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I live in Texas and would live in a box on the side of hwy 5 to get out of this Texas heat lol. I always hear the cost of living is more in LA versus Texas. This may be true 100%, but the main thing to consider is will your personal income rise or drop. My wife and I want to move to California and have figured based on our professions that we would triple our income and our actual expense would be less. That's us and not the norm though. I have been in real estate for 25 years and even though ownership is great for tax purposes I am not a big fan o maintaining any property at this point. Repair cost on new homes and older homes just does not warrant it long term for us. We figured we could lease in California and come out ahead. Why pay $5,000,000 for a property when I can lease that same property for $4,000 a month. I work from home so I can claim business use of home. Weather is the key factor to moving to California bottom line. Texas weather is ok about 6 months out of the year,but very fickle. Of course buying now in either market would be a good time to buy since prices are down. If you were going to buy I would say you have a better chance of making money in California long term.
Me and my wife currently live in Torrance, CA in a rental apartment. We have been married since a year and travel a lot throughout US and Canada for work (Almost every week). We are planning to buy a single family home in the price range of 450 to 500k, however since this is our first home we have a long wish list..... Since it is difficult to satisfy our wish-list in California, we were thinking of moving to Texas because of its central location and considerably lower cost of living.
However, we are not able to make our mind whether we should leave LA or specially move for California to Texas.... We always ask ourselves...Is it really worth it??
We are looking for a new home... Single family home... In a good ISD.... Is it possible to find a place in our price range near Anaheim / Orange County /Santa Ana? We are planning to start a family in a year or two.
Since we use LAX airport every week. Proximily to LAX and John Wayn (SNA) would be the key... Please help/advice us... Since we would really like to stay back in LA if we find the right home.... A new construction is what we are looking for...
I am not an expert, but I really doubt you will get anything near what you want for $500,000 in the South Bay region.
What is it, except location that would make you choose Texas and where in Texas? Career wise, are you free to just move anywhere, will you be able to get jobs or do you work from home, like so many are doing today? Would you be able to live with the high hunidity in Texas?
I happen to love Texas, though not the weather, but if you are true CA it might not be the best state to choose and one thing people in Texas do not like, they have trouble with Californians moving to the state and wanting to change it to fit their Ca mood. This doesn't mean Texans do not like people from CA, they do and Texans are very friendly, but they also love their state.
Now, on the other side, when you compare costs, we know a couple, in thier 30s that just moved from Ca to AR (long story) they are thrilled with their decision, why? Beause of the overall attitude of the people and the cost of living. What is right for one isn't always right for someone else.
Nita
@nmnita... Where in Texas do u live? I am looking forward to move to either Dallas/Irvine Area or Houston - Woodlands/Spring area.... Any recommendations by the senior members?
just saw this, we have been out of town for awhile. We do not live in Texas anymore, but did live in Lewisville and our daughter lives in Highland Shores (which is on or near Lake Lewisville) If we were to move back to Dallas, unlikely, we would still choose that area. The Lewisville schools (again, especially in the Highland Shores and Flower Mound area) are awesome, the homes nice, the price perfect for you and the shopping excellent. The humidity is still an issue. I would say traffic as well, but after spending 3 days in So Ca near LAX and visiting in Torrance, Dallas traffic isn't any worse.
Is the humidity really much different between NW Arkansas and Dallas? I've been to Austin several times in the summer, Dallas once, and SW Missouri once. Missouri may not have been as warm as Texas but it still felt really humid to me.
Is the humidity really much different between NW Arkansas and Dallas? I've been to Austin several times in the summer, Dallas once, and SW Missouri once. Missouri may not have been as warm as Texas but it still felt really humid to me.
the length of the summers and the high temps are what make the difference. I don't think there is much difference in the actually humidity levels but our summers don't really kick in until maybe, mid June and are over by early or mid Sept, plus it is rare to have many days above 95 degrees. We lived in Dallas and would have days and days above 100 plus the temps would start rising in late April or mid May, plus the nights were much warmer. Here we cool down by about 9pm. No, not as nice as our wonderful NM nights, but livable anyway.
@nmnita... Where in Texas do u live? I am looking forward to move to either Dallas/Irvine Area or Houston - Woodlands/Spring area.... Any recommendations by the senior members?
I have to smile when I hear "Keller" when we moved to Texas about 20 years ago we almost bought in Keller. Our daugher said, Mom, I wouldn't even want to admit my mother lived in Keller. We were about to buy an awesome house on about an acre with a pool. Well that was then and now is now: can you imagine what that "Keller" house would be worth today. Even daughter says, yep, I remember, boy was I wrong. This is the daughter that never admits to being wrong.
Me and my wife currently live in Torrance, CA in a rental apartment. We have been married since a year and travel a lot throughout US and Canada for work (Almost every week). We are planning to buy a single family home in the price range of 450 to 500k, however since this is our first home we have a long wish list..... Since it is difficult to satisfy our wish-list in California, we were thinking of moving to Texas because of its central location and considerably lower cost of living.
