Cost of living (Dallas, Austin, Lubbock: foreclosed, condo, buying a house)

[bK1D]

In your opinion which of the cities have a higher cost of living, buying a house, etc...

*Lubbock Area
*Dallas Area
*Austin Area

[Willsson]

Cost of living just depends on what and where. I can live as cheaply in Dallas as Lubbock, just depends on the criteria that needs satisfying.

I had an awesome condo in Dallas, a bit used, but a heck of a lot cheaper than the guy on the corner with something a bit newer. I sold mine for a magnificent profit. I think his foreclosed. But then, he paid more for his wine than I paid for my beer.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by bK1D

In your opinion which of the cities have a higher cost of living, buying a house, etc...

*Lubbock Area
*Dallas Area
*Austin Area

Check out the City-Data pages on each City, you can see all of that here, and even view it by zip code.

http://www.city-data.com/city/Texas.html

[h886]

Originally Posted by bK1D

In your opinion which of the cities have a higher cost of living, buying a house, etc...

*Lubbock Area
*Dallas Area
*Austin Area

It really depends on many factors. One thing you need to keep in mind if you're considering Austin is that while there are affordable areas, they are generally far out from the center of town. So many people have moved to Austin in recent years that prices in the city itself have gone up quite a bit. If you have a job that's north of town, it would be fairly easy (maybe a 20 minute commute) to live in one of the suburbs north of town and drive in. Same thing for the south side of town. If your job puts you in downtown, it may mean choosing between a long commute or a less house than what you could get in the suburbs for the same price.

Jobs are another factor. You need to make sure you have a job lined up before you move, or that you are in a field that is strong in those cities. Lubbock and Austin are both considerably smaller than Dallas and have fewer jobs. Certain fields are reasonably easy to find work in. Others are almost impossible right now because of the state funding issue. I would not move without 6 months worth of expenses saved up unless you have a job offer in hand.

In terms of COL for electricity, groceries, etc, I would say they're pretty similar. But housing is a big ticket item, so you need to make sure you'd be happy with what you get for your money before moving.