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Old 09-03-2009, 11:32 PM
 
Location: Texas
5 posts, read 8,084 times
Reputation: 17

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My wife and I are in the process moving to Texas and need help deciding to buy in either Austin or Houston. (She has family in Austin and I have family in Houston) I work out of the house so commute to work is not important.

Here is what we are looking for:

1. Great School District (we have two elementary aged daughters)

2. Culturally diverse

3. Access to fine arts. ie. museums, theater, ballet

4. Low(ish) Crime

5. Fun night life for a couple in their late 20's

6. Home prices in the low to mid 400's

7. Close proximity to grocery/shopping

AUSTIN: We have looked in the Lake Travis area/Stiener Ranch and have found a few homes we liked in our price range and the school district is top notch- BUT, it seems you really don't get a lot for the money out there. (or is that just me?) We didn't like Round Rock or anything North of Austin.. Any other sugguestions?

HOUSTON: We have checked out Cinco Ranch in Katy and really liked what we saw.. I think I heard Cinco Ranch is the best selling community in Texas? Also the schools are good.. Any other sugguestions?

All in all we like Austin and Houston (Katy) equally but we are having a hard time making a decision. If any of you have an opinion on which area you feel is better for my family please let me know. Pros/cons of each..

Any info you can share would be helpful really... If you need to ask me questions to further help you help us.. Please let me know!

Thanks!!
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Old 09-04-2009, 07:51 AM
 
Location: The land of sugar... previously Houston and Austin
5,429 posts, read 14,844,510 times
Reputation: 3672
^ Um, okay.

Anyway, I'll post what I did in the Houston forum to the same question.

There have been numerous Houston/Austin threads in here if you do a search.

Anyway, sounds like you have lots of options being that you work from home.

Obviously, the Lake Travis area is quite scenic and that's a plus. You're right, Round Rock, Pflugerville etc. are not scenic like the west side of Austin/Lake Travis area.

I've lived in both cities, and I'm a fan of arts/culture (museums, symphony, ect.) I got really bored in Austin for lack of those things on a scale with many other cities. Just my experience. But, you do have that scenery on the west side (if you can afford it, and deal with the horrible traffic, since Austin doesn't seem to keep up with the infrastructure to/from many 'burbs like it should).

The suggestion of Meyerland/Bellaire in Houston is something to think about. You'll get a smaller/older house than somewhere like Cinco, and you may even have to go over $400k for the right school zone, but you'll be really close to the museum district, great restaurants, nightlife, and be closer to downtown (performing arts district).

If you want a Houston suburb with scenery, check out Kingwood/Lake Houston. No hills like Austin, but lots of big trees and a big lake.

If you liked Cinco/Katy, I'd also suggest having a look at Sugar Land. It's an incorporated city and has zoning. There's always something going on at the town center in front of city hall. There's a branch campus of the Houston Museum of Natural Science opening next month, and an entertainment/cultural venue in the works. It's a straight shot to Houston's museum district on Hwy 59 or US 90 (which is the same road as Houston's Main St.)

Since you have so many options, I think you should take some time, and have a look at all of them in person!
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Old 09-04-2009, 09:08 AM
 
30 posts, read 145,927 times
Reputation: 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnWW View Post
My wife and I are in the process moving to Texas and need help deciding to buy in either Austin or Houston. (She has family in Austin and I have family in Houston) I work out of the house so commute to work is not important.

Here is what we are looking for:

1. Great School District (we have two elementary aged daughters)

2. Culturally diverse

3. Access to fine arts. ie. museums, theater, ballet

4. Low(ish) Crime

5. Fun night life for a couple in their late 20's

6. Home prices in the low to mid 400's

7. Close proximity to grocery/shopping

AUSTIN: We have looked in the Lake Travis area/Stiener Ranch and have found a few homes we liked in our price range and the school district is top notch- BUT, it seems you really don't get a lot for the money out there. (or is that just me?) We didn't like Round Rock or anything North of Austin.. Any other sugguestions?

HOUSTON: We have checked out Cinco Ranch in Katy and really liked what we saw.. I think I heard Cinco Ranch is the best selling community in Texas? Also the schools are good.. Any other sugguestions?

All in all we like Austin and Houston (Katy) equally but we are having a hard time making a decision. If any of you have an opinion on which area you feel is better for my family please let me know. Pros/cons of each..

Any info you can share would be helpful really... If you need to ask me questions to further help you help us.. Please let me know!

