Should I relocate to Houston??? (San Antonio, Austin: transplants, apartment, rent)

[noidontlikehotdogsydouask]

Hey y'all I'm living in Los Angeles and I've gotten sick of it. The houses are small and on tiny lots, yet they cost more than most people can afford. I'm married with two kids who are starting school soon. Right now we live in a 2 br apartment because my wife and I, with a combined salary of $120k, literally cannot afford a house in LA.

So we're set to leave, and the only question is where... We talked it through and Houston seems a likely winner. Here's a few key reasons:
Sizeable houses and lots
Major metropolis (Austin/SA are little cities no offense)
Friendly people
Access to hiking/camping
Colleges aren't so ridiculously competitive (even CSU is becoming elite)
Large Mexican population
Close enough to ocean for weekend trips
Mild winters
Wife's sister lives within driving distance (San Antonio)
Can drive to Monterrey to visit my family

So what do you think? Does Houston fit the bill?

We're looking to spend up to $500k on a 3 br house on minimum 1/2 acre. 80s build or newer. Both of us have standard finance-related jobs so it'd be easy to find replacements. Looking for a suburb with a quieter/rural feel. We're willing to drive for shopping, and have no interest in nightlife. Just give us good schools!

If we do make the move, which areas should we look at? Montgomery County seems like it checks off a lot of the boxes, but it's also not very diverse. Maybe somewhere like Hockley would be better. Thoughts?

[Marty Janetty]

Yes, Houston seems like a good fit.

[WRM20]

San Antonio is one of the ten largest cities in the country. It's not small.

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by noidontlikehotdogsydouask

Hey y'all I'm living in Los Angeles and I've gotten sick of it. The houses are small and on tiny lots, yet they cost more than most people can afford. I'm married with two kids who are starting school soon. Right now we live in a 2 br apartment because my wife and I, with a combined salary of $120k, literally cannot afford a house in LA.

So we're set to leave, and the only question is where... We talked it through and Houston seems a likely winner. Here's a few key reasons:
Sizeable houses and lots
Major metropolis (Austin/SA are little cities no offense)
Friendly people
Access to hiking/camping
Colleges aren't so ridiculously competitive (even CSU is becoming elite)
Large Mexican population
Close enough to ocean for weekend trips
Mild winters
Wife's sister lives within driving distance (San Antonio)
Can drive to Monterrey to visit my family

So what do you think? Does Houston fit the bill?

We're looking to spend up to $500k on a 3 br house on minimum 1/2 acre. 80s build or newer. Both of us have standard finance-related jobs so it'd be easy to find replacements. Looking for a suburb with a quieter/rural feel. We're willing to drive for shopping, and have no interest in nightlife. Just give us good schools!

If we do make the move, which areas should we look at? Montgomery County seems like it checks off a lot of the boxes, but it's also not very diverse. Maybe somewhere like Hockley would be better. Thoughts?

Have you looked into Fulshear and Richmond in Fort Bend County? A suburb/rural feel that's more diverse than Montgomery County.

Originally Posted by WRM20

San Antonio is one of the ten largest cities in the country. It's not small.

Yeah I wouldn't call SA little but OP is coming from LA and it's a ALOT bigger than SA by a long shot.

[As Above So Below...]

Yes, Houston seems to fit what youre looking for nicely. Only thing is while, there lots of camping around here, dont expect any mountainous hikes!

[SugLandDAd]

Yes, Houston could work for you.

You are going to have to go further out to get "3 br house on minimum 1/2 acre" as most Houston subdivisions are much smaller.

But, the city is so large, it is not possible to commute to anywhere from everywhere. Most people rent first, and figure out their work location, then purchase a home based on the commute and how far they are willing to drive to and from work, for the lifestyle their home allows.

Staying on the SW side towards the ocean and San Antonio could mean Richmond, Pecan Grove or Needville.

On the north east side, you might be looking at Conroe or Montgomery, gets you closer to hiking in the National Forest, but are less diverse.

[MajorDMP]

Greetings

We are recent transplants from NorCal, and purchased a home in Cinco Ranch last month. We left for the same reasons. While they dont have 1/2 acre lot homes below 500k, you can find homes up to 12000 sqft lot which gives you a huge back yard. The neighborhood is very diverse, beautiful trees and a wealth of outdoor activities. We moved here for the great schools, mature trees, and convenience to everyday services. You didnt say if you are doing remote work or will have to go into the office but be warned the further you go out, the more time you will spend on the road.

