Tell me what's good and what's bad about TEXAS! (Houston: relocating, property taxes)

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

The last winter I lived in Texas we had snow. I was married to my husband who was from the UK. My daughter had never seen snow. I was watching TV in my room and my husband was in the living room. I kept hearing a strange noise so I went outside to see what it was.

I was shocked to see snow. I called my daughter to look at it and she was thrilled. I dressed her up and she ran around in the snow, screaming in delight. My husband thought we were nuts, I tried to explain that we hardly EVER see it but he was not impressed.

My neighbors got out their 4 wheel truck and pulled kids down the road on snow skis and such. It was gone the next day or so.

It CAN get very cold in Texas but if it snows, it doesn't stay around for long. AND days later it can be so warm again that you feel like its imposible that there was snow on the ground only days before.

[bellestaroftexas]

i think you need to look into Austin area. esp Georgetown, Roundrock, Leander. btw, there is the school of fine arts, i believe, in Georgetown?

[teatime]

I think you need to come and visit for a few weeks, if possible. I'm originally from Western Pennsylvania and don't know if the average person from that area would be happy here. When my family would come to visit, they'd complain about the heat here. They'd also complain about going places where most people were speaking Spanish. Of course, I lived in the Rio Grande Valley at that time and I think they would have liked Abilene, where I live now, much more.

It would not be a cake walk for your wife to teach in Texas. She would have to jump through some hoops to get a Texas certificate since she isn't a product of the Texas educational system. (I know this from first-hand experience.) To find a job teaching in an elementary school, she'll need to be bilingual certified as those are the teachers most in demand. She would also have to affiliate with a local university or other educational entity to take the certification exams. The tests are based on Texas teaching objectives and research so she'd have to do some preparation.

I'm not trying to discourage y'all -- you just need to know some of what to expect. I love it here and would never move back to Pennsylvania. It's a big move, though, and it's best to do it with eyes wide open! Good luck!

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by NWPAguy

My wife and I are in our 20s, native to the Northeast and finally tired of the weather and the economic/political climate. We know next to nothing about Texas, have been doing extensive research, and want to hear from Texans about the ups/downs of their state and their area.

We don't like frigid winters, snow, and humidity. Where we are now, near Lake Erie, it's normal to get 8 feet of snow by Christmas (always with high winds) and it's so humid in the summer mornings that the dew doesn't evaporate off of the grass until almost noon (which kills the idea of mowing the lawn while it's still cool in the morning). We've been liking what we see as far as climate data on West Texas, but nothing compares to living there.

Economically, I am an all-around professional musician (I teach private lessons, perform live as a keyboardist and singer, create custom compositions and arrangements of music, tune pianos, and do DJ and karaoke services), and my wife is a certified elementary teacher. I've had a very hard time building my business where I live now, despite extensive marketing efforts. It seems the area just won't support it. We live in an area where there are more teachers than jobs, and my wife (as a recent college graduate) hasn't gotten a good job yet (despite her stellar college GPA and recommendations). Needless to say, we want to live somewhere where the economy can support my business and she can easily land a well-paying school district teaching job. One more kicker is that I have extensive experience in all aspects of being a church music director... and lately I've been feeling like I'd love to do that again. On the whole, our area seems to be dying and we want to go somewhere vibrant and growing... though still small-town-ish enough to be pleasant and friendly. I've lived in an area of New Jersey where everyone was trying to one-up each other, and I don't like that.

Politically, we are very conservative... for example, we support Mike Huckabee for President even though it seems he's facing insurmountable odds. We're undoubtedly proud conservatives... and we want to live somewhere "red".

Naturally, we don't want to be trading one set of problems for another. I've heard that Texas can get tornadoes and the occasional dust storm (and hurricanes on the Gulf Coast), and also that there are nasty insects and snakes in Texas. We don't like any of that stuff. So, before we dive headfirst into checking things out, can y'all tell me what you love and don't love about your area? I'm interested in hearing about all areas. Thanks!

If you do NOT want much snow then avoid these areas: west Texas & the Panhandle. Those areas see more snow than any others and they do get the coldest in winters. The avg temp in places like Odessa, Abilene, Lubbock, Wichita Falls, Amarillo is COLDER in winter than Dallas. FYI: Childress is TYPICALLY the HOTTEST AND COLDEST.

