Texas Freepers - Information Please!

Me ^ | 4/18/02 | CyberCowboy77

[CyberCowboy777]

Texas Freepers! I am considering re-locating to Texas from Washington. I want a change in weather, people and politics.

I have lived all across the U.S. but never Texas. Can you give me some ideas as to where to live, Pro's and Cons of Texas?

I am really thinking Houston - I want to be near the Coast. (or at least 2 hours away).

I will want to own at least 5 acres. And my brother and Parents are thinking of moving there as well and will need land as well.

I have three boys and a Wife. I am a Computer Consultant by trade (my father is a programmer and we have our own company here).

I do not care about schools as I will be Home Schooling when my boys are older.

Any info will be greatly appreciated!

[Skooz]

If you have never driven across Texas you cannot understand how BIG it is. Some friends and I drove from the eastern border, at Waskom, to El Paso in 1996. 100% Interstate, going between 85 - 95 mph it took a full 14 hours. And that's just across. Up and down is at least as long. You may want to take a month vacation and scout the place out before you decide. It's like a medium-size country.

[maxwell]

Well, first off, "Houston" and "5 acres of land" do not belong together in the same sentence.

Well if the man's willing to commute he might find something north of... I was down for a conference in, uh, whatsitcalled.. Huntsville. Where that big-a$$ penitentiary is and folks get needled. There seemed like alot of farmin' country back in there. Well OK so it took me two plus hours to get from GB airport to there, but anyway...

[ravingnutter]

I agree with ladtx..nothing finer than the Hill Country. I live about 30 miles north of San Antonio (close to Blanco) and work in south San Antonio,it is about an hour's drive for me. Here are some links to get info:

Texas Links

Texas Hill Country

Texas Monthly

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks for the heads up Happygal!

I've never lived in Houston before, but I've been there. I would never live there. More crowded than Dallas and they
have all those chemical processing plants there. Other smaller Gulf towns might be better and less expensive too??
(Houston area FReepers: No offense intended. I've lived in Dallas for a LONG time and guess this is home for me! :O) )......

I live in Dallas, but that's a ~5 hour drive from the coast. Consider that in the Hurricane season, you WILL
eventually have that to deal with those if you live there long enough. Inland is San Antonio. I've lived there in the 70s
and I liked it fine. It's probably 3 hours (??) from the coast, maybe a little more? Austin is nice and fast growing now,
but again, it's farther than 2 hours to the coast.

Oh, btw. I lived in Spokane, Washington and loved it there. I'm sure I don't hafta tell ya that adjusting to Texas
from Washington State is like moving from the refrigerator right into the oven. Be ready for the HEAT no matter where
in Texas you move! ! :O)

In any case, Texas is a GREAT place to live and my best wishes for a smooth transition!
Oh, and let me be (hopefully) the first to extend a warm Texas "WELCOME!" Learn to say "Howdy!" LOL! :O)

Pinging other Texans for more possible diverse input..........

[fogarty]

Azle Texas here. But I heartily recommend San Antonio. Hill Country of Texas is some of nicest area in the state. You can go tubing on the Brazos, and less than 4 hours will put you on the Gulf.

[AgentEcho]

We all seem to be campaignig so you need to let us know what you decide...

Æ

[MeekOneGOP]

Only problem??? Too many Texans live there. LOL

Watch it! LOL! :O)

[isthisnickcool]

Here ya go!

[Brownie74]

You can go tubing on the Brazos.....

Don't you mean the Guadalupe? The Brazos river runs through the Brenham, Hempstead, Sealy, Bellville area. It's a mud bath!!

[wild peach]

You really need to visit DFW, Houston area, Austin-San Antonio before making a decision. It all depends on what you like best. I was born in Houston, raised on a ranch outside of Houston (that is now totally surrounded by subdivisions) and now live in Brazoria county (on 5 1/2 acres). When I win the lotto I will move to the hill country. Don't move to the coast if a little hurricane intimidates you either. Texas is heaven though. Spent 3 years in Florida and couldn't get back fast enough. Their Mexican food sucks.

