Pros & Cons to living outside city limits - Advice please (San Antonio: neighborhood, living in)

[martinez4]

<<<People outside the city limits are just like mushrooms...keep them in the dark and feed them #$%*. >>>

We are thriving out here.....must be the "good livin"....:-)

[TXtrkgrl]

Originally Posted by Steel Man

Rates may be cheap; however, they are higher than what SA city folks pay. They also have a better police force and fire department, and street lights. People outside the city limits are just like mushrooms...keep them in the dark and feed them #$%*.

I have no water/sewage bill. My auto insurance is a LOT less given the county I'm in. I rolled my Jeep on our ranch and the volunteer fire dept and EMS were there in less than 5 minutes. And I love the fact that there are no street lights, I don't want people to see where I am or what I have.

Corri, living out of the city limits really depends on the person. Everyone has different opinions. Personally I could never live in the city and I have friends who could never live in the country, but we like to visit each other . It just depends on what you like. If you do decide to live out of the city, I would suggest that you buy at least 5 acres if you want privacy.

Good luck~

[rd2007]

Originally Posted by firstclassflyer

No...we're not the same person.

Tiger Sanitation is $63 per quarter ($21/month) in Westcreek.

So that's one big can once per week? is the big can something like two normal sized cans? I think normal is 55 gallon or something like that..

and what if you have a little extra? do they allow an extra bag or two? or a box? or something slightly big like a chair or something?

Waste Management is super expensive and the drivers love ripping off the lids and throwing the cans all over the yard and on top of my lights.. Plus it seems every holiday falls on a trash day. How does Tiger work with holidays? do you have to wait two weeks for one pickup? I couldn't wait that long...

[SA Greed]

I just signed up with Tiger and as I was talking with the lady, I asked about extra canisters. She said in addition to the "arm" they have picking up their canister, they have workers who get everything else. I don't know about a chair. You may want to call and ask. I hated WM because I sometimes was late and had to go in to get "re-started" and they would still miss the day they scheduled me to start which would cause me to have to move the rotting trash into the back yard. Call them to see what they say.


Home

From the website:
Telephone: 210-333-4287

[firstclassflyer]

Yes...One BIGGGGG TIGER can (95 Gallon) with wheels once per week (Monday). They will take extra bags as well. I have a smaller can that I leave out with their big one and they take that one all the time.
I never tried to put any furniture or odd stuff out there.
I believe Tiger only takes off on Christmas,Thanksgiving and New Years. They just took our trash on Labor Day.
It's just me, wife and my 7 month old son...so, once a week is plenty for us.

[Chakapu]

The Express News ran a great series of articles a few months back about people buying outside city limits to avoid city taxes, then facing a mountain of problems with lack of fire and police service. They focused on the Portranco/1604 area. The county had MOUs with a local volunteer fire, but the small station was not equipped to handle the volume with the new residents. Same with police. Even having a fire station a few doors down didn't help if the firemen were all volunteer and coming from somewhere else.

There are wonderful advantages to living in the country, but I wouldn't do it only to save money.

[Steel Man]

Originally Posted by SA_Ter

I don't think so. What was your CPS bill last month? There's a fire station down the road and we have street lights too!

Well, your revised $22 a month is more than the city fee. Also, the fees keep going up. The city also has recycling and bulk pick-up at least once a year. Living in the county or city has nothing to do with what your CPS rates are, they're the same (mine was $120 last month). Water and sewer rates are cheaper in the city and SAWS even states that in their rate schedules. Also, to my knowledge, there is no bus service in Bexar County.

Don't get me wrong, I live in Bexar County (but used to live in SA) and like it. I'm just stating what it is like living in the county vs. the city, as stated in the original post.

[super-FISH-ial]

I live in Fair Oaks (our own little city with EMS and Police). The part I live in is in Bexar county, Boerne school district, City of FO taxes.

When compared to my parents - city of SA, NISD our taxes are about the same. They have city of SA taxes - city of FO is not nearly the same. But Boerne ISD is a lot more then NISD. Sooooo...my thoughts are you need to live where you want and not worry about the "nickel and dimes". Besides if you live in the "country" you will use ALOT more gas and at $2.70 gallon it does not take long to use up all that $ you "saved" on taxes.

Just my opinion.

[TXtrkgrl]

Originally Posted by super-FISH-ial

I live in Fair Oaks (our own little city with EMS and Police). The part I live in is in Bexar county, Boerne school district, City of FO taxes.

When compared to my parents - city of SA, NISD our taxes are about the same. They have city of SA taxes - city of FO is not nearly the same. But Boerne ISD is a lot more then NISD. Sooooo...my thoughts are you need to live where you want and not worry about the "nickel and dimes". Besides if you live in the "country" you will use ALOT more gas and at $2.70 gallon it does not take long to use up all that $ you "saved" on taxes.

Just my opinion.

Very well said. I agree.
Don't live somewhere because of financial reasons. Live where you will be happy.

Oh yea, yesterday on my way home, I thought of another con to living in the country. We have a 1/2 mile long driveway that we have to maintain ourselves. Well...... when we got all the rain in that one day about a month ago, my driveway washed away. So if it ever stops raining my husband and I will be out there on the tractors hauling gravel from the creek bed to build up the road again. You can pay someone to do it but it is expensive and with all the rain we had the road is GONE~ down to the black dirt.
Just something else to think about if you plan on getting a piece of land.
I still wouldn't trade it for living in the city though

[turnerfamily]

Originally Posted by SA Greed

One thing I have noticed and unfortunately noticed it has gone away with all the new houses going up is, the fact that the weather is cooler in the evening. I swear back about even 5, 6 years ago when Potranco had no lights passed the 2nd Heritage entrance, you could feel the cooler weather as you drove passed 1604! I loved it!! My wife and I are looking at moving further out Potranco.

I don't know if it was mentioned but anywhere you have pavement,concrete,rock etc., it will collect heat during the day and radiates in the evening.If you've lived in a cooler climate you'll notice many animals actually lay out on the driveways or streets to collect that heat radiating out.Thus if you live in the country where there is more green ,it will likely feel cooler.Also having been a motorcycle owner when riding in the early evening you will notice pockets of warm air while riding,maybe in the hill area.So it really varies on your surroundings.Building more roads doesn't help but I'm betting the city will be warmer in the evenings.Also having lived in both scenarios(city vs country);I just like not looking out my kitchen into my neighbors yard,listening to their favorite music,or the traffic going up and down the street,let alone the car noise.So to each their own;it's a matter of preference not whats right or wrong.