If you want to live in a moderate sized city/town and not in a large city you do have options and being you might want to go back into being a youth minister I would suggest these might interest you: Waco, New Braunfels, Temple, Georgetown, San Marcus. They are all close to large cities but not IN one. Some are home to universities and attract a large student population for college kids (if you might be interested in ministering in that age group).

Since those areas don't have TONS of kids growing up, going off to college and them COMING BACK to get a job and settle down your wife might have a better chance of finding a position in the schools.

[TWB]

A comment on what a previous poster said about the temps of Abilene vs Dallas and some other cities. There is a HUGE difference between the temps in Abilene in the winter to the temps of Amarillo and Lubbock (up in the panhandle). The temp of Abilene in the winter is usually quite close to Dallas, often maybe 1-3 degrees colder. There is usally much more ice and snow in the panhandle than in Abilene. Abilene usually gets no more snow than does Dallas.

BTW, it's not perfect but Abilene is a pretty nice place to live! We love it, after having lived in another state for years.

[harrygrath]

Can u elaborate on mosquitos ?

Do they make u feel uncomfortable when u stay outdoor,near the pool. etc ..?

R there any measures u can take against them? Catches,sprays,ultrasound,anything ?

[whitechocolate86]

Bro, you should check out Denton...perfect for the musician (UNT is known for its music programs, especially Jazz)...I'm sure you could get plenty of business, your wife could probably get a job at one of the schools in the nice system we have here, Denton has a great nightlife...and whenever you need more...DFW ain't far at all! I'm planning to put pics of my hometown and DFW in the photo thread...

[case44]

I'd much rather focus on the good things about Texas. We've got great cities, great food, great scenery, wonderful history, lots of sunshine, beautiful women, rugged cowboys, tons of great stories, great music, loads of tourism, plenty of........


You know, I could go on and on......

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

If you do NOT want much snow then avoid these areas: west Texas & the Panhandle. Those areas see more snow than any others and they do get the coldest in winters. The avg temp in places like Odessa, Abilene, Lubbock, Wichita Falls, Amarillo is COLDER in winter than Dallas. FYI: Childress is TYPICALLY the HOTTEST AND COLDEST.

Personally, Momof2dwf, I wouldn't group Wichita Falls (my own hometown and place of residence) in with Lubbock or Amarillo. Or, as TWB noted, Abilene either. Even though Abilene is along that north/south axis of where "West Texas" truly begins, it is still, like WF, in that climatical zone known as "humid subtropical" typical of the southcentral and southeast quadrant of the country. Much more like Dallas than the higher elevations of Lubbock and Amarillo where winters are longer and much colder...

[tstone]

Pros and cons about TX, huh? Well everything you can mention has its good and bad points, in the cities anyway. I can make points about the overall cost of living, career opportunities, the weather and people. These are generally all good, but with all of that comes downsides, too.

Career opportunities can be great, but if you want a nice house & yard for a family, a commute is usually involved with bad traffic, but not LA-bad. Cost of housing is generally cheap compared to other big cities, and appreciation is generally low. Energy + gasoline bills add up fast, insurance + property taxes can be quite high, and sales tax is high at 8.25%. This seems like the perfect combination to stay comfortably trapped here.

The weather is good for me, even better in the summer because the warmth keeps me more active and therefore slimmer. But to a transplant, the heat can be unbearable at times, and may require some 'training' to get used to. Humidity? Get over it! Approx the eastern half of the country is in a humid-type of climate (subtropical or continental), and the majority of Americans live in these zones.

Dealing with pleasant folks in public, as well as friendly neighbors is nice, but sometimes the friendly neighbor is the snoopy & gossipy one. In the big cities it's usually the transplant from a small town bringing the old ways from back home with him/her. That said, you'd have to pay me a lot to live in a small TX town again. BTDT in college, and don't plan on it again. Country folks do country things... because boredom does weird things to some individuals.

I'll also add that IMO the entire TX coast is nothing to write home about. The natural scenery in the vast majority of the state is some of the most mundane in the country, except for some localized spots in Deep East and Big Bend... But even still, there are other parts of the US that are better. But, it allows me to have more appreciation for the scenery in other parts of the country that many people simply take for granted.