Welcoming of Outsiders? (Dallas, Fort Worth, McKinney: appointed, fit in, houses)

[michaeltx9412]

Originally Posted by Aeliza

Being of either party affiliation will be a non-issue in any major metro and its burbs, unless you make it an issue. Perhaps I see it that way because I make it a point to keep politics and religion out of public conversation whether in CA or TX, or anywhere for that matter. There are some great people here, like anywhere. Most will be welcoming, unless you disparage TX constantly and compare it to CA. Then, understandably, the welcome mat will disappear.

I see you've only been in CA for two years, so I'll save my don't do it argument. Native-born West Coasters like myself have a brutal adjustment here in TX and not because of the people. It's the weather, even if you think you've braced yourself for it. Even if you've visited prior. It's much different when you're living somewhere full-time. Further, anywhere is tough if you have no support system.

In my very humble opinion, I wouldn't do it.

I see lots of West Coasters complaining about weather in the South. I grew up in Central Alabama and weather in TX wasn't a big adjustment for me.

[Mango3861]

Thanks everyone for sharing. I appreciate your opinions.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Also remember that gardening in a hot, dry area is difficult. I had to learn all new plants that can take the heat here. No lush gardens. Pretty in their own right. But much more desert-y.

[hbdwihdh378y9]

Originally Posted by RJ312

OP is originally from New Jersey but probably has very few connections to New Jersey anymore since she has been gone for 22 years (20 years in Atlanta and 2 years in Southern California).

Dallas is also dry compared to Atlanta. Only people from the desert West think Dallas is humid. The OP is not one of those people.

[Mango3861]

Also, I don't have any family in NJ anymore. My folks passed a few years ago. I wouldn't move back there. I can't tolerate living in a cold area with snow. I am now hesitant to check out TX with what everyone has said.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by Mango3861

Also, I don't have any family in NJ anymore. My folks passed a few years ago. I wouldn't move back there. I can't tolerate living in a cold area with snow. I am now hesitant to check out TX with what everyone has said.

It’s not that Texas is bad for you; you just don’t have the budget for the specific areas you had narrowed down to. There are plenty of other parts of Texas that might work for you! Maybe Tyler or Bryan-College Station or some of the Houston suburbs that are less expensive than the Dallas ones.

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

Also remember that gardening in a hot, dry area is difficult. I had to learn all new plants that can take the heat here. No lush gardens. Pretty in their own right. But much more desert-y.

I garden, and there isn't very many things that I can grow here in Texas that I didn't grow up in Idaho, Dallas is too cold in the winter for anything really tropical, it just means I harvest my tomatoes and peppers few months earlier. Actually there are some stuff I can't grow down here that I wish I could, cherry trees for example. Rhubarb also really struggles down here. I've had to water in both places, no big deal on that. All and all, you can still grow alot of things here.

[calgirlinnc]

Originally Posted by Mango3861

Also, I don't have any family in NJ anymore. My folks passed a few years ago. I wouldn't move back there. I can't tolerate living in a cold area with snow. I am now hesitant to check out TX with what everyone has said.

Recently there was a thread about moving to Dallas with a budget of $700,000 to 1 million. I would not hesitate to recommend DFW with that budget. But honestly with your budget, you would be better off checking out places with lower costs of living: Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, etc.

IMHO, if your budget is $400 and up, DFW offers a great lifestyle. If you can't afford that, I think DFW offers one of the worst lifestyles, compared to other lower cost options.

[WorldKlas]

You might really like Granbury — a Fort Worth burb town with a great small town feel. Its growing fast and has lots of newbies but isn’t a child/family focused area. More middle aged people. Real estate is still reasonable right now.

[Mango3861]

WorldKlas, thanks, I'll check it out.