Texas gets a bad rap. Here's why so many people are moving here.

Why move to Texas? Back in my younger years I made several business trips out to Houston. I was blown away by the horrendous mansions in Sugarland and elsewhere, palaces priced lower than a San Francisco condo, palaces that would be well into the millions around here. That and ever increasing crime in parts of California and other big cities has been a powerful incentive to depart. Relatives left the Seattle area and now are happily planted in San Antonio. Another departed California for Boise, a second favorite for those fleeing California.
 

StarSong said:
Many who move from CA do so for financial reasons. They get beaucoup bucks for their CA real estate and can buy in Texas for cash and have money left over. Ditto selling in CA and buying in Montana, Arizona, and any other state (outside of Hawaii) for less. Often a whole lot less. If they haven't yet bought a home here, their chances of affording one increase if they look outside of CA.

In 2022, average price of home in CA was $816K, TX was $314K, MT: $449K, AZ: $458K.
https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/average-house-price-state/

Mind you, I've had some lovely visits to TX. San Antonio is so very captivating, as is Austin. Residents are charming, but to be fair I've found people to be charming throughout my US and international travels. Most humans are pretty nice and seem to be especially so to out of towners.

All this said, I'd never move from the west coast because of my strong political beliefs.
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ElCastor said:
Why move to Texas? Back in my younger years I made several business trips out to Houston. I was blown away by the horrendous mansions in Sugarland and elsewhere, palaces priced lower than a San Francisco condo, palaces that would be well into the millions around here. That and ever increasing crime in parts of California and other big cities has been a powerful incentive to depart. Relatives left the Seattle area and now are happily planted in San Antonio. Another departed California for Boise, a second favorite for those fleeing California.
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That was then ... this is now ... times are a'changing quickly.
.
Anyone thinking of moving to Texas because of lower real estate values will be in for sticker shock when they get here.
Real Estate agents are licking their chops at the prospect of the influx of new home buyers.
Demand is raising all property values statewide .......


DALLAS — As Texas’ exploding real estate market dramatically drives up home values, homeowners are getting sticker shock after receiving notice of their properties’ new appraised values — which help determine how much they pay in property taxes.

The growth rate of home values in the state’s major metropolitan areas has surged by double digits. In Harris County, the state’s most populous county, residential values have risen between 15% and 30%, according to Roland Altinger, the county’s chief appraiser.

In Travis County, where the state’s housing crunch has been most apparent, the median home value has skyrocketed — climbing more than 50% since last year to $632,208.

“We have never seen anything like this,” said Marya Crigler, chief appraiser at the Travis County Appraisal District. “This is unprecedented for us in Travis County. And I think that same unprecedented appreciation is being seen statewide.”


https://www.ketr.org/news/2022-04-2...estle-with-how-to-slow-property-tax-increases
 
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Maybe Amarillo isn't typical, but I lived there for a year in the 1970s and I was not at all impressed with Texas. Too many snobby rich people and a lot of poor people.
 
Katelivewire said:
I live in Montana and Texans are moving here along with lots Californiano. Sure we have other states also but lately it’s texans. They do things differently and push their style of living here, which is pissing off more Montanans.
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Housing cheaper in Montana and rest azure, lots of Texans too! They can commit more crimes here and literally get away with it.
 
StarSong said:
Those states get pretty cold though...
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Ya but most are rejects therefore the drugs here taken keeps cold weather away mentally I guess. I see these people no shoes or coats in what I would call cold weather at 40 degrees. Clothing like hookers where it seems for some young girls. You can dress comfortably and nice with out freezing in no cloths hardly covering their bodies,
 
StarSong said:
Many who move from CA do so for financial reasons. They get beaucoup bucks for their CA real estate and can buy in Texas for cash and have money left over. Ditto selling in CA and buying in Montana, Arizona, and any other state (outside of Hawaii) for less. Often a whole lot less. If they haven't yet bought a home here, their chances of affording one increase if they look outside of CA.

In 2022, average price of home in CA was $816K, TX was $314K, MT: $449K, AZ: $458K.
https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/average-house-price-state/

Mind you, I've had some lovely visits to TX. San Antonio is so very captivating, as is Austin. Residents are charming, but to be fair I've found people to be charming throughout my US and international travels. Most humans are pretty nice and seem to be especially so to out of towners.

All this said, I'd never move from the west coast because of my strong political beliefs.
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The problem with that theory is that if they miss their payments once interest rates go up they go into foreclosures and loose everything to become homeles.
 
