Considering Moving to Texas from BC, Canada (Mckinney, Allen) - Cost of living ?'s (Dallas: sales, real estate)

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

I am confused - I thought you wanted/had seen $50-60K houses?

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[PrincessKick]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

I am confused - I thought you wanted/had seen $50-60K houses?

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I read it as saying he could buy for 50-60K less.

[JoeMalleck]

Originally Posted by PrincessKick

I read it as saying he could buy for 50-60K less.

Sorry for the confusion.

I'm looking for houses in the $130k to $160k range. These same types of homes that I'm seeing in McKinney would be $40 to $60k more in WA an $100 to $200k more here in Abbotsford, BC.

Thanks for all the input!

[MckinneyOwnr]

Originally Posted by JoeMalleck

Yes, we were looking on Realtor.com and have seen many homes that would suit us well for around $130k - $160k. You couldn't get a mobile home on a lot for that up here!

How are your utility bills? I hear that they can be up to around $600/mo in peak season. In a 1700 - 2000 sq ft house how much should I expect to pay?

Also, what are the HOA fees like? I realize that it's different for every community, just looking for a ballpark for an average community.

Thanks for the replies so far!

My house was built in 2005, so it has radiant barrier and new, thick attic insulation. My highest bill so far has been $200 a month, I use Champion Energy, they have very good rates. My parents house, 3100sq ft, but built in 1985, runs about $450 right now. For a house the size of what you are talking, if it's a newer home, I'd be surprised if you ever got above $150 for an electric bill.

My HOA is $400 a year... but we don't have a community pool, which will basically double the cost. Hope this helps.

[CREW747]

Check out Prosper, a growing city bordering Mc Kinney. If your price range was $220,000 plus you could get a new energy efficient home on at least a 1/4 acre. Take a look at the Prosper town website and the Prosper ISD website as well...

[Gamarabi]

For once, I can actually help someone here with moving info!

The moment you said 60 mins from Vancouver I was almost certain it was Abbotsford anyway. This is coming from a young guy who spends a good hunk of time in Burnaby, BC for summer and school.

Ok first off I'd recomend McKinney over Allen, simply because there is better highway access to major stores, malls, etc in more than one direction.

When it comes to how much house you get to for the money, it may almost seem a bit mind boggling relative to Abbotsford. However this is made up for in utliity costs and property taxes. 100 dollar electric bills just aren't going to happen. Gas is much cheaper at about 1.15 per gallon cheaper than Abbortsford, BC on average or so. Food is way cheaper here, EXCEPT for some fish products. For food, multiply your current food budget by 0.65, and that will leave you with a pretty good estimate of how much you will spend on food.

If you were commuting towards Vancouver in BC, then your commute will be quite a bit smoother considering there is more than one highway. Even relative to WA your commute will be much smoother by car. Schools are good, public transit in McKinney is virtually non-existant and doesn't even come close to Abbotsford.

I'd say more if I could think of it but I hope this helps!

(Edit: Come to think of it since MckinneyOwnr mentioned it, the age of your home makes a huge difference on how much you will pay for utility costs. Newer homes that are more energy efficient, and could save you over 1k a year in utility costs. I know my grandparents utility costs for their 1600 sq ft home in Dallas built in the 1940s runs about 300 a month at peak. So it can make a big difference.)

[VonHuffenHausen]

My home is only 2000 square feet and mine was 600 this month. It is really hot and will be until November, it appears. I would come take your family and visit during August to see if you could take the heat. Many people cannot cope, even people from here. It is really extreme.

If you are looking to not live in a major city then you can buy something in the price range that you mentioned. In Dallas, no way you could get something in a decent area for that price. Don't forget to factor in healthcare costs (and hardly an vacation time) and other things like lots of money for fuel. Depending on where you can get a job, you might have a really long commute 1-2 hours each way from anywhere if you live in a place like McKinney and commute to a city like Dallas or Fort Worth.

From what I understand BC is expensive but has a good quality of life. There are pros and cons and lots of trade offs to a change to Texas. You will spend a lot of time in cars. If you mentioned where your job is, it could help people give you a better idea of locations in that budget. If you don't have a job, get something very secure because they are hard to come by.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by VonHuffenHausen

My home is only 2000 square feet and mine was 600 this month. It is really hot and will be until November, it appears. I would come take your family and visit during August to see if you could take the heat. Many people cannot cope, even people from here. It is really extreme.

If you are looking to not live in a major city then you can buy something in the price range that you mentioned. In Dallas, no way you could get something in a decent area for that price. Don't forget to factor in healthcare costs (and hardly an vacation time) and other things like lots of money for fuel. Depending on where you can get a job, you might have a really long commute 1-2 hours each way from anywhere if you live in a place like McKinney and commute to a city like Dallas or Fort Worth.

From what I understand BC is expensive but has a good quality of life. There are pros and cons and lots of trade offs to a change to Texas. You will spend a lot of time in cars. If you mentioned where your job is, it could help people give you a better idea of locations in that budget. If you don't have a job, get something very secure because they are hard to come by.

A $600 electricity bill for a 2k f^2 house is nuts. You've got a leaking duct in the attic, ancient equipment, lacking insulation etc. or some combination of the above.

[TX75007]

You can build a new home around 2000 SF that will have a utility bill around $100 a month on average. And you can get a warranty so little out of pocket costs for first ten years.

Property tax is around 2-2.5% of home value.

Car insurance runs $500 to $800 a year if credit is good. Registration is around $65.

No income tax in Texas.

Sales tax is 7-8%.

I'd recommend renting for the first year until you get to know the area.

[VonHuffenHausen]

Originally Posted by EDS_

A $600 electricity bill for a 2k f^2 house is nuts. You've got a leaking duct in the attic, ancient equipment, lacking insulation etc. or some combination of the above.

My electric company changed my rates without notifying me. I set them straight. Me and my neighbors (all in new homes) all spend about 400 on average in the summer and very cold winter months.

As for claims of 100 dollar electric bills, the only time I have ever seen a bill like that is in March and October when no heating/cooling is required. But come to think of it, even October is hot now.