Info about Harlingen, Mcallen and Brownsville, nurse worried to work there. (Center: homes, school)

[mitchdd]

You don't find it cheap because you pay too much, simple as that. In most of the RGV you can get an average 10 year old 3/2/2 house for $700/month. A 3/2/1 goes for ~ $670. A 3/2 apartment for $600. If you and others pay $200 more than the reasonable typical price of $550 for a 2/2, then the owners of that apartment complex are likely laughing all the way to the bank.

It DOES matter which electric company you use. They are NOT almost the same. The website run by the State of Texas continually updates the rates for all of the companies and all of their different plans. I'm now at 10 cents per KW/hr., subject to change each month. Other companies charge as high as mid 13's to 14, I recall from reading the comparison last month. That's a 35+% difference!

Housing costs ARE cheap here. My 10 year old 3/2/2 is appraised at just $74,000, and now worth probably $88,000 after making some big home improvements. You won't find a home like this at this price in ANY other metro area with over 700,000 people, anywhere in the USA.

Controlling a/c usage and getting a reasonable electric bill in the RGV is as simple as making some smart home improvements, such as getting a cool roof and using radiant barrier wherever possible. Throw in a solar water heater, and choose the company offering the lowest KW/hr. rate, and a double digit electric bill in July is to be expected for a home like mine.

Originally Posted by Kalifornian

Amazingly cheap? I moved here a year ago--from northern CA and I don't find it that cheap--for a two bedroom we paid $750 and are moving to a new apartment unit where the rent will be $735. The national index is $750. And when you include A/C (utilities) you will find it evens out somewhat. Your utility bill in July will run around $200 no matter where you live. It doesn't matter which utility company you use (CPL is supposedly the most expensive)--Reliant, TXU Green, etc all charge almost he same per kilowatt. I do not understand why people keep reiterating how cheap housing costs are here. Do they not get utility bills? (Anyhow, the low rents won't last once, they will even out in the next few years).

[Kalifornian]

Originally Posted by mitchdd

Housing costs ARE cheap here. My 10 year old 3/2/2 is appraised at just $74,000, and now worth probably $88,000 after making some big home improvements. You won't find a home like this at this price in ANY other metro area with over 700,000 people, anywhere in the USA.

Controlling a/c usage and getting a reasonable electric bill in the RGV is as simple as making some smart home improvements, such as getting a cool roof and using radiant barrier wherever possible. Throw in a solar water heater, and choose the company offering the lowest KW/hr. rate, and a double digit electric bill in July is to be expected for a home like mine.

But you own a home. We rent, and we have no control over how old our A/C units are or whether the landlord chooses to improve the insulation. Our A/C units at Vintage Square were over 25 years old and broke down several times (icing over) in six months. We then moved to a 3/2 duplex, but the landlord casually stated he would not be "making any further improvements". We have looked extensively at apartment rental units and the homes for rent--and the homes for rent in the price category you quote leave very much to be desired. If you are able to pay upwards of $1000 you can rent a fairly decent place, with a two car garage and nice backyard. These older homes which are in the centralized area of McAllen leave very much to be desired for the most part. One woman was renting her home for $700 and the interior was revolting. She had cheap wood paneling throughout, holes in the closet, old mildew smell, grass in the front yard a foot high, backyard overgrown, etc. I've notice that landlords here in general don't care if there are stains in the carpet. The TINY 3/2 brick homes renting for $650-700 and built within the last 10-20 years are matchboxes, no storage space and located on the fringes of the city nearer to Edinburgh. They are affordable but the ones I have seen have smaller square footage than many apartment units closer to the downtown area (and which offer perks like free cable and garbage). They are affordable, but A/C must be run virtually 24/7, 365 days a year (give or take a week or two) and those are the costs which add up quickly. If you have cable and internet (as most people now do) that adds on even more. So when you include those costs you are paying more like $900 per month. The older homes for rent under $800 have major defects, the people renting them simply don't care and they are dirty, i.e. carpets have stains, visible defects, etc. You may recall that last week (March 15) the thermometer reached 104/f.

Vis a vis your comment about insulation, I agree that they can be lowered but the average renter has no control over insulation issues at all. Just try and get your landlord to do something about it! Our bill in July was in excess of $300 due to the poor A/C units (so we moved). And we are moving again, to an apartment complex which is newer and better insulated. I have lived in San Joaquin Valley (which is a furnace in the summer) and the apartments are better built and insulated. Our PG & E bill was never as high as our utility bills have been here, even during the heatwave of July/2006 when temps reached 110.

