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Hi
forgive me if I've missed a thread about this, looked before posting...
short version- we are a family of 4 (2 preteen boys) eeking out a living in Sw florida w/ a Corp. run as a flooring company-primarily-we bid on high end communities thru builders, install any kind of flooring and also gut and re-hab older homes, occasionally will do commercial work.
We have a home to sell (and it will be market now, during our busy snow-bird season) We have considered Charlottseville, NC. (way too pricey for homes and seemed like the locals did not want any newbies) Harrisonburg, Va-(no work!) Austin Tx, (too pricey)
San Antonio was suggested, along with NB.... we have no idea what the going rate for Marble/tile per sq. ft is,(help!) and we have no idea of what range of prices for a "fixer upper". We used to buy old homes and fix them up while living in them. No deed restrictions -please!
As I stated, we are making it,( it is very tough) and we are blessed to say this,as many of our friends in the construction biz have lost everything. We need to go where we can make a living and raise our kids in a nice place to call home for the long haul.
I'm tired of alligators and tourists......scared of this state getting blown away by the next big one (we live very close to the coast) Your area sounds/looks lovely...I am thinking it is a yes, but want to pick your brains a bit.
Are there homestead exemptions there? what are property taxes like? here, on a 1,800 sq.ft home,built in 1990-no pool, standard lot, we pay about $1450 per year and our homeowners is $1,500. Is this comparable to there?
any suggestions, thoughts/ideas? I would love to hear what you all think-even if it is something negative-please be honest-we are needing to decide w/in 2 months.
thank you in advance for your time!
Chicago
Hi
forgive me if I've missed a thread about this, looked before posting...
short version- we are a family of 4 (2 preteen boys) eeking out a living in Sw florida w/ a Corp. run as a flooring company-primarily-we bid on high end communities thru builders, install any kind of flooring and also gut and re-hab older homes, occasionally will do commercial work.
We have a home to sell (and it will be market now, during our busy snow-bird season) We have considered Charlottseville, NC. (way too pricey for homes and seemed like the locals did not want any newbies) Harrisonburg, Va-(no work!) Austin Tx, (too pricey)
San Antonio was suggested, along with NB.... we have no idea what the going rate for Marble/tile per sq. ft is,(help!) and we have no idea of what range of prices for a "fixer upper". We used to buy old homes and fix them up while living in them. No deed restrictions -please!
As I stated, we are making it,( it is very tough) and we are blessed to say this,as many of our friends in the construction biz have lost everything. We need to go where we can make a living and raise our kids in a nice place to call home for the long haul.
I'm tired of alligators and tourists......scared of this state getting blown away by the next big one (we live very close to the coast) Your area sounds/looks lovely...I am thinking it is a yes, but want to pick your brains a bit.
Are there homestead exemptions there? what are property taxes like? here, on a 1,800 sq.ft home,built in 1990-no pool, standard lot, we pay about $1450 per year and our homeowners is $1,500. Is this comparable to there?
any suggestions, thoughts/ideas? I would love to hear what you all think-even if it is something negative-please be honest-we are needing to decide w/in 2 months.
thank you in advance for your time!
Chicago
Property tax will most likely be more. Figure 2.5% or so ...fluctuates according to exact area though. Most folks in decent areas are paying $2500 and up. We have tons of tourists here too...no gators though.
Property tax will most likely be more. Figure 2.5% or so ...fluctuates according to exact area though. Most folks in decent areas are paying $2500 and up. We have tons of tourists here too...no gators though.
Hey! I resent that! I'm a GATOR!
(In case you are wondering, I graduated from UF in 1989! GO GATORS!)
Anyhow, I am with you on the hurricane threat being a good reason to leave Florida. I grew up there but after spending a few years in the Air Force we decided we wanted to live in Texas (we had been stationed here before). San Antonio is a wonderful town and is very famil friendly. However, I have to tell you that there are a TON of flooring places around here! We live in a rural area and have three within a mile of us. The construction business has slowed down here a bit but it is not as bad as some parts of the nation. There is still work, but it is nothing like it was during the boon a few years back. And with the economic slowdown I would expect that the number of people who are upgrading their homes with new floors has decreased as well. I am not trying to scare you off of San Antonio, it is a great place; but it has also been affected by the recent economic downswing although not as bad as most places.
