Talk me out of moving to Texas (or don't)

[68Charger]

Been considering East/NE Texas (near Dallas, but in the country) for a while, just was not that serious or motivated about it.

Trying to get a building built here in what Foxtrot calls Hell's belly button, and so far we've only gotten the "we don't want to do this job, so here's a very high mark-up in the hopes you won't choose me" quotes so far...

I was in Tulsa for 7 weeks on an "Emergency Work Assignment" (doing somebody else's job because they wouldn't).. but that's now over and while I was there I had 2 days off for Memorial day (Sunday-Monday)... met with a real estate agent on Sunday looking at 4 homes in Grand Saline, Campbell, Edgewood, and Quitman... then looked at another on Memorial day, but gave the real estate agent the day off- so I didn't get to fully look at it (nobody home)

That one really has me interested- Log home on 20 acres, a pond, on a hill with some views (no mountains of course, but you can see out a few miles which is unusual for much of TX), set up for horses with an apartment in the barn/shop building... Just booked a flight for the family of 5 (oldest just moved into an Apt. in COS) to go look at it, and any others we can find next weekend- if nothing else it'll be a mini vacation to go to some Lakes in the area and get some great BBQ.

Property tax is high, but there is no state income tax. Talked to my manager yesterday and there are 0 issues with relo (I'm officially working from home 100% of the time), just notify HR that my residency and tax withholding changes... There is an office in Richardson and another in Irving I could go into if I need to- 1h15m commute outside of rush hour times.

There are a lot of factors that make me want to move- and most of y'all either know them or can guess. Only looking at places I can qualify to get a mortgage without being contingent on selling my house here in Penrose (we don't owe much, and should walk away with lots of equity and can pay down or refinance when it's sold.)

Thoughts, anything I haven't mentioned above that I should consider?

[Sawin]

Don't share too many details or someone here might beat you to it. I say go for it if it's what your dreams are made of! The timing seems good.

[Great-Kazoo]

Give the illegals the right to vote. Tejas will make CA, CT, MA & NY look like regan democrat heaven.

We looked in to TX as the final place to live. After 'researching" it some more, for us it was not the place to go. However our wants & needs(retired, no kids at home) versus your needs are different.




ETA: Texas is going to be fucked once hilary wins.

[ray1970]

Well, since you used the word "ya'll" in your post, I say you should go.

I was born and raised in southeast Texas. I love the state for the most part. Never was too fond of the weather in most of it. I'm not sure I'd ever move back but if I did it would probably be somewhere near Austin or San Antonio. I always liked that part of the state the best.

The wife and I almost moved to the Dallas area about fifteen years ago when she was offered a job transfer but decided to stay here. We did look into some homes in the area. My wife was a bit excited about the possibility of a swimming pool. If I remember the house was either new or not very old, all brick, big, and had a pretty snazzy pool. I think it was going for around $160,000.

[ray1970]

I do miss putting license plates on a brand new truck for about $45. It was quite a shock when I moved here and plated the same truck for about $400.

[hurley842002]

I can't talk you out of it, as it's on my list of places we are looking at.

[ronaldrwl]

We moved from Littleton to Tyler 2.5 years ago and really love it. I love the people, the weather and the house prices. I have no complaints. And Texas seems to be getting better. Since we moved here they have passed a open carry law. It's the first place I've lived in (CA, CO) that you can openly say "This president is an idiot!" and get full approval :)

[JohnTRourke]

couple years back, the wife's company was pulling out of colorado and I was all ready to pull up stakes and go to Texas. (and BTW, I'm a colorado native, been here most of my life).

It didn't work out because all the other pansies in the office all wanted to stay, so the office stayed and here we are.

I'd go in a NY minute
Texas has it's own issues, but I'm sick of seeing Colorado ruined.

oh, and fuck snow.

[Aloha_Shooter]

What are the average temperatures and humidity in August? That's the only possible negative I can think of -- otherwise, sounds like this is the perfect time for you to do it before this state goes even further Left. If Coloradans come to their senses, you can always move back if you want.

[ronaldrwl]

Property taxes are high but a new bill was passed to address this. The good news is there is ZERO state income taxes.

[trlcavscout]

If i become single thats where i am going. I like the hotter parts though. I lived in phoenix and las vegas and kentucky and liked the heat, but my wife hates it.

