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MicheleQ
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For several years dh and I have been talking about moving south (where land is much cheaper than it is here and the weather is warmer).
Lately we've started talking about possibly of Texas and are wondering about WHERE we should look. We have only ever been to San Antonio (briefly) and we don't think we want to go quite that far south.
So tell me Texas ladies --what do you think?
Thanks in advance.
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Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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antonina31
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I LOVE Texas and cannot wait to get home! We have been in Michigan for three years and Florida for eighteen months, and I am itching at any opportunity to go back to any part of Texas as soon as possible!
My family moved to the Fort Worth area when I was in middle school. My dad, BTW, was born and raised in York, PA, mom in OH. So, the younger years of my life were spent in PA, Indiana, and Connecticut. Once the family moved down to Texas, none of us ever wanted to leave! I lived there fourteen years total, so far. My parents plan to never leave.
These are my opinions and impressions. Anyone may disagree with them, and that's fine. I hope you get a variety of opinions to help you. Every family will, of course, find different pros and cons based on their experiences.
Positive things about the state compared to living in the north - slower pace (some of the cities are still fast-paced, but not nearly like the cities up north), friendlier people, more space, diversity of cities and towns and land, mostly hands-off government, fabulous Catholic people in every big city, great Catholic center at Texas A&M University (state school), and almost all four seasons but no winter to the extreme. :)
The things about Texas that take some getting used to - hot summers (but we use A/C in the summer like northerners use heat in the winter), flat land (although there is hill country), urban sprawl (because things are a bit more spread out, cities tend to go on forever), and migrant or immigrant populations almost all from Mexico.
The Texas Hill Country is in Central Texas. This is a very beautiful area with small towns and access to bigger cities, like Austin and San Antonio, a very desirable area, although I have never lived there. Lots of people like the Tyler, Texas area (East Texas), because it is green and not near a huge city but within driving distance, of course. Those are the areas I would consider with a family outside of the larger metro areas. We need a metro area for my husband's work, though, so that's our leaning.
Metro areas - Having lived mostly in the Fort Worth area, I can recommend living there on the outskirts of the suburbs. Dallas and Fort Worth run together; the sprawl between them has merged into a very crowded, busy area. But, if you look out a bit, there are some wonderful areas around each city. I prefer the feel of Fort Worth, because it is more country than city, even downtown. Dallas is, to me, a typical US city. You will get snow and ice a few times a year there, but everything shuts down for the slightest bit. Texans simply aren't prepared to handle any snow, so it's safer that way. We laughed at that when we first arrived from the north.
Houston is considered undesirable by many, but I have friends who like it there. We are open to a job there if God provides one. Again, I would live on the outskirts of town. It is pretty humid there and has the city feel of Dallas but on a less affluent scale, if that makes sense. You can, however, drive to the beach. San Antonio is a very nice area, especially on the outskirts. The weather is hot and drier. Like Houston, the significant population of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans influences the culture and lifestyle quite a bit. I like that culture because it is more relaxed than typical American ways (they know how to siesta and fiesta) and more family-centered, most of the time.
I have not been in West Texas enough to know if I like it or not. It is much more desert and open space. Some of the land is very pretty out there, as well.
The other detail I can share is that I know in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio there are wonderful groups of Catholic homeschooling families with whom I can connect you if desired. I assume the same is true in Austin. Homeschooling in Texas is VERY easy - no registration, no reporting, at this time.
For a family, I look forward to going back, because we can drive all over the state and see so many diverse things. Texas has it all, because it is so large! Some say it has the feel of four or five different states. The history there is rich. The Catholic Church is thriving, mostly due to recently assigned bishops in all of the dioceses with which I am familiar.
I hope some of that helps. Sorry this was so long! :) Feel free to respond or PM me with specific questions and best wishes as you discern God's will for your family's future!
Jenny
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Kathryn
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First, my husband said PA is BEAUTIFUL country!!
