Is Texas worth moving to? (Houston, Galveston: sales, crime rates, mortgage)

[morrison914]

Hi I'm new, name is Jim. My Wife just visited her aunt and cousins in Houston and had a blast. Now she wants to move there, says Houston has more to offer than Toledo. More things to do for our two children, alot cleaner. Better housing and job market. I was looking for some insight on if it is worth it or will we fall into a dead end? We currently are living in a house we purchased in November of 07' and are having troubles making the mortgage payment due to lack of our work hours. I work in the automotive field, any good jobs for an ASE certified technician? My wife is in the pharmaceutical business, any thing in lines of work there? How are the schooling? Crime rates through the roof? Any help and guidance is appreciated. Thanks.

[solytaire]

Hey there, I dont know much about the job fields in Houston, or the schooling as for that matter...but the thing Ive found from living in Houston is that Houston can really be whatever you want it to be...

In the surrounding suburbs like Katy, Spring, The Woodlands, Stafford, Pearland, Sugarland, Galveston, you can have a very peaceful suburban environment, within only 10 or 15 minutes of the Beltway... And once inside the Beltway the options are plentiful. And once you're inside the loop *610* things become even more abundant and very urban...The city itself is very laidback yet it still manages to feel busy and enterprising. You can really find whatever suits your niche inside the city....The only cautionary advice I would submit is to be ready for the humidity and heat (>>in precisely that order)..The humidity can be absolutely stifling at times (and by "at times" I mean most of the time), and the summer and early fall heat dont offer much consolation...Other than that Houston really has it all..its not very condensed so you will have to drive quite a bit (which shouldnt be a problem for a auto worker) ...but other than that and the mandated AC stipulation, I found Houston to be nearly perfect for basic city living.

[predatorprey]

Crime overall is higher than the actual reported amount, but that is true with any major city. Police chiefs massage the numbers quite a bit.
Job market in Houston is not dead, but we're feeling the pinch of the recession here as well

Housing costs are lower than the average, but automotive costs are higher than average.

And thanks to the CEO of Chrysler and soon GM (our President), I am afraid your line of work will be saturated with people finding work. Due to the number of dealerships being closed.

Your wife on the other hand, Houston as you may or may not know has a large medical area that your wife may prosper in.

Schooling is dependent on where you live. Some are really good some are really bad just depends. That is true with crime.

[texas7]

Pharmaceutical sales - Houston has a huge med center!!! Automotive - lots of car dealers too but with the auto industry closing dealerships - those may get fewer.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by morrison914

Hi I'm new, name is Jim. My Wife just visited her aunt and cousins in Houston and had a blast. Now she wants to move there, says Houston has more to offer than Toledo. More things to do for our two children, alot cleaner. Better housing and job market. I was looking for some insight on if it is worth it or will we fall into a dead end? We currently are living in a house we purchased in November of 07' and are having troubles making the mortgage payment due to lack of our work hours. I work in the automotive field, any good jobs for an ASE certified technician? My wife is in the pharmaceutical business, any thing in lines of work there? How are the schooling? Crime rates through the roof? Any help and guidance is appreciated. Thanks.

First of all; what do you mean by your wife is in the Pharmaceutical business, is she a tech, a sale person, or just what? I am not sure anyone can tell you what would be available in your field, you need to start sending out resumes or talk to people. There are lots of nice areas in Texas, not just Houston, but whether to re-locate is something only you can decide.

CRime is high in Houston, depending on where you live, like anywhere if you are in the burbs it is different, but it takes money and jobs to move into the nicer areas. This applies to the schools as well. If nothing else, why not take a few weeks off this summer, drive to the area, stay with relatives and do some research including job searching.

I will add, having a blast and actually relocating are 2 different things.


Nita

[ahzzie]

The unpleasant weather here is not nearly as long as some make it out to be. June through mid September are generally the most humid and hot. We do occasionally get breaks during that time when the humidity is very low but July and August can be excruciating to some people, while it doesn't bother others (myself included) in the slightest. The other months, however, are a different story. This past year we had near perfect weather; cool, dry, and sunny.

[jaden15]

Hi, I'm new at this. I'm a truck driver. I'm able to get a job in Houston,tx averaging 800 a week. I got 5 & 1 yr old, my wife doesn't work. What would living arraignment be like for some one that makes 800 weekly? What type of location ould I be able to afford with 800 weekly? School for kids? Recreational activities?