thinking of relocating from nyc (Dallas, Austin: transplants, house, neighborhoods)

[chrislori]

Hello, looking for some info and guidance -- contemplating a move from nyc to texas, looking at different areas (austin, DFW) wondering if i could get some insight from locals. Myself, wife and 2 young children (19 and 5 months). Looking for good schools, family-oriented neighborhoods (shopping, restaurants, parks, etc.) and most importantly good schools. Job is not an issue. House budget $600k. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated

[ImOnFiya]

Of all places, why Texas? New York and Texas are like oil and water (industries, accent, food, politics). They often do not mix.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by ImOnFiya

Of all places, why Texas? New York and Texas are like oil and water (industries, accent, food, politics). They often do not mix.

Whatever happened to CT as a destination for NYers?

[clarksvillemom]

There are lots of NY transplants all over Texas. If you are choosing between Dallas and Austin ask yourself do you want a big city or a smaller (but not really all that much) city? Do you want something more like NYC with more fine arts culture and amenities or something with a small amount of that but still develping? Do you want something more liberal or more conservative (generalizing here - there are of course conservatives in Austin and libs in Dallas). Do you want public or private schools? There are more private schools in Dallas. Schools are a mix- some good, some bad, in both cities. When you decide on a city, then decide whether you want to live close in to downtown/central or not. I would think coming from NYC you'd want to live close in, esp. in Austin. 600k should get you something pretty nice wherever you choose, but in central Austin you'll need that much as a starting point for a 3 bedroom house

[Eastcoasting]

Originally Posted by chrislori

Hello, looking for some info and guidance -- contemplating a move from nyc to texas, looking at different areas (austin, DFW) wondering if i could get some insight from locals. Myself, wife and 2 young children (19 and 5 months). Looking for good schools, family-oriented neighborhoods (shopping, restaurants, parks, etc.) and most importantly good schools. Job is not an issue. House budget $600k. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated

If you had to stay in NY metro what towns would you consider? Where would you consider, Westchester, LI, North Jersey?

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by ImOnFiya

Of all places, why Texas? New York and Texas are like oil and water (industries, accent, food, politics). They often do not mix.

The OP never said "NY is part of my DNA."

So I'd say why not Texas?

For the OP - $600K is a great budget for housing. You can live in just about any area of Austin you want with good schools. Some areas of Eanes ISD (usually considered "best") are well above $600K.

The OP needs to tell us a bit more about what is important from a lifestyle perspective.

[winkosmosis]

Keep in mind the property tax will be about 3% so over 30 years you will have paid $600K for a $300K house, and that's assuming NO appreciation.

[Eastcoasting]

Originally Posted by winkosmosis

Keep in mind the property tax will be about 3% so over 30 years you will have paid $600K for a $300K house, and that's assuming NO appreciation.

and you can live in a Hudson river town with a 35 minute commute to GCT in a 1600 sq ft crumbly 1940s cape cod that cost you 700K and pay 24k a year in taxes

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by winkosmosis

Keep in mind the property tax will be about 3% so over 30 years you will have paid $600K for a $300K house, and that's assuming NO appreciation.

Probably closer to 2.2%-2.6% (per year).....but yes, DO factor property taxes into your math.

5 month old & a 19 month old?? This is easy....RENT for 6 months to a year while you get your bearings! At 500-600K, you could select from 7-9 different areas that feed into 7-9 good to great HS feeder programs. We rented for 6 months....were sure we were going to live in one area. Dumped that & put an offer on a home in another area. That fell thru & found a better home/area 4 months into the looking.

Rent for 3-4 different reasons (less stress while looking, more time to get a sense of the communities, more time to do research & time to check out traffic (even local traffic can be a b*tch sometimes) at different times of day.

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by ImOnFiya

Of all places, why Texas? New York and Texas are like oil and water (industries, accent, food, politics). They often do not mix.

You're joking right? Texans and New Yorkers do indeed mix. We have two children to show for it.

There are many New Yorkers here, more than you realize. I'm one of them. Also, not all New Yorkers are liberal and New York State (not City) is largely conservative.