Relocation from MA to TX??? Crazy?? (Houston, Dallas: sales, rentals, vehicle registration)

[zachsmom67]

We are so sick of Massachusetts. We hate the high taxes, the high cost of living, the politics, the schools(we homeschool our youngest), the weather especially.

I keep hearing that TX is the place to be. We have three children. 19, 16(That will be a Junior in a vocational school taking cosmetology so this is important to us), and a 10 yo that we are homeschooling.

My husband is an Electrician.

How is the construction industry there? Many jobs for electrical contractors?

We are looking to stay out of a big city, a place where(don't know if this exists), little to no tornadoes(petrified of those, we do not get tornadoes in MA), warm weather. Not so hot where you cannot even breathe, but warm. And NO SNOW. A 4 BR house with garage to rent for under $1600.00 a month(cannot buy right now) with at least an acre of land, good high schools, things to do like parks,bike trails, fishing, camping, stores, museums, good hospitals and Dr's. Nice people, Christian Churches. Low crime. And houses not piled on top of one another.

So, where would I start looking? Which part of TX?

Why do people love TX so much?

Thank you!

[sweethearttx]

Well...the tornadoes part...unfortunately Texas is in "tornado alley"! Tornadoes happen all over the state, but I have lived in Dallas almost all my life and have only come close to one once (and that was about a month ago).

No snow...well if you don't want snow this is your place! Snow is very rare in much of Texas. Pretty much the only place that gets significant snow regularly is the panhandle area, like Amarillo. Here in Dallas we get ice or sleet more often than snow. Sometimes we'll get snow but never more than an inch or two at the most. And that is RARE. It usually will sleet/ice up once or twice each winter, sometimes none at all. Go south (Austin, San Antonio, Houston) and it is even more rare. If you truly want no snow, go as far south as you can!

Housing...you will definitely not have trouble with that price range. Cost of living is very good here. You could buy a nice sized house for that price. Just keep in mind that property taxes here are high because we have no state income tax. They usually hover around 4%.

Maybe a town like Fredericksburg would fit your bill? It's in the hill country, near Austin for some city amenities. But lots of natural beauty.

Why do people love Texas so much...well I can tell you why I love Texas so much! This isn't the most picturesque state, however the PEOPLE here are the nicest anywhere. And the FOOD is fantastic, as is the cultural diversity. Cost of living is fantastic too. We have a lot of pride in our state. Also, the weather is fantastic for 9 months out of the year!

[zachsmom67]

When you say that property tax hovers around 4%. Do you mean that if you have a home worth $200,000, your property tax would be $8000.00 a year???

So there is no State income tax at all? What about excise tax?(This is a tax we pay once a year to the Registry of Motor Vehicles on the value of our car).

How about sales tax?

I am going to look into that area you mentioned. Oh, are there basements in the homes in TX?

Thanks so much!

[sweethearttx]

Well lets see...my house was $150k and I paid about $4000/year in taxes. So maybe it's 3-4%? Either way it's high. But no, no state income tax at all.

Our sales tax is 8.25% but groceries are excluded. Vehicle registration is like $70 or so I think? Annually.

No, no basements. The ground is not suitable here for basements, it is clay soil and it shifts a lot.

Try not to worry too much about tornadoes! At least we have warning systems here, and rarely are they fatal if they do happen. And most of the time they happen out in the country. If you are really afraid, maybe consider living in a city! I don't know if the buildings interfere w/ the airflow or what, but most tornadoes that happen near the DFW metroplex happen south of the city, in the country. Rarely do they come through the city or suburbs, and again, rarely are they fatal if they do.

If you are really concerned, I believe we get more tornadoes up here in North Texas than down south in places like Austin, San Antonio and Houston. But again, they do happen everywhere. Look up "Tornado Alley" on Google. It encompasses parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. But I believe it stops somewhere in central Texas. I wouldn't let tornadoes stop you from moving here. We get some fantastic thunderstorms, I love them!

[Wendy Montoya]

I like Texas for many reasons. We moved to Waco after my husband retired from the military. He went to work for L-3 Communications which was a great job. Now he works for Space X which he also really loves www.spacex.com.

Tornados are all over TX. I am terrified of them too, but it's part of life.

Here in the Waco area, it still has a small town feel, but is not tiny. I actually live in China Spring just northwest of Waco. Good rentals are very hard to find around here. I have a 17 year old daughter who is planning to go to the local Community College (MCC) which has a good (from what I hear) cosmetology program. I also have a 23 year old that does not like living in TX, he prefers the Las Vegas life where he lives now. If he were to live in TX, he tells me that he likes Austin best.

