Need info on Del Rio (San Antonio, El Paso: real estate, movers, neighborhood)

[momojojo]

Hi - I'm new at this. I'm in California, hoping to retire in TX. My husband is hunting with buddies in Harper, TX, and they recommended looking at Del Rio. We were considering the Hill Country. We want to have an acre or two, close to amenities, medical facilities. Is the humidity not as severe in Del Rio? What about the mosquitoes? Is Laughlin AFB still active? How is the cost of living?
Is it safe? Thanks for your help. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[Muhnay]

WHAT IN THE HECK? DEL RIO.. are you serious?! Have you ever been there? Do you know Spanish? I would not live in Del Rio if I was given a Million Dollars a year to do so.. no joke. It has to be one of the worst places in Texas.

[momojojo]

Well, I am from Central California, but no, no Spanish. That bad?

[Steel Man]

I would take Del Rio over Laredo or Eagle Pass.

Anyway, Laughlin AFB is still open. The base has a BX and commissary, but they're small. You can go to Lackland AFB in San Antonio (150 miles away) if you need to. Humidity averages around 75% in the morning, but decreases as the temperature goes up. The temp can get up to 105+ during the summer. Several people retire near Lake Amistad and snowbirds come to this area in winter.

[ocean2026]

Del Rio does have Amistad Reservoir which is scenic - on the other hand it is one of the most isolated places in the US- not many retirees.

Rockport is full of retirees from many places - its on the water - everyone speaks English even the 20% hispanic population. I went to college in Cal and like Rockport alot. I also like El Paso but its a big desert city.

Rockport Fulton: Charm of the Texas Coast - Rockport-Fulton Area Chamber of Commerce check that out- lol tell them Steve who's on the school board sent ya.

Deep south texas has even warmer winters than Rockport but its 80% Hispanic not a bad thing but Spanish is spoken widely. Great food - corrupt goverment.

Youre a couple so you wont mind that Rockport has way more men than women, or that the valley is the opposite.

[Muhnay]

If you don't know Spanish, then I would not suggest DEL RIO, if your looking for a military base to go to for your retired needs, I would suggest El Paso then.. we have the VA Hospital here, we have Fort Bliss for shopping, and a new state of the art Military hospital being built... with Beaumont here now if you need any medical stuff. You can still get 2 ache lots in Chaparral NM and be close to all that you listed here in El Paso.. or there are areas on the far east side of town you can get 2 ache lots still.. I would suggest you give El Paso a look see.

Dont tell anyone I promoted El Paso though.. =)

[ChristieP]

My in-laws have lived in Del Rio for most of their lives, and while they love it there, I would NOT recommend it for a newcome, especially retirees. You WILL need to speak some Spanish to get along there. My MIL is almost totally bilingual, and she often has to "interpret" for FIL!

Society there is difficult to break into. Most of the movers and shakers (my in-laws are these) have been there forever and already have their friends. Unless you are a rancher or a railroader, you may not be part of the "in" crowd. AFAIK, there is no Senior Center or any type of activity for local seniors. You'd pretty much be on your own...

There are NO good medical facilities in Del Rio. Trust me!! Most Del Rio residents go to either San Angelo or San Antonio for medical unless it is a dire emergency. The Val Verde County hospital is small and does not have a good reputation. Laughlin is a VERY small base that only has a small clinic. You'd want to go to the bigger bases in San Antonio for VA care.

Cost of living is pretty cheap, but real estate is catching up to the rest of Texas. The bad thing about living out on acreage is Del Rio is that depending on the area, you may have illegal aliens crossing your land and stealing stuff. This is a big problem in the area just west of town and the area towards San Antonio.

Crime...well, there is a lot. Del Rio has a HUGE drug problem since it is right on the Mexican border. There are also a LOT of uninsured drivers from Mexico, and if one of them hits your car, you are out of luck in getting any $ from them.

Honestly, look at San Angelo just 2.5 hours north. They have EXCELLENT health care (Baptist Memorial Hospital is one of the nation's BEST for geriatric medicine!) and much lower crime. Plus, there is a university there for arts and other activities. They have great senior programs. The town is also a lot prettier.

[Canine*Castle]

I've thought of retiring in Gillespie County near Harper. Does your husband not like that area? I believe scenery and weather-wise, it would be much nicer than Del Rio.

[momojojo]

Thank you all for your input. We don't need an AFB nearby.. just wondering if it was still active, since I do have a son-in-law who is career and will be returning from Germany in 3-4 years with my daughter & grandkids and we're hoping to at least be a state or two away from where they'll be located. He won't go to CA. Don't blame him. By the sound of my post, it makes us sound kind of old. I hate the word "retirees" and "need medical facilities nearby" because we sound like geezers. I just don't want to be so isolated that if one of us where to have a heart attack or something we could at least get somewhere in a reasonable amount of time. I kind of want a small town feel - main street USA. We do have a horse & mule and to consider. This is his first trip to TX hunting (we've been to San Antonio (my daughter went to BT at Lackland AFB, plus we've been there a couple of times on pleasure) I loved it, but we're looking for something smaller. We currently live on 2.5 acres and it would be tough to go back to residential neighborhood living. Everything we hear about TX just sings to us, but it sounds like we have a lot of looking to do. Any other towns you can suggest would be welcome. Thank you all so much.

[Muhnay]

Ok so you want..

1:Small Town
2:Hospital ( just in case )
3:Be close to your son - when he returns.
4:Land or some privacy - something horse friendly
5:Nice weather

Well I would definitely suggest and it seems like a perfect fit for you is SAN ANGELO TX! They have an air Force Base there your son could put in for, they are Horse Friendly, small town feel... have a good size hospital there that can take care of your needs, and I am sure the outskirts you'll be able to find a ranch or land to have your horses.

San Angelo --

San Angelo, Texas :: The Place to Come for Good Times

Here is a Web cam of Downtown to give you an idea of the city..

Downtown Web Cam : News : gosanangelo.com

I really think that SAN ANGELO TX is the perfect fit for you.. if your Son should be stationed at Tinker in Oklahoma, or any of the other Texas or New Mexico air force bases, you would be real close. Good luck.. but please avoid Del Rio, I don't think you would be happy there, and its a dangerous area to live.

Goodfellow AFB is there.. here is a link.

http://www.goodfellow.af.mil/