Want to move from CT to TX (Houston, Dallas: foreclosures, lease) - Texas - City-Data Forum

cstillie74 · 02-15-2010, 03:53 PM

Hello My name is Christine,
I want to move from Ct to Tx as it is just to much up here to live. The job market sucks and the housing market is one of the worst for foreclosures. I would like to be near longveiw or the area of gregg county. I need to find empolyment of course so any info on the would help a lot. My husband is a painter at a body shop and would need to find something comparable to what he is making up here. I have done retail and bookkeeping so I am sure i will have no problem finding something.I also need an area with good schools as I have 4 kids and my son has learning disabilities and needs a lot of extra help. I need to find a home for rent or lease with option to buy as i can not afford to buy. I have pets so need something that allows them as well. I need at least 4 Br and a nice big yard for dogs and kids. i would appreciate any information on housing and jobs that you all can give me. Thanks Christine

GayleTX · 02-15-2010, 07:37 PM

" need to find a home for rent or lease with option to buy "

A licensed realtor or mortgage broker may correct me, but I do believe that Texas has recently made is illegal for a seller to "lease a home with an option to buy." The US government is now even trying to pass a federal law to prohibit owner-financing. Both are going to make it very hard for many people to ever buy a home.

BTW....if anyone reading this wants to protest the 'owner-financing' issue, you need to email John Cornyn or Kay Bailey Hutchison. (If you are in favor of it, don't bother! LOL!!)

dewey2277 · 02-17-2010, 10:40 AM

Longview is very cheap, as is Tyler right by it. It is the sticks, as I grew up in Arlington, a sub area of Dallas. I don't know about the rent to own issue the person mentioned you would have to call if they have outlawed it?
But, as far as just renting I am sure you can find that size house at a cheap price. I would LOVE to move back to TX, we love in NY and are moving to CT, lol!! I just can't belive the differnece in prices of homes, it is nuts!

Also Longview area, is a good town to do painting that sorts of jobs. The bigger cities are IT, and business realted.

Good luck, I am SO jealous!!

Mark Senior · 02-17-2010, 11:15 AM

Why Longview? Just curious. I live in nearby Tyler, which by the way, may be called "the sticks" compared to DFW and Houston, but the Tyler/Longview Metro areas sit side by side and have a combined population of well over 400,000 - however, you can at least "see" the sticks from Tyler/Longview.lol

Anyway, your husbands will not be anywhere near what he made in CT, but the cost to live, will not be anywhere near Ct either. You will probably have to spend considerable time finding a house just right for you. The economy has really slowed down in the last year, hitting us later than the rest of the country. Come down first, if you can, to look around before you move, or have you already done this, as you say you want to move to Longview. Tyler or Longview schools, for the most part, are not your best choices. In Longview, Pine Tree, Spring Hill ISD's, it is said, are you best choices. In Tyler, Lindale, Bullard, Whitehouse are good schools. Again, why Longview, Tyler has larger upper income groups that like to spend their money and a larger retail base, and many higher paying medical jobs to spread the spending of income around. Therefore, for the type jobs you are looking for, though slim in numbers, Tyler may be a better choice. Of course for many reasons I like Tyler better but there is little wrong with Longview. Good Luck - Oh, Tyler ISD has a special needs school, called St Louis. Building a new campus now, with many updates for the special needs. Should be open this fall.

Poltracker · 02-17-2010, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cstillie74

Hello My name is Christine,
I want to move from Ct to Tx as it is just to much up here to live. The job market sucks and the housing market is one of the worst for foreclosures. I would like to be near longveiw or the area of gregg county. I need to find empolyment of course so any info on the would help a lot. My husband is a painter at a body shop and would need to find something comparable to what he is making up here. I have done retail and bookkeeping so I am sure i will have no problem finding something.I also need an area with good schools as I have 4 kids and my son has learning disabilities and needs a lot of extra help. I need to find a home for rent or lease with option to buy as i can not afford to buy. I have pets so need something that allows them as well. I need at least 4 Br and a nice big yard for dogs and kids. i would appreciate any information on housing and jobs that you all can give me. Thanks Christine

What is your budget? The job scene in Texas is not as rosy as people would have you think. If you move here without a job, you better have at least 6 months expenses saved up. Having said that, you will want something on the north side of Longview in Pine Tree or Spring Hill ISDs. Hallsville is not bad either. Not sure about their special needs programs though.

cstillie74 · 02-22-2010, 10:38 AM

Thanks for the reply's to my post I am just in the beginning of looking to move. I have a few friends that are in the Gregg county area one living in Gladewater and was told longveiw and around that area are pretty cheap for housing. I am open to other areas were my husband would be able to find a job in the line of work he is in. Most body shops dont list employment as it is a close nit type of area and goes by who you know and were you have worked that gets you a good job and a good shop. I know we will not make the money we made up here but the cost of living is cheaper so i am sure it will work out in that aspect.

I am hoping to have jobs lined up before we move but if not will have money to keep us set for at least 5-6 months. I really cant afford to come down first to look but like i said i have a few frineds down there who are will to help look for housing and jobs and keep my posted on what they find and what might be good fit for my family. My son is the only one who is in need of a really good school he has dyslexia and other learning disabilities that he needs help with. So i would need to make sure that they would have what he needs before hand.

Mark Senior · 02-22-2010, 03:12 PM

Still, look in the Tyler area for your sons needs. You could live somewhere between Tyler and Longview. Good Luck

good_eating · 02-23-2010, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GayleTX

" need to find a home for rent or lease with option to buy "

A licensed realtor or mortgage broker may correct me, but I do believe that Texas has recently made is illegal for a seller to "lease a home with an option to buy." The US government is now even trying to pass a federal law to prohibit owner-financing. Both are going to make it very hard for many people to ever buy a home.

BTW....if anyone reading this wants to protest the 'owner-financing' issue, you need to email John Cornyn or Kay Bailey Hutchison. (If you are in favor of it, don't bother! LOL!!)

There are many ways a land contract can be written. Maybe the owner sets aside a couple hundred dollars of the rent each month to be applied as a down payment 2 years later. No reason whey owners can't help finance a sale. Or the owner could put the land in a trust and sell the trust as a way to avoid any changes in laws.