If Texas is soo great, why is it so cheap? (Houston: property taxes, insurance)

[Muhnay]

Originally Posted by Canine*Castle

I didn't even go all the way to Roanoke, but I wasn't far from it. That is one area I truly loved. It's just gorgeous.

I will have to look more into it then.. one thing though is I want to be near the water.. ( Ocean ).

Right now I am considering Corpus, Galveston area or back to Seattle. I would move back to Mississippi, or Florida, but the wife does not want to be in that much humidity.

State taxes are killer though.. I don't know whats worse high property tax, or state income tax.. I would work lots of over time, but the state got most of that money.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by Muhnay

I will have to look more into it then.. one thing though is I want to be near the water.. ( Ocean ).

Right now I am considering Corpus, Galveston area or back to Seattle. I would move back to Mississippi, or Florida, but the wife does not want to be in that much humidity.

State taxes are killer though.. I don't know whats worse high property tax, or state income tax.. I would work lots of over time, but the state got most of that money.

I would choose Seattle over all the rest of the places you mentioned and that's mainly because of the lack of heat. Of course, you'll get a lot of rain in Seattle, but that's kind of pleasant. Washington state is so gorgeous, the western area. Eastern Washington is barren and unattractive. Washington doesn't have state income tax. I have a friend who lives there and she's incredulous as to how high my electricity per kwh costs. I believe her homeowner's insurance is quite less than here, but I can't remember what she pays for property taxes. If it weren't so far from my children, I think Washington would be a wonderful place to live.

As much as I loved the Pacific Ocean growing up there, I absolutely adore mountains over water although in Washington, one can have both, just like I did in California. Pretty, pretty, pretty.

[Chickrae]

Originally Posted by Canine*Castle

That's cheap. I pay in that range in Texas for a modest home, county and school only, no city.

It is pretty cheap thats why we will probably be heading to St George instead of Texas. My home property tax in Northern Utah was only 980 a year on a 220,000 home. So I figure I will pay a little more for a home but the taxes will be lower too and in the long run it will be less money going out. I really loved Texas when we visited though and wish we could go there.

[Muhnay]

Originally Posted by Chickrae

It is pretty cheap thats why we will probably be heading to St George instead of Texas. My home property tax in Northern Utah was only 980 a year on a 220,000 home. So I figure I will pay a little more for a home but the taxes will be lower too and in the long run it will be less money going out. I really loved Texas when we visited though and wish we could go there.

Have a spare room ready for me.. =) Good luck in Utah. I think you will enjoy it. Buy that ladies house, the view she has is outstanding. make sure to let me/us know where you end up out there, and what your impressions are. ok?

[lutarian]

So no place more beautiful then Texas and no place with lower cost of living then TX uh? Have you guys done any intense travelling or lived anywhere else? Seriously. Just off the top of my head I can name Arkansas, TN, Kentucky, Ohio...and that is without even thinking...those places have a lower cost of living then Texas.

As for more beautiful. Northern California, Washington State, Western Montana, Arkansas, TN, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maryland...I could go on and on.

[Muhnay]

Originally Posted by lutarian

So no place more beautiful then Texas and no place with lower cost of living then TX uh? Have you guys done any intense travelling or lived anywhere else? Seriously. Just off the top of my head I can name Arkansas, TN, Kentucky, Ohio...and that is without even thinking...those places have a lower cost of living then Texas.

As for more beautiful. Northern California, Washington State, Western Montana, Arkansas, TN, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maryland...I could go on and on.

Thats good, please do, don't let the door hit ya, where the good lord split ya. Everyone wave good bye to Lutarian, he is leaving the great state of Texas For Greener Pastures.. Bye Bye.. Cya!



Now name a place better looking with no state income tax, and a lower cost of living.. meet all the criteria in one, instead of splitting them like you did.. oh wait never mind your not here to ask any longer.

[texdav]

Of those states most are too cold or too wet for me personlly. I've been to all of them. If I could take the cold ;I'd pick Colorado as it is our most beautiful state other than alaska.I've even lived in five of thsoe staes and didn't like them at all.But anyhwre nice there is much more expensive than the nicer parts of texas.

[GoingHome2TX]

I just moved back to Texas from Western Montana a couple of months ago. Sorry, I am not feeling the love for MT's beauty when I remember that you have to look at a bunch of houses in the way to see any mountains.

For the fifteen years I lived there, the last 10 were basically like counting down a prison sentence until I could scrape by enough money to get out. What the Feds didn't take, the state would gobble up.

Then there was the climate factor. Summers were more brutal than a South Texas summer to me. Winter was just plain miserable.

I'm not saying Texas is for everyone, but neither are any of the other states you gave as examples.

[Canine*Castle]

The following link shows cost of living stats for the 1st quarter in 2008. Yes, that could change and 3 months isn't the greatest way to view this, but it gives an idea anyway.

Cost of Living 1st Quarter 2008

[lutarian]

Muhnay...you don't know about cost of living in other states do you? You are one of those people that are so much in love with TX that you can't admit that there is any place better.

I travel constantly, have a few houses in a few states and have friends is many states that I visit regulary. No state income tax means nothing like you try to make it out to. You need to take everything into consideration. Housing costs, food costs, insurance, property taxes, etc. You can have state taxes and still have a lower cost of living.

I currently have a house that I purchased for $250,000 in TN. Very large, brand new construction and pure luxury. The same house would be 1 million or more here in Texas. The taxes on that house are a fraction of what they would be in TX. TN pays slightly lower then TX but your dollar goes MUCH farther. Great over all weather in Central to Eastern TN. Mild winters. Just don't look at Western TN...it sucks.

I also own a house in West Virginia which is 3 bedroom/2 bath, two solid oak hand carved stairways, 5 fireplaces with solid oak mantles inlaid with tile and mirrors, solid oak floors, wrap around porch, balcony and an acre of river front propery...do you have ANY CLUE what that would cost in TX? About 2 million PLUS. I paid $150,000 and my taxes nearly nothing. WV is our summer getaway.

Have a house in Texas also when we come to visit my wifes parents. Much smaller house with much higher taxes.

A buddy of mine just purchases a 4,000 square foot house in PA for $250,000 and it's brand new construction. Gorgeous house.

So do the numbers. You buy a house 4 times lower cost then TX, your taxes property taxes are 75% less, your insurance is less...then add their state tax if they have any...even with state tax added...because of the much lower cost of housing and property taxes your dollar goes farther...and is some cases MUCH FARTHER.

TexDav...every place I mentioned as lower cost of living..they are. There of course will be areas that are high dollar but as a whole the cost of living is cheaper then TX. I agree that Colorado is quite nice. Love Pikes Peak.

GoingHomeToTX. Don't know where you were in Montana but I did not see what you saw. I will agree that winters suck in Montana though.

Muhnay. You probably still will believe what you want to believe. I bet I could personally take you to places all over the USA and you would still not admit it.

Keep in mind that your great state of TX is being over run by illegals just like Cali and it will eventually be like it use to be...Mexico.