However, we are not able to make our mind whether we should leave LA or specially move for California to Texas.... We always ask ourselves...Is it really worth it??
We are looking for a new home... Single family home... In a good ISD.... Is it possible to find a place in our price range near Anaheim / Orange County /Santa Ana? We are planning to start a family in a year or two.
Since we use LAX airport every week. Proximily to LAX and John Wayn (SNA) would be the key... Please help/advice us... Since we would really like to stay back in LA if we find the right home.... A new construction is what we are looking for...
My opinion, is it worth it? Yes.
I was born and raised in Orange County, CA.
I moved here to Kingwood, Texas (NE Houston, by IAH airport) a few years ago and was able to buy a big house, a 44,000 sq ft lot covered in trees and all for less than 1/2 of what I sold the 1400 sq foot box I owned in Costa Mesa.
My first concern was the schooling and how my kids would do, but I am so satisfied with all the great teachers my kids have had at three different schools here they've been in.
Regarding your travel, IAH is very convenient drive from most of north, central and east Houston. You can fly direct to LAX and SNA on Continental at least 5-6 flights a day that I personally know of. Granted, with the United buy out, I have no idea what effect this will have on the future, so be aware of that.
If you're huge beach goers, you will miss teh beach. The Gulf is not like the Pacific, and anyhow, it's at least an hour's drive away.
People complain endlessly about the heat and the bugs. I can't speak for the rest of you, but you just get used to the heat, I don't really even notice it, but then I'm not the type to complain about it anyhow.
Bugs? honestly, if you live in a neighborhood that sprays, and likely if you have HOA, they will, they really aren't that big a deal. I sit on my patio at dusk all summer long and swat a couple away.
Heat is not so bad, and you just get used to it.
The nice thing of Kingwood, for me anyhow, is I have all I need within reach in Kingwood or Humble. And if I need anything else, downtown Houston is 20 minutes away (not counting a weekday at 8am, of course) The Galleria mall blows South Coast Plaza out of the water, lol.
And coming from Los Angeles, you'll be very pleasantly surprised at how light traffic is outside the heavy rush hours, Unlike LA/Orange counties where traffic is pretty bad at all times.
You will need to weigh the plusses and minuses yourself, of course, but my family loves their new home.
Take a gander at western Washington state. In the suburbs, like the one I live in, you can find homes in the $200-300k range and many areas are quite progressive. Also, the state is known for being tech heavy. Seattle would be too expensive for you unless you get a condo, unfortunately.
Traffic once you get out of Seattle isn't as consistently bad as it is in SoCal, I still have yet to experience a commute from there akin to going from Long Beach to OC on the 91, for example. It is nonetheless becoming more crowded every year. Also, the car tax is much lower. The caveat is that the road system is frighteningly badly laid out.
We do have high unemployment, too, over 9%, and if you want sunny weather, with the exception of about three months in the summer, you are largely going to be out of luck. Plus is rains (usually just drizzling or you get five minute downpours and then it clears up) and is cold eight months a year. The summers are temperate enough we don't need air conditioning (you might have two weeks when it gets over 80).
Property taxes aren't limited like they are in California, but they aren't as high as Texas, either. Plus there is a senior exemption if you are thinking of moving here permanently (restrictions apply).
This is a big animal loving state and it seems just about everybody has either a dog or a cat.
The closest major airport, unfortunately, is Sea-Tac. It's not that conveniently located. You don't want to live around there anyway. They will soon, if they don't already, have limited light rail service to the airport. Alaska is the biggest airline here, but Southwest also does a lot of business.
Places to avoid are Aberdeen, Tacoma, Federal Way and Tumwater. But Olympia and Lacey are perfectly fine. Microsoft, is closer to Seattle, up in Redmond. I understand it can be a little pricey to live up there, but I haven't really looked into it. The rich folks live in places such as Mercer Island, Medina and Bellevue.
Me and my wife currently live in Torrance, CA in a rental apartment. We have been married since a year and travel a lot throughout US and Canada for work (Almost every week). We are planning to buy a single family home in the price range of 450 to 500k, however since this is our first home we have a long wish list..... Since it is difficult to satisfy our wish-list in California, we were thinking of moving to Texas because of its central location and considerably lower cost of living.
However, we are not able to make our mind whether we should leave LA or specially move for California to Texas.... We always ask ourselves...Is it really worth it??
We are looking for a new home... Single family home... In a good ISD.... Is it possible to find a place in our price range near Anaheim / Orange County /Santa Ana? We are planning to start a family in a year or two.
Since we use LAX airport every week. Proximily to LAX and John Wayn (SNA) would be the key... Please help/advice us... Since we would really like to stay back in LA if we find the right home.... A new construction is what we are looking for...
Message me...I lived in So Cal for over two decades. I have lived in Oregon, Washington, Nebraska and Oklahoma. I don't want to dis anyone's home town so message me and I will give you some advise and comments. You will have many pro's and con's. I will look forward in your message.
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