What is it like living in Odessa/Midland? (Houston, San Antonio: house, buy)

[TexasJim30]

The problem with the COL in Midland/Odessa is that the boom/bust cycle 110% favors established landlords and discourages new entrants or property buyers.

Prices boom, and the cost of rentals and homes skyrockets. If you buy, you run the risk of finding yourself "underwater" on the mortgage (and possibly unemployed!) when the bust comes. This impacts the rental market as well, since landlords know that the towns' population will drop by half if a big bust hits and drive away their renters.

It sounds like you're probably aware of all of this already, so have at it. One thing I will say in Midland/Odessa's defense is that historically it's been the most viable US onshore production area and it probably retains the longest life expectancy of anything currently being developed in North America.

[TexanByMarriage]

Originally Posted by piper89

...as long as there is countryside, I'm pretty easy to entertain.

There is none. Absolutely none. Unless you have incredibly low standards to what you call 'countryside'.

My mother-in-law lives in Kermit (45 min West of Odessa) so I've spent my fair time in the area.

[R1070]

DFW is huge logistics hub. You'd do great here and way more housing and things to do.

[GoldenHair]

If you do move to Odessa/Midland then never ever drink the tap water!

[HappiVanderer]

I can't believe some of the sour stuff I am reading! Gosh-a-gosh, some people are mighty hard on Midland and Odessa.

I have lived here over 25 years and loved it. Just retiring soon now and considering moving to a place where I can fish every week. If this place had water, I'd never leave.

My son makes over $120,000 driving for the Oil Patch. Plus a BIG per diem to pay for the housing out here. He quit his IT job and drives for a big E&P company now, while the boom is booming! I make a load of money I wouldn't ordinarily, due to the boom.

I think this is a nice place, very nice place. Friendly people. Good shopping, nice places to eat. We have a lot of new food trucks, too, so we're in on the hipster food truck thing.

Sadly, the only thing this area does not have is a lot of nature. Yes, we have the Monahans dunes, we have a big sky, we have so much good sun, we have nice air. But we don't have much water, and it's a drive to get to some nature, but San Angelo is 2 hours away and it has some nice lakes considering there are no other nice lakes hereabouts.

Come on, come here and make money, then you can pick and choose where to move next!

[C24L]

I live in Midland and i have been living here for 25 years now.I dont really like it much anymore....I want to move real bad.It is incredibly boring,overpriced,super high cost of living and there is nothing to do here besides eating out and shopping.Its really isolated.5 hour drive to the nearest big cities or too expensive flight out of the airport.They price gouge so much here and there's poor service at the eateries.We have bad schools.Its ugly and there's no water.Cant wait till i leave lol.

[Mark Senior]

Originally Posted by HappiVanderer

I can't believe some of the sour stuff I am reading! Gosh-a-gosh, some people are mighty hard on Midland and Odessa.

I have lived here over 25 years and loved it. Just retiring soon now and considering moving to a place where I can fish every week. If this place had water, I'd never leave.

My son makes over $120,000 driving for the Oil Patch. Plus a BIG per diem to pay for the housing out here. He quit his IT job and drives for a big E&P company now, while the boom is booming! I make a load of money I wouldn't ordinarily, due to the boom.

I think this is a nice place, very nice place. Friendly people. Good shopping, nice places to eat. We have a lot of new food trucks, too, so we're in on the hipster food truck thing.

Sadly, the only thing this area does not have is a lot of nature. Yes, we have the Monahans dunes, we have a big sky, we have so much good sun, we have nice air. But we don't have much water, and it's a drive to get to some nature, but San Angelo is 2 hours away and it has some nice lakes considering there are no other nice lakes hereabouts.

Come on, come here and make money, then you can pick and choose where to move next!

Make money as you say, then get the heck out of Dodge. Your reason is the ONLY I personally would live in M/O. For sure there are far worse places to live in America, but really there are unnumbered places to live that are FAR better in practically every way.

Just give up years of you life to make enough major bucks to live LATER where you would rather. Toss that coin, that all will go as you planned for that "far better world," some years away.

[HappiVanderer]

Originally Posted by Mark Senior

Make money as you say, then get the heck out of Dodge. Your reason is the ONLY I personally would live in M/O. For sure there are far worse places to live in America, but really there are unnumbered places to live that are FAR better in practically every way.

Just give up years of you life to make enough major bucks to live LATER where you would rather. Toss that coin, that all will go as you planned for that "far better world," some years away.

I like something President Lincoln once said: "A man is about as happy as he makes up his mind to be."

