Moving to Texas in two-three years
01-28-2014, 06:59 PM
#1
Moving to Texas in two-three years So my wife and I are planning on moving from MD to TX in a few years and know absolutely nothing about the areas of Texas. The main reason we are moving is because MD is a giant pile of liberal crap and the constantly fluctuating weather is starting to get to us (lived here 20 years). I really want away from the harsh winters and the humid springs/summers. My wife's company has an office in Austin and she lived in San Antonio as a kid (military brat). This is where we're starting from and are open to input of all kinds.
Weather-wise, I'm looking for dry and relatively warm. I don't want humidity at all. Avoiding tornadoes would be a plus as well. We're looking at owning at least five acres so I have area to build a nice garage I can escape to. What are the laws regarding out houses in Texas? In MD they can't be larger than the main building
Any other information would be nice to have as well.
Weather-wise, I'm looking for dry and relatively warm. I don't want humidity at all. Avoiding tornadoes would be a plus as well. We're looking at owning at least five acres so I have area to build a nice garage I can escape to. What are the laws regarding out houses in Texas? In MD they can't be larger than the main building
Any other information would be nice to have as well.
01-28-2014, 07:21 PM
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So my wife and I are planning on moving from MD to TX in a few years and know absolutely nothing about the areas of Texas. The main reason we are moving is because MD is a giant pile of liberal crap and the constantly fluctuating weather is starting to get to us (lived here 20 years).
ANSWER: Texas is a Center Right State. Conservative politics. I'm a social lib fiscal conservative and I find that I can agree with most people here on many things. We have huge gun shows, and you can mod a 1000hp vette and drive her up for an inspection sticker with no drama.
I really want away from the harsh winters and the humid springs/summers. My wife's company has an office in Austin and she lived in San Antonio as a kid (military brat). This is where we're starting from and are open to input of all kinds.
Weather-wise, I'm looking for dry and relatively warm. I don't want humidity at all. Avoiding tornadoes would be a plus as well.
ANSWER: this is going to be tough. Texas is HOT in summers, can be cold in winters like it is now but will be cake for you. We are a humid state and the farther south you live the more tropical the weather will be - meaning high humidity. Dallas can get tornadoes, Houston can get hurricanes. Austin is kinda there in the middle somewhere and is an awesome place - very liberal tho, but the acreage you are looking for will put you in a more conservative community with ranchers, horses, golf course communities, etc. And away from the more liberal university community (Univ of TX) and the political scene (Austin is our capitol).
We're looking at owning at least five acres so I have area to build a nice garage I can escape to. What are the laws regarding out houses in Texas? In MD they can't be larger than the main building
ANSWER: No worries, money here talks. If you own acreage, people build barns, offices, put in HUGE steel sided buildings that double as gyms, hot rod headquarters, home office, and all of the above.
Any other information would be nice to have as well.
ANSWER: Texas is a Center Right State. Conservative politics. I'm a social lib fiscal conservative and I find that I can agree with most people here on many things. We have huge gun shows, and you can mod a 1000hp vette and drive her up for an inspection sticker with no drama.
I really want away from the harsh winters and the humid springs/summers. My wife's company has an office in Austin and she lived in San Antonio as a kid (military brat). This is where we're starting from and are open to input of all kinds.
Weather-wise, I'm looking for dry and relatively warm. I don't want humidity at all. Avoiding tornadoes would be a plus as well.
ANSWER: this is going to be tough. Texas is HOT in summers, can be cold in winters like it is now but will be cake for you. We are a humid state and the farther south you live the more tropical the weather will be - meaning high humidity. Dallas can get tornadoes, Houston can get hurricanes. Austin is kinda there in the middle somewhere and is an awesome place - very liberal tho, but the acreage you are looking for will put you in a more conservative community with ranchers, horses, golf course communities, etc. And away from the more liberal university community (Univ of TX) and the political scene (Austin is our capitol).
We're looking at owning at least five acres so I have area to build a nice garage I can escape to. What are the laws regarding out houses in Texas? In MD they can't be larger than the main building
ANSWER: No worries, money here talks. If you own acreage, people build barns, offices, put in HUGE steel sided buildings that double as gyms, hot rod headquarters, home office, and all of the above.
Any other information would be nice to have as well.
01-28-2014, 07:22 PM
#3
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Austin is pretty liberal. My sister lives there and my brother just moved from there. So if you're trying to get away from it, I don't think Austin would be the place. They've been refered to as the blue dot in the sea of red.
