Cost of living in Houston Cheaper? Things aren't making sense. (Lone Star: coupons, rental homes)

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by rb4browns

$60 a month?!? That seems awfully high, I pay $12 a month for renter's insurance. Is homeowner's really that much more?

Yes, renter's insurance pays for your possessions. Homeowner's insurance pays for your possessions AND your house.

From what I saw whenever I visit the New York and the Philadelphia areas, food is also cheaper here. I always thought it was because we have a large number of competitive supermarkets.

I pay about $200 month for electric in the two hottest months of the year - but that is for a 2000+ square foot house. Last two months, I had a combined electric/gas bill of about $125.

My sister rents a two bedroom apartment in Horshow, PA, just outside Philly - and pays more in rent and utilities than I do for my house mortgage/utilities. I would say it is cheaper here overall.

[descovy]

Okay, old post revisted, but I'll bite...

In my family's situation, rent/own a 3/2/2 1800 sq ft home is negligible between here and our hometown in WA State. Groceries, utilities in line too. Neither state has income tax.

*BUT* the ability to earn an income is higher here. My husband is a city planner. At his level, he would make $40k in WA. But here he has an opportunity to work for a civil engineer for double that.

So, even if the cost of living is a wash... it is the ability to make more money in a variety of industries that keeps more dollars in your pocket.

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by descovy

Okay, old post revisted, but I'll bite...

In my family's situation, rent/own a 3/2/2 1800 sq ft home is negligible between here and our hometown in WA State. Groceries, utilities in line too. Neither state has income tax.

*BUT* the ability to earn an income is higher here. My husband is a city planner. At his level, he would make $40k in WA. But here he has an opportunity to work for a civil engineer for double that.

So, even if the cost of living is a wash... it is the ability to make more money in a variety of industries that keeps more dollars in your pocket.

Isn't that the truth! Also - it matters not the cost of living if you don't have a job at all.

[Discovery1]

Originally Posted by Oildog

No state income tax...but property tax is around 3%.

I've heard Sugarland has 3.8% in porperty tax...Is it correct ?

[City Love]

Originally Posted by Discovery1

I've heard Sugarland has 3.8% in porperty tax...Is it correct ?

It all varies depending on the MUD district. The newer areas will usually have a higher tax rate than the older areas. That's why in general, Houston has a lower rate. It's older.

[fidelfs]

Well I guess everything is different from the eyes of the beholder. For me Houston is one of the most expensive city to be.

Sure, If you compare your house is cheaper that other places but everything stops there. I been in other cities and they have free things to do. In houston, you have pay for almost anything. All you do is to go to restaurants, bar, golf and ..... help I don't know what else.

Houston has its charms, don't take me wrong, I just moved from houston to Denver and I am missing some stuff, that I know I will never have in Denver.

For example, I just had a sleep study in Cyfair and the cost is close to $5000.00 , insurance discount applied and the price is down to 1750 so I have to pay 10% copayment of 175.
Houston is suppose to have one of the best healthcare system and I was expecting to have better prices that other places due to the demand and supply, well in Denver I had to pay only $90 (10% copayment). This is only an small example that makes Houston most expensive city than other places.

This is just one example, but there are so many that if you compare you will see what I am talking about it. Don't say I cannot justify my logic because a random example, like I said there are more things, Elecrtriciy, car insurance, MUD taxes ( not being real tax so you cannot claim in your federal return), not having good plublic transportation forces you to have a car (Houston bus from 290 to Downtown is cheaper than Denver but good luck, if you don't have a car, you cannot make it to the park and ride. Denver is considered the same as Houston that most of the people driver their car, but I found the public transportation (more expensive the fare but more reliable) be as good as it gets.
If you don't have a car you can take buses they run even in suburbs or in the worst case, you can call "call and ride" and a Van will pick you at your house and take you to the park and ride. I wish houston had that service.

In my opinion Houston is not cheap, they hook you up with house prices but later you pay the premium in everything else.

[HugeTon]

Originally Posted by fidelfs

Well I guess everything is different from the eyes of the beholder. For me Houston is one of the most expensive city to be.


Sure, If you compare your house is cheaper that other places but everything stops there. I been in other cities and they have free things to do. In houston, you have pay for almost anything. All you do is to go to restaurants, bar, golf and ..... help I don't know what else.

Houston has its charms, don't take me wrong, I just moved from houston to Denver and I am missing some stuff, that I know I will never have in Denver.

The beautiful weather that you miss, isn't it? Now you have to face wintery storms, blizzards in CO.

For example, I just had a sleep study in Cyfair and the cost is close to $5000.00 , insurance discount applied and the price is down to 1750 so I have to pay 10% copayment of 175.
Houston is suppose to have one of the best healthcare system and I was expecting to have better prices that other places due to the demand and supply, well in Denver I had to pay only $90 (10% copayment). This is only an small example that makes Houston most expensive city than other places.

