Texas' Best Kept Secret--South Padre Island (Houston, Corpus Christi: real estate, rent, insurance)

[Terra Mar]

South Padre Island, at the tip of Texas is just one of the towns with tremendous growth in the Rio Grande Valley Real Estate prices are
very reasonable for an island. Example: 2bdrm/2Bath Condo-$159,900

[teatime]

This is your second post about this. Are you trying to sell real estate or vacation packages? Sorry, but that's against the rules.

[Terra Mar]

The area is a perfect retirement destination....especially in the Winter
and Real Estate here is very reasonable.

[tstone]

SPI has a lovely climate (essentially the same as Houston in the warm season). Also in the off chance of a hurricane's storm surge, the entire island could be wiped totally clean (elevation 7 ft). They do have probably the best beaches in the state, but IMO that's not saying much. And let's face it, SPI is essentially a border town. It's 'very reasonably priced' (in realtor-speak) due to these reasons.

[txsizzler]

As much as I would love to live on SPI, I would be too fearful of the Hurricane issues, as well as just being a bit too close to the border. Don't get me wrong, I love south Texas, but thats just a bit too far south. Corpus Christi would be about as far south as I would like to go (although it too is in Hurricane country.. lol).


Ian

[marmac]

I met a Minnesotan friend this May who just returned from selling his SPI place that he has owned for 5 years.

The reason he gave was----hurricane insurance.

He stated he would live in it and rent it out ocassionally, but the steep insurance was not more than he could afford, but more than he was willing to pay.

He stated his wife loved SPI more than he did and they both had lots of friends, but if he ever bought again in Texas he would buy somewhere along Hwy 77 between Waco and Victoria as he liked driving through that area on his trips to and from Minnesota.

[**NoodLes**]

Sorry but South Padre Island is NOT a big secret, its beaches are nice but fail in comparison to most other beaches.

[texan55]

Why are people so afraid of the border?

South Padre Island is good if you like ecostuff, fishing, or surfing.

[Muhnay]

And would you really want to put up with the Mexican Border, and all its downsides? Really?

[DWong]

Pluh! You are kidding right? Been to SPI a million times, but like anything else, supply and demand... it ain't that great.

Rio Grande Valley? Eeek man! Growth there bc you can buy a house for 75k. Lets face it, high unemployment and crime that is one of the highest in the nation... lets be serious, if you're established, that place is one of the last places you'd want to be.

For one, it's not an island.

It's probably the cheapest place in the US to say you "live on the beach" maybe that's it's appeal

The weather is down right NASTY! Ok, winters are nice, but still below avg weather with gross humidity. People prefer Florida beaches by far.

The water probably contains every known disease to man (have you seen how turbid it is?)

Really nothing to do or see on the SPI. After a few trips, nothing new or anything really changes. No real establishments or business. It picks up 2 weeks a year for the local college crowds, which growing up I found to be HIGHLY overrated. (It's just the closest beach for pretty much anyone living in the midwest).

In conclusion, it's nice to visit once in a while, but lets be honest, it's deserted pretty much year round for a good reason. Save your $$ and buy a nicer place in Florida, esp now that prices there are falling fast!