We've both lived our entire lives in the heart of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex with concrete, stop signs and traffic lights and people, people, people. I would love to be farther out and have more trees and more space. We could move to a more rural area around here and get some of what we want but his commute to work would be too long.
I suppose if I could stay in Texas, my first choice without any considerations related to family and job, would be the Texas Hill Country which is located between Austin and San Antonio so still pretty far south.
My 2nd choice would prob. be East Texas, considered the "Piney Woods" part of the state.
MO, AR and OK have some beautiful places as well but not sure about their economy relative to TX.
It's so fun to dream....
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Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
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LLMom
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I have lived near San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas. My favorite area is between San Antonio and Austin. We live out in the country but both cities are accessible. I hated the Houston area. Does havoc on curly hair.  But if you like humidity and mosquitos.
Dallas is ok, but it is nice to be out a bit from any of them IMO. But I am just a country girl at heart. Homeschool laws are great here, no income tax, fairly conservative state all around, and of course plenty of southern hospitality.
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Lisa
For veteran & former homeschool moms
homeschooling ideas
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Martha
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No, no, no.. you need to move to Oklahoma!
Nothing against Texas, but *I* am not in Texas and Oklahoma needs more Catholics!
Don't tell dh I discouraged anyone from moving to Texas. He breathed his first breath of air there and keeps the birth cert hanging on the living room wall just to be sure people understand that he is Texan. 
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Martha
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stefoodie
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We lived in Texas for 10 months and then moved to OH and then PA.
We lived in Lake Jackson.
Pros: Really cheap real estate. That was the first time in my life I saw $150K houses that were MANSIONS.
We also spent a lot of time in Houston because we had family there and because hubby got sent there a lot right before our move.
My most successful and beautiful garden was in Texas. *Loved* the weather. It wasn't too hot for us at all, but of course I was born and raised in the Philippines. We did drive to Dallas 4 hours away once and yikes! Felt like we were in an oven at the Toys R Us parking lot! We were thinking of moving more north thinking it would be cooler but no. So we crossed Dallas off our list. I do know a bunch of people who live there and love it and wouldn't move if you paid them.
Cons: The only thing I couldn't stand in Texas were the MOSQUITOES. They were HUGE. No one would believe me in New Jersey and PA when I would tell these stories but they were the size of my HAND, with LONG LONG LEGS. Yikes! Those were the harmless ones though. The ones that we had to watch out for were the small, regular ones. Our newly-built rec center at the time had cream walls, and in the early evenings when we would go there, we'd RUN from the parking lot to the doors because the bottom half of the walls were COMPLETELY COVERED with mosquitoes. Every Tuesday we didn't want to go out of the house because they'd spray around 4 in the afternoon and it smelled like chemicals all over. Dow Chemicals was in the next town over so I was thankful when we left there.
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stef
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Bridget
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Our friend in TX said yes, the summers are hot but you never have to shovel the heat off the driveway as you would snow.
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God Bless,
Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
Our Magnum Opus
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missionfamily
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Michele, I was going to suggest the hill country between Austin and San Antonio as well...it is our dream location...we camp there often and drive around looking at land and dreaming.
All of my dh's family is in Houston and we are seriously considering a move in that direction in the near future just to position us to get to hill country eventually.
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Colleen
dh Greg
mom to Quinn,Gabriel, Brendan,Evan, Kolbe, and sweet St. Bryce
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Matilda
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Whoo hoo!!!! OK, I will try to keep my Texas pride under control.
I was born and raised in Austin, spent most summers in South Texas with my grandparents, moved to San Antonio for 4th grade- high school, came to DFW for college and stayed.
So, my thoughts are:
1. Houston is too humid and prone to occasional hurricanes.
2. South Texas is really hot and dry but even the biggest cities still feel like small towns if that is your thing.
3. San Antonio is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there...again. I might be biased in my opinion though...high school was horrible.
4. Austin is your typical capital city.
5. The hill country (anywhere between Austin and Waco) is gorgeous with lots of little, old fashioned towns. Not sure about finding a Catholic church close by though as we heard that some of the older ones had to close due to lack of parishioners.