[ronaldrwl]

I'm not sure what the 'average' weather is supposed to be. Since we've been here it's much more mild than normal (as we're told). There almost wasn't a winter. We've been getting a lot of rain. Everything is really green in East Texas. The temperatures have been decent (at least I think so) and most of all our strawberries and blackberry bushes are producing like crazy. We've never had so much success in the garden before. The 'sandy loam' soil here is very prolific.

[Grant H.]

I hate Dallas, so I won't be much use for that area.

However I have considered moving to Texas/Oklahoma for work a couple times. Like JTR said, I am a CO native, and leaving would take a pretty serious motivator.

I know of a nice house, needs some repairs, on 10 acres with a tornado shelter, and several out buildings for sale outside of Lawton. (Shameless plug here, it's my wife's parents). We go back and forth on keeping it, but I just don't want the upkeep of an out of state place right now.

If Amendment 69 passes here in CO, I will be leaving.

Despite what others have said, I don't see Hillary as a "when she wins".

[Wulf202]

If it weren't for the weather I'd be a texan

[Teufelhund]

I grew up near Galveston, lived in Plano for 8 years before I moved to Colorado. My brother (Whistler on this forum) and parents live in a small farm town East of Dallas.

Texas is not as conducive to an outdoor lifestyle as Colorado IMO. It's very hot and humid most of the year, and the mosquitoes will carry you off if they catch you outside at dusk. If you can get over those things, I think Texas is a pretty great place to live. The general mentality there is much farther right than Colorado, gun ownership is pervasive, there's lots of hunting and fishing to be had without having to travel far, and real estate is much cheaper to buy, though as you already discovered, the property taxes are higher.

If single-payer passes here, I will be packing up and moving the family back to Dallas, San Antonio, or somewhere in between.

[Zundfolge]

Humidity, bugs and flat boring terrain ... other than that there's no reason not to move there.

[Zundfolge]

If Amendment 69 passes here in CO, I will be leaving.
Same here, but if we leave we're looking at Idaho, Wyoming or the Dakotas.



One other little thing to keep in mind about Texas is that it's not nearly as conservative as people on both sides pretend it is.

Aside from the new gun laws that passed recently, gun rights in Colorado are (or at least were) better than Texas.

Also, the left is desperately trying to implement The Blueprint (http://www.amazon.com/Blueprint-Democrats-Colorado-Republicans-Everywhere/dp/1936218003?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0)there (they're having a harder time than they had here in Colorado but they are winning some battles) so it is no carved in stone Bastian of liberty and at this point I'd say the chances of it following the leftward decline that has happened here at 40%. I'd also put our chances of reversing the leftward decline here at about 40%, so the deck is stacked against us a little bit but not completely (we'll know for sure this November).

[Teufelhund]

^ Zund has some good points there. There are little liberal strongholds in Texas that should be avoided, unless you're hoping to change the demographics an inch at a time. Houston has turned blue over the last few years, and Austin has been a leftist shithole for a long while. The gun laws in CO are better, aside from the mag ban.

[68Charger]

Humidity is a personal preference- I've lived in Ohio, Alaska, Arizona and Colorado...
In my personal experience- I didn't mind humidity as much, but when the temp is above 100, I get miserable REAL fast. Never could be outside long in Phoenix in the heat of the day (last year I lived there, 100 consecutive days with high above 100) I've also noticed that here the sun is brutal... probably the altitude and dry air- but when down in OK and TX, I find the sun not nearly as oppressive.

The bugs aren't going to have anything on Alaska, but nature doesn't try to poison you in AK (only spiders) And before you ask, Alaska is unfortunately out of the question... unless I go alone.

Wife is from Nebraska, so she knows about tornadoes (so did I when in Ohio, just not as common)- and would require we have or build a storm shelter.
County I'm leaning towards right now had 6 days in July that were 100 (barely), and 8 days in August that went above 100 (peaking at 105) in 2015.. in 2014 it was 2 days in July, and 4 days in August. Average temp in Aug is 93.

I was amused by the "crazy gun dealer" on the radio, and billboards advertising gun shops (not just gun shows) that were prolific...

I already decided that single payer would mean I AM moving... hell, just getting it on the ballot is an incentive that the voting public (and/or the corrupt politics) have completely lost touch with reality and just want "the party of free shit"

The issues with high water table, flooding and building a storm shelter are why the house on the hill was really appealing- 50-60' elevation above the pond, lots of slope to build a storm shelter that can drain (even install a drain in it, so it stays dry)

And I actually don't hunt, despite my gun related hobbies- never got started with it... I could see doing hog hunting for sure- and I've dreamt of Moose hunting in Alaska.