[walker1962]

Originally Posted by noidontlikehotdogsydouask

Hey y'all I'm living in Los Angeles and I've gotten sick of it. The houses are small and on tiny lots, yet they cost more than most people can afford. I'm married with two kids who are starting school soon. Right now we live in a 2 br apartment because my wife and I, with a combined salary of $120k, literally cannot afford a house in LA.

So we're set to leave, and the only question is where... We talked it through and Houston seems a likely winner. Here's a few key reasons:
Sizeable houses and lots
Major metropolis (Austin/SA are little cities no offense)
Friendly people
Access to hiking/camping
Colleges aren't so ridiculously competitive (even CSU is becoming elite)
Large Mexican population
Close enough to ocean for weekend trips
Mild winters
Wife's sister lives within driving distance (San Antonio)
Can drive to Monterrey to visit my family

So what do you think? Does Houston fit the bill?

We're looking to spend up to $500k on a 3 br house on minimum 1/2 acre. 80s build or newer. Both of us have standard finance-related jobs so it'd be easy to find replacements. Looking for a suburb with a quieter/rural feel. We're willing to drive for shopping, and have no interest in nightlife. Just give us good schools!

If we do make the move, which areas should we look at? Montgomery County seems like it checks off a lot of the boxes, but it's also not very diverse. Maybe somewhere like Hockley would be better. Thoughts?

All good but for the hiking lol as Houston is L.A. with out the mountains to the north and east. I would say another benefit is the Central time zone where Prime time starts an hour earlier and you are flying time to places north and east is reduced by 50%.

[walker1962]

Originally Posted by WRM20

San Antonio is one of the ten largest cities in the country. It's not small.

But in terms of MSA rankings, SA is only #24, in that group with Charlotte, Orlando, and Portland at around 2.5 million. SA suburbs are pretty small, similar to Austin and the aforementioned other towns. A person coming from any of the Five largest MSAs to visit SA would really notice the difference in size. That said, SA's vibe fits a lot of people well because they don't want the big buzz of a NYC, Houston, or L.A.

[airdrawndagger]

Originally Posted by noidontlikehotdogsydouask

Hey y'all I'm living in Los Angeles and I've gotten sick of it. The houses are small and on tiny lots, yet they cost more than most people can afford. I'm married with two kids who are starting school soon. Right now we live in a 2 br apartment because my wife and I, with a combined salary of $120k, literally cannot afford a house in LA.

So we're set to leave, and the only question is where... We talked it through and Houston seems a likely winner. Here's a few key reasons:
Sizeable houses and lots
Major metropolis (Austin/SA are little cities no offense)
Friendly people
Access to hiking/camping
Colleges aren't so ridiculously competitive (even CSU is becoming elite)
Large Mexican population
Close enough to ocean for weekend trips
Mild winters
Wife's sister lives within driving distance (San Antonio)
Can drive to Monterrey to visit my family

So what do you think? Does Houston fit the bill?

We're looking to spend up to $500k on a 3 br house on minimum 1/2 acre. 80s build or newer. Both of us have standard finance-related jobs so it'd be easy to find replacements. Looking for a suburb with a quieter/rural feel. We're willing to drive for shopping, and have no interest in nightlife. Just give us good schools!

If we do make the move, which areas should we look at? Montgomery County seems like it checks off a lot of the boxes, but it's also not very diverse. Maybe somewhere like Hockley would be better. Thoughts?

Houston sounds like a good fit for you. If you can get past San Antonio feeling too small, it may actually be the better fit for the following reasons:

- SA is much closer to hiking/camping: Hill Country only ~1 hr away vs. ~4 hr from Houston. Big Bend is also 3 hr closer from SA.

- Closer to wife's sister

- Shorter drive to Monterrey from SA (~5.5 hr vs. ~8.5 hr from Houston)

- SA is closer to decent beaches (Port A, SPI). Yes, we've got Galveston close by, but its beaches are not the greatest.

- Both cities have sizable Hispanic populations, but SA's culture is much more Mexican-American oriented than Houston's (which feels more international/cosmopolitan). Not sure if this matters to you or not.

Everything else is pretty much a wash. Welcome to Texas.