Move to Pampa (Austin, Lubbock, Amarillo: best cities, for rent, house prices)

[MichiganAndy]

I have a good job offer in Pampa, could you guys tell me how the area is, if there are any homes for rent with a little land etc....and about any areas near Pampa that would be good to live in with a family?

[triwing]

Wow, that's out in no where, up by Amarillo. That part of Texas did not fare the recession very well. I would think just about any part of Pampa is okay (save a few neighborhoods) because it's so small. You won't have any problems finding a place with land.

Where are you moving from?

[MichiganAndy]

We are moving from Michigan.

[GayleTX]

You won't have any problems finding a place with land. QUOTE]

Not likely....the 'land' there is all ranches and has been in families for generations....there is very little 'selling off an acre to build a house' from a 2000 acre ranch unless it's for one of your own kids so there are not many houses outside of town (not just Pampa....all of the Panhandle area). The nicer homes and the better neighborhoods are in the north part of town near the hospital district. Even tho there is very little natural vegetation (trees,etc) on the Panhandle, the towns themselves are full of trees that people have planted.... and people take quite a lot of pride in their yards.

If you are wanting in a smaller town and have it be within commuting distance, your only good choice is White Deer....it's a nice safe little town, mostly Catholic, a number of German/Polish immigrants from about 3 generations back. They also have a very good school system. If you are going to be working at the chemical plant west of Pampa, White Deer is a good choice, quick commute.

Wherever you live in that area, you will have to go into Amarillo for anything of importance. It's a long ways, but it's wide open highwaysand you can get the 50 miles in 40 minutes most of the time.....then, of course, it's another half hour toget across town to the 'good' side of Amarillo where the shopping/dining/medical facilities are. The roads are good and the highway department has the equipment to keep the main highways passable in the winters.

Hope things work out well for you.....it's going to be quite a change....but the people in the Panhandle are friendly and helpful and welcoming. They are more accepting of outsiders than some parts of Texas are. Best wishes......

[MichiganAndy]

Thanks Gayle,
I will be working for Great Plains. So stick to the north side of Pampa or look at White Deer? I wondered if that would be the case with land. I would be happy with five acres and up but that does not sound probable.
If anybody has a house on some land to rent let me know LOL.

Andy

[Westerner92]

Originally Posted by triwing

That part of Texas did not fare the recession very well.

Actually, Amarillo and Lubbock have been trading out for the lowest unemployment rate in Texas for a year now. According to some surveys, they also are among the five best housing markets in the nation right now. The small towns in the Panhandle are doing okay as well.

Pampa is an okay town, but it is a little run down. It had a population of about 30,000 in the 70s compared to 17,000 today. The nicest part of town is in the northeast in the Austin Elementary school zone.

[triwing]

Actually, Amarillo and Lubbock have been trading out for the lowest unemployment rate in Texas for a year now. According to some surveys, they also are among the five best housing markets in the nation right now. The small towns in the Panhandle are doing okay as well.

There are more economic factors for a recession than just the unemployment rate. For one thing, the unemployment rate doesn't show how prosperous an area is.

Pampa is an okay town, but it is a little run down. It had a population of about 30,000 in the 70s compared to 17,000 today.

My point exactly.

According to some surveys, they also are among the five best housing markets in the nation right now.

I'm sure housing costs there are reasonable relative to other parts of the country but you're still in Amarillo and Lubbock. Things to consider.

[Westerner92]

Originally Posted by triwing

There are more economic factors for a recession than just the unemployment rate. For one thing, the unemployment rate doesn't show how prosperous an area is.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't an area where 95% of people are making a decent living tend to be more prosperous than another area where only 90% or even 85% are? Sure, there are more economic factors to the prosperity of an area than just the unemployment rate, but it is the main one. Just consult any economics textbook or even notice how the government's main goal is raising the unemployment rate. There's a reason Lubbock came in at #11 on the best places to ride out the recession on this survey. The Best Cities for Riding Out a Recession: Lubbock, Tex. - BusinessWeek

Originally Posted by triwing

My point exactly.

I guess I should clarify. Pampa was a boom town in the 70s that tanked in the 80s. Its population has held steady for about 20 years now and its decline has had nothing to do with the current economy. In fact, Pampa has had a little bit of a pickup recently because of the rising price of oil. I used the population figure to indicate that there are many vacant and unused buildings in town, so it is somewhat rundown.

Originally Posted by triwing

I'm sure housing costs there are reasonable relative to other parts of the country but you're still in Amarillo and Lubbock. Things to consider.

Lubbock and Amarillo appeared on that list not because of the reasonable house prices (which they are), but because house prices have held constant and even increased throughout the recession. As I'm sure you know, one of the main causes of the recession was the housing bubble, and West Texas has largely avoided that problem, creating a very stable economy.

I realize you don't like West Texas, but you could at least pick some legitimate complaints when bashing it.

[dj fox]

does anyon know of any houses for rent in the Pampa area of Texas? or within commuting distance? Im planning to relocate there for work.....please let me know, [email]fxxdj@yahoo.com[/email] thanks