I just came back from Texas. First time ever in or near Texas. I visited both Houston and Austin. I have lived in Cali my whole life and have heard only terrible things about Texas so my expectations were well…ZERO.
After visiting for the first time I was pleasantly surprised. Surprised in terms of how nice some of these areas actually are. The west side of Austin near Lake Austin and Lake Travis are very nice. Rolling hills and lush. Definitely didn’t feel like I was in Texas.
In Houston Uptown is all new and done very nice. They basically have like (2) downtowns. Plenty of shopping, fine restaurant’s, etc. It feels like Cali at time. In terms of living in Houston, The Woodlands are simply incredible. Best master planned community I have ever seen. Hands down. Dense forest. I sure didn’t feel like I was in Texas.
Home prices I would say are 1/3 to 1/4 the prices of California when comparing area and house. Texas makes their homes much better than Cali. All rockwork on the outside standard. Property taxes are higher than Cali at 3-4%. Texas has no state income tax so you save there. Gasoline is about 35% cheaper than Cali.
Overall, Texas is definitely livable. I learned my lesson in terms of listening to people say how good/bad a place is. Do this, go see the place with your own two eyes and experience it for yourself.
Two thumbs up for Austin and the Woodlands in Houston. I wouldn’t be surprised if I lived in either of these places in a year.
