Considering Tyler-Need Info (Houston, Austin, Longview: real estate, apartment complexes, rental)

[ljohnson81]

My husband and I have been considering the move to Tyler. We have three children 16, 13, and 11. We are looking to possibly find a rental home until we can purchase a home. We currently have a mortgage of 10 years on an acre of land paying around $600. So we are looking to pay around that amount with a max of $800 per month. The property doesn't have to be on an acre, but it must have some outdoor space because all of my children love sports. My husband and I are ministers so our faith is very important to us. We will be also looking for a church home that is on fire for God. My husband has 18 years of experience at the prison, 14 years of construction experience, 10 years of supervisory experience, and 5 years of customer service. So jobs that involve delivery, warehouse, prison, utility, and light construction is what he's preferring. I have been working with children and families for the last 10 years so I prefer a job around that career. We are also okay with driving 20-25 minutes to work. We enjoy family time so activities for family entertainment is also necessary.

We have visited Tyler a few times. So we are somewhat familiar with the Silverleaf Resort, one church in the Tyler area, and visited TJC a couple of times. We don't necessarily have to live in the city of Tyler, but are okay with living in the outskirts of the area if it meets our needs.

With the information that I've stated so far....how are the schools? How is the crime rate? Are there lots of activities for children? Are jobs easy or hard to find?

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read and answer my questions.

[Mark Senior]

You visited Silverleaf Resort, the one in Holly Lake Ranch to the north of Tyler, or the one on Lake Palestine? Just might need to know a little more what you saw when on your visits to Tyler.

I'm a former real estate broker, not now, no commission or referral, lol. Trying to find a home in a safe better place for $800, not counting the costs of all the utilities above that might be rather tough to find. Especially for a family of 5.

Possibly you would need to find jobs first, or rent an apartment to look for jobs, but then I'm not sure you could rent an apartment without the jobs, maybe possible but?

You will find whatever type of church group you need here, I'm pretty involved in that area of Tyler life, at least familiar in certain ways. Too bad you can't somehow create the "church family" first BEFORE your move here or before you look for jobs, because normally they are good networking sources for both your housing and jobs. Or at least, often they help, support each other. You may give that a 'thought' and maybe you could work this for you in some way?

Schools vary, many people in Tyler, in the city, send their children to private schools, or home school. Tyler has 5 or 6 higher rated schools, in TISD. If you can't find those, maybe on line, maybe I could give you my two cents worth via the direct email to me. Too involved and too long of response for on here.

Living in the outskirts is likely the better route to. If you can't find any recent comments on schools crime on CD, all that really hasn't changed in the last 5 years or so much. Older posts would likely be "current". Most of the smaller town schools have plenty of activities for your age children.

Back to jobs, Tyler is not your booming DFW, Austin, Houston job markets. If you had medical backgrounds, yeah, not so hard to find a job. Prison jobs, outside of Tyler/Smith County jail, are 40-60 minutes from Tyler, shorter if you lived in one of the towns in the direction of Henderson and Palestine, where the prisons I've heard about are located. For you, working with children and families, as in what capacity?

Most of the Tyler areas are ok crime wise, if you were looking for apartments the city has a monthly update on the type of calls to all apartment complexes in Tyler. Neighborhoods, well, maybe in a direct email response to you.

This is a first response to you. More responses later if you have more specific questions or other questions. I just state it like it is, Tyler has jobs, but not nearly to the extent as the boom boom of DFW. That whole area of more than 7 million population is growing in the range of 125,000 to 150,000 people per YEAR. But yeah, I'm aware as much as anyone, as to the drawbacks to boom town. But again, the boom is mostly about the available jobs, which are many in DFW.

Best to you.

[ljohnson81]

The Resort located in Flint. The last time we visited was about 4 years ago during the opening of the new Waterpark.

Of course, we have plans of finding a job first-since it wouldn't make sense to make a move of that sort with a family. My husband has an option with a job located in Kilgore, but we are still weighing our options. I have case management experience for low-income families and years of Head Start experience. My last position I was a Site Director at a Head Start. I have A.A.S. in Child and Family Development and 21 credits shy of my B.S.

As far as living in an apartment, I'm not sure if that would be an option for us. Especially since I'm concerned about the safety and privacy of our children. Like I mentioned before I don't mind the outskirts of Tyler if we can locate a house with the rent amount $800 or less.

The school can be public. My children love sports, so a good school that has sports must be an option. Two of my children have accelerated classes so that needs to be considered as well.

It's been a while since I visited and spoke with the Pastor in Tyler. I'm pretty sure I can probably locate them though. Thanks for that advice I will begin looking them up.

[ljohnson81]

Is Whitehouse or other towns outside of Tyler cheaper on rent? Are all the schools in the Tyler area distances apart?