And you'd be welcome to come visit, Foxtrot... funny they'd name a horse Winter in a place that doesn't have one.

[Aloha_Shooter]

Sounds pretty good then. I hate temps in or above the high 90s when humidity is anything over 50 but you can opt to stay in an A/C room on those days or soak in the pond.

I hear you all on Amendment 69. I don't know what I'll do if that passes. The only places I could reasonably move to and still stay in my line of work are even further left so I'd have to sell or store a number of toys and while they don't have single-payer yet, you can bet they're on the track to try.

Good luck down there; based on what you've said, I don't see any reason to stay.

[68Charger]

Same here, but if we leave we're looking at Idaho, Wyoming or the Dakotas.



One other little thing to keep in mind about Texas is that it's not nearly as conservative as people on both sides pretend it is.

Aside from the new gun laws that passed recently, gun rights in Colorado are (or at least were) better than Texas.

Also, the left is desperately trying to implement The Blueprint (http://www.amazon.com/Blueprint-Democrats-Colorado-Republicans-Everywhere/dp/1936218003?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0)there (they're having a harder time than they had here in Colorado but they are winning some battles) so it is no carved in stone Bastian of liberty and at this point I'd say the chances of it following the leftward decline that has happened here at 40%. I'd also put our chances of reversing the leftward decline here at about 40%, so the deck is stacked against us a little bit but not completely (we'll know for sure this November).

TX definitely respects private property rights over gun rights more than CO... with open carry passing, they got better on gun rights - and overall public opinion (outside of places I'm not likely to frequent like Austin and Houston) is much more favorable towards gun ownership... lots of rural places they'll look at you funny if you even elude that you DON'T own a gun.
When I was in Tulsa, there was a real mix- it's a more "progressive" city in Oklahoma, and I was working with people from all over (supervisors were all from Brooklyn), and I gave a ride to someone from San Jose that I thought was going to panic when she heard a gun range next door.

I'm aware they're running the blueprint in TX... including as many illegal immigrants as they can, since future generations tend to be more D than R.

I'm also of the belief that if TX goes completely blue, then there will be no safe place in the US that you can escape the Left's agenda, and we'll become dissidents... so if I can bring more votes to TX that will slow that, then I'm doing more than my vote counts for in CO (which hasn't meant much at all since 2010)

[Zundfolge]

Of course if Hillary or Bernie wins relocating to Texas will make less sense than relocating to Costa Rica.

[68Charger]

They don't *exactly* have a winter like we do, but they do get cold temperatures and at least an ice storm once or twice a year. The drivers in an ice storm down there are as bad as TX/CA drivers in snow up here.

BTW called her, Wifey suggests outside of Longview over Quitman (closer proximity to services and better maintained) where she was at medical/fire was a good hour away and the roads were not particularly well maintained.

ETA: I don't hunt either, save for the rare prairie dog but even that's been a long while. Hunting anything else largely feels like work to me. I enjoy work and work hard, but work needs to be work and play needs to be play, I don't like blending the two (and honestly not a huge fan of gamey meats, I know, sacrilege) [Flower]

Will look at that area as well- we'll be there for 5 nights, and exploring/ house shopping is the agenda

And not sacrilege... I like moose so much because it's not gamey- I like Elk and wild boar, but never really had the taste for venison.
Just getting a license/tag for Elk feels too much like work...

play down there may involve boats, since the lakes/reservoirs they have there dwarf even the largest reservoirs in Colorado- and I'd be 6 hours from the gulf.
Haven't been into boating since I left Alaska- just hard to do anything close to what we did up there.

[68Charger]

Of course if Hillary or Bernie wins relocating to Texas will make less sense than relocating to Costa Rica.

what are gun rights in Costa Rica?
(kinda a rhetorical question- I know they don't allow "weapons of war", and there is full registration)
But I understand the point- at that point, there likely won't be any rights left in the U.S.S.A save ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

[Zundfolge]

what are gun rights in Costa Rica?
(kinda a rhetorical question- I know they don't allow "weapons of war", and there is full registration)
But I understand the point- at that point, there likely won't be any rights left in the U.S.S.A save ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

If Hillary wins the Second Amendment will be 100% gone within the first year. She'll replace Scalia with another Kagen or Sotomeyor and they'll rubber stamp every anti-constitutional act she does.