But compared to Florida you will find that home prices are much better here. Taxes are higher but also understand that this is one of the few states operating out of the red. I think the school systems here are much better as well (at least NISD); and whereas it is much hotter here, the humidity is less although most non-Floridians would argue that only because they've never lived in the muggy heat of the Sunshine State!
I hope that helps a little, and all the best in whatever you decide to do!
Taxes are higher, but insurance is quite a bit less. For example, we have a 3,000 square foot home and pay about $4,000 a year on property taxes...insurance for us runs under $800 per year. We definitely don't live in a high-end community, but what I would call an average middle-class area where homes run from $130,000 to about $200,000. Car insurance runs us about $600 every 6 months for 2 vehicles. Trying to think what else...heat runs about $120-$200 a month (depends on how many cold days we have) and A/C runs us $200-$300 a month between June'ish to around September.
yes...on homestead exemptions. And taxes are based on the value of your home, so location plays a big part into the value.....not the size. You can check out the Bexar County Appraisal District for tax information. Many new people here complain about the property taxes....but compared to some other areas of the country, you get a LOT more house here for your dollar. Some people forget that they are living in much nicer and larger homes, but still want property taxes to be the same where they used to live. It's a trade off. And you're doing your homework. That's good. Taxes are important to understand.
As far as starting a new business.....my personal take (for what it's worth)...is to work for someone else in the industry here for a while and learn the area, suppliers, sub-contractors and the design/build climate before you invest. You might have to work for less for a while, but you're risking less in the long run. We're all in the same economic boat right now....businesses are closing here as they are across the country....and none of us have crystal balls to know how things will play out. Your business sort of relies on the real estate climate....and unfortunately real estate has taken a big hit EVERYWHERE.....and while not quite as hard here....it's still down significantly from a year ago.
I'm in the design biz....and an interesting thing that happened after 911 and the Enron/Worldcom mess was that people invested in their homes instead of the stock market. People stopped traveling for a while...decided if they were going to stay home, their home needed to be nice! The design biz as far as start ups slowed down, but it increased as far as remodels etc. Right now, Wallstreet has taken a hit we haven't seen since the 70's .....and it's a bit different from post 911. People have actually LOST money....not pulled it out to reinvest somewhere else. So we're all sort of waiting....the country..the world.....sort of in the same boat as you are. Keep doing what you're doing....your homework that is.....but be cautious about jumping into unknown territory...literally.
thanks so much for the well thought out replies and honesty..so there are alligators (BTW: I love the "gators"too) there too? ughh. My kids want to swim in a lake w/o fear..they have become so much more aggressive towards humans lately....we've had 3-4 fatal attacks recently.
My hubby plans on working for a company(which one?) until he can re-form his corp and get that going-we just have to get him a job before we relocate. any idea what the going rateper sq. ft for flooring is? how about renting...any area to stay away from? we may have to rent month to month until we find a fixxer upper to buy. I am doing odd jobs, looking to work in the food and bev. industry nites until we get established. how are the middle schools? what schools to avoid? right now, they are in private on scholarships-thank God!
so, I'm getting the feeling that we can make it there-things here have been bad for the past 3 years or so-so if we can make it here, and we are hustlers, we can make it anywhere.
Oh-how far to the Gulf? any lakes around SA that are safe to swim/canoe/kyak in?
Is it really that hot there? Lord, its a wet oven down here....lol I don't mind the humidity-its the dry heat that kills me-we want some cold weather....will we get that there?
We also like diversity in ethnic groups, my dh is 100% Mexican , I'm Greek,German and Irish and Tunisian....our kids look so white-its not funny...but they speak Spanish.
Abut doing homework-we've been in this "deciding" mode for 2 years now.....some months we go w/o a paycheck and are able to make ends meet w/ one big job. that needs to end-we are willing to do whatever to have better life. I just want friendly people, and this forum seems to have an abundance of that. my concern now is jobs and housing.we may be there in March to visit before deciding -is the general feeling there that this housing/economywill improve soon? how about Austin?
thanks again for all your time-I really appreciate it.
Chicago
We have gators, but they are rare and there are lots of natural places to swim where there is no threat of them. They are not nearly as common as they are in Florida. Heck, we had them all over the campus at UF; and I remember seeing them in the storm sewers all the time as a kid in Jax.