We moved to Frisco, TX (located North of Dallas) in 2004 for a job relocation. We stayed there almost 5 years before coming back to Florida for another job relocation. The city of Frisco boomed while we were there. The population doubled. I was not expecting such rapid growth. We chose Frisco instead of Plano because it still felt quite rural, unfortunately we did not enjoy the quiet life for very long. I liked the western feel, the mexican influence, and the food. I remember the Texans being quite upset about the "Californian invasion". We, in Florida, have lived the same experience from the Northerners invading our territory, LOL!. So, I understood their feelings. For us, we knew we would be there only temporarily and would be moving back to Florida. I felt we were not intruding as much in their lives.
We moved to Florida in 1979. Moved out twice for job relocations, but came back to Florida for good. We consider Florida to be our home state. Our daughter was born and raised here and so are our son in law and grand children.
We certainly saw a lot of change in the state through the years but our hearts are here to stay.
 
Katelivewire said:
The problem with that theory is that if they miss their payments once interest rates go up they go into foreclosures and loose everything to become homeles.
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That's simplistic and rarely true these days.

Very few houses in CA are worth less than their mortgage balances and virtually nobody has taken out a variable rate mortgages in well over a decade. This isn't 2008.
 
JustBonee said:
In Travis County, where the state’s housing crunch has been most apparent, the median home value has skyrocketed — climbing more than 50% since last year to $632,208.

“We have never seen anything like this,” said Marya Crigler, chief appraiser at the Travis County Appraisal District. “This is unprecedented for us in Travis County. And I think that same unprecedented appreciation is being seen statewide.”


https://www.ketr.org/news/2022-04-2...estle-with-how-to-slow-property-tax-increases
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Here is a 1 bed, 1 bath condo for sale in San Francisco for $1,195,000.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2828-Greenwich-St-APT-4-San-Francisco-CA-94123/2093155189_zpid/?

Want something bigger? This one is much bigger, but across the bay from San Francisco and only $3,750,000. Unfortunately you will have to bring a tent because it’s only a lot.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2-Nina-Ct-Mill-Valley-CA-94941/95733789_zpid/?mmlb=g,0
 
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While Texas doesn't have state taxes, it gets revenue from "sin" taxes, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
  • Cigarette tax: Texas has a cigarette tax of $1.41 per pack, which is higher than the national average of $1.01 per pack.
  • Alcohol tax: Texas has an alcohol tax that is higher than the national average. For example, a 3.2% beer costs $0.08 per gallon in Texas, while the national average is $0.05 per gallon.
  • Tobacco tax: Texas has a tobacco tax that is higher than the national average. For example, a pack of cigarettes costs $6.25 in Texas, while the national average is $5.29 per pack.
 
Don M. said:
We've got a cousin/family who lives in Plano, TX., just a few miles North of Dallas. They love it there, and we have visited them a few times, and tend to agree that they are in a nice place. Lately, they are starting to worry about the influx of "illegals", and wondering if they should start taking Spanish lessons.
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Ha, ha! You think you should start brush up on you "esponola?" Here in Canada we have a huge flood of East Indians over the last year. I'm sorry for our French Canadians who will become a minority in their own country. I think in the future, Hindi will be taught in our schools rather than French. Perhaps we will have to learn how to put on a turban? Not in my time but I'm talking about the future!

Just recently, we have had something called "Turban Days." I was out of this country for 2 months so I don't know if that was some sort of special day or just a bit of humour? More and more these days I don't recognize certain aspects of my country.
 

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JustBonee said:
That was then ... this is now ... times are a'changing quickly.
.
Anyone thinking of moving to Texas because of lower real estate values will be in for sticker shock when they get here.
Real Estate agents are licking their chops at the prospect of the influx of new home buyers.
Demand is raising all property values statewide .......


DALLAS — As Texas’ exploding real estate market dramatically drives up home values, homeowners are getting sticker shock after receiving notice of their properties’ new appraised values — which help determine how much they pay in property taxes.

The growth rate of home values in the state’s major metropolitan areas has surged by double digits. In Harris County, the state’s most populous county, residential values have risen between 15% and 30%, according to Roland Altinger, the county’s chief appraiser.

In Travis County, where the state’s housing crunch has been most apparent, the median home value has skyrocketed — climbing more than 50% since last year to $632,208.

“We have never seen anything like this,” said Marya Crigler, chief appraiser at the Travis County Appraisal District. “This is unprecedented for us in Travis County. And I think that same unprecedented appreciation is being seen statewide.”


https://www.ketr.org/news/2022-04-2...estle-with-how-to-slow-property-tax-increases
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Precisely. I just received our Dallas County Property Tax Appraisal and the appraisal value has gone up 20% in just 5 years.

We did sell our house and my mother's house in South Florida for ridiculous amounts right before the real estate bubble burst and paid cash for our home and hers when we moved here. That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, mostly not found these days.
 