6. DFW really should be considered separately...
Dallas is a very fast paced, big city with overcrowded highways and skyscrapers. And big hair... lots of big hair! Fort Worth seems to have held onto it's cowtown roots. It has a more rural feel even though it is a big city. There are lots of little places in between and all around that you can make a home in without feeling like you are living in the metroplex. We live in what's called the midcities area (in between Dallas and Fort Worth, but closer to Fort Worth.) We used to live closer to Dallas and are much happier here now.
7. East Texas (Piney Woods) is similar to the hill country. Not too many big cities (Tyler is probably the largest), lots of little towns scattered around but beautiful tall trees.
8. West Texas is dry and dusty. Nuff said.
Prayers for you and your big decision!
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Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11 , 10 , 9 & 5 ) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
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MicheleQ
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| Posted: Feb 06 2010 at 3:56pm | IP Logged
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Wow such great replies --thank you all!
So tell me, what's the economy like there? How is cost of living? What does a gallon of milk cost? Oh and most importantly, is there an abundance of fabric stores?? I have to keep priorities in order of course. 
Seriously though would you say it's "affordable" for a large family of modest means?
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Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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Matilda
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I'll let my husband answer so that I don't sound too biased. Plus, he's lived all over the place:
You live in Pennsylvania, right? The biggest difference you might not expect is property taxes. Our houses are less expensive down here, but because we don't have state income tax, our property taxes seem to be higher than what you might be used to. Property tax rates are typically 2 1/2% - 3% of the value of the property.
A gallon of regular milk is around $2.25 not on sale at Walmart. Gas is about 10-15% less than the east coast. Fabric stores, well... we have Joann's, Hancocks (if they haven't closed yet), and Hobby Lobby as the big chain stores with lots of little smaller shops around.
I would say it is affordable for a large family of modest means. Your highest utility bills will be in the summer as opposed to the winter, but like someone said, you don't have to shovel heat off your driveway. You can find things to do outside in the early morning hours before the sun gets too hot or in the evening after the sun goes down and then there are always indoor retreats from the heat. Ebby.com is a good resource for the housing market. Typically, you can figure that one percent of the purchase price will be your monthly mortgage payment, give or take.
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Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11, 10, 9 & 5) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
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Matilda
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OK, this is me again, not hubby. I just found this resource online but I'm not sure how accurate it is.
Cost of Living Calculator
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Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11, 10, 9 & 5) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
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KC in TX
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Charlotte summed it up quite well. I'm pushing for Central Texas, Michele, but then I'm being selfish.
It does get hot in the summers but the fall and winter (usually) are mild so we do most of our outdoor fun during these months. And, all you really need is some water and it's okay. I grew up in Texas and moved away from college but Texas always beckoned.
Come visit and check it out! You are more than welcome to stay with us.
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KC,
wife to Ben (10/94),
Mama to LB ('98)
Michaela ('01)
Emma ('03)
Jordan ('05)
And, my 2 angels, Rose ('08) and Mark ('09)
The Cabbage Patch
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jdostalik
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Hi Michele,
A bit late chiming in here but wanted to put in a plug for the North Dallas suburbs...we live in south Plano, about 30 minutes north of Dallas. We do not have big hair here in the 'burbs. Our neighborhood is an older ranch-style development with lots of trees.
There is a VIBRANT Catholic homeschooling community in the Plano/Richardson/Allen/McKinney/Wylie area... with tons of opportunities for friends for both you and your dh and your kids.
If you are looking for inexpensive land, I know that East and North of us about 30 miles there is plenty. I have a few friends that own land near Greenville (very conservative Catholic parish there with a very dynamic pastor)...One of these days dh and I would like to buy a bit of land out a bit and take our time building a house...we have friends who are doing that right now.
So, come visit...we'd love to have you all over for dinner!
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God Bless,
Jennifer in TX
wife to Bill, mom to six here on earth and eight in heaven.
