Texas: Less Minorities in Poverty Than California (2013, apartment complexes)

[Matadora]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

He took his life savings and bought 160 acres of raw land in Tyler... subdivided and built his dream home... met his wife and living his dream as a licensed contractor and has never not had work... the hard thing for me to grasp is there are NO building permits... not for the house or barns... really incredible...

That is certainly one big plus in Texas. You can see construction going on all the time in Houston...lot's of new buildings replacing old ones. It seems quite normal to me and it's good for the economy.

I was stunned at the oppressive building permit laws this state has. It's incredible to me that a state would prefer old outdated buildings vs. tearing them down and re-building using newer technologies and materials. Or that a home owner would have to get a permit to improve their house or trim a tree. Incredible!

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by Matadora

That is certainly one big plus in Texas. You can see construction going on all the time in Houston...lot's of new buildings replacing old ones. It seems quite normal to me and it's good for the economy.

I was stunned at the oppressive building permit laws this state has. It's incredible to me that a state would prefer old outdated buildings vs. tearing them down and re-building using newer technologies and materials. Or that a home owner would have to get a permit to improve their house or trim a tree. Incredible!

Design review and tree ordinances are par for the course in much of the East Bay... it took my friend 7 years to build his home in the Oakland hills with 3 in design and planning... it really came down to the type of gutters and saving two trees... which both have since expired.

Don't get me wrong... I love the East Bay... love to look across the Bay at the SF skyline... it's just become very restrictive to do some of the simplest things and things like replacing a toilet requires a permit here...

[Matadora]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Don't get me wrong... I love the East Bay... love to look across the Bay at the SF skyline... it's just become very restrictive to do some of the simplest things and things like replacing a toilet requires a permit here...

Only in the State of CA!

[04kL4nD]

Originally Posted by Matadora

I lived most of my life in Houston and I never lived a basic life.

Your comments are far from reality for most who live in Texas.

Really? Can you explain why? I think my assessment of Texas and the lifestyle is pretty accurate. Two of my best friends are from Houston and my step brother went to UT, so it's not like I'm unfamiliar with the place. Like anywhere, it has its plusses and minuses, but I think one of the most important things it has going for it (cowboy culture and great BBQ aside) is the low cost of living.

[HappyinCali]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

Really? Can you explain why? I think my assessment of Texas and the lifestyle is pretty accurate. Two of my best friends are from Houston and my step brother went to UT, so it's not like I'm unfamiliar with the place. Like anywhere, it has its plusses and minuses, but I think one of the most important things it has going for it (cowboy culture and great BBQ aside) is the low cost of living.

I think the issue is you make vast generalizations. Houston has an opera. Dallas has an opera. Austin has good outdoors activities. North Texas has good outdoors activities.

Do you think most people in the Bay Area live super outdoorsy, fancy restaurants lives? You saying "most people in Texas live basic lives" is just as true as anyone else saying "most people in the bay area live basic lives".

Work, movies, some sports on weekends, dining out every now and then. That's the life for vast majority of people both in the Bay Area and Texas. The Bay Area and NYC do not have some monopoly on "cosmopolitan and enlightened" living.

Chances are you would find liberal, outdoorsy people in Houston/Dallas/Atlanta etc. and your life wouldn't be that much more different than here.

The people who you think have "basic" lives in Texas would probably have just as "basic" of a life here if they lived in Dublin, Pleasanton, Walnut Creek, Burlinghame, Danville, San Leandro, Alameda, the Sunset, Castro Valley and yes Oakland, too etc. just pay 5x for that "basic" life.

Just because you live some yuppie lifestyle, doesn't mean that the vast majority of people outside your friends circle live the same life.

[smashystyle]

Originally Posted by Matadora

I was stunned at the oppressive building permit laws this state has. It's incredible to me that a state would prefer old outdated buildings vs. tearing them down and re-building using newer technologies and materials. Or that a home owner would have to get a permit to improve their house or trim a tree. Incredible!

I'm glad permitting exists. It may go too far in some areas, but when I buy a house, I want to know if repairs have been done to code. There's nothing like not knowing whether the redone wiring in your house was done by an amateur and your place could burn down in the night. Or the new addition collapse in an earthquake.

