[publius911]

I'm entering my 20th year of living in North Irving, no sign of "self-destruction" here. Pay no heed to the large cities, the suburbs are where it's at.

Thanks for the input. Every little bit helps.

The only remaining threat, as I understand it, is the onerous State and property taxes and "fees." Last time I checked they seemed to be breathtaking.

[Night Hides Not]

The property taxes are high, I pay roughly 2.5% of my house value in property taxes, but there is no state income tax.

Housing costs are very low compared to CA. My 2400 SF home is listed on Zillow at $350K. You can buy a home by a canal in Valley Ranch (North Irving) for less than $450K. I've seen people move from CA and pay cash for their homes upon arrival.

My monthly mortgage & escrow payment is $1500. It will drop back to $1425 next year after the next escrow analysis. It's been very predictable.

Watch out for utilities, though...during the summer, the electrical bills are $300+/-. Our new a/c units are almost paying for themselves, as our old units had to run 24/7, and I saw a few electric bills at $600. The good news is we rarely see a brown out. We're on our own grid here in Texas.