looking for a smaller town (Houston, Austin: apartment, rental, crime)

[daisy_duke]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

HPR...how beautifully descriptive...i could almost feel the beauty of the High Plains right here from my couch....wow!

yes it does sound beautifull!!!

[daisy_duke]

Originally Posted by High_Plains_Retired

Good for you for disregarding today's logic. I came to west Texas and eastern New Mexico forty years ago as a AF serviceman. As I recall, I had two types of acquaintances among the men I served with who were from all over the country. There were those who absolutely despised the High Plains for its weather (we have weather not climate) and its wide open spaces. We have towns with names like Plainview, Broadview and Levelland. And then there were those folks like me who were silently amazed by the wide open expanses and the sunsets that illuminated the evening summer skies with colors even Crayola couldn't reproduce. As a young serviceman man, I've stood on a flightline and watched the twisting tails of tornadoes dip down and rip out a few clumps of snakeweed or tumbleweed, or a shed or fence, then return to the clouds above as they moved from southwest to northeast. Being from very tame-weather eastern Texas, I was drawn to the area simply by wonderment. It was not so with that first group of boys who despised the area. When it came time to leave the Service, they quickly went home to Chicago, L.A., N.Y., Maine, and many other places very unlike the High Plains. Not me though. I stayed and, although a career in biology took me away for numerous years, the wonderment of the High Plains has never worn off.

But to be fair, I probably should also mention that my beautiful wife now of 36 years is from the High Plains of Texas and I also dearly loved her folks (now deceased.) In short, I have built a lifetime of good memories out here.

As far as recommending west Texas towns, I probably could live anywhere within 100 miles of Lubbock in any direction. In fact, my wife and I are currently looking at rural homes with acreage around Shallowater, northwest of Lubbock. Lake Ransom Canyon and Buffalo Springs southeast of Lubbock have some really nice areas with a lake but homes can be a little higher in comparison to other areas of the City.

The one thing I would highly recommend if you plan to buy a home in any Texas county. Closely examine the tax structure of that county first. Texas pretty well leaves property taxes up to each county so there can be huge differences in what you pay on the same property from county to county.

Again, best of luck in your pursuit of a Texas home.

thankyou!! i like levelland alot from what i'm seeing i'm worried though cause someone said west texas you would need to speak spanish ,and i dont know any
is this true?

[daisy_duke]

Originally Posted by Back2TX

Hi daisy... I see that you are coming from Lexington, KY. I grew up in TX but have lived in Louisville, KY for the past 5 yrs. Are you wanting to find similar scenery like the beautiful lush state of KY? If so.... you might look into east Texas. We are moving to a nice smaller town (in a week) called Longview... however; there are lots of nice small towns all around that area. Good luck on your adventure... I hope you love Texas like we do!

thankyou for the suggestion i'll keep it in mindand good luck to you to!!

[GayleTX]

Daisy.......


Whoever told you that was grossly exaggerating the situation. There are quite a few Spanish-speaking people in Levelland but they tend to operate in their own circles. I just moved from the Panhandle a couple of years ago........I don't speak Spanish at all and I worked in business all day every day for 5 years.......never had problem. Some of our workers were Hispanic but there is always one in the group that translates for the rest of them. And we had quite a few customers who were Hispanic, but they, too, always had someone with them who could translate. No problemo, senora!!!

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by daisy_duke

thankyou!! i like levelland alot from what i'm seeing i'm worried though cause someone said west texas you would need to speak spanish ,and i dont know any
is this true?

Not at all. You hear Spanish out here a lot but you certainly don't have to know any to get along. Although I know a minimal amount of Spanish, I learned most of it working in the Port of New Orleans. I've rarely used it out here unless I've gotten a call from a wrong telephone number or I've had one of my antique tractors for sale and the customer was Hispanic, usually an older man. However, everytime this has happened, the man has always had a young son or daughter, or a friend, as an interpreter. Besides, once you live here a short time, you will likely have Hispanic friends and will start learning the language and not even be aware of it. Spanish is a fairly easy language and I've been told that women pick up foreign languages a lot easier than men. But in short, you do not need to know a word of Spanish in the Texas High Plains to get along just fine.

BTW, my wife and I have also looked at Levelland. Home prices there are incredibly reasonable. However, I think my wife and I have zeroed in on Shallowater, or possibly Brownfield, if in fact we actually make the move back to our native Texas from Albuquerque. The thought of moving a household full of furniture at age sixty is a bit daunting but the thought of a rural home is very appealing to this former farm boy.

[daisy_duke]

Originally Posted by GayleTX

Daisy.......


