Posted: 9/8/2013 9:05:49 AM EDT
I posted a thread in Team found HERE regarding a possible move to the great state of Texas.  It was suggested that I cross-post here so here I am.
My wife and I are EXTREMELY interested in moving to Texas, likely the DFW area, in the next 1.5 years or so. We relocated from IN to PA a little over two years ago and while the area is nice and the pay is fine, we are looking for a change. We're planning on spending a week visiting TX most likely in January 2014 to try and get an in-person feel for the state. We have a few questions and I really appreciate people taking the time to share their experiences. 
-Can a nice home be purchased for $150-$200k in the DFW area, say within an hour of downtown? What are property taxes generally like in that same area? -How is crime in the area? Is it safe for my wife to walk around in the evening by herself? -This is from my wife  Proximity to lakes? She wants to be within a few hours of water---this is not so much on my radar.
-Prevalence of IT and LE jobs? Some others have posted and it sounds like a stable market for both. -Hidden costs? For example, when we moved to PA we were not happy about things such as PA mandatory vehicle inspection every year. Thanks for taking the time to read this! 
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I've added some comments below:
Quoted:
I posted a thread in Team found HERE regarding a possible move to the great state of Texas. It was suggested that I cross-post here so here I am.
My wife and I are EXTREMELY interested in moving to Texas, likely the DFW area, in the next 1.5 years or so. We relocated from IN to PA a little over two years ago and while the area is nice and the pay is fine, we are looking for a change. We're planning on spending a week visiting TX most likely in January 2014 to try and get an in-person feel for the state. We have a few questions and I really appreciate people taking the time to share their experiences.
-Can a nice home be purchased for $150-$200k in the DFW area, say within an hour of downtown? What are property taxes generally like in that same area? One of the 'hottest' areas right now is N of Dallas in the McKinney, Celina, Little Elm, Frisco areas.. 200k isn't easy to find anymore. Not saying you can't find it, but the newer homes are probably closer to 300k. -How is crime in the area? Is it safe for my wife to walk around in the evening by herself? Varies like crazy depending on where you choose to live. Dallas county alone covers over 380 square miles, and that doesn't include the FW part of DFW, or ever all the areas in-between/around the DFW area like Frisco, Little Elm, McKinney, ect... There are some areas in S Dallas I wouldn't go in after dark and would seriously think twice before going during day light hours. Once you decide on a city & location, look into any online crime reports to address any concerns. -This is from my wife Proximity to lakes? She wants to be within a few hours of water---this is not so much on my radar.
FWIW - the lakes here in the DFW area run continuously low. Partially due to the drought conditions, but mostly due to the high water consumption in N Texas. Most of our lakes are man made and run by the Army COE (which means no conceal carry at those locations). Google is your friend on lake locations N Texas Lakes -Prevalence of IT and LE jobs? Some others have posted and it sounds like a stable market for both. Use the map link above to search out the names of the various cities so you can research when any of the cities are going to offer entry exams for any LEO/PD openings. -Hidden costs? For example, when we moved to PA we were not happy about things such as PA mandatory vehicle inspection every year. Texas has mandatory annual vehicle inspections, and in DFW you also get to pay for additional smog testing. I'm not sure if new dealer vehicles still get a multi year pass no those or not. Also, Texas does not have a State Income Tax, instead you will pay very high property taxes (and sales tax on most goods). Thanks for taking the time to read this! |
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It's a little cheaper to live east of Dallas and there are several lakes out that way. Frisco and McKinney are about to dry up from water restrictions anyway.
Vehicle inspection runs like $60 for a new car in Dallas Co I think, mine is an older diesel, so it was like less than $20. Yearly license tags run up to $70 depending on the county and vehicle, but nothing like some other states that hit you for the big money. |
Appreciate the info! Solid suggestions and I'm not seeing anything that's a deal breaker. In fact, most of what I'm seeing is an improvement over my situation in PA. Proximity to water/lakes isn't a big deal to me at all. Vehicle inspection costs here in PA are running me about $80 per vehicle per year...on top of expensive tags. 
Thanks again for the info! |
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Quoted:
I posted a thread in Team found HERE regarding a possible move to the great state of Texas. It was suggested that I cross-post here so here I am.
My wife and I are EXTREMELY interested in moving to Texas, likely the DFW area, in the next 1.5 years or so. We relocated from IN to PA a little over two years ago and while the area is nice and the pay is fine, we are looking for a change. We're planning on spending a week visiting TX most likely in January 2014 to try and get an in-person feel for the state. We have a few questions and I really appreciate people taking the time to share their experiences.
