Moving to Rio Grande Valley (Houston, Dallas: rent, car insurance, condo)

[ariasl00]

Hi

I'm thinking on moving to texas, specially in the Rio Grande Valley. I would like to know which city is the best in all general aspects.

[BobTex]

Do you speak Spanish? You'll need to. The area is quite depressed from illegal immigration and all civic responsibilities are strained......including healthcare! (Although if you're a nurse they have great sign-on/recruitment bonuses).

And are you aware of the drug wars going on with incursions by Mexican drug cartels into South Texas?

[ariasl00]

Thanks for the information. The only thing I know about that place is the manufacturing and industrial companies over there like the "maquiladoras". I'm currently working as an IT consultant specializing with databases and applications design for the manufacturing industry. So maybe there are a lot of opportunities down there. I'm also thinking of Houston. But I prefer small cities, pacific areas. Which big or small city do you recommend? thanks.

Originally Posted by BobTex

Do you speak Spanish? You'll need to. The area is quite depressed from illegal immigration and all civic responsibilities are strained......including healthcare! (Although if you're a nurse they have great sign-on/recruitment bonuses).

And are you aware of the drug wars going on with incursions by Mexican drug cartels into South Texas?

[BobTex]

Technology based jobs should be pretty well around the population centers with Austin and Dallas heading that up as Houston is still the energy capital (not to say there isn't IT stuff out the wazoo there too)!

Corpus Christi is nice with clean beaches and the Padre Island Nat'l Seashore nearby. San Antonio is building quite a manufacturing base also (Toyota building a major facility there).

I have chosen to stay away from major met areas because of traffic issues even though I could probably make 10-15% more there. I live in a rural area and commute 50 miles to work (in Beaumont). If I were to move to another part of Texas I think I would go either to the Tyler area or Temple area.

[ORRIN0`]

Originally Posted by ariasl00

Thanks for the information. The only thing I know about that place is the manufacturing and industrial companies over there like the "maquiladoras". I'm currently working as an IT consultant specializing with databases and applications design for the manufacturing industry. So maybe there are a lot of opportunities down there. I'm also thinking of Houston. But I prefer small cities, pacific areas. Which big or small city do you recommend? thanks.

This is a misconception... Those happen in Laredo, not the valley.

Not much to do in the valley tho honestly, which may be both good and bad.

[Spookmeister]

Brownsville, Harlingen and McAllen would be your choices in the valley but frankly, unless there's serious hazard pay involved, I don't know that anyone in IT voluntarily relocates there.
Not that it's a bad place or anything, you'll have South Padre Island at your doorstep with all the touristy things to do and can go across the border for even more enlightened night entertainment but there's nothing else to do.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by ariasl00

Hi

I'm thinking on moving to texas, specially in the Rio Grande Valley. I would like to know which city is the best in all general aspects.

If it were left up to me, I'd choose Mission or McAllen. I lived in the valley one summer (McAllen CC condo) while I was doing graduate work at PanAM (Edinburg). I left as fast as I could, and have never been back...and have no desire to ever go back. I speak Spanish, too. It's HOT and humid, very tropical.

Not my thing for sure, though I thought it was.

[210]

Originally Posted by BobTex

San Antonio is building quite a manufacturing base also (Toyota building a major facility there).

San Antonio also has a large and fastly growing tech industry.

You have Rackspace which is based in San Antonio and currently hiring 700 people. Not to mention the NSA's major expansion that will bring 2,000 jobs.

Also, San Antonio has a large growing data center industry and is expected to land a 1 billion dollar Microsoft data center.

[conanS]

Hazard pay?? you guys listen to the media crap too much. I am a white guy and have lived here 2 years and have never had any problems!! Now, what more could I do to be a target?? Crime here is over exaggerated. Mostly theft and burglary!!

[AlamoGirl]

I would reccommend some of the smaller towns.. cuz there so close to the city of Mcallen.. you would just be paying more rent to be near all the noise. But ConanS is right alot of people over exaggerate the crime in the area... they watch the news too much... i will admit though people do drive like idots here. have good full coverage car insurance.......But i have never been mugged, beaten or anything like that. even with all the times i went drinking in mexico as a teenager and some how found my way back. LOL My house has been burglarized they just got the tv.. but that kinda my fault ( no fence or dog and the door was unlocked oOOPpps)..