Whoever told you that was grossly exaggerating the situation. There are quite a few Spanish-speaking people in Levelland but they tend to operate in their own circles. I just moved from the Panhandle a couple of years ago........I don't speak Spanish at all and I worked in business all day every day for 5 years.......never had problem. Some of our workers were Hispanic but there is always one in the group that translates for the rest of them. And we had quite a few customers who were Hispanic, but they, too, always had someone with them who could translate. No problemo, senora!!!

ok good ...phewlol

[daisy_duke]

Originally Posted by High_Plains_Retired

Not at all. You hear Spanish out here a lot but you certainly don't have to know any to get along. Although I know a minimal amount of Spanish, I learned most of it working in the Port of New Orleans. I've rarely used it out here unless I've gotten a call from a wrong telephone number or I've had one of my antique tractors for sale and the customer was Hispanic, usually an older man. However, everytime this has happened, the man has always had a young son or daughter, or a friend, as an interpreter. Besides, once you live here a short time, you will likely have Hispanic friends and will start learning the language and not even be aware of it. Spanish is a fairly easy language and I've been told that women pick up foreign languages a lot easier than men. But in short, you do not need to know a word of Spanish in the Texas High Plains to get along just fine.

BTW, my wife and I have also looked at Levelland. Home prices there are incredibly reasonable. However, I think my wife and I have zeroed in on Shallowater, or possibly Brownfield, if in fact we actually make the move back to our native Texas from Albuquerque. The thought of moving a household full of furniture at age sixty is a bit daunting but the thought of a rural home is very appealing to this former farm boy.

good luck to you and your wife is the crime bad in levelland or is there a drug problem are the people friendly?how about brownfield i was looking at it last night and it seemed nice

[latetotheparty]

Originally Posted by High_Plains_Retired

Not at all. You hear Spanish out here a lot but you certainly don't have to know any to get along. Although I know a minimal amount of Spanish, I learned most of it working in the Port of New Orleans. I've rarely used it out here unless I've gotten a call from a wrong telephone number or I've had one of my antique tractors for sale and the customer was Hispanic, usually an older man. However, everytime this has happened, the man has always had a young son or daughter, or a friend, as an interpreter. Besides, once you live here a short time, you will likely have Hispanic friends and will start learning the language and not even be aware of it. Spanish is a fairly easy language and I've been told that women pick up foreign languages a lot easier than men. But in short, you do not need to know a word of Spanish in the Texas High Plains to get along just fine.

BTW, my wife and I have also looked at Levelland. Home prices there are incredibly reasonable. However, I think my wife and I have zeroed in on Shallowater, or possibly Brownfield, if in fact we actually make the move back to our native Texas from Albuquerque. The thought of moving a household full of furniture at age sixty is a bit daunting but the thought of a rural home is very appealing to this former farm boy.

even after 22 years in the midwest, i am surprised at how much spanish i still understand..... now i was NEVER fluent in spanish, just around it so much growing up in houston, that i came to understand quite a bit......

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by daisy_duke

good luck to you and your wife is the crime bad in levelland or is there a drug problem are the people friendly?how about brownfield i was looking at it last night and it seemed nice

In truth, my wife and I have not gotten as far as looking into crime levels for the various places. We've found several nice rural homes with acreage around Brownfield but we had hoped to sell our Muleshoe, Texas properties before we get too serious about looking for a Lubbock area home.

Brownfield, the County Seat for Terry County, is much smaller than Levelland, which is the County Seat for Hockley County, but Brownfield is large enough to have a small Walmart. If colleges are important to you, Levelland has South Plains College although the much larger campus of Texas Tech at Lubbock would always be available to you or your children from Brownfield.

Regarding friendly people, I've lived in Texas, Maryland, Louisiana and New Mexico and I would have to say that the old story seems very true to me about Texas being a very friendly state. Keep in mind however my observations are only anecdotal and I thought people in Washington D.C. were friendly when we lived up there. I would add only that it has been my observation that in the past few months that many working Americans are stressed out due to the rapidly rising living costs. Friendliness has definately suffered everywhere.

[daisy_duke]

college isnt much important i was thinking of taking some classes maybe as medical assistant
does levelland have a walmart (i'm addicted lol)
i was on this one site idcide.com it said that property and violent crimes are lower than texas average i'll just have to visit to see for myself

Originally Posted by High_Plains_Retired

In truth, my wife and I have not gotten as far as looking into crime levels for the various places. We've found several nice rural homes with acreage around Brownfield but we had hoped to sell our Muleshoe, Texas properties before we get too serious about looking for a Lubbock area home.

Brownfield, the County Seat for Terry County, is much smaller than Levelland, which is the County Seat for Hockley County, but Brownfield is large enough to have a small Walmart. If colleges are important to you, Levelland has South Plains College although the much larger campus of Texas Tech at Lubbock would always be available to you or your children from Brownfield.

Regarding friendly people, I've lived in Texas, Maryland, Louisiana and New Mexico and I would have to say that the old story seems very true to me about Texas being a very friendly state. Keep in mind however my observations are only anecdotal and I thought people in Washington D.C. were friendly when we lived up there. I would add only that it has been my observation that in the past few months that many working Americans are stressed out due to the rapidly rising living costs. Friendliness has definately suffered everywhere.