Overall my top reasons I like where I live:


Nice People
Low traffic
Not too big
Close enough to big cities if you want them
Warm weather

Waco is not perfect, nor is any city anywhere. But it suits me well. There are many places in TX that would probably fit your needs. Explore all the tourist and city web sites. Also read the online local newspapers. Make phone calls to places that catch your attention. I am sure you will find something that works if you truly want to move.

Oh, I forgot to mention. Housing taxes in my area are usually somewhere around 2.5 - 2.9. You can look up taxes at our local appraisal district website for McLennan County. Just google it. Many of the more popular areas are on the higher end of the spectrum. But there may be those areas that are a bit less as well.

[NSANY]

If you're looking to escape high cost of living, Texas can be a goldmine. Housing is significantly less expensive than the coastal states. No state income tax is great, too (although there are other ways that gets made up).

Tornadoes are very real, and are no joke in this state. In the few years I've been here, I've had two friends who had tornadoes hit the houses next to them (one in Colleyville, one in Trophy Club). The springtime thunderstorms are ferocious, and come with some powerful hail at times. We already had our roof replaced because of hail damage (that's why you have insurance, but the premiums are high as well as the deductibles!)

The DFW metroplex area (and the whole state, for that matter) is still undergoing lots of construction, so I'd imagine your husband would have a good job market to work with.

Two things to not underestimate, though -- the traffic and the weather. The roads in a lot of the major cities are very oversubscribed, and traffic can be maddening. It's easier to get through the Lincoln Tunnel at 8:30am on some days. And the summers are blisteringly hot. Granted, it's nice to be able to wear shorts in January, but boy do you pay for it in July.

[TT Dave]

If Tornados are a really big concern for you, check out the link below. There's some really good info and some maps that show where most of the tornados in Texas tend to occur. Maybe you could choose a place that is in an area that has fewer tornados. If you hate snow stay out of the Texas panhandle region, it snows there more than any other place in Texas. Based on what you've said about some of your ineterests it sounds like somewhere down around San Antonio or Austin may be a good place for you (Fredricksburgh, Kerrville, New Braunfels, San Marcos, etc.) The closer to San Antonio or Austin the better because construction related jobs will probably be more plentiful in those metro areas.

Here's the tornado info link: Tornado Alley - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Cupcake77]

Tornados are real here....Last month I heard sirens and as I was running to the closet, The window crashed, wind, rain and glass hitting me and it was the neighbours trampoline. Destroyed my new sectional and I had to get a new roof, a new fence, got a crack in my pool, lost my peach tree and my BBQ grill was down the street, never found the rest of my smoker.

It's sucks here.

[getmeoutofhere]

Originally Posted by zachsmom67

When you say that property tax hovers around 4%. Do you mean that if you have a home worth $200,000, your property tax would be $8000.00 a year???

So there is no State income tax at all? What about excise tax?(This is a tax we pay once a year to the Registry of Motor Vehicles on the value of our car).

How about sales tax?

I am going to look into that area you mentioned. Oh, are there basements in the homes in TX?

Thanks so much!

Tax depends on where you live. I pay about 2.65%, and it's based off the county-appraised value of your house, which you can fight if you are so inclined. It's due once a year, at the end of the year. It's typically included in your escrow payments.

No state income tax at all.

Your vehicle tax is annual, and based on vehicle class and weight. Figure about $65-$75.


Don't worry about tornadoes. They happen now and then, but it's a big area and you may see one or two in 10 years. The storms will be a bigger adjustment for you. They come on in the spring and are quite spectacular.

Attics here, no basements.


Being from Massachusetts, you're going to feel like you are melting half the year.

Personally, I'd stay away from Texas but it will certainly be different. Get used to random strangers talking to you for no apparent reason, and I hope you like flat lands and strip malls.

[WillysB]

You might take a look at the Fort Hood metro... google maps search zip 76543. Along US 190 there are a few towns and cities from Copperas Cove on the west to Temple on the east. Dallas is two hours north and Austin is one hour south. Growth continues.

Fort Hood is the largest active US army post in the nation. The local hospital, Scott & White, bears statewide repute and has affiliation with Texas' two top schools, The University of Texas and Texas A&M. There's a couple of lakes in the area and the population is fairly spread out.

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