[KathrynAragon]

Honestly, that rental price point is very tricky. I'm just not sure what you will find in the "decent" category for that price point - in either Tyler or the surrounding areas.

Rent and home prices in Kilgore are not significantly different than in the Tyler area and your options will be greatly limited. I lived in Tyler for ten years, then moved to Kilgore for nine years, and was very, very happy to get back to Tyler about four years ago. I did not care for Kilgore much at all - and your job options will be very limited. Longview is a little better when it comes to job options but it's got higher unemployment than Tyler's unemployment.

If your spouse takes the job in Kilgore, you could look on the east side of Tyler, such as Overton, Grand Saline, Chapel Hill for rental property. My bet would be on Chapel Hill. I think the Chapel Hill school district is decent as well.

I also lived in Whitehouse for about five years. I think Whitehouse has good elementary schools but when my kids got into jr high there, I moved to Tyler and put them in the Tyler school district which I much preferred for them. I was very unimpressed with Whitehouse schools above elementary grades. And rental properties will not be less expensive in Whitehouse than in Tyler I don't believe.

[ljohnson81]

Originally Posted by KathrynAragon

Honestly, that rental price point is very tricky. I'm just not sure what you will find in the "decent" category for that price point - in either Tyler or the surrounding areas.

Rent and home prices in Kilgore are not significantly different than in the Tyler area and your options will be greatly limited. I lived in Tyler for ten years, then moved to Kilgore for nine years, and was very, very happy to get back to Tyler about four years ago. I did not care for Kilgore much at all - and your job options will be very limited. Longview is a little better when it comes to job options but it's got higher unemployment than Tyler's unemployment.

If your spouse takes the job in Kilgore, you could look on the east side of Tyler, such as Overton, Grand Saline, Chapel Hill for rental property. My bet would be on Chapel Hill. I think the Chapel Hill school district is decent as well.

I also lived in Whitehouse for about five years. I think Whitehouse has good elementary schools but when my kids got into jr high there, I moved to Tyler and put them in the Tyler school district which I much preferred for them. I was very unimpressed with Whitehouse schools above elementary grades. And rental properties will not be less expensive in Whitehouse than in Tyler I don't believe.

Thanks for responding. Many doors have been closed for our family so we decided maybe it's time to move. It's kind of difficult for our family to even consider moving. Especially when we have been used to stability and familiarity and to have things suddenly change. I believe it will harder for our three children to adjust.

Based on what you've told me it seems that maybe the cost of living might be a little higher than what we are used to. We currently live a few hours away from Tyler and in my area $800 a month for a 3 bedroom would be expensive for rental! What would be the price range for rental properties in areas such as Flint, Bullard, Lindale, or Whitehouse?

My kids will be going to the 6th, 8th, and 11th grades, so all above Elementary grades. Are the schools spread far apart? I mean does it take 10 mins to get to one school from the other? Just some information I need to know to take in consideration.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by ljohnson81

Thanks for responding. Many doors have been closed for our family so we decided maybe it's time to move. It's kind of difficult for our family to even consider moving. Especially when we have been used to stability and familiarity and to have things suddenly change. I believe it will harder for our three children to adjust.

Based on what you've told me it seems that maybe the cost of living might be a little higher than what we are used to. We currently live a few hours away from Tyler and in my area $800 a month for a 3 bedroom would be expensive for rental! What would be the price range for rental properties in areas such as Flint, Bullard, Lindale, or Whitehouse?

My kids will be going to the 6th, 8th, and 11th grades, so all above Elementary grades. Are the schools spread far apart? I mean does it take 10 mins to get to one school from the other? Just some information I need to know to take in consideration.

I don't know what you mean by "far apart" but I'd say yes, with traffic in most places it would take 5-10 minutes to get from one school to the other. Rent for a 3 bedroom house will probably run about $1000 - $1200 a month or so.

[ljohnson81]

My 3 kids current schools are about 1-2 miles apart or less which is considered pretty close together. I know it some cities it takes more than 10 minutes to get to one school from the other. Since I will possibly have to take my children to 3 separate schools I was concerned about the distances. That's what I mean when I say far apart. 10 minutes or more is farther than what I'm used to so I'm trying to take everything into consideration. You answered the question, though. Thanks.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by ljohnson81

My 3 kids current schools are about 1-2 miles apart or less which is considered pretty close together. I know it some cities it takes more than 10 minutes to get to one school from the other. Since I will possibly have to take my children to 3 separate schools I was concerned about the distances. That's what I mean when I say far apart. 10 minutes or more is farther than what I'm used to so I'm trying to take everything into consideration. You answered the question, though. Thanks.

Well, when I say "ten minutes" I am factoring in traffic, not going by distance. Traffic time when school is opening or closing can really be tough. Actually the schools themselves tend to be very close to each other - 1-2 miles apart sounds right.