Why is Houston so cheaper than Dallas (San Antonio, Austin: 2014, lawyers)

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by jaysan89

Houston is only a little bit cheaper than Dallas. Cost of living is getting too high now in all the large metro areas in TX. One of the high reasons for the high cost of living in the Dallas area is because of the huge influx of wealthy foreigners from India and China.

Do you think San Antonio is too expensive now?

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by Thoreau424

You're seeing a discount due to less desirability (higher humidity, more susceptible to hurricanes, more flooding, etc.) The market reducing costs to offset negatives and balance things out.

Is that why Miami is so much cheaper than Orlando or Atlanta ?. The vast majority of the American population lives within 100 miles of a coast. If people really did take natural disasters into account in their home purchasing decisions Florida and California would be empty, which of course they are not.

Any difference in the average cost of living between the two Metros can be summed up by demographics. With a slightly higher percentage of non-Hispanic whites DFW will average out to be a little more expensive, but the same house in both metros in similar demographics will be very similar.

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

The wages in Dallas and Houston are pretty identical.

But dont let that stop your rant.

Agreed about the similarities, but Thereau was the one ranting first. His summation was pretty inflammatory wouldn't you say ?

[jaysan89]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Do you think San Antonio is too expensive now?

Yes it is. I recently considered moving to SA. I thought the rents there were quite high when I searched for apartments online.

[NigerianNightmare]

I don’t really think Dallas is significantly more expensive. People might only perceive it as so if you only consider North Dallas as the only livable part which a lot of people seem to do. The East South and even the West sides (Although theirs not any space to the West of Dallas to be fair) get half the attention of Collin/North Dallas it seems. Premium areas in Houston are scattered across the metro so if you can’t afford The Woodlands you can always live in Conroe or Spring. If you can’t afford South Katy or Sugar Land, Richmond or Mo City is always a nearby option. This is the same within suburbs to. While East Plano exists, and their are portions of McKinney that are a lower price point. Basically every North Dallas suburb has a median home price of 300,000+.

The areas between 240,000-300,000 are either more West and East like Garland and Irving or simply don’t exist in the greater north Dallas area.

Conroe/Mo City/Spring/Richmond, keep Fort Bend County and Montgomery from ever going the way of Collin/North Dallas or Williamson County.

By having cheaper areas dispersed in between the overall areas it works to keep prices down. Part of the Bay Area, Austin and in the future a city like Salt Lake City’s future so while the city or area from most peoples perspective can be described as decidedly middle class. Once you drop a middle class area in an area with only wealthy people or upper middle class people. Said neighborhood soon becomes far more expensive than the home value demands. That’s the issue with North Dallas. Even if you built an affordable neighborhood in Prosper. Because of the surrounding communities that neighborhood would become very expensive even though it’s built similarly to the vast majority of neighborhoods or housing in much cheaper areas. So actually moderately expensive housing is in turn also much more expensive than in another area. This of course even pulls up terrible areas, I.e gentrification to a level of desirability.

[usc619]

DFW doesn't have much of that MUD racket up their, the average DFW property tax rate is around 2.1%. You'll pay more in property taxes in the Houston area due to the plethora of MUDs. I'd rather pay 400k for a home with a 2.1% tax rate than a 300k home @ 3.5%.

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by usc619

DFW doesn't have much of that MUD racket up their, the average DFW property tax rate is around 2.1%. You'll pay more in property taxes in the Houston area due to the plethora of MUDs. I'd rather pay 400k for a home with a 2.1% tax rate than a 300k home @ 3.5%.

Maybe you'd rather pay that, but lots of folks wouldn't or can't. You still have to come up with a bigger DP, which is a big deal if it's your first home.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by usc619

DFW doesn't have much of that MUD racket up their, the average DFW property tax rate is around 2.1%. You'll pay more in property taxes in the Houston area due to the plethora of MUDs. I'd rather pay 400k for a home with a 2.1% tax rate than a 300k home @ 3.5%.

Property tax in Houston isnt near that high:

https://www.slideshare.net/cutmytaxe...erty-tax-rates

[MacInTx]

Dallas - lower humidity; no hurricanes
Houston - close to the beach (beach? Galveston isn't a beach. Destin is a beach)


Texas Rangers - Houston Astros. Even Nolan Ryan left Houston to go to Dallas.

[Waffleton]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

Property tax in Houston isnt near that high:

https://www.slideshare.net/cutmytaxe...erty-tax-rates

That doesn't include MUD.

Bridgeland's property tax is 3.85%.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by Waffleton

That doesn't include MUD.

Bridgeland's property tax is 3.85%.

But those wouldnt be inside the city. MUD is going to be a factor in places that are out in the boonies, not in in the developed area of the city.