How did Austin dodge the bullet? (San Diego, Mart: foreclosure, condo, new house)

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

Anybody that tells you that they are happy living in Austin is telling you lies.

I am 25 years in Austin happy. It ain't perfect but it is where I want to be.

It seems the majority of people in California aren't so happy about all those taxes. Every tax related proposition was defeated this week. It's kind of funny to look at the California boards on this site. Lots of people complaining about their taxes, the government, and their cost of living - and they live there unlike you complaining about Austin.

[Huckleberry3911948]

one thing for sure lockheed sunnyvale CA did a gradual but huge move there over last 10 years, big fat W-2s. this will help any community.

[Huckleberry3911948]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

Anybody that tells you that they are happy living in Austin is telling you lies.

i beg to differ. i love texas.
i think however with the right temperament and attitude you could be unhappy anywhere.

[atxcio]

I've been in Austin 20 years and love it. That's not to say I wouldn't love other cities, such as San Diego or the Bay Area (given enough $$$)... But compared to other places I've lived (Providence, Dallas, Houston), I like Austin best.

[artsyguy]

Well Austin is primarily traditional white Anglo country. White Anglo people will love it. Some people are not into that, people like myself enjoy diverse cultures including gay, art, Hispanic, and other ethnic groups cultures.

Originally Posted by atxcio

I've been in Austin 20 years and love it. That's not to say I wouldn't love other cities, such as San Diego or the Bay Area (given enough $$$)... But compared to other places I've lived (Providence, Dallas, Houston), I like Austin best.

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

i beg to differ. i love texas.
i think however with the right temperament and attitude you could be unhappy anywhere.

Originally Posted by hoffdano

I am 25 years in Austin happy. It ain't perfect but it is where I want to be.

It seems the majority of people in California aren't so happy about all those taxes. Every tax related proposition was defeated this week. It's kind of funny to look at the California boards on this site. Lots of people complaining about their taxes, the government, and their cost of living - and they live there unlike you complaining about Austin.

[mlassoff]

No one would ever accuse me of loving Austin. I am Jewish and gay-- But never had employment troubles in Austin at all.

Of course, I am skilled, with a positive attitude and most importantly, make money for my employers. I think many gays (specifically) who ***** about "employment discrimination" are their own worst enemies and generally have attitudes that would prevent me from hiring them.

As someone who worked in Austin for the last fifteen years, and spent 10 of them in a role where I hired and fired others I couldn't care less about someones race or sexuality. What I did care about was attitude and skill. Over the years I've had black, white, hispanic, asian and people of unknown race and sexual orientation work for me. Those who did a good job were always rewarded.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

Well Austin is primarily traditional white anglo country. Some people are not into that.

Well, I am hispanic (not Mexican, though)... but light skinned and don't really speak much Spanish. So I can't say I'm really getting the "hispanic" experience here.. however, it's unmistakable by my name that I am hispanic.. and I've never received any kind of poor treatment; in fact, I've been suprised by the opportunity here (and, to be fair, Houston as well). Dallas and NE seemed like a much more closed culture.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by atxcio

I've been in Austin 20 years and love it. That's not to say I wouldn't love other cities, such as San Diego or the Bay Area (given enough $$$)... But compared to other places I've lived (Providence, Dallas, Houston), I like Austin best.

I too should clarify, compared to other places I can afford to live, I like Austin the best.

If I could afford it, I'd live here on the West End of Tortola, BVI, but I will have to settle for bareboat chartering there on occasion.

[austinite45]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

I'm wondering why Austin has managed to do so much better then the rest of the nation during this financial melt down?

I guess some of the reasons are the stability that the University of Texas and State Government jobs that are here, combined with some good technology industries. Austin also doesn't seem to have had the real estate problems other places have suffered, why is that?

Examine the validity of your assumptions first.

[gb0610]

My wife and I will be moving to Austin from California in two months (yep, two more). We are moving mainly for the reasons mentioned here. We'd like to be able to afford to buy a nice 3 bedroom house for a reasonable price. That doesn't exist in CA, at least in a nice area. For where we are, it still costs AT LEAST $400,000 for a DECENT home. And that home is still close to the gang infested neighborhoods. Its just not worth it anymore.

We both love where we were raised (San Diego), but dislike where we are now on the Central Coast. To many gangs, cloudy days and well, way to many illegal aliens, which is costly to us personally on many levels.

Everything from gas to grocery to insurance rates will be less. And, we'll be able to make as much if not more over time in the same line of work we are in. Why stay here.

It appears Austin never had that original property boom that we did here. Now Austin is having to reap the punishment that States like Arizona, Florida and CA are.