want to move out of CA (Houston, Dallas: sex offenders, crime, safe area)

[leavingcali]

Hi! My husband and I want to move out of CA after we finish our education (about a year) but we aren't sure where to go. CA is far too expensive, and the urban sprawl of Sacramento is very unattractive. We would like to live an attractive landscape with affordable housing, and friendly people who will accept some republican Californians. Actually, we are NOT very politically minded--just letting you know we don't need to live in a liberal area. Any suggestions? I will be need to work at a junior college and the hubby is in ultrasound sonography. How's San Antonio? What about Houston and surrounding areas? Anywhere else in Texas I should check out? Suggestions on other states?

Thanks!

[Trainwreck20]

Broad question. But my 2 cents....
Houston is inexpensive with a robust economy for the forseeable future. Property prices (values) are relatively low, cost of living is low. If you like plants, anything will grow there....

On the down-side: no hills, high humidity, fairly hot, and there is sprawl......some of these are bigger issues for some people vs others, so you would have to check and see it for yourself.

San Antonio is less humid (though often 'hotter') and there is some nice 'terrain' in the hill country to the N, NW and W. SA has its share of sprawl, but much less than Houston. The prices in the hill country will be higher than Houston, but still very reasonable. Look at Boerne, perhaps.

Austin would be another choice. Smaller than San Antonio, terrain to the W and SW is similiar hill country terrain. Cost of living/land is probably slightly higher. It is the state government center and several major universities, so there is quite a bit more 'liberal' thinking; however, never really seems to be an issue unless you are looking to pick an argument.

[leavingcali]

Thank you for your response. I read on a thread elsewhere that crime is a huge problem in Houston due to the recent influx of evacuees. What's your 2 cents?

Is there anywhere else in Texas that I should look into?

[Steel Man]

San Antonio has four Junior Colleges, with a fifth one to open very soon in Northeast SA. These colleges are part of the Alamo Community College District. Here is their link: http://www.accd.edu/

There are many other colleges here. As for medical, San Antonio is only second to Houston. We have many hospitals, research in Medical Center, and two major military hospitals, at Ft Sam Houston, and Lackland AFB. I'm sure you and your husband can find jobs here.

Good Luck!

[RSTX]

There are lots of junior colleges in smaller towns and many of those towns are begging for US techs. I was an x-ray tech (now a stay-at-home-Dad) for several years and the US techs could just about write their own ticket for most small to mid size hospitals. I would look at Kerrville to start out. Shreiner JC is there and so is Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital.

Good luck with the plans.

Rick

[Trainwreck20]

There has been much press about the crime issues associated with the refugees lately, but I would take it with a grain of salt. I suspect that it is an increase in already problem areas more than it is an increase in areas where there was no problem to begin with. If you were looking at a relatively safe area before, if probably still is.

[Steel Man]

The biggest problem Texas was concerned about was the New Orleans registered sex offenders that didn't bother to register in Texas.

[Mattie Jo]

I have lived in Texas. I would suggest Austin if it isn't too expensive. I lived in San Antonio and I really didn't care for it, but that is me. I was also bored in Corpus Christi area, nothing to see or do. Austin has culture, tree huggers, etc. and it is beautiful. A river runs through it. It isn't humid that I remember, at least not like some areas. I have thought of Tyler but not sure.

[jobless]

I would have moved to San Antonio if I hadn't got shafted on a job offer. I was promised a job, but 3 weeks later Gore Design Completions [http://www.goredesign.com/contacts.html] decided not to sign the papers. So I couldn't move. Sad, I could have gotten used to living in San Antonio. But it can't happen no more.

[neddy]

I would take a good look into SA. I grew up in Dallas and most of my family lives in Austin and that area or Kerriville for that fact (Schriener is not a JC full on liberal art college these days, dad and step mom are teachers over there). SA like they said has lots of JC campuses these days, weather here is great 10 months out of the year. Prices around here for now are pretty good and jobs abound around here right now. Send off for the SA packet in the mail! What can it hurt