looking to relocate to texas from pennsylvania (Houston, Corpus Christi: rent, mortgage)

[momof5kidz73]

hi, my family and i (husband 5 children 12, 7, twins 4, 2.)We want a more relaxed feel to raise our kids in. we currently live in suburbs of phila, pa. i have several prefernces.
near beach
good schools

cost of living
safe neighborhoods
employment opportunities. my husband is a dept mgr in a grocery store. i am a pt phone operator. we also supplement our income with selling on ebay.
also we are selling our current home. looking to possibly rent first, apt or house. we should have a profit or 60,000.00 after we pay off remaining mortgage and some bills.
i also would like to go back to school to get my RN degree
i open to any suggestions. my kids wnt to be able to go to the beach on a reg. basis. my husband says wherever the wind takes us. just plan it.
thanks for your insight

[kixette]

I can't believe noone posted anything yet! I live in Surfside Beach, by Freeport, about an hour from Houston. We have a lot of "insulation" from the current financial issues in the US but still not a lot of jobs here. Houston probably better, and like I said, the beach is only an hour away. Maybe a suburb, like Missouri City, Katy, where you will have good schools to raise kids. Oh yeah, and cost of living, CHEAP! I never can get to far from Houston because I love the cost of living down here.

[GayleTX]

Texas Two-Year Colleges

Texas has a vast network of 2-yr. community colleges, many/most of which have nursing programs. Tuition is quite reasonable, altho you would have to pay out-of-state tuition until you've been a TX resident for a year.

[nerdygirly]

Not to be a kill joy but the beaches here are disgusting and I avoid the gulf, I don't know what you are used to but I came from California so I compare everything with the Pacific (which of course there are bad beaches but many good ones and even if the beach is bad the water is still pretty!). Here tho the water always seems muddy and dirty and it smells bad (probably something to do with the gulf being full of petro plants). Plus if you are near the beach you are leaving yourself open to storm surge from hurricanes. Granted I havent been down near Corpus so I dunno about the beaches there, but I have been told the gulf is only pretty on the "in" side around florida and such.

That being said! The woodlands in houston (or around) has good schools, its near Houston but not in it and Galveston wouldnt be too far to get to if you wanted to go to the beach, plus you would avoid the storm surge from hurricanes and such. Someone already mentioned Katy it's nice as well. Both of those areas are known for being somewhat 'high end' tho.

If being near a city isnt as important where I am has pretty good schools, and cost of living is cheap, plus there are some nice lakes that are much better than the gulf and doesnt have the risks of storm surge (I am in Little Cypress a subdivision of Mauriceville, Texas on Louisiana border an hour east of texas) Gulf isnt too far from here either. Plus State college is Orange, and University and Tech school is in Beaumont (Lamar State College, Lamar University, and Lamar Institute of Technology). And I am in a more rural area so it is probably as safe as it gets (most people out here leave their keys IN their car and I have picked up things from friends houses for them because they don't bother locking their doors!)

Sorry I'm kinda negative I am not a big Texas fan (can't get rid of my west coast roots!) but hopefully it gives you some places to look at.

[Kimmers333]

You should consider the Eastern Shore of Maryland if you are looking for a laid back, relaxed feel around the ocean. I live 15-20 minutes from the ocean and life here is extremely laid back and quiet. The schools are great and the kids are a first priority still to many parents. Unlike some places where kids wander around and do their own thing - parents here tend to get more involved.

Willards, West Ocean City, Berlin, Parsonsburg... all great areas close to the beach in MD. The beaches are beautiful too.

[frogandtoad]

The EAstern Shore of MD--now that is a great suggestion. I don't live there, but I've been several times. It is one of my favorite places. Beautiful, relaxed small-town atmosphere, water all around you, but still close to Annapolis (and not far from DC or Baltimore either) when you want a bigger town visit.

[calel]

I would recommend Sugar Land in Texas. It's on the southwest side of Houston and about an hour from the beach and about half an hour from University of Houston. It's a suburb that's constantly on the Best Places to Live type lists.

[momof5kidz73]

thank you for your input. we do prefer warmer weather most of the year. i spent several yrs in arizona and loved it. thats why we were looking at texas because the economy looks good as well as cost of living and weather is warm 9-10 months out of the yr.

[Canine*Castle]

You might want to post in the Corpus Christi section of Texas and Houston as well. CC is the beach and Houston isn't far from it. Remember, living on or near the Texas Gulf is an area prone to severe storms. It's extremely humid too if that makes any difference. You cannot compare it to dry AZ although hot is hot.

I will agree with nerdygirly. The Pacific truly rocks and the Gulf, well, it rocks when there's a hurricane or nasty thunderstorms.

[Stephanie P]

Canine*Castle is correct. Living close to the Gulf (anywhere around the Houston area) is going to be very humid. I lived in Arizona and miss that dry climate. I can't take the humidity here, it's terrible!
Be sure to look at property taxes when researching homes here, they are high; although we don't have a state income tax. Clothing is taxed here, unlike in PA.
Good luck in your search!