As for flooring prices, you would have to contact one of the many places selling it around here to get an idea. You can look them up using YellowPages.com and just act like you are looking for estimates. Or check a few out during your March visit.
Overall, SA has a great standard of living. Houses are relatively cheap and the schools (at least in the NISD and NEISD) are pretty good. Folks here are real nice (except when driving, which wasn't that way 20+ years ago) and it is a wonderful city with lots to see and do. Being what I call a military and tourism town, the economy is a bit more stable and much better off than many other places in the country; but it still has been hit by the recent downturn. And being Hispanic here isn't being "diverse," 2/3rds of the population of SA is Hispanic. But that doesn't bother the majority of us as we understand the history of this area and the majority being Hispanic makes sense. However, being fluent in Spanish will be helpful as there are many areas on the southside of town where that is the more commonly used language. Still, it is not a foreign country and you won't find shops or restaurants where English isn't spoken. It is just that some of the locals speak it to each other. Again, that doesn't bother me as I spent nearly half of my USAF career overseas; so I am used to hearing different languages and actually think it is kinda cool (I speak a little German myself).
As for the climate, don't count on getting much cold weather here. Specifically, it is mid-January and today's temperature is expected to hit 72°. But two years ago at this time we had a major ice storm hit that pretty much shut down the city (I know, I had to work both days!). If you are looking for snow, it is a very rare event down here, just like Florida (I remember we had a few inches of the stuff in Jax in December 1989).
Lastly, as for Austin vs. San Antonio, I would encourage you to search for the threads on that topic. My opinion is that they are two uniquely different cities with differing mindsets. Austin is "hip and trendy" (and expensive), whereas San Antonio is "laid back and relaxed" and has a much cheaper cost of living. I like them both for different reasons; but when it came down to finding a place to live and work with our family, SA was the clear choice and one we have never regretted.
Best of luck to you in your decision, I hope it all works out for you!
Your husband could contact Home Depot or Lowes to see about offering his services as a contractor for them. I've heard of prices from $1-$3 per tile for installation depending on the size of the tile.
Renting is a good option. Generally, good areas are outside Loop 410. Some good school districts are Northside ISD and Northeast ISD.
We're about 2 1/2 hours from Corpus Christi (just far enough where hurricanes are not a big threat). Canyon Lake (north of San Antonio) has some swimming, but the lake is going down due to lack of rain. San Antonio has several public pools and many HOA's have pools.
During the winter it tends to get cold (30's-40's) sometimes, but warms up during the day as M2 said.
Great diversity here in San Antonio. In fact they celebrate it every June during the Folklife Festival downtown.
Don't forget that although property taxes are higher, we do not have a state income tax. However, we do have a sales tax of 8.125%. It does vary by city, but that's the rate for San Antonio. (Sales taxes are on the usual- clothing, certain food items, certain services, restaurants).
Generally, the overall cost of living here is lower than many other areas, due to (mainly) lower housing costs. Our grocery (that's a whole 'nother thread ) costs are lower, as are our gas prices. And, since we are far enough inland, we usually don't get the damage from hurricanes.
If you start looking at some example areas, you can see what you might be looking at in terms of cost.
Flooring? We have been quoted anywhere from 3.50 to 5.50 psf for (glue down) wood. Ceramic tile - 1.75 - 4.00. (I am talking from independents to flooring specialty stores.
Don't forget that although property taxes are higher, we do not have a state income tax. However, we do have a sales tax of 8.125%. It does vary by city, but that's the rate for San Antonio. (Sales taxes are on the usual- clothing, certain food items, certain services, restaurants).
Generally, the overall cost of living here is lower than many other areas, due to (mainly) lower housing costs. Our grocery (that's a whole 'nother thread ) costs are lower, as are our gas prices. And, since we are far enough inland, we usually don't get the damage from hurricanes.
If you start looking at some example areas, you can see what you might be looking at in terms of cost.
Flooring? We have been quoted anywhere from 3.50 to 5.50 psf for (glue down) wood. Ceramic tile - 1.75 - 4.00. (I am talking from independents to flooring specialty stores.
The OP is relocating from Florida. No state income tax there either.
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) costs are lower, as are our gas prices. And, since we are far enough inland, we usually don't get the damage from hurricanes.
