small TX town where rents are cheap, and more. (Houston: fit in, cheap apartment)

[murof]

I live in Denver right now. I do not like the semi-arid climate. I drive a LOCALtruck, and rent an apartment. I would like to choose a small city to relocate to. I am mainly focused on TX because of its tax climate, therefore its potential for job growth. I make pretty good money in Denver doing what I do, about $20 an hour. I know the chances of finding a good paying LOCALtruck driving job in a small TX town are remote. But I would accept a lowerpaying job if the cost of living, namely rents, was low. I think it wouldbe best to find a town within a 60 miles radius of a large city. Two small cities I amlooking at are: Conroe, TX (north of Houston), and Sherman, TX (north of Dallas). There is also a few others: Victoria, TX, College Station, TX,and Lufkin. Lufkin is isolated, but it seems to be in a good location, recreationally speaking, and maybe it is a growing area? Recreation is very important to me, as are lakes, rivers, and trees.As you recall, it is the semi-arid climate that I dislike in Colorado. I figure I can always return to Colorado, if things don't work out.I am not eager to move around, though, since moving is a huge pain. I am single, just turned 50, I have a dog and a cat. Can you recommend a small townwhere I can find cheap apartment rents, possibly cheap housing prices, a growing area, economically and population wise, with trees, water,and recreation? I do appreciate you.

[Poltracker]

If your looking at Conroe, also look at Huntsville. You might also think about Longview i you are looking into East Texas.

[lothartheterrible]

Lufkin is, well, Lufkin; the area it is in is stable but not really primed for growth. It is in a beautiful part of the state, however, and is not without its charm. In East Texas, the best places to look are Longview and Tyler. If you are considering Sherman, also look into Corsicana and Waxahachie; both are near the D/FW Metroplex and Waxahachie is an historic community with several dozen beautiful Victorian homes surrounding its city center. If you end up wanting to land closer to Houston, I agree that Huntsville would be a good place to look, as would Rosenberg and Victoria.

You may also want to have a look at Seguin; it is close enough to San Antonio to keep you busy but not so close to the explosive growth going on along IH-35.

Good luck

[murof]

those are great suggestions, thank you. I have never heard of some of them, and it gives me something to explore. It would help if I could choosebetween one of the metros but I can't. Utimately whichever area has themost wooded areas and waterways will be where I will be drawn. For this,I'm GUESSING North Texas would be good because I know Southern Oklahoma is wooded, and the Red River provides for a border. I am surprisednobody scolded me for thinking about leaving a $20 an hour job in a bad economy. I am worried about this there is no doubt about it. But I just don'tthink I can stand another boring summer in dry Colorado. Summers areabout thunderstorms, ya know, down pours, tornado warnings, green skies,good stuff like that. I think being a midwesterner I would fit in better inDFW. I'm guessing Houston is more rednecky than DFW. Thanks for your suggestions. The thought of moving to a place as big as DFW wouldbe too much. I really want a smaller town to live and work, but within60-70 miles of a major city. Too far for commuting, but close enough tofeel its presence.

[catman]

If you don't like thunderstorms and tornado warnings, DFW isn't a very good place to be. It gets worse to the north (Oklahoma has really caught it so far this year), but we certainly get our share.

As for myself, I like 'boring' dry weather. Boredom is much better than hearing the weather sirens go off and wondering how big the hail will be this time. Don't get me wrong, I like Fort Worth, but spring weather leaves something to be desired.

[EasilyAmused]

How about Athens TX? Seems to be a lot of money on 175 around that area. Close to Dallas.

[Stephanie P]

I like Sherman much more than Conroe. Conroe traffic is a nightmare everytime I go through there. Sherman has gotten much bigger lately. I was there last month and they have so many places to eat and shop now. I'm sure you can find a house or nice apartment to rent that is reasonably priced. You could also look at the small towns just south of Sherman, Howe, Van Alstyne, for lower rent prices. Also, you are really close to Lake Texoma in Sherman.
I know you want to leave the dry climate, so get ready for the humidity. It is a little less humid in North Texas than the Houston area.
Good luck to you!
Stephanie P

[murof]

thanks for the Athens suggesting, I will put it on my index card. Also appreciate theSherman over Conroe opinion. Sherman sounds like a good choice right now.

[mayhem154]

We moved to Waxahachie about 3 years ago and love it. You'll be about 30 miles from Dallas and 60 from Waco. There is plenty to do and see here and the cost of living is low. The north side of town is really growing with new housing and retail, but south of US 287 has more of a small town feel to it.

[catman]

I agree. Waxahachie is a very nice town, especially if you like antique shops. I'd take the south side of town.