Please change my mind about moving to Austin (Houston, Dallas: apartment, amusement parks)

[Jenni5]

I hope that all of you can share your experiences and insight about the Austin area. I've never been out west so this is all foreign to me. However, I have been reading and researching and I have to admit that some of the things I've read scare me.

Here's my dilemma. My husband and I were both born and raised in Florida. Three years ago we were transferred up to PA by way of my husband's employer. At the time I was more than happy to move because I was tired of the heat and humidity. I love it here in PA. It does get a bit too cold for me in the winter and I can handle an inch or two of snow but no more. I enjoy the change in seasons and the landscape with hills and trees.

We currently own a townhouse which I hate and would love to live back in a house one day. We will never be able to afford one up here or at least we won't for several years. The houses are astronomically priced up here. I feel bad because we have three small children (all under 6 years old) and they are so limited in things they can do as far as riding a bike, etc, because there are no real streets or sidewalks at all since it's more like an apartment community.

My husband has the opportunity to transfer down to the Austin office of his company. I see that the housing is much more affordable down there so that would help us get into a house quicker and give the kids a neighborhood to play in. These are the things that scare me:

1) The heat. I really do not want to go back and deal with the heat like I had in Florida. Many people say that the heat is a "dry" heat and it's not anything like Florida so in that sense it's promising.

2) Rattlesnakes. How common are those? That terrifies me, once again, because of my small children and playing outdoors.

3) Scorpions. How common are those? They also scare me because of the same reason the rattlesnakes do.

4) What are the temperatures like there? Are the 100 degree days the norm for summer? If so, that's WAY hotter than Florida.

5) What about landscape? I picture Texas to be flat with a desert look to it. What's it look like? Does it have a lot of trees or any mountains?

My husband has put these thoughts in my head, unfortunately because he said "You know there are rattlesnakes, scorpions and killer bees out there along with tarantula's, too"

Sorry this post is so long but you can see how undecided I am. I would love to hear some encouraging words about the area because I'm really leaning towards moving there but need to overcome these issues.

Thanks in advance!!!!

[newrrmom]

1) The heat. I really do not want to go back and deal with the heat like I had in Florida. Many people say that the heat is a "dry" heat and it's not anything like Florida so in that sense it's promising.---Grew up in Florida and it reminds me of it, especially on rainy days. When it is 100+ here it is miserable!!!

2) Rattlesnakes. How common are those? That terrifies me, once again, because of my small children and playing outdoors.---We have never seen a sanke here anywhere.

3) Scorpions. How common are those? They also scare me because of the same reason the rattlesnakes do.---We had 2 when we moved in it's been over a year and have not seen anymore. All we see are spiders. NO HUGE cockroaches like Fl. either (I hope)

4) What are the temperatures like there? Are the 100 degree days the norm for summer? If so, that's WAY hotter than Florida.---Like I said above it's "drier" hot then Fl. unless it rains and it feels just like it because the temps are down.

5) What about landscape? I picture Texas to be flat with a desert look to it. What's it look like? Does it have a lot of trees or any mountains? No mts. but lots of trees, pretty green still for being so hot.

[Jenni5]

We had 2 when we moved in

Hopefully not IN your house. How do you kill them if you see them or do you just leave them alone?

Thanks for all your answers. One other thing comes to mind. Do the leaves change there or do they just stay green like in Florida? Do you ever get snow, too?

What are the best family communities to live in around Austin? We would want the best school districts, too.

What is there to do for families around there? Are there many shopping malls or amusement parks? Zoos or museums?

[newrrmom]

Hopefully not IN your house. How do you kill them if you see them or do you just leave them alone?---YEP in our house and they freaked me out, I found out they are not poisonous like I always thought, so it's not AS scary, if you got stung they say like a bee sting?? We just flushed them.

Thanks for all your answers. One other thing comes to mind. Do the leaves change there or do they just stay green like in Florida? Do you ever get snow, too?----leaves change, not magnificant, it gets pretty darn cold here, we moved her in Jan. 07 and made it just in time for a ice storm. Everyone had all the cold weather gear and I was shocked, it's not hot TX like I always imagined before moving here. Snow would be very light if any, from what I have heard, have not had any while here.

