Moving to Austin and panicking! (Round Rock, Hutto: sublet, lease, houses)

[ForeverAmber]

Ugh! This is the first day I've received an email notice that someone has posted in the thread so I didn't realize that all this feedback was here...thank you everyone!

No, I'm still in full panic mode AguaDulce, however, I recently began taking some homeopathic stuff to help with the stress. Not sure how I feel about homeopathic drugs but eh, we'll see.

His apprentice ends in about a year...at that point he will take the Tradesmen test and then in another year his Journymen test so we have a ways to go. We have found several apartments that are going to work with us through an agent but still nervous about the amount of money. The only reason we decided to move forward with this move is because of what several of you have said...the plumbing and trade occupations are crazy good in the Austin area and it's the perfect place for him to continue on.

I am seriously willing to work doing anything at first just to get settled and even have some call center experience!

Where there's a will there's a way right?!?!

We are currently looking into the roommate scenario through Craigslist as I've been told Austin is big on Craigslist! My children are older and in college so we won't have to worry about anyone else besides just us for the first few months...my son will join us when he is done with his semester. We have looked into co-ops, extended stay or ratty hotels, and even "Tiny Houses" there in Austin so finger crossed!

I think just seeing everyone's responses (other than A-Tex but I totally get where you are coming from and thanks for that perspective. lol.)has really boosted my confidence in this move. Thank you so much!

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Eastcoasting

and the SCORPIONS don't forget about the SCORPIONS!

Will you be able to live on his salary?

And the snakes. Found one garter snake yesterday in the back yard (black with yellow stripe on top and sides). Found another one in the front yard today. I'm not sure if it's the same one. Unlike the neighbors who kill any snake they see, I knew it was harmless and could probably get rid of the lizards that have been invading my deck area.

[ForeverAmber]

Austin-Steve,

You are absolutely right about the wage vs. cost RIGHT NOW. The plumbing industry is a great trade especially if you are in the right area. In Amarillo right now the going hourly wage for an Apprentice is $8/hr. He is actually making a fair amount more than this now but there isn't much growth up here. This has been a very well researched thought process for us as far as what's better long term. As you can see by other posts, Journeymen are make far more than an Apprentice.

I have a degree in Accounting and I don't really anticipate a problem with my finding good opportunities as well. I had a friend who does HR for Home Health Care in Austin look over my resume and she was extremely encouraging as someone who sees lots of resumes.

As far as blowing sunshine up my hooha...while the thought is entertaining and even a little exciting...let's not go there. For the most part ya'lls posts have been very enlightening, encouraging, and straight forward but no need to get tacky A-Tex. I'm NOT a criminal and even have a letter of explanation from the judge involved and have yet to have a serious issue with it but it doesn't make it any less stressful when moving to a new place. Like I said, I do appreciate your feedback and perspective but you are actually hinging on rudeness IMO.

Again, THANK YOU to those that have brought a little more information that the fiance and I can chew on a bit and mull around.

[Aquitaine]

As a (small-time) landlord I would echo other posts' caution. If you are willing to live outside of Austin -- down towards Buda or Kyle in the South or Georgetown / Leander in the North -- then your budget goes from 'terrible' to 'workable,' but I don't think I could make an $1,800/mo budget work with an Austin address unless you had roommates -- and your landlord will still give you a hard time about your credit and background check.

If it were me reviewing an application, I'd be more concerned about bad credit than a one-off misdemeanor, particularly if it was a while back. Landlords like patterns. Even picky landlords appreciate on some level that people screw up. If you have 1-2 years of good credit and work history as a buffer between now and bad credit territory, you might be able to parley that into a persuasive case. Don't mention homeopathic drugs, though.

No landlord is going to want tenants who have to spend 40-50% of their total revenue on rent, so that means moving a little farther out and commuting. Workable for a year or two if possibly miserable.

If I were you, I'd look at the outskirts. If you don't (always) have a rush hour commute, places like Kyle, Buda, and Georgetown are just fine, and much friendlier on the pocketbook. Plus they need plumbers as much as anywhere else!

Personally - I don't see the stress of trying to make all that work being worth it. Learn a trade somewhere that's cheap to live in, THEN come to the city. We've got the same pipes here as you do in Amarillo!

[RoadWarrior12]

You'll be able to find a job. You might have to start in retail or combining a couple of PT jobs, but it's extremely doable. Particularly in the north area retail centers. There's now hiring signs all over Lakeline/Cedar Park/Leander.

[ForeverAmber]

*giggle* note to self: do not mention the homeopathic drugs to prospective landlords.

I totally agree your last statement Aquitaine regarding it not being worth it. However, I am trying to take in one more little piece of the puzzle and make it fit and that's my son. He just started college and what he is majoring in (Mass Communications) would not really be fruitful here in Amarillo either. Let's face it, Amarillo is a rural, conservative, non-progressive town and is really dead. Austin would benefit him as well for education and a future. I have several friends that work at one of our local broadcasting stations who have repeatedly told me to get him out of here if he wants a great future.

