CA native visiting Texas (asking why anyone would prefer TX) (Sacramento: 2014, movers)

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by NinaN

I grew up in Texas - Houston as a kid, Dallas and Austin as an adult. I'm currently living in CA and I'm very likely to stay here.

I prefer the weather here. Period. You cannot change the Texas weather. I love how much of the year I can be outside without being miserably hot or cold.

But Texas does have a lot to offer. I find that the shopping and restaurants (of all styles and $$ levels) are way more abundant in Texas than out here. It' a huge difference to me, but one I'm willing to deal with for this great weather.

I think on the surface that Texans are very friendly, and certainly quite helpful to friends and strangers. I don't think Texans look down on you if you don't mold yourself into their culture. But if you look down your nose at them (and yes I have seen many Californians do this in Texas for some reason) then they are certain to snub you and move on to hang around nicer people.

I have found people in CA to be really nice as well, it just took me a bit longer to make friends when I got here.

Taxes. Wow. Yes property tax is double in TX vs CA. But home prices are so much lower it almost offsets. The CA state income tax put the total tax burden way higher here vs. TX. Once again something I'm willing to take on to live here.

We are lucky that we can afford a nice house here in CA. But I do understand people moving to Texas to be able to afford to buy a nice home in a safe area with good schools so they can build a life without being house poor.

Yep the weather does it for most people and that is part of why I will be ,moving back to CA next year.

[Finper]

Why must you buy real estate in Texas??? My niece pays 400.00 a month for a apt next to Baylor U. No property taxes to worry about. The grocerys are half what they cost here I was shocked. Gas is cheap. If I moved there I'd rent a nice house with a big yard and bypass the property tax. Makes sense to me...

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by Finper

Why must you buy real estate in Texas??? My niece pays 400.00 a month for a apt next to Baylor U. No property taxes to worry about. The grocerys are half what they cost here I was shocked. Gas is cheap. If I moved there I'd rent a nice house with a big yard and bypass the property tax. Makes sense to me...

Part of wealth building is home ownership. But if you want to help some landowner pay off his or her mortgage have at it.

[Finper]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

Part of wealth building is home ownership. But if you want to help some landowner pay off his or her mortgage have at it.

I own real estate and land here so I'd rent that out and have a renter pay my mortgage and rent in Texas. I think that's economically sound but I'm just one person everyone's economic status is different and sometimes renting would make more sense.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Au contraire! My wife and I, both natives and both living in Sacramento, married in 1996 and before we did so I warned her that when I retired it would be ABC - Anywhere But California. Twelve years later I retired (she had done so some years earlier) and nine months afterword we left the state. It was strictly a choice, not a necessity, and since then we've met many others who also left by choice.

Wanting a different lifestyle in different surroundings is not at all unusual. We were both military brats and I spent eight years in the military myself so we were both used to picking up and moving and doing so posed no hardship for us. Rather, we looked upon it as a challenge and an adventure. At the time, some still in CA predicted that in two years we'd be back. Well, it's now been seven years and here we still are. We love California as the place of our births and primary upraising - she in NorCal and me in SoCal - and where we each predominantly raised our individual children but we have no regrets about having left and no desire to return but for visits.

I agree with you about Texas.

We feel the same as you except we do not thing Texas is all bad. We were raised in Ca. I was born there, we have lived in many states and all over Ca. Our choice to leave was based on many things. We do miss our family, the few left in Ca. we do miss some of what only CA. has to offer, but we have no desire to return. Many people in CA do not understand, it isn't utopia. I have said this before and will probably say it again.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

We saw four homeless people as soon as we got off the freeway and into Austin.

What town or city is there that doesn't have homeless people?

Homeless people and major cities go together; always have, always will, but if you are honest you would be willing to admit San Francisco and Los Angeles have more than their share. To love where you live is one thing to be niave about its problems in quite another.

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Homeless people and major cities go together; always have, always will, but if you are honest you would be willing to admit San Francisco and Los Angeles have more than their share. To love where you live is one thing to be niave about its problems in quite another.

Why do you think folks in CA are naive? Everyone is aware that homelessness is a problem in the major cities-CA and elsewhere.

If what you say is true, it is probably due to the weather. Easier to be homeless where the weather is pleasant.

And while do I live in CA, I am hundreds of miles from the two cities you mention.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Finper

Why must you buy real estate in Texas??? My niece pays 400.00 a month for a apt next to Baylor U. No property taxes to worry about. The grocerys are half what they cost here I was shocked. Gas is cheap. If I moved there I'd rent a nice house with a big yard and bypass the property tax. Makes sense to me...

True for many, but eventually you have to plan for the future and equity in a house is a good part of that planing.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

If what you say is true, it is probably due to the weather. Easier to be homeless where the weather is pleasant.

While it is obviously easier to be homeless where the weather is easily survivable, this has been studied extensively by various agencies and academia. All across the country 80% - 90% of any cities' homeless are from either the city in which they struggle on the streets or from other nearby counties in the same state / metro areas. There is a very low incidence of people migrating to be homeless away from their familiar surroundings, former employment, family, friends, known resources, etc. Weather and benefits as homeless goals is a 90% + myth.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by expatCA

True for many, but eventually you have to plan for the future and equity in a house is a good part of that planing.

It really isn't. There are lots of ways other than real estate to invest if financial security is your goal. And home ownership for many isn't desirable or feasible.