Thinking of moving to Texas

I've always loved Texas, I learned that most Texans are really good/friendly people from my frequent visits there as a kid (my family came from Fort Worth/Abilene) . Eastern Texas has always looked good to me, that's the really pretty part of of the state. Lots of small towns in green surroundings. But the further south you go the more humid you get. Plus we have family friends who are getting ready to sell out to move to Texas. Prices are right and it's a great state. Personally I'd love to move there but I doubt I'll ever get my wife out of California. :(
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
I've always loved Texas, I learned that most Texans are really good/friendly people from my frequent visits there as a kid (my family came from Fort Worth/Abilene) . Eastern Texas has always looked good to me, that's the really pretty part of of the state. Lots of small towns in green surroundings. But the further south you go the more humid you get. Plus we have family friends who are getting ready to sell out to move to Texas. Prices are right and it's a great state. Personally I'd love to move there but I doubt I'll ever get my wife out of California. :(
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East TX is very pretty. Gets much more rain than central or west TX. The culture is very different there. It’s more what I would classify as ‘Redneck.’ The closer you get to Louisiana the more redneck it gets.

My parents live in NE TX. Walmart visits are always very interesting.

Cost of living is low
 
Any smaller town in the Hill Country area is were you would want to be. You have many options of doing activities with the kids with just a short 1hr -1hr30min drive. Plan a longer 3 or 4 hr trip for even more things to do. I would not live in North, East, West or South Texas.
 
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What about Pennsylvania, Maryland , or Delaware? You’ll get the 4 seasons and have tons of activities to do with the kids. Just remember you’ll have a lot more people moving to areas with things to do.
 
@JMT is dead on about the weather. We’ve had 10 days below 10 degrees, then 80 degrees the next couple days. Texas is a state where the weather man is hardly ever right, but still has a job. 8.25% sales tax and property taxes pay for the things that other states use an income tax for. Plenty to do in DFW. Looong way to wheeling. You can bet on 3-4 hours to get to wheeling. That’s not a long way for those of us that are used to it. Jeeps are cheap there too.
 
Having lived just south of Austin since 2003 I can attest that it’s probably nothing like you remember. The cost of living is out of control, the homeless population has blown up and the local politicians seem to be doubling down on failed policies.

However, the Hill Country is still a great place to be and personally my wife and I love New Braunfels. There is so much to do in this region that the local PBS was able to run a weekly series on things to do and places to see within the area. Here’s the website which I’m assuming has the episodes on it:

https://thedaytripper.com/
I spent 11 years in the Army bouncing all around the world before I ended up here and I can truly say that Texas has been one of the best places I’ve ever been. After I retire I probably won’t be staying due to family reasons but I’ll definitely miss this place. Well, not Austin, but the rest of Texas for sure.
 
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Anyone have any idea how to go about finding a good realtor in San Antonio or DFW? There’s so damn many when you Google it that I have no friggin’ clue how you pick a good one 🤣
 
Good luck Chris. My wife and I are talking more and more about moving to Texas when the kids head to college. She has family around the DFW area. I went to college south of DFW in Keene and spent some time out in El Paso.

I really want to move to Western Texas between El Paso and Odessa. She wants to be close to DFW.
 
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Chris said:
absurd amount of rain
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So out of curiosity I looked up your weather... ALL SUN for the next 10 days. ;)

Instead of having to maintain a pool, are there any locations near the ocean or clean lakes? Those would also make fun day trips and give the kids something to do rather than just the back yard... but also means you'd have to pack up... so trade offs I guess.
 
wigsajumper said:
Good luck Chris. My wife and I are talking more and more about moving to Texas when the kids head to college. She has family around the DFW area. I went to college south of DFW in Keene and spent some time out in El Paso.