No, Austin isn't the ONLY place that we can go for fiance and/or son but in two years my parents will be retiring to Fredricksburg, I have a younger brother (no, he cannot help us out) who lives in Leander and a ton of cousins in San Marcus/San Antonio area so really this move makes sense. Yes, we can wait for 2 years until Koty (the boy child) is ready to transfer to Austin as well and we may end up doing that.

The fiance is actually going to be working around 183 & 622 so we are looking at Plugerville, Hutto, etc for possible places to live. We even have friends in Blanco but I'm told that's an hour ride into Austin.

Yes, you for sure have the same pipes in Austin that Amarillo does however, yours pay a bit more.

Aquitaine...is there a place (as a small-time landlord) that you might could recommend to search for roommates other than Craigslist or is that our best bet?

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on the extended stay hotels until I can get some sort of employment going?

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by ForeverAmber

Ugh! This is the first day I've received an email notice that someone has posted in the thread so I didn't realize that all this feedback was here...thank you everyone!

No, I'm still in full panic mode AguaDulce, however, I recently began taking some homeopathic stuff to help with the stress. Not sure how I feel about homeopathic drugs but eh, we'll see.

His apprentice ends in about a year...at that point he will take the Tradesmen test and then in another year his Journymen test so we have a ways to go. We have found several apartments that are going to work with us through an agent but still nervous about the amount of money. The only reason we decided to move forward with this move is because of what several of you have said...the plumbing and trade occupations are crazy good in the Austin area and it's the perfect place for him to continue on.

I am seriously willing to work doing anything at first just to get settled and even have some call center experience!

Where there's a will there's a way right?!?!

We are currently looking into the roommate scenario through Craigslist as I've been told Austin is big on Craigslist! My children are older and in college so we won't have to worry about anyone else besides just us for the first few months...my son will join us when he is done with his semester. We have looked into co-ops, extended stay or ratty hotels, and even "Tiny Houses" there in Austin so finger crossed!

I think just seeing everyone's responses (other than A-Tex but I totally get where you are coming from and thanks for that perspective. lol.)has really boosted my confidence in this move. Thank you so much!

OP, you seem nice & very detail oriented. I think people might be able to help you more if you'll tell us the cross streets of where your hubby's employment will be. Saying "North" Austin could be anywhere. It might jog one of us to remember a cheap but nice place for two adults to hang their hat for 6 months. Since you don't have to worry about schools & might be able to make do with a One BR place it might open up your options a bit.

And if he isn't going into a specific workplace each day, what (specific) areas will he be commuting to. Be specific! (Cross Streets). For example, I can drive to some parts of "North" Austin in 32 seconds. Other parts of "North" Austin would take me 40-45 minutes during the morning commute.

Good luck.


Edit: You just posted while I was posting. Were you meaning to say that his work is 183 & 620?

If so, Pville & Hutto are options, but the Toll Roads might be expensive. Again, since schools aren't an issue, you might look in north Leander or even Liberty Hill. Another option with that might work given his work location would be Lago Vista. It's really pretty out there, might be cheaper (since it's a semi-retirement area & on the "wrong" side of the Lake) & the commute wouldn't be too bad for you all.....maybe a 15 mile, 20-25 min. drive.

Anderson Mill is nice (& has nice parks) is less than a mile from 183 & 620 & has apartments & a few rental homes.....but I suspect the rent will exceed your budget. (But who knows, it only takes one place). Good Luck.

[ForeverAmber]

I wish I knew how to do the quote post thingy.

RoadWarrior...now THAT's the feedback I'm looking for! That gives me a little hope and that's the area we are looking at. I will scrub toilets if necessary!

[ForeverAmber]

hound 109

Yep I meant 183 & 620. I will have to look into Lago Vista! Ugh! Toll roads! I hadn't even thought of those! I think the Anderson Mill area is where I found an apartment that has said "YES!" to us but they won't have anything available until December. I really think a temporary roommate situation would be ideal until December but I'll admit that I'm very scared of finding ourselves in the midst of a serial killer! Up here in good ol' boy country we are a bit behind times and you just don't find that type of living situations often. I've been told that it's very common in Austin!?!?

[RoadWarrior12]

FYI. The Target right next to that intersection has had "Now Hiring" signs up for a couple months, and that whole area is loading up for holidays. An emergency job (or jobs) is easy there right now. It's a big difference between $1800/mo and $3200/mo. I'd hop online and start applying now.

The accounting job is going to be a little tougher with the TBC on your record, you'll want to target smaller businesses that don't care so much about background checks - there's quite a few of those (mainly service/construction) in Cedar Park and around that 183/620 area.

For the living situation, that location is going to make the house hunt a lot easier, you an get way out (Lago, etc) and it'll be way cheaper.