-Can a nice home be purchased for $150-$200k in the DFW area, say within an hour of downtown? What are property taxes generally like in that same area? -How is crime in the area? Is it safe for my wife to walk around in the evening by herself? -This is from my wife Proximity to lakes? She wants to be within a few hours of water---this is not so much on my radar.
-Prevalence of IT and LE jobs? Some others have posted and it sounds like a stable market for both. -Hidden costs? For example, when we moved to PA we were not happy about things such as PA mandatory vehicle inspection every year. Thanks for taking the time to read this! -Yes, easily. The further out you go the better home you can get, or a home with some land. Building your own home becomes very easy to do. -Like any major city, there are parts to avoid. Oak Cliff is one of those, typically. Parts of downtown. -Lake Lewisville, Lake White Rock, Lake Ray Hubbard -- there's a lot of large bodies of water around DFW, both natural and man-made. The Trinity River is large and feeds several bodies. -HUGE numbers of IT jobs. If you're good at what you do, you'll have ZERO problems finding a new job. I lost my last job in July and had FOUR job offers within a month. I'm a Linux admin, and if you're a good UNIX/Linux or Windows admin, you'll find people beating down your door to get you. Just ignore the H1B recruiters. PM me if you need more details or want to discuss your skillset. -Not really. Slightly higher property taxes from what I understand, but no state income tax. Sales tax is about middle of the road. Inspection and registration costs are fairly normal. CHL cost is very high. 
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I'll add that TX has high sales taxes (but) no income tax, but it takes some getting used to.
Also, it's HOT. Make sure that you're prepared for the heat. The nice 80 degree day season is short lived. Also, BLM and public land is more highly regulated that in most other states if that matters. Can't (ok, not supposed to) just go out to the public woods and blast targets. |
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Quoted:
-Yes, easily. The further out you go the better home you can get, or a home with some land. Building your own home becomes very easy to do. -Like any major city, there are parts to avoid. Oak Cliff is one of those, typically. Parts of downtown. -Lake Lewisville, Lake White Rock, Lake Ray Hubbard -- there's a lot of large bodies of water around DFW, both natural and man-made. The Trinity River is large and feeds several bodies. -HUGE numbers of IT jobs. If you're good at what you do, you'll have ZERO problems finding a new job. I lost my last job in July and had FOUR job offers within a month. I'm a Linux admin, and if you're a good UNIX/Linux or Windows admin, you'll find people beating down your door to get you. Just ignore the H1B recruiters. PM me if you need more details or want to discuss your skillset. -Not really. Slightly higher property taxes from what I understand, but no state income tax. Sales tax is about middle of the road. Inspection and registration costs are fairly normal. CHL cost is very high. Quoted:
Quoted:
I posted a thread in Team found HERE regarding a possible move to the great state of Texas. It was suggested that I cross-post here so here I am.
My wife and I are EXTREMELY interested in moving to Texas, likely the DFW area, in the next 1.5 years or so. We relocated from IN to PA a little over two years ago and while the area is nice and the pay is fine, we are looking for a change. We're planning on spending a week visiting TX most likely in January 2014 to try and get an in-person feel for the state. We have a few questions and I really appreciate people taking the time to share their experiences.
-Can a nice home be purchased for $150-$200k in the DFW area, say within an hour of downtown? What are property taxes generally like in that same area? -How is crime in the area? Is it safe for my wife to walk around in the evening by herself? -This is from my wife Proximity to lakes? She wants to be within a few hours of water---this is not so much on my radar.
-Prevalence of IT and LE jobs? Some others have posted and it sounds like a stable market for both. -Hidden costs? For example, when we moved to PA we were not happy about things such as PA mandatory vehicle inspection every year. Thanks for taking the time to read this! -Yes, easily. The further out you go the better home you can get, or a home with some land. Building your own home becomes very easy to do. -Like any major city, there are parts to avoid. Oak Cliff is one of those, typically. Parts of downtown. -Lake Lewisville, Lake White Rock, Lake Ray Hubbard -- there's a lot of large bodies of water around DFW, both natural and man-made. The Trinity River is large and feeds several bodies. -HUGE numbers of IT jobs. If you're good at what you do, you'll have ZERO problems finding a new job. I lost my last job in July and had FOUR job offers within a month. I'm a Linux admin, and if you're a good UNIX/Linux or Windows admin, you'll find people beating down your door to get you. Just ignore the H1B recruiters. PM me if you need more details or want to discuss your skillset. -Not really. Slightly higher property taxes from what I understand, but no state income tax. Sales tax is about middle of the road. Inspection and registration costs are fairly normal. CHL cost is very high. Appreciate the info! I've sent you an IM.
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