Last edited by TA_pat; 01-28-2014 at 07:23 PM. Reason: Auto correct
01-28-2014, 07:52 PM
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Well if you wanted to avoid tornadoes and humidity you could always do El Paso but other than that and decent racing scene its a dump IMO, lol. I have always liked the Dallas area and Lubbock is good too but is kinda in tornado alley. I also agree Houston has a lot of good things but the hurricanes can ruin it if your not prepared.
01-28-2014, 08:04 PM
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I live on the south side of Houston in Pearland, and I love it here. We're close to pretty much everything we like to do. Car scene is great, there's usually a cruise nite somewhere every weekend as long as it's not raining, we can race 10-11 months a year, and if your a gun guy.. there's plenty of that for you too.. It's definitely hot and humid, but I work outside, so I hardly notice it anymore. Once your in it, ya just get used to it. Coming from a northern state, the first couple winters will seem very mild to you, but as you adjust to living here.. 30 degrees will seem like an artic blast to you. I'm sitting at work right now as I type this doing freeze coverage for 16 hours..
01-28-2014, 08:14 PM
#6
I stay in Dallas and love it my 2 favorite cities are Houston and San Antonio and I really stay away from Austin as much as I can lol.
But really depends on your taste, my advice take a small vacation on these cities and see how they fit your lifestyle.
But really depends on your taste, my advice take a small vacation on these cities and see how they fit your lifestyle.
01-28-2014, 08:24 PM
#7
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I'm a Texan born and raised. I grew up in a very small town north east of Dallas. The Dallas area is nice and it is only semi humid. I went to school just south of Austin in San Marcos. Central Texas definitely has a lot of energy and can be tons of fun. The blue dot comment is very accurate though and it is way overpopulated for my taste. I currently live in Amarillo. We do have tornadoes some seasons, but I actually love extreme weather (occasionally). There's energy in the air. People are very nice, the economy is stable, the cost of living is reasonable and there's really no traffic. Small enough to feel small but big enough to have everything you need. It's close enough to take weekend trips skiing too. Possibly the best part is the exceptionally low humidity. Winters can be pretty cold, but they are pretty short and you usually get several days of 40s 50s or even 60s between cold blasts. People say the wind ruins it but it doesn't blow every day or even every week. Get some land on the north side of town and take advantage of the hills. You won't even notice the days that are windy.
What is your profession if you don't mind me asking? That can influence location too. Wherever you choose, welcome to Texas! It's a great state to be a citizen of.
What is your profession if you don't mind me asking? That can influence location too. Wherever you choose, welcome to Texas! It's a great state to be a citizen of.
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01-28-2014, 09:27 PM
#9
I live on 3 1/2 acres north of San Antonio and absolutely love it here. I lived in Houston for 3 years before I moved here and I much prefer San Antonio to Houston, I will admit I miss the attractions of Houston at times but for every day life I prefer things a little slower. If you're wanting to avoid humidity I'd avoid Houston at all costs, it is humid there year round except for the occasional cold front blowing through. Austin is nice but is really starting to get overcrowded and traffic is a nightmare.
If you're wanting some land that you can build a shop on I'd look in the Boerne, Spring Branch, Bulverde, & Canyon Lake areas which are all north of San Antonio. If your going to go the Austin route I'd look in the Dripping Springs, Wimberly, or possibly Kyle areas. All of those suburbs are 30 - 45 minute commutes to the downtowns of their respective cities.
If you're wanting some land that you can build a shop on I'd look in the Boerne, Spring Branch, Bulverde, & Canyon Lake areas which are all north of San Antonio. If your going to go the Austin route I'd look in the Dripping Springs, Wimberly, or possibly Kyle areas. All of those suburbs are 30 - 45 minute commutes to the downtowns of their respective cities.
01-28-2014, 11:39 PM
#10
I live on 3 1/2 acres north of San Antonio and absolutely love it here. I lived in Houston for 3 years before I moved here and I much prefer San Antonio to Houston, I will admit I miss the attractions of Houston at times but for every day life I prefer things a little slower. If you're wanting to avoid humidity I'd avoid Houston at all costs, it is humid there year round except for the occasional cold front blowing through. Austin is nice but is really starting to get overcrowded and traffic is a nightmare.