Thanks!!
We used to live in the Houston area (Pearland) and now live in the Austin area (Cedar Park).

We left Houston because it was too big and sprawling for us plus we found that Houston has more crime. Houston's bad areas are all over the place and not confined to one or two areas like most other cities that I have lived in.

Houston definitely has more of the fine arts than Austin but you can always visit Houston since it's only a few hours away.

We chose our current area since we wanted to be in a good school district (Round Rock ISD) for our two daughters who are not yet in school. Also, we live right accross a huge park and trail system with lakes that is connected to our subdivision.
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Old 09-04-2009, 08:31 PM
 
Location: Cedar Hill "The Chill", Texas
277 posts, read 577,447 times
Reputation: 192
Austin.

Houston is a dirty sprawling stinkhole full of smog, highways, and gangsters.
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Old 09-04-2009, 09:41 PM
 
Location: Hutto, Tx
9,249 posts, read 26,697,972 times
Reputation: 2851
The above is not actually a fact, purely opinion.
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Old 09-04-2009, 09:44 PM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
1,606 posts, read 3,412,421 times
Reputation: 2017
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Gribbler View Post
Austin.

Houston is a dirty sprawling stinkhole full of smog, highways, and gangsters.
Wow... You need to get out more.
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Old 09-04-2009, 09:57 PM
 
656 posts, read 1,420,447 times
Reputation: 84
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Gribbler View Post
Austin.

Houston is a dirty sprawling stinkhole full of smog, highways, and gangsters.
You have to post a more better reason that that, every part of Houston is different, the are parts of austin that may be girtty,

Have you considered salary differences, will you and your wife's salary or compensation be the same regardless of the city?
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Old 09-05-2009, 10:18 AM
 
Location: Cedar Hill "The Chill", Texas
277 posts, read 577,447 times
Reputation: 192
Quote:
Originally Posted by love roses View Post
The above is not actually a fact, purely opinion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gabetx View Post
Wow... You need to get out more.
I call'em like I see'em.
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Old 09-05-2009, 05:03 PM
 
25,157 posts, read 53,952,004 times
Reputation: 7058
First of all Austin is a horribly boring and overrated city.

I don't know anything about school districts.

Houston is the most culturally diverse city in Texas. Austin has no diversity or culture at all unless you love college football and beer??? I don't consider that culture. Do you?

Austin has NO fine arts scene. None what so ever. Houston has a gigantic art, music, and theater arts scene.

Houston's crime is low if you live on the good side of town.

Houston has awesome night life down town (a drive away from Katy). Austin's night life is consolidated on 6th street. It is often overcrowded and impossible to drive through at night due to heavy traffic problems. It is mostly a belligerent college crowd though. 6th street mostly has bars and pubs. Dancing isn't too common.

Houston has the beach and some nice state park forests!!!

Houston is a million times better aside from the tropical storms!




Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnWW View Post
My wife and I are in the process moving to Texas and need help deciding to buy in either Austin or Houston. (She has family in Austin and I have family in Houston) I work out of the house so commute to work is not important.

Here is what we are looking for:

1. Great School District (we have two elementary aged daughters)

2. Culturally diverse

3. Access to fine arts. ie. museums, theater, ballet

4. Low(ish) Crime

5. Fun night life for a couple in their late 20's

6. Home prices in the low to mid 400's

7. Close proximity to grocery/shopping

AUSTIN: We have looked in the Lake Travis area/Stiener Ranch and have found a few homes we liked in our price range and the school district is top notch- BUT, it seems you really don't get a lot for the money out there. (or is that just me?) We didn't like Round Rock or anything North of Austin.. Any other sugguestions?

HOUSTON: We have checked out Cinco Ranch in Katy and really liked what we saw.. I think I heard Cinco Ranch is the best selling community in Texas? Also the schools are good.. Any other sugguestions?

All in all we like Austin and Houston (Katy) equally but we are having a hard time making a decision. If any of you have an opinion on which area you feel is better for my family please let me know. Pros/cons of each..

Any info you can share would be helpful really... If you need to ask me questions to further help you help us.. Please let me know!

Thanks!!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-05-2009, 05:07 PM
 
25,157 posts, read 53,952,004 times
Reputation: 7058
LOL the same could be said for Austin...one of the most racist and homophobic cities I've ever been to in my life. Have you seen the highways in Austin...OMG they lead to nowhere.

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Gribbler View Post
Austin.

Houston is a dirty sprawling stinkhole full of smog, highways, and gangsters.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
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