This is just one example, but there are so many that if you compare you will see what I am talking about it. Don't say I cannot justify my logic because a random example, like I said there are more things, Elecrtriciy, car insurance, MUD taxes ( not being real tax so you cannot claim in your federal return), not having good plublic transportation forces you to have a car (Houston bus from 290 to Downtown is cheaper than Denver but good luck, if you don't have a car, you cannot make it to the park and ride. Denver is considered the same as Houston that most of the people driver their car, but I found the public transportation (more expensive the fare but more reliable) be as good as it gets.
If you don't have a car you can take buses they run even in suburbs or in the worst case, you can call "call and ride" and a Van will pick you at your house and take you to the park and ride. I wish houston had that service.

In my opinion Houston is not cheap, they hook you up with house prices but later you pay the premium in everything else.

Very interesting post but I am sure other people will charm in to this to the contrary because I don't know enough about the two cities to put in my two cents. I hope someone would.

[SteveArmy]

Originally Posted by fidelfs

Well I guess everything is different from the eyes of the beholder. For me Houston is one of the most expensive city to be.

Sure, If you compare your house is cheaper that other places but everything stops there. I been in other cities and they have free things to do. In houston, you have pay for almost anything. All you do is to go to restaurants, bar, golf and ..... help I don't know what else.

That's what I've been saying. And people are more likely to visit you in Denver than in Houston!

[fidelfs]

I am not getting at the defensive, but all my friends have told me the same thing, you will face blizzards (Hurricanes Huhh?), wintery storms (floods Huhh?). Just answer a question, what do you do after a big rain?, at leat I stayed home, watching TV. What do you do after a big snow storm, wll you to skiing, sliding, snow ball fights, etc. See the difference the weather in Houston is favorable to do many things, Here in Colorado you enjoy the 4 seasons in different ways. Any place has weather to deal with.
If you don't like cold, yes a cold place is not for you. At least for me, it is hot and humidity, I became a prisoner of my own house in Houston, I like cold, that is just me. Well all the weather related is beyond what the Original post is, it is about cost of life.

I always thankful about my time in Houston, I had great moments, don't read it the other way around, I just found there are hidden costs living in houston.

I research other cities with no state income tax, such as Seattle. I found out the property tax in Washington State is lower that Texas property tax. A 2000 sqf house in Houston in cyfair (aprox 170k - 200k house price) pays close to the same property tax (including all the taxes, mud, school, etc.) as a house in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Seattle (Mercer Island, 500,000 house price).

I have been told that in California the property tax does not increase as long you own the house, people bought houses in the 70's and keep it in the family they keep paying the same property tax from the 70's, tell that to the tax collector in Houston. Every year they tried to increased my taxes and I have to fight.

[professorsenator]

Originally Posted by fidelfs

I am not getting at the defensive, but all my friends have told me the same thing, you will face blizzards (Hurricanes Huhh?), wintry storms (floods Huhh?). Just answer a question, what do you do after a big rain?, at leat I stayed home, watching TV. What do you do after a big snow storm, wll you to skiing, sliding, snow ball fights, etc. See the difference the weather in Houston is favorable to do many things, Here in Colorado you enjoy the 4 seasons in different ways. Any place has weather to deal with.

The typical response of a Houstonian about weather is a retort about blizzards in the north. And it's true -- it snows in the winter in most northern places in the U.S. (and most places in the U.S. are north of Houston).

But these folks lose sight of the fact that blizzards are not daily occurrences. True blizzards happened rarely -- they are not even annual occurrences. Moderate to heavy snowfalls ARE regular and happen a handful of times per year. Here in the Boston area, in Southern New England, we usually get around 6 heavy (4-10 inches of snow, depending on how close to the coast you are...closer to the ocean means less snow) snowfalls per year, with a few light dustings of snow (an inch or two) interspersed. Thus, out of 365 days per year we probably have perhaps 15-20 days of actual snowfall.

But we have many, many more days of mild weather, and this is where the comparison of weather get lost. We have far, far more days when temperatures are in the 60's and 70's -- i.e. very pleasant, not-too-hot-not-too-cold days -- than in Texas. These days occur in three of the four seasons. Heck, here in Mass. we were in the 50's and 60's for the past month.

Texas, OTOH, has many more hotter days (80's, 90's+) and chillier days (i.e. 40's and 50's). There are much fewer days in between (i.e. 60's and 70's). They happen in the Lone Star State, of course--usually in the spring, for a few weeks in October/November, and occasionally in the winter. But that's about it.

When I lived in Texas it seemed I either needed the A/C on becasue it was so hot (i.e. most of the time) or the heat on becasue it was chilly (i.e. winter). There were very few days in between. Texas weather is generally a study of extremes and if you're used to moderate seasons with lots of mild days, the Texas weather can be very aggravating.