There was a time when I greatly admired Texas. I wanted to be a cowgirl, ride horses and herd cattle.That changed when I reached adulthood and I realized how retroactive many of the states policies were - particular those involving women.
As for cost of living, mine is actually pretty low. When my Ex and I divorced in 1978, we split the profit on our property right down the middle. I used my share to wipe out the 2nd mortgage on the house I selected to buy - for $43,000. I have been here ever since - paid off the Mortgage in 2002. In the meantime I have used the once mortgage payments to make many improvements to the house - which is now worth over$300,000 + - e.g. remodeled the kitchen - installed new heating system, etc. It's not a real fancy dwelling, but it's mine, and it's paid for, so I have no desire to move elsewhere. Also there is no income tax in Washington State.
I would never move to Texas or any of the Southern States under any circumstances as I strongly disagree with the predominant thinking in those areas.
 
Rossana said:
We moved to Frisco, TX (located North of Dallas) in 2004 for a job relocation. We stayed there almost 5 years before coming back to Florida for another job relocation. The city of Frisco boomed while we were there. The population doubled. I was not expecting such rapid growth. We chose Frisco instead of Plano because it still felt quite rural, unfortunately we did not enjoy the quiet life for very long. I liked the western feel, the mexican influence, and the food. I remember the Texans being quite upset about the "Californian invasion". We, in Florida, have lived the same experience from the Northerners invading our territory, LOL!. So, I understood their feelings. For us, we knew we would be there only temporarily and would be moving back to Florida. I felt we were not intruding as much in their lives.
We moved to Florida in 1979. Moved out twice for job relocations, but came back to Florida for good. We consider Florida to be our home state. Our daughter was born and raised here and so are our son in law and grand children.
We certainly saw a lot of change in the state through the years but our hearts are here to stay.
Click to expand...
Yes, the growth in Frisco is crazy. It used to be rural but it has become a suburb of Dallas. We had friends who sold their home in a very nice area of Southern California and bought a huge home in Prosper. It is even further out than Frisco. I'd never heard of it until we went to visit them and it was 50 miles from our home in Dallas! They have since moved to Palmetto, FL and live in a condo on the water.

Re: Florida, just like any other state, it is so dependent on where you live. I grew up in the Tampa Bay area from 1966-1988, all through my school years. I had a pretty good life there. I moved to Miami in 1988 and loved it because I was only in my 20's and had a career that would support my single lifestyle. It was a dream come true for a while. I met my partner 3 years later and we moved to the suburbs. By 2006, South Florida had completely worn me down. Rude people, horrible traffic with aggressive drivers, multiple hurricanes. If we were to ever go back I'm not sure where we could call home. My brother-in-law lives in Miami and my sister-in-law lives in Jacksonville, but neither would be my choice. I do have a friend that built a home in Port St. Lucie and loves it there. I'm glad you feel like it is home for you. That's so important.
 
Raddragn said:
There was a time when I greatly admired Texas. I wanted to be a cowgirl, ride horses and herd cattle.That changed when I reached adulthood and I realized how retroactive many of the states policies were - particular those involving women.
As for cost of living, mine is actually pretty low. When my Ex and I divorced in 1978, we split the profit on our property right down the middle. I used my share to wipe out the 2nd mortgage on the house I selected to buy - for $43,000. I have been here ever since - paid off the Mortgage in 2002. In the meantime I have used the once mortgage payments to make many improvements to the house - which is now worth over$300,000 + - e.g. remodeled the kitchen - installed new heating system, etc. It's not a real fancy dwelling, but it's mine, and it's paid for, so I have no desire to move elsewhere. Also there is no income tax in Washington State.
I would never move to Texas or any of the Southern States under any circumstances as I strongly disagree with the predominant thinking in those areas.
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I don't disagree with you re: the predominant thinking in TX, and it does sometimes embarrass me, but there are areas that are more free-thinking.

Re: Washington, it is a beautiful state. My headquarters for 9 years until 2020 was in Seattle so I would visit regularly. I do love the vibe there, but I found the people to be "passive aggressive" and, at least in the city, people weren't very friendly. I also like sunlight. I still have a good friend there that I speak with regularly. She said one day last week was the first day they had hit 60 degrees this year.

Congratulations on remodeling your home and owning it. That is a great accomplishment!
 
See this link for the murder rates per year for all the US states:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/195331/number-of-murders-in-the-us-by-state/

In 2021 Texas had 2,064 murders and Connecticut, where I live, only had 148. Of course Connecticut has very strict gun controls resulting in very long prison terms for those violating Connecticut laws.

Texas is proud of their wide open gun control laws.
 
Top 10 states according to murder rate:
1. Louisiana – 22.9
2. Missouri – 18
3. South Carolina – 17.4
4. Arkansas – 16.1
5. Tennessee – 14
6. Alaska – 12.3
7. Maryland – 11.9
8. Oklahoma – 11.9
9. Mississippi – 11.8
10. North Carolina – 11.4

All but 2 are in the south.
 

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