[al_c]

How far from Fort Worth to the Coast?

If you need to ask that, then you don't want to live in FW.

[al_c]

Anywhere around Austin, San Antonio: Marble Falls, Llano, New Braunfels, Georgetown. Austin is the place for computer people. The yuppies are a little irritating tho.

Beautiful country. I spent 9 years in Austin (and Round Rock) but I wouldn't live in Austin anymore if I had to. Traffic has become a nightmare and the liberals are taking over.

[wild peach]

I almost forgot! Where the heck are my manners? Welcome to Texas.

[McLynnan]

You would be more than two hours from the coast, but you might consider the Waco/Temple/Salado/area on the I-35 corridor. Waco is about 80 miles equidistant from Dallas and Austin. Dell Computer is in Round Rock north of Austin, along with other high tech firms, and the DFW Metroplex is full of opportunities for programmers. There are several colleges and universities in the I-35 corridor area, land is cheap and readily available (if you stay out of Austin and Georgetown), real estate taxes are low, housing is inexpensive, no traffic hassles, yet all you need to sustain life is close by, or you can quickly drive to the big city for more high brow activities. Plenty of lakes in the area too if lake living appeals to you. The President chose this area, need I say more?

[CyberCowboy777]

Lots of info! WOW!

I am liking the sounds coming from the San Antonio area! I can deal with the longer drive to the Coast if the livin' is better! I am not afraid to drive, I currently live 50 minutes from Portland, OR. and drive 1.5 hours (one way) to one client 3 days a week. I would like to cut that if I can.

Heat don't bother me. I grew up in Northern California and we regularly had temp. at 95+!

[Skooz]

Ooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....there's this little REAL Mexican food joint just outside of Dallas--I can't remember the name of the place right now--that is Soooo good. The prices are almost like stealing the food, too. Man, I love that place.

[Cheesehead in Texas]

I agree with the Conroe area. Look at Magnolia or The Woodlands, too. You can easily get 5 acres or more with large pines in this area (but not in The Woodlands city limits). The Woodlands is typically suburban and about 15 minutes from Conroe with some good entertainment, shopping, restaurants, etc. There is a wide range (religious and nondenominational) of very good private schools in the area. Conroe is about 90 miles from the coast which is good because you want some land between you and the hurricanes. The bad part . . . it is really hot and humid in July and August and heavy rains in some areas cause flooding. Conroe is in Montgomery County where there are no democrats in county offices.

[Brownie74]

Why did you ever leave the Spokane area? I like the Sea-Tac area. The drizzling rain is a nuisance at times but you get used to it. I used to do some contract work for Boeing in Renton many years ago.

If I could move tomorrow, I would head for Crater Lake in Oregon in a heartbeat. Beautiful country around there.

[al_c]

I NEED land! How far out are we talking to get into Land?

What of the samller cities? Anything with a decent population but not as big as the D/FW and Houston areas?

You might want to try some of the smaller towns around Houston, San Antonio and Austin. You might want to try Victoria, or somewhere around there.

[Gorest Gump]

I've spent my whole life (41 years) in Texas and have lived in far West Texas (rural area near Midland), near West Texas (rural area between Abilene and Ft. Worth), DFW, near Longview in NE Texas, Austin area, and the Houston Area. All of these areas have some very positive features.

However, I enjoyed living in the Austin area most. Living in the Hill Country near Marble Falls, but close enough to commute into Austin would be ideal. You can live in a laid-back country lifestyle, in a beautiful area. You can also be close to whatever type of entertainment you want in Austin, with the exception of professional sports. If my job wasn't in Houston, and if I had the resources, I would live in the Hill Country.

My second choice is DFW, but not in the cities. JMHO, FWIW.