) What is the market like for public school teachers? My wife has ten years experience in private school, but without knowing someone here(in NJ) you can't get a public school job(1,000 applicants for 2 jobs isn't great odds, and that is when they are actually open listings, most are filled word of mouth and few if any interviews are done)
2)I'm likely going to be working from home(at least for the first year or two). Is Is it possible to get a permit for a home based business in Katy of the surrounding area?(no customers or traffic at the house, everything done offsite or inside, no employees)
3) How much is home owners insurance, given the higher chance of hurricanes versus other parts of the state?
4) Is it practical to purchase land (to build) or get a small warehouse in the area(within 45 to 1 hour commute)?
5) I understand Katy has good schools and is building more(bad for taxes, good for my wife). I have two children, one in school, one in preschool so I need to make sure the schools are fairly good in any area I look at(more focused at areas outside Katy, as I understand Katy has good schools).
6)I'm also looking for areas without HOA, personal preference but I'd rather drive an extra 15 minutes and pay 20k more than have one.

Is Katy or another area around Houston a good fit? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated because I've only got a short time to visit and I'd like to look at areas to rule in or out.

[cla]

1. 4 new schools are opening in Katy this August. Here's a link to Katy ISD HR for more information on positions available...
Katy ISD : Human Resources - Home (http://katyisd.org/services/human_resources.htm - broken link)
3. I pay about $850/yr on $225,000 coverage (Ft Bend County, Harris County is a little higher).
6. lol - no HOA in Katy. Maybe an old subdivision in Katy proper?

And under $200K for 2500 sf - that is a bit below average.

[pacman777]

1) My wife teaches at an elementary school in Katy and she loves it. There are lots of positions available throughout the school district and usually there is a job fair held once a year (i believe it was already held for the upcoming year a couple of months ago), but I think you can still interview. I think basically you interview with the school's principal and he/she is the one that decides to hire you in to that certain school. Most TX school districts post pay scales on their website:
http://katyisd.org/files/services/human_resources/Pay_Scale_Teacher_2007_2008.pdf (broken link)


2) Not sure if you would even need a permit if nothing is going on at your home... afterall who would know and care?

3) I pay $1,200 per year for insurance on a 2005 built 3300 sq ft house in Seven Meadows. I have a high deductible and I think I only stated the replacement value at a lower amount that the appraised in order to save on premiums.

4) Not sure about this one...

5) Stick with Katy area south of I-10. I'm probably biased but they are opening up a brand new elementary within Seven Meadows this fall with a principal that has a great reputation within Katy ISD.

6) I think HOAs are a good thing especially in the Master-planned communities. You get a nice waterpark and recreation center. Seven Meadows has a movie theater and fitness center in its rec center and they show free movies every week (mainly for kids). The HOA dues is only $740 per year, which I think is a bargain.

Good luck!