And BTW, you pay HUGE taxes on that, don't you?--as county tax assessors have a tendency to inflate the value of homes so you will pay higher taxes. What do you pay for taxes?

[teatime]

Yep, I've read that rent is going up because of the mortgage crisis. People who would be in the market to buy can't get loans and so many have lost their homes that renting has become popular once again. I know that when I was leaving the Valley, the Realtor told me that rent AND demand had gone up a lot.

The humidity is a big problem in the Valley, along with the fact that it's hot and humid about 8 months out of the year. You don't get a break.

[mitchdd]

Hidalgo County tax assessors have always valued my home at close to the fair market price. I paid $1,800 and change last year, appraised at ~ $74K.

Originally Posted by Kalifornian

And BTW, you pay HUGE taxes on that, don't you?--as county tax assessors have a tendency to inflate the value of homes so you will pay higher taxes. What do you pay for taxes?

[mfca]

My family moved out of Harlingen when I was just a child. I have not lived in the Valley for many years.
I am seriouly thinking of purchasing propertry in Harlingen or South Parde. It has been many years since I visited. I remember people been very friendly and accommodating.
I have lived in very large cities in the West Coast and I am use to having much available to me socially and culturally. I read about the Valley it appears to me that it has it's own form of entertainment.
It appeals to me from the point of affordabilty in housing, the sea is close and for a foreign feel Mexico is down the street.
I would like to read others view point of the area from transplants as well as locals.

[elvalle_mayne]

Originally Posted by southeasttexas

You apparently need to reread my post. I never mentioned "hispanics". I mention Mexicans invading the US, sticking their tricolores flag in our eye, and demanding a laundry list of free (Taxpayer funded) goods and services.
Don't accuse me of "attacks on hispanics".

Invading? If we (the u.s.) are losing then who's winning? Last time I checked the illegal janitor and housekeeper were the last thing I was worried about.

[South Texas Sucks]

Brownsville News UTB urges warning in response to Matamoros shootout | urges, response, grande - Local - Brownsville Herald (http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/urges-101976-response-grande.html - broken link)

[georgste]

I lived in Harlingen from 1999 to 2001. I loved it and I really don't remember it being that humid or hot. My clothes never did stick to my body either. The only thing I found scary was the arrival of Hurricane Brett through Baffin Bay. I would have liked to have stayed in Harlingen longer, but I was transferred out to El Paso after two years. I will retire next year and I am seriously considering retiring there of Corpus. I didn't remember most of the population in Harlingen being hispanic. And I must say that I don't know how people with no knowledge or fluency in Spanish survive in cities that are predominately hispanic. If you want to live in south Texas, then expect to learn spanish as a second language. With exploding population and growth, I guess you can expect rising housing costs. I read the previous posts here and I am glad to hear that the commute from Harlingen to Brownsville or South Padre Island is still only 30 minutes away. Great place.

[mrkool]

Originally Posted by elvalle_mayne

Invading? If we (the u.s.) are losing then who's winning? .

Mexico is winning. They are unloading many of their unemployed, poorly educated, and often criminal citizens. Statistics confirm this, and there is a reason Mexico encourages this exodus.
I don't consider this a good trade-off just for some cheap labor for the U.S.

[draft in texas]

I moved her 8 months ago. I had read all of these posts and more about the area and was expecting the worst. For the first month I could hardly sleep for fear someone would break into my home or steal our vehicle in the night. I bought roseta stone to learn to speak spanish and was afraid of every tan person I saw. Boy was I wrong. The guy acorss the street and his wife were so helpful and have become close friends. They watch our house for us but I don't think there is a need. We've had no trouble. No, I'm no longer trying to learn Spanish. I do just fine without it. The folks I work with are educated and absolutely great people. Some people are unfriendly in the stores etc. but even more are very nice and respectible. We love our house, love the weather (does not feel any hotter than a MO summer), prices are good and the road system is very good. We are home bodies so don't do the night life but I am always hearing things advertise (concerts, games, etc.). Resturants and movies are close by. I have come to stay and yes I'm white and don't speak a bit of spanish! Love it so far. As for the crime you hear about, that's the drug cartel across the border. If they come over here, they are coming for another drug member. Don't get involved with them and you'll never have a problem. The drugs here are on their way to all parts of the country in bulk. Big crime yes but not going to show up on your door step. If you like nature, big ranch country on the outskirts, birding santuary, beach, hunting, swiming, etc.