I really want to move to Western Texas between El Paso and Odessa. She wants to be close to DFW.
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We're looking more at San Antonio now, but we'll see. Having lived in Arizona for a long time, I think I'd probably like it.

toximus said:
So out of curiosity I looked up your weather... ALL SUN for the next 10 days. ;)

Instead of having to maintain a pool, are there any locations near the ocean or clean lakes? Those would also make fun day trips and give the kids something to do rather than just the back yard... but also means you'd have to pack up... so trade offs I guess.
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The Oregon cost is affordable but there's nothing to do there other than the beach, which is literally only nice 3 months out of the year. We'd love to live on the Florida coast if it wasn't for the cost and the hurricanes, and California is of course out of the question for way more reasons than just one.

I'm not sure about a lake, I'd have to look. The one thing I know is that these damn kids will stay in the pool all day long if you let them, it's insane. We take them to the pool at our local gym sometimes, and they will stay there for hours on end. We have to physically remove them in order to get them out, haha.
 
toximus said:
So out of curiosity I looked up your weather... ALL SUN for the next 10 days. ;)

Instead of having to maintain a pool, are there any locations near the ocean or clean lakes? Those would also make fun day trips and give the kids something to do rather than just the back yard... but also means you'd have to pack up... so trade offs I guess.
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The central area of TX once more. New Braunfels, Austin, San Antonio Area, lakes, rivers. I’d steer clear of the coast. Waters dirty it’s windy, ughhhh.
 
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Chris said:
Anyone have any idea how to go about finding a good realtor in San Antonio or DFW? There’s so damn many when you Google it that I have no friggin’ clue how you pick a good one 🤣
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See if Absolute Charm has a branch in San Antonio. They are excellent. Top notch, best marketing, great people.
 
Chris said:
We're looking more at San Antonio now, but we'll see. Having lived in Arizona for a long time, I think I'd probably like it.



The Oregon cost is affordable but there's nothing to do there other than the beach, which is literally only nice 3 months out of the year. We'd love to live on the Florida coast if it wasn't for the cost and the hurricanes, and California is of course out of the question for way more reasons than just one.

I'm not sure about a lake, I'd have to look. The one thing I know is that these damn kids will stay in the pool all day long if you let them, it's insane. We take them to the pool at our local gym sometimes, and they will stay there for hours on end. We have to physically remove them in order to get them out, haha.
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Then I would look for a house with a nice pool, very expensive to have it put in, but they won't recover that when you buy it already in the house.
 
cliffish said:
Then I would look for a house with a nice pool, very expensive to have it put in, but they won't recover that when you buy it already in the house.
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Yes, all of the homes we have been looking at have very, very nice pools from the photos.

I could put one in, but I'd rather just buy one with a pool already. I am 100% certain that will be endless days of entertainment for the kids. They are water babies I guess!
 
JMT said:
The central area of TX once more. New Braunfels, Austin, San Antonio Area, lakes, rivers. I’d steer clear of the coast. Waters dirty it’s windy, ughhhh.
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That's a shame. Where I'm at, every body of water is clean to swim in. I'd drink out of my river without much concern and have drank right out of Lake Superior on a number of hiking and kayaking trips.
 
Chris said:
I am 100% certain that will be endless days of entertainment for the kids. They are water babies I guess!
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That's awesome. Any local pools have swimming lessons? I wonder if they'd enjoy even more advanced lessons? Of course playing in the water always seems to be the ultimate.
 
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We have lived in Texas most of our adult lives. Spent formative years in Nebraska - love it - not going back. I have lived in Austin, Houston, College Station - Gig em!, and now Fort Worth. Considered other places, did some Denver and Albuquerque time, stayin' here.

Lots of stuff for kids, raised two here, and if you like hot - we got your hot.

Whatever anyone says - Texas barbecue destroys all others - come visit - you'll never leave.
 
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Stevie TJ said:
We have lived in Texas most of our adult lives. Spent formative years in Nebraska - love it - not going back. I have lived in Austin, Houston, College Station - Gig em!, and now Fort Worth. Considered other places, did some Denver and Albuquerque time, stayin' here.

Lots of stuff for kids, raised two here, and if you like hot - we got your hot.

Whatever anyone says - Texas barbecue destroys all others - come visit - you'll never leave.
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Yep on the que.
 
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