What are the best family communities to live in around Austin? We would want the best school districts, too. ---Round Rock, Cedar park, Leander all are suburbs with great schools and affordable homes. This is what I am familar with, South of Austin might have some good areas/schools also??
Sounds like you want a home and on a budget, these areas you could find a home, Hutto is VERY cheap, schools????
You have to remember homes seem cheap but the taxes are horrid, you are looking at a mortage about everywhere else in the country, when all is said and done~

What is there to do for families around there? Are there many shopping malls or amusement parks? Zoos or museums? ---We are always busy
here is a example what is going on in area. Mr Johnny Music and family activities in Austin
San Antonio is where you will get amusment parks, sea world etc...
Several malls, lots of outdoor fun to be had in 'nice' weather.
They have Austin Childrens musuem. Then I know the art museum has a kids day, have not been.
Up N. in RR and surrounding areas there are lots of kids play places inside for when it is hot, BUT then you have to pay
There are many water parks also in surrounding areas, like New Braunfels has Shlitterbaun.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by Jenni5

I hope that all of you can share your experiences and insight about the Austin area. I've never been out west so this is all foreign to me. However, I have been reading and researching and I have to admit that some of the things I've read scare me.

Here's my dilemma. My husband and I were both born and raised in Florida. Three years ago we were transferred up to PA by way of my husband's employer. At the time I was more than happy to move because I was tired of the heat and humidity. I love it here in PA. It does get a bit too cold for me in the winter and I can handle an inch or two of snow but no more. I enjoy the change in seasons and the landscape with hills and trees.

We currently own a townhouse which I hate and would love to live back in a house one day. We will never be able to afford one up here or at least we won't for several years. The houses are astronomically priced up here. I feel bad because we have three small children (all under 6 years old) and they are so limited in things they can do as far as riding a bike, etc, because there are no real streets or sidewalks at all since it's more like an apartment community.

My husband has the opportunity to transfer down to the Austin office of his company. I see that the housing is much more affordable down there so that would help us get into a house quicker and give the kids a neighborhood to play in. These are the things that scare me:

1) The heat. I really do not want to go back and deal with the heat like I had in Florida. Many people say that the heat is a "dry" heat and it's not anything like Florida so in that sense it's promising.

2) Rattlesnakes. How common are those? That terrifies me, once again, because of my small children and playing outdoors.

3) Scorpions. How common are those? They also scare me because of the same reason the rattlesnakes do.

4) What are the temperatures like there? Are the 100 degree days the norm for summer? If so, that's WAY hotter than Florida.

5) What about landscape? I picture Texas to be flat with a desert look to it. What's it look like? Does it have a lot of trees or any mountains?

My husband has put these thoughts in my head, unfortunately because he said "You know there are rattlesnakes, scorpions and killer bees out there along with tarantula's, too"

Sorry this post is so long but you can see how undecided I am. I would love to hear some encouraging words about the area because I'm really leaning towards moving there but need to overcome these issues.

Thanks in advance!!!!

1 and 4) It's hot. Some of us love the heat. 100 degree days don't bother us at all. If it concerns you, come visit for a week when it is hot and see if you acclimate well. We will normally have roughly thirty 100 degree days a year (my guess) and many in the 90s. You can probably find climate info searching online.

2 and 3) This will sound like I'm discounting your worries, but if I were to make a list of 100 things for people to think/wonder about before deciding to move to Austin, scorpians and rattlesnake fears would be at the bottom. Yes, people sometimes get stung by scorpions, wasps and bees also. So what? Others have never even seen one. Call the local Austin emergency room and ask them how many cases a year come in from scorpion stings or rattlesnake bites compared to auto crashes and playground accidents, and that might put the question into perspective for you. Scratch it from your list of worries.

5) Austin is scenic and beautiful in most areas. Do a google search of "Austin TX" and click the images link.

Come on in, the water's great!!

[Jenni5]

You have to remember homes seem cheap but the taxes are horrid, you are looking at a mortage about everywhere else in the country, when all is said and done~

Hmmm.....can you give me an example of the yearly property taxes there? People may have a different perspective as to what "high" means. I have read that, though, so I am curious.

I appreciate all the info. It's helping me to learn more about the area. I still feel a little undecided, though. I don't know why the heat is scaring me off. Geez, I was born and raised in Florida. I don't know. I guess because in PA we are starting to flirt with the 70's weatherwise and that is just wonderful.

I spoke to my husband last night and he said it was VERY hot there yesterday. He said you just stepped outside and it was like walking into a mouth.

Is there much crime in Austin? I know every city has their crime. But I guess comparing it to PA which has shootings every single night and even day.

[gregandvicky]

We lived 30 miles east of Austin for 4 years in the pine trees.

In four years, wife was bitten by a brown recluse spider, I was stung by scorpions twice, not bad sort of like a bee sting, but the brown recluse required doctors care.

Being in the country is probably worse than in the city, but I generally killed 4 or 5 scorpions inside a year and 30 to 40 a year in the garage.

Hot, yes, hot, not so much the temperature, but the heat index factored in with the humidity.

