How bad the weather in Summer? (Houston, Galveston: houses, to buy, school districts)

[pnc66]

Originally Posted by atlantis7

I ditto YONKERS. I have lived all over, including Phoenix, Miami and Tampa and Houston is the most unpleasant hot I have experienced. Sticky, sweaty, - on a par with New Orleans.

You found Houston worse than Miami? Interesting. I thought I was the only one who felt it was hotter/more humid here than in Florida (NW Florida). I honestly don't much remember how hot it gets in Miami since I haven't been there in the summer since I was kid and didn't care.

Blessings,
pnc

[pnc66]

Originally Posted by kal123

Hi all
I am planning to move with my family to Houston from California,I would like to get some information about the weather in Summer , how bad is it?
I knew the weather compare to california is different . I am little scare woundering if me and family can handle the weather or no. Planning to move in few weeks. Please advice.

What part of California? If you're coming from the Bay Area, it will be quite a bit different from what you are used to, especially at night when it doesn't really cool off. If you are coming from the Central Valley or desert areas, then you'll have a taste for what it is like during the day, but again, it does not cool off at night here. Everywhere is air-conditioned though, and you may need a sweater when you go into restaurants, stores, the mall, offices, etc. At my last job I had to use a space heater all summer because I froze (they had it cooled to 54 degrees).

Also, please don't buy too much house - trying to cool a huge house will be quite expensive from about late April through early October.

[kal123]

I live in Orange county california now, No body said how much the range you guys pay for Airconditioning??

[jfre81]

$6 gets me air conditioning, double that if I want some popcorn during the movie.

[Andreams]

I moved here from California, last year.

Last summer was brutal. Seriously. I HATE using AC, but I had to live in it. You will SWEAT. Our energy bill, for a small apartment, was around $100 a month. I had a sunburn turn into a heat rash. It took my legs MONTHS to recover!

I think it depends on your lifestyle and job. Will your job mainly be indoors? Do your summers normally consist of camping and outdoors stuff? My family has a boat, and those days on the lake would be great. Warm, but swimming felt fantastic! But I wouldn't want to be outdoors without being on water for any extended period of time.

I miss the CA weather....but you can adjust. Yes, it's hot and can be miserable. But I'm a born and raised San Diego girl, and I got through it. You get used to it, in a sense. It won't ever *feel* cool when it is 100 degrees with 100% humidity, but you can adjust what you do to make it work.

Plus, summer is my favorite time to visit my family back in San Diego

[pnc66]

kal123 - I have an older home (about 30 years old), very little insulation in the attic, and an aging air conditioner that will need to be replaced very soon (much sooner than I would like because the quotes I've received are as much as a small car!). My summertime bills run about $250 to $325. They have been as high as $600 (2006 and 2008). That was a combination of the very high rates at the time (2006) and in 2008, I had two bills in a row with the exact same amount (July and August - no it wasn't them estimating the bill because of Ike) for around $595. I still haven't figured it out, but I did have much lower than average bills the next 3 months, so I believe the meter was misread.

My house is roughly 1600 sq. ft. I keep the thermostat at about 78 to 80 during the day and down to 75 at night.

Does that help?

jfre81, I like your solution! :-)

[RocketSci]

Please also be aware that Houston has sudden and violent thunderstorms that result in significant street flooding which you may not be used to. It is not uncommon to receive several inches an hour in localized storms, and these could happen any time from March thru October, typically. We may go weeks without any, but then we can get into a pattern where they occur almost daily for awhile. This could be important as often roads become blocked for short periods of time, and you risk damage to your car if you try to drive through it (but that never stops some people).

Because of the climate, Houston can be very lush. In mid to late summer, particularly when it rains sometimes, your lawn will need to be mowed about every 4 or 5 days.

Also, people in Houston seem to quickly forget that we do get tropical storms and hurricanes occasionally. Coastal people bear the brunt of these, but your home can receive hundreds or thousands of dollars in damages even far away from the coast.

Finally, the summer evenings are really not pleasant, as the temperatures and humidity remain even when the sun goes down. If you are a morning person, I find the very early mornings (just before sunup) to be the only time of day where I can find some level of comfort outdoors. As soon as the sun comes into view, the heat and discomfort kick in.

[catfancier]

Originally Posted by kal123

Hi all
I am planning to move with my family to Houston from California,I would like to get some information about the weather in Summer , how bad is it?
I knew the weather compare to california is different . I am little scare woundering if me and family can handle the weather or no. Planning to move in few weeks. Please advice.

I guess I've been here long enough now (almost two years) that these kinds of posts have begun to really amuse me. You are planning to "move in a few weeks" but only now are asking for advice about the weather? You really are unaware of the climate? If you don't like the answers you get, are you not going to come?? What went into your decision to move to Houston in the first place? If those reasons are still important, then the highly unpleasant summer weather should not deter you. As you are used to temperate California days, you WILL be unhappy for several summer months. The humidity is brutal...and as others have already pointed out, then you will freeze in over-airconditioned buildings.

And I love jfre's posts most of the time but have to disagree with him that someone need only wait until "after five" to enjoy outdoor activities in summer. It can be TEN p.m. and still 90 degrees and total humidity! Fuhgeddaboudit!

[I LOVE NORTH CAROLINA]

Not everyone handles the hot and cold weather the same, what I call hot some people call comfortable. I'm a native Texan and I still cannot handle the heat and humidity, to me it unbearable. I'm really loving our cold weather right now, it rarely gets this cold in Houston and while I love it others hate it. It all depends on what is comfortable to you.

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by pnc66

kal123 - I have an older home (about 30 years old), very little insulation in the attic, and an aging air conditioner that will need to be replaced very soon (much sooner than I would like because the quotes I've received are as much as a small car!). My summertime bills run about $250 to $325. They have been as high as $600 (2006 and 2008). That was a combination of the very high rates at the time (2006) and in 2008, I had two bills in a row with the exact same amount (July and August - no it wasn't them estimating the bill because of Ike) for around $595. I still haven't figured it out, but I did have much lower than average bills the next 3 months, so I believe the meter was misread.

My house is roughly 1600 sq. ft. I keep the thermostat at about 78 to 80 during the day and down to 75 at night.

I found out about www.freelightingcorp.com over two years ago. They come out to your home and check insulation, seal leaks, etc. If you are on a fixed income, they also will change out your bulbs to the energy-efficient ones and your shower heads. My July 2007 bill was $425. They came out right before I received that bill. My August bill was under $200. My problem was leaky AC ducts in the attic. The downstairs was tight. I sent out a post card to all past clients - several had them out - sometimes the houses had to be caulked, etc. They did that, too. Did I mention this was free? Some government program designed to conserve energy.

From their site:

All electric or gas homes, low income/senior citizens, homeowners, rentals, and small businesses qualify.

On your AC, you might want a quote from Everette & Everette Remodeling 832-338-7667 - Several investors have used them and liked their prices and work.