Yeah, if Hillary wins, frankly its time for civil war (although I don't think that will happen as soon as it should as people tend to be loath to go to war until their backs are against the wall). So even if Costa Rica has worse gun laws than here, the point is that escaping the country completely or staying and fighting (and probably dying) or being enslaved will be a reasonable option.

[sellersm]

Hot & humid in the summer, cold & damp in the winter (chill to the bone)... Otherwise, it may be worth a look. My brother lives in that area (a bit further South than you're describing) and has been there a long time. Still stays there but still hates the weather (we're formerly from NY state)...

Perhaps I missed it, but is there a job opportunity in this potential move? My brother may have some helpful hints...

[68Charger]

Hot & humid in the summer, cold & damp in the winter (chill to the bone)... Otherwise, it may be worth a look. My brother lives in that area (a bit further South than you're describing) and has been there a long time. Still stays there but still hates the weather (we're formerly from NY state)...

Perhaps I missed it, but is there a job opportunity in this potential move? My brother may have some helpful hints...

My current job is 100% "mobile"... so my office is where I make it... that being said, I wouldn't want to live somewhere that if I were RIF'd or otherwise left the company, I wouldn't be able to get a job- I'm a Network Engineer, so there are at any time >400 jobs in the Dallas Metro, for example.

[Grant H.]

Same here, but if we leave we're looking at Idaho, Wyoming or the Dakotas.



One other little thing to keep in mind about Texas is that it's not nearly as conservative as people on both sides pretend it is.

Aside from the new gun laws that passed recently, gun rights in Colorado are (or at least were) better than Texas.

Also, the left is desperately trying to implement The Blueprint (http://www.amazon.com/Blueprint-Democrats-Colorado-Republicans-Everywhere/dp/1936218003?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0)there (they're having a harder time than they had here in Colorado but they are winning some battles) so it is no carved in stone Bastian of liberty and at this point I'd say the chances of it following the leftward decline that has happened here at 40%. I'd also put our chances of reversing the leftward decline here at about 40%, so the deck is stacked against us a little bit but not completely (we'll know for sure this November).

I'm actually more likely to head for Wyoming than Texas currently, I have more customers north than I do south. I had considered Tejas previously for work reasons, but the customer base has shifted.

[sellersm]

My current job is 100% "mobile"... so my office is where I make it... that being said, I wouldn't want to live somewhere that if I were RIF'd or otherwise left the company, I wouldn't be able to get a job- I'm a Network Engineer, so there are at any time >400 jobs in the Dallas Metro, for example.

Makes sense, Dallas is a big place for tech. Sounds like a good move... For our family, we just take our decisions to the Lord and let Him tell us what to do, and we've been asking the same question! "Time to go yet?"

[Gman]

If/when I move back, it'll be to the hill country. Absolutely hate the Houston area, don't care too much for DFW, San Antonio is not bad.

You'd better take some floaties with you. [Coffee]

Sent from my Galaxy S7 Edge using Tapatalk.

[68Charger]

Makes sense, Dallas is a big place for tech. Sounds like a good move... For our family, we just take our decisions to the Lord and let Him tell us what to do, and we've been asking the same question! "Time to go yet?"

Funny you say that.. wife was really pushing moving to East Texas last year, but things weren't really lining up- she was praying about it, and that's why we were looking at building something else on our property here... but that door was just not budging- she had finally really let go of the Texas thing... and that's when it started to fall into place. So maybe it's just his timing vs our timing.

[sellersm]

Funny you say that.. wife was really pushing moving to East Texas last year, but things weren't really lining up- she was praying about it, and that's why we were looking at building something else on our property here... but that door was just not budging- she had finally really let go of the Texas thing... and that's when it started to fall into place. So maybe it's just his timing vs our timing.

That's often the case! Will pray for guidance, direction and provision for you all.

[BrianV]

I once wrote a post called "Texas Tall Tales Growing Up Down By The River" about some of my escapades growing up near Victoria/Cuero:

http://brianvickery.com/2012/11/04/12-most-texas-tall-tales-growing-up-down-by-the-river/

Headed back to Cuero for 30 year reunion this Fall...looking forward to catching a Gobbler football game. Loved my native Texan childhood, went to college at UT Austin, and lived 4 years in Houston. Would not move back...hate the heat and humidity (and I had plenty of 2-a-days suffered in it). If I had to, though...it would be Austin.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guylee]

I'm toying with the idea of uprooting and moving to Arizona. No wife or kids, I'm kind of stagnating, and there may be better opportunity for me there. So I guess I feel you man.