Wise words! I have lived all over and I really like Midland-Odessa. I think a person can easily be happy here. Time is going to pass no matter where you are. I'd rather be here, making a good living, than be in some supposedly better area being poor. Been there, done that. Making a GOOD LIVING is key. Lived in places considered so very desireable, but found out, FOR ME, that they weren't the be-all, end-all, and they weren't even close.

I didn't find the beauty around Seattle all that satisfying when I couldn't afford to keep my house warm enough, get quality clothes to keep warm, get Goretex footware to keep my feet dry and pain-free, save anything for retirement, spend less than 3 hours a day in traffic, get anything fixed, etc. In Santa Fe, lived in a rabbit hutch house in a rabbit hutch neighborhood, so to speak. Spent money on alarm systems, on fencing, on a mortgage that was ridiculous for a beat up cinderblock fake adobe, spent money on private school because the public schools for the neighborhood were horrible. In both places, I had bought into the idea that happiness would be mine if only I could be in those "cultured" wonderful places full of natural beauty.

I think a person's personality plays into it all, too. Introverts who basically live inside will fare well here (if making oil patch money). Extroverts who enjoy their church families will fare well here.

I'm not spending my days waiting for a future day. I'm enjoying my days and finding the fun, making the fun, being satisfied with the small things in life. And easing my mind because I can bank a lot for unexpected troubles. It feels good to save and be ready for my family's needs.

Finally, and of course everything on City Data is just anecdotes, but I CAN live anywhere I want. I CAN move anywhere I want. I have chosen to live in this area for 25+ years because it's a nice place. I have compared it to other places, and I haven't found many that I'd consider better (for me). Certainly not "unnumbered." It all depends on what a person likes, what "speaks" to them. My two cents - ha ha more like my ten cents! Now, if JOBS were still plentiful like when I was young, maybe a lot of places could be considered as giving Midland-Odessa a run for its money - but JOBS are not plentiful, and the pay is bad in a lot of places now. Things cost more now, but that's a discussion for a different forum, most likely.

[Mark Senior]

Oh sure. I COULD force myself to accept Midland. I'm generally happy and CAUSE others to smile and EVEN laugh, such as sales clerks at check out stands. But why would you chose to move to somewhere you KNOW you can't change the weather, the terrain, the distance from civilization, lol.

But, you and thousands of others live there, so it's so good you like it so well. Continued good times to you.

[ragnarkar]

Originally Posted by HappiVanderer

I like something President Lincoln once said: "A man is about as happy as he makes up his mind to be."

Wise words! I have lived all over and I really like Midland-Odessa. I think a person can easily be happy here. Time is going to pass no matter where you are. I'd rather be here, making a good living, than be in some supposedly better area being poor. Been there, done that. Making a GOOD LIVING is key. Lived in places considered so very desireable, but found out, FOR ME, that they weren't the be-all, end-all, and they weren't even close.

I didn't find the beauty around Seattle all that satisfying when I couldn't afford to keep my house warm enough, get quality clothes to keep warm, get Goretex footware to keep my feet dry and pain-free, save anything for retirement, spend less than 3 hours a day in traffic, get anything fixed, etc. In Santa Fe, lived in a rabbit hutch house in a rabbit hutch neighborhood, so to speak. Spent money on alarm systems, on fencing, on a mortgage that was ridiculous for a beat up cinderblock fake adobe, spent money on private school because the public schools for the neighborhood were horrible. In both places, I had bought into the idea that happiness would be mine if only I could be in those "cultured" wonderful places full of natural beauty.

I think a person's personality plays into it all, too. Introverts who basically live inside will fare well here (if making oil patch money). Extroverts who enjoy their church families will fare well here.

I'm not spending my days waiting for a future day. I'm enjoying my days and finding the fun, making the fun, being satisfied with the small things in life. And easing my mind because I can bank a lot for unexpected troubles. It feels good to save and be ready for my family's needs.

Finally, and of course everything on City Data is just anecdotes, but I CAN live anywhere I want. I CAN move anywhere I want. I have chosen to live in this area for 25+ years because it's a nice place. I have compared it to other places, and I haven't found many that I'd consider better (for me). Certainly not "unnumbered." It all depends on what a person likes, what "speaks" to them. My two cents - ha ha more like my ten cents! Now, if JOBS were still plentiful like when I was young, maybe a lot of places could be considered as giving Midland-Odessa a run for its money - but JOBS are not plentiful, and the pay is bad in a lot of places now. Things cost more now, but that's a discussion for a different forum, most likely.

I'm not compatible with 99% of the people in the area but I don't really care cause I'm a strong introvert who spends most of his free time on the Internet. But you hit the nail here; if you're an extrovert who doesn't go to church, you'll likely find this area miserable, at least when it comes to a social life (or lack thereof.)