We moved back to Phoenix and we feel better here and the dry heat does not bother us like the humidity did.

Bottom line, visit, see for yourself, different strokes for different folks.

Property taxes vary by area. Milage rates run from $2.50 and up. A $150,000 property can range from $3500 to $4500 a year, remember I said roughly, some higher and some lower.

We hated it, some love it. If we all liked the same thing it would be a boring world.

[love roses]

1. Heat: Less humid than Florida, but not dry like Colorado, New Mexico, Utah or California. (I understand the milder climate thing; we lived in Colorado for 6 yrs. and the summers are pretty sweet there )

2. Rattlesnakes: They're here, but not just out and about in the neighborhoods. They are not just everywhere you look though, so just be cautious walking around rocky areas. I wouldn't worry about them in your backyard or anything. One thing to note: The rat snakes and king snakes and hog nosed snakes (non venomous) eat rattlesnakes so be very happy if these snakes are in your area.

3. Scorpions: I live East of 35 and I don't believe ANY scorpions live out this way. You will find them more West of 35.

4. Temperatures: I find 100 degrees to be relatively normal for summer. Although, many consecutive days of 100 like we're having now aren't always so common.

5. Landscape: Depends heavily on what region of the State you live. There are the Piney Woods and places such as Bastrop and even along the coast with lots of trees. Central and West Texas have Hill Country and small mountains, with the "mountains" being more in West Texas. South Texas and North Texas are more flat, with North Texas being a little more green and South Texas being more dusty or sandy. West Texas is also dry.

As for your husband trying to scare you, don't take him 100% seriously. Yes, there are scorpions, tarantulas, and killer (africanized) bees. Have I seen any of these things in my entire lifetime of living in Texas? No, saw a scorpion once in Tyler when I was a kid visiting my grandparents farm. And anyway, even if scorpions and tarantulas are to be seen, they really won't hurt you and if you got a bite from a scorpion, it's mainly like a bee sting. I've not run into killer bees either, but there is actually info out there on what to do if you HAPPEN to encounter them, and running like mad isn't one of them.

The leaves do change, but I have a feeling it's nothing as spectacular as back East where you are. Some of the towns a little more towards the coast do get some nice color changes.

Almost any community you pick around Austin will be family friendly, regardless of East or West of the freeway or North and South of town. Austin has lots of families and young people. newrrmom is right about the school districts. Eanes and Lake Travis, however, would be the absolute top of the charts BEST if you get really technical, but the other school districts have very good schools and great reputations. Hutto doesn't have schools that rate Exemplary yet, but we have recognized and Acceptable ones. I think a lot of that has to do with the size of the town and funding and such. Parental involvement is urged.

There are tons of things to do in Austin. For major attractions, you will have to travel to one of the nearby cities like Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio. Waco for the zoo as well (Cameron Park). Austin has these things on a much smaller scale though, like Rockin' River at Old Settlers Park, Dell Diamond, Barton Springs, various swimming holes, shopping, malls, outlets, a rescue zoo.....We also have 2 highland lakes nearby, Travis and Buchanan as well as town lake, Lake Austin, Lake Georgetown, Granger Lake and Lake Bastrop. Tons of other kid activities as well:sports, dance, ice skating, gymnastics, theater, etc....

[Trainwreck20]

Weather - the weather here is hot, no two ways about it; however, it is NOT as humid as the gulf coast (or FL), so it generally does not feel as bad here as on the coast when the temperatures are the same (95 in Austin is much more comfortable than a typical 95 degree day on the coast). This summer is unusually hot - yesterday was near record high and many other days have been at or near records. Last summer was unusually cool with way more rain than usual. The up side is, the winters here are generally very pleasant and the cold spells limited in severity and duration. If you like the 70s, you will love the fall, winter, and spring here .

As for taxes, 2.5% is probably very typical and you will usually here 3% as a rule of thumb to use when planning your expenses. Using that rule, a $200,000 house would have $6,000 a year in taxes (or around $500/month). In reality, it is probably noticeably less, but taxes vary A LOT by specific location (County, city, utility district, etc.).

As for crime, it seems like it is not bad to me, but I have lived here a long time, so not really experienced with crime elsewhere. There are murders, but they almost always seem to be related to drugs or between acquaintances - the random murder/mugging seems pretty rare.

[pbnj07]

I love the heat. Coming from NJ, I appreciate it.

And I don't care what anyone else says, Austin is not humid! I still visit NJ frequently and my last trip was just a few weeks ago. It was only 93 degrees, but you couldn't stand outside for more than 5 minutes because of the humidity.

It was over 100 here yesterday and I loved being outside!