[ray1970]

Arizona is like the surface of the sun.

I seriously remember a news report where windshields were sliding out of place in Phoenix because the glue that held them in was melting.

[68Charger]

I will say Phoenix was good for my career... but when I had to jump in the pool TWICE while mowing the small lawn...

[Zundfolge]

Arizona is like the surface of the sun.
Not the whole state, the Prescott and Flagstaff areas are very Colorado like.

[Bailey Guns]

I'm toying with the idea of uprooting and moving to Arizona.

Don't leave your Glock in the car. It'll melt. The only part you'll have left is the porcelain slide. Seriously. I read that on the internet.

[Dave]

Just be careful of the teachers in Texas.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-record-setting-pacer-inappropriate-teacher-student-relationships/

[Gman]

Don't leave your Glock in the car. It'll melt. The only part you'll have left is the porcelain slide. Seriously. I read that on the internet.
Only if it's a Glock 7.

[68Charger]

Just be careful of the teachers in Texas.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-record-setting-pacer-inappropriate-teacher-student-relationships/


yeah, I see your inappropriate teacher relationship issue, and raise you a massive sexting scandal that was entirely preventable (we know people who reported it long ago, and have already graduated... one of them supposedly knows who started the whole thing- but administration did nothing when she complained)
http://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/ci_29331493/no-1-story-2015-canon-city-school-district

ETA: noticed that examples in that news story are in Austin and Houston... the most liberal cities in TX.

[Aloha_Shooter]

Just be careful of the teachers in Texas.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-record-setting-pacer-inappropriate-teacher-student-relationships/

I think 25% of the guys I went to high school with are probably wondering WTH teachers like this were when we were in school ...

Guys were traumatized by being abused by homosexual teachers but we're supposed to welcome and embrace the alternative lifestyles while we prosecute the women. I'm not excusing these women but I just don't see the boys they preyed on being as traumatized as the boys and girls preyed on by male teachers.

[Grant H.]

I think 25% of the guys I went to high school with are probably wondering WTH teachers like this were when we were in school ...

Guys were traumatized by being abused by homosexual teachers but we're supposed to welcome and embrace the alternative lifestyles while we prosecute the women. I'm not excusing these women but I just don't see the boys they preyed on being as traumatized as the boys and girls preyed on by male teachers.

This, especially considering that many of those cases have very clear, well articulated statements from the "victims" saying that they, the victim, pursued the teacher...

[Zundfolge]

I think 25% of the guys I went to high school with are probably wondering WTH teachers like this were when we were in school ...

25%? More like 98.2% (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/07/15/what-percentage-of-the-u-s-population-is-gay-lesbian-or-bisexual/)

[Great-Kazoo]

I think 25% of the guys I went to high school with are probably wondering WTH teachers like this were when we were in school ...


Well depending on your age and time frame of school. There was No Social media, No bragging and most of all NO ONE SAID SHIT, when i was in school. Today's society encourages one to "tell all" the Karcrashians are the prime example. Not to mention how many reality shows spread across every conceivable network known to exist.

When Madonna did Truth or Dare AND her coffee table book. America was Outraged over her public display of nudity , talking on film about "sex" etc.

Today Madonna's book wouldn't register a blip on any media outlet. When a reddit search has one viewing "The Girl next door" doing the Girl next door, and her dad. Or what even Gender neutral warm body they choose.

[GilpinGuy]

I didn't go through the whole thread, so this may be a repost. But it might be worth it to spend a little time on:
walkingtofreedom.com (http://walkingtofreedom.com/forum/)

[Great-Kazoo]

I didn't go through the whole thread, so this may be a repost. But it might be worth it to spend a little time on:
walkingtofreedom.com (http://walkingtofreedom.com/forum/)

Last action on most of those state forums, 2014-15 Sparse 16 postings. While there is some information. It's going to be hard forming ideas with 2 yr old post. Look what's happened in CO the last 21-3 years.

[GilpinGuy]

Last action on most of those state forums, 2014-15 Sparse 16 postings. While there is some information. It's going to be hard forming ideas with 2 yr old post. Look what's happened in CO the last 21-3 years.


Like I wrote, "might" be worth spending some time there. Post a few questions and see what kind of response you get. Can't hurt.