Also, why is it strange to prefer preserving old buildings? Why not make use of what you have when rebuilding wastes resources (including using many more carbon emissions)?

[04kL4nD]

Originally Posted by HappyinCali

I think the issue is you make vast generalizations. Houston has an opera. Dallas has an opera. Austin has good outdoors activities. North Texas has good outdoors activities.

Do you think most people in the Bay Area live super outdoorsy, fancy restaurants lives? You saying "most people in Texas live basic lives" is just as true as anyone else saying "most people in the bay area live basic lives".

Work, movies, some sports on weekends, dining out every now and then. That's the life for vast majority of people both in the Bay Area and Texas. The Bay Area and NYC do not have some monopoly on "cosmopolitan and enlightened" living.

Chances are you would find liberal, outdoorsy people in Houston/Dallas/Atlanta etc. and your life wouldn't be that much more different than here.

The people who you think have "basic" lives in Texas would probably have just as "basic" of a life here if they lived in Dublin, Pleasanton, Walnut Creek, Burlinghame, Danville, San Leandro, Alameda, the Sunset, Castro Valley and yes Oakland, too etc. just pay 5x for that "basic" life.

Just because you live some yuppie lifestyle, doesn't mean that the vast majority of people outside your friends circle live the same life.

I mostly just meant basic in terms of housing/affordability. As in, having a newly constructed house with a yard instead of having a bunch of roommates in SF or paying around $1M for an old dumpy house in most parts of the Bay Area. There's nothing easy about housing in the Bay Area; not the price, nor the inventory, nor the process of finding it, etc. So yeah, having something basic like decent and affordable housing in Texas is definitely easier than in the Bay Area- but good for Dallas and Houston having an opera.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by smashystyle

I'm glad permitting exists. It may go too far in some areas, but when I buy a house, I want to know if repairs have been done to code. There's nothing like not knowing whether the redone wiring in your house was done by an amateur and your place could burn down in the night. Or the new addition collapse in an earthquake.

Also, why is it strange to prefer preserving old buildings? Why not make use of what you have when rebuilding wastes resources (including using many more carbon emissions)?

Plenty of permitted/inspected jobs that are sub-par.

I'm an Engineer and supervise Hospital Capital Improvements... I'm always catching things the inspectors miss.

I do think it is a false sense of security...

Best to always have your own inspections and meet with the inspector you hired at the job...

[Matadora]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

Really? Can you explain why? I think my assessment of Texas and the lifestyle is pretty accurate. Two of my best friends are from Houston and my step brother went to UT, so it's not like I'm unfamiliar with the place. Like anywhere, it has its plusses and minuses, but I think one of the most important things it has going for it (cowboy culture and great BBQ aside) is the low cost of living.

Just becasue you have 2 friends out of the 6 million people living in the 4th largest city in the US and a step brother who went to UT (BTW UT is in Austin) does not mean that you are well acquainted with Houston...or Texas.

Cowboy culture? No more than you see right here in CA.

It's clear that you are barely familiar with the State.

Since this thread is about an entirely different topic I suggest that you do your own homework. Pick any hobby or interest that you like and Google where you can find this in Texas.

Overgeneralizing an entire State does not make you appear very credible or knowledgeable.

[Matadora]

Originally Posted by smashystyle

I'm glad permitting exists. It may go too far in some areas, but when I buy a house, I want to know if repairs have been done to code. There's nothing like not knowing whether the redone wiring in your house was done by an amateur and your place could burn down in the night. Or the new addition collapse in an earthquake.

I suppose you think that Texas does not have building codes? Or inspections of newly constructed buildings and houses?

Originally Posted by smashystyle

Also, why is it strange to prefer preserving old buildings? Why not make use of what you have when rebuilding wastes resources (including using many more carbon emissions)?

Nothing wrong with persevering historical buildings but houses and apartments and most buildings it makes no sense unless they are of historical beauty and value.

Most older buildings and homes are health hazards for the occupants due to the types of materials used to build them.

The exponential growth of the human population is the biggest drain on resources.