If you're wanting some land that you can build a shop on I'd look in the Boerne, Spring Branch, Bulverde, & Canyon Lake areas which are all north of San Antonio. If your going to go the Austin route I'd look in the Dripping Springs, Wimberly, or possibly Kyle areas. All of those suburbs are 30 - 45 minute commutes to the downtowns of their respective cities.
If you're wanting some land that you can build a shop on I'd look in the Boerne, Spring Branch, Bulverde, & Canyon Lake areas which are all north of San Antonio. If your going to go the Austin route I'd look in the Dripping Springs, Wimberly, or possibly Kyle areas. All of those suburbs are 30 - 45 minute commutes to the downtowns of their respective cities.
01-29-2014, 12:05 AM
#11
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Texas is about 654 times better than Maryland. I moved from Connecticut a couple years ago and love it here. You won't find 5 acres in Austin but the surrounding towns definitely offer some real estate.
Weather is badass, especially coming from the Northeast/East Coast. It's a little flip flopish in the winter like this week for instance... 75 on Sunday, 40 and windy Monday, 30 with some freezing rain Tuesday, 50 Wednesday, 65 Thursday, 80 Friday. Other than winter you will get PLENTY of warmth and the low temperture will not drop below 70 degrees from pretty much the middle of May until October with spring and fall being pretty awesome.
Car scene is good, not as crazy as Dallas and Houston, but no bitch either.
Weather is badass, especially coming from the Northeast/East Coast. It's a little flip flopish in the winter like this week for instance... 75 on Sunday, 40 and windy Monday, 30 with some freezing rain Tuesday, 50 Wednesday, 65 Thursday, 80 Friday. Other than winter you will get PLENTY of warmth and the low temperture will not drop below 70 degrees from pretty much the middle of May until October with spring and fall being pretty awesome.
Car scene is good, not as crazy as Dallas and Houston, but no bitch either.
01-29-2014, 06:54 AM
#13
Houston weather = miserable San Antonio has a massive Hispanic population (relax my last name is Herrera) Austin is full of liberal hippies.. Sounds like you need to be looking Into Dallas if your looking for that "typical Texas feel"
With that said you couldn't drag me out of houston to save my life. We have a massively diverse population/great jobs/ocean close by/great car scene
With that said you couldn't drag me out of houston to save my life. We have a massively diverse population/great jobs/ocean close by/great car scene
01-29-2014, 07:58 AM
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While Austin in general does lean left you would not really know it unless you are out doing the hip and trendy type of things. The main reason you will hate it here is the humidity.
01-29-2014, 07:58 AM
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You won't be getting away from fluctuating weather here. It was in the 60's this weekend and 12* this morning. You'll need to move way out west or in the panhandle to get away from the humidity.
Where I work has a plant in MD. I spent half a summer there. It was in the 90's and they were crying about the heat. I just laughed at them because back home it was over 100*. I have a feeling you're in for a surprise.
If you live on the coast, you'll also find that the blue crabs people rave about in MD aren't just there.
The politics aren't completely liberal yet. The big cities are increasingly so. With the Kommiefornians refugees from NO, and yankees moving in to leave thier screwed up economies, bankrupt municipalities, and high taxes due to socialist voting, its just a matter of time before we end up like Colorado. No guns allowed, but we'll appease the masses and make them easier to control with legalized weed.
Where I work has a plant in MD. I spent half a summer there. It was in the 90's and they were crying about the heat. I just laughed at them because back home it was over 100*. I have a feeling you're in for a surprise.
If you live on the coast, you'll also find that the blue crabs people rave about in MD aren't just there.
The politics aren't completely liberal yet. The big cities are increasingly so. With the Kommiefornians refugees from NO, and yankees moving in to leave thier screwed up economies, bankrupt municipalities, and high taxes due to socialist voting, its just a matter of time before we end up like Colorado. No guns allowed, but we'll appease the masses and make them easier to control with legalized weed.
01-29-2014, 08:23 AM
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I'm originally from Ft Worth Tx. I left many years ago and have so far been unable to get back. I recently did a search and Ft Worth came up as one of the most affordable places to live in the US.
Just my $.02
Just my $.02
01-29-2014, 09:39 AM
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I live in Keller(suburb of dfw) and love it here. Its on the west side of the metroplex which tends to be the nicer side in my opinion. I live right next to southlake which are a bunch of snobs but its not terrible and the housing here is excellent. Car scene is great also. Humidity does suck here but its not terrible. Overall nice community and friendly people.