Let the Little Ones Come
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dakotamidnight
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I live on the outskirts of San Antonio, and it's a wonderful place to live.
Rich Catholic history and heritage, low real estate costs, and good economy. We have the 2nd best economy in the US according to my paper yesterday.
Milk is $2.69, less at Sam's Club. Houses can be bought very cheap, especially if you buy via an auction and do a little work.
Very easy to live modestly on one income - we live modestly on less than one income ourselves, but there is only myself and my daughter.
And we have a wonderful Catholic Coop that does classes 1 day a week for everyone on multiple courses each semester. Lots of good thrift shops for books - many have home schooling items often.
Fabric is hit or miss - We have Joann's, Hancock, and a few others but there is always fabric.com as well.
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Carole N.
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Ditto what everyone said! I grew up in the Hill Country and went to school at Texas A&M University. Texas is a state with great diversity, so you will be able to find an area that meets your needs. Of course, I love the Hill Country outside of Austin and my family still lives in that area. Not only do you have the regular shopping (Michaels, Hobby Lobby), but you also have eclectic and unique shopping that you won't find anywhere else!
Summmers are hot, so it can be an adjustment. And the four seasons are a bit shortened due to the heat and long summers, but you can see autumn colors and you don't have to shovel snow! I love going back to visit and to see the changes that have happened. The hill country would be a great place to settle as it is still quite, but close to Austin/San Antonio/Waco.
Have fun in checking it out!
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Carole ... in Wales
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crusermom
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Hi Michelle,
I am a New York girl living in Texas. So - people here are very, very into being from Texas. Unlike anywhere else I have ever lived - and I have moved around a fair bit. Disclaimer - I did not choose to move here - I had strong feelings at one time about moving here. Also - everything I say is going to be about San Antonio. I have no other knowledge. My husband always wanted to be here. SO.....
Pros:
1. People are really friendly. It freaked me out at first. Up north, you don't just start talking to people at the Post Office. You just don't. In Texas, everyone is chatting. And they are not weird, they are just nice and friendly. People are also much more courteous on the road than in NY or in DC. (places I have lived the most)
2. Economy is good. We live in San Antonio. Houses are still being built. House prices did not really crash - because they never got out of control to begin with. Catholic schools are affordable (compared to DC).
3. In SA, you can live in the city and still be in the country. We live close to things, yet have 4 acres - with a horse and chickens. And that is not weird.
4. No snow.
5. Good state colleges. I hear so much about the faith life at A and M. I hear there are many vocations coming from there.
6. Bigger families. Not unusual at all to see young families with four or five children at the grocery store. We moved here from the Pacific NW - large families were not that common. Also, it is kid friendly.
7. More conservative values, in general.
8. Good options for parishes with a good Bishop. Our Lady of the Atonement - and Anglican Use parish and there is also a TLM parish. You can also find mariachi Masses - if that is your thing.
9. Easy homeschooling regulations.
10. Southwest flies out of San Antonio Airport.
Cons:
1. It is not New York.
2. It is really hot.
3. It is kind of brown for much of the year.
4. Not much besides the chain stores for fabric. I hear Dallas has an awesome fabric district. I have not been able to get there yet.
5. It is really far from New York.
So - I like it here - my husband loves it here. Not sure where we will end up, but I am sure glad I am not shoveling out of 2 feet of snow right now!
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Mary
Army wife and Crusermom to 8 wonderful children!
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Avila
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I am new here, but I was so glad to see this post! My name is Shelly. My DH and I have been married for almost 16 years, and we are homeschooling three girls who are 10, 8 and 6.
My husband is interviewing for jobs in Texas and will be flying to Fort Worth next week. I am pretty nervous, since we have always lived in the St. Louis area. This thread is helping to calm my nerves!
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amyable
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 It's too far away.
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Amy
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The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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teachingmyown
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When you all say "hot", what do you mean? Is it hot and dry or hot and humid? I think I could handle hot and dry, and I have had enough of VA's hot and humid. What is the average summer temperature?
Not that we are moving, just curious.
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Texas?
