The wife wants to move to Texas - We're Currently in Ohio

[slim1836]

Sounds like the wife is in control with wants she wants. How close does she want to be to her brother? Texas is a big state ya know. I'm in the next county south of Fort Worth where taxes are less. Marion county Tx is where I'd rather be but since I married a local that ain't gonna happen. Help us out when you can whittle it down a tad.

Lookin to meet up when ya git down here.

Slim

[dverna]

Think long and hard about the heat. Some people love it, some get used to it....I hate it.

I spent enough time in Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Florida to know I could never live there year-round.

Good luck and hope you find a great place to retire:

[MrWolf]

Property taxes in Texas are very high. I love the state of Texas and the people who live there but it is not for everyone.

Curious what is considered high taxes? In Jersey I was paying $1,000 a MONTH for 0.4 acres on a small finger lake (converted cranberry bog). Moved out here lil over 5 years ago and pay less than $1,200 a YEAR and an additional less than $700 of personal property tax on 81 acres.

[shtur]

My ex lives in Texas.
I was born and raised there, until I graduated, then left quickly and never went back. There is only a tiny amount of public land in TX. If you like hunting, be prepared to pay a landowner his fees to hunt his property.

[uscra112]

If it weren't for the pressure from your other half I'd tell ya to stay in Ohio. Been TDY in Texas heat, couldn't get home fast enough.

Texas is going to fill up with West Coasters, just like Idaho is suffering now. Look to the recent history of Colorado. Or Vermont.

A warning about rural living: By the time you get far enough out from the big cities to be able to afford it, medical services will invariably be poor, and you'll have to travel some distance to get even that.

My $0.02

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Our oldest daughter and husband took a trip to Texas with the thought of moving there. It didn't take long to find out that it was just not in their best interest. For the same size house that they have in California the property taxes would triple. This is combined with the fact that she couldn't find anyplace she wanted to live. You need to consider just how big the state of Texas is. It is larger than France and has many types of topography. I like the hill country but so does everyone else. Several wealthy sports figures have bought huge sections of the area and of course driven the price up. My wife went to an area in east Texas where the town of Archer is located. That is a very depressing place. When I wrote about that visit on this forum, Boas said that he was born and raised in Archer. I replied, no wonder you are always depressed. He answered, that is why Peter Bogdanovich picked the place to film the Last Picture Show. I liked the area around a town named Columbus. It is about fifty miles east of Housten, I thought Beaumont was nice but our daughter looked around there and didn't like it. They do get hurricanes on occasion. It boils down to where you will be happy. As I and others have said. Texas may not be what you think it is. Many other states have more liberal gun laws than Texas so check out the place you want to move to. It goes without saying the anyplace would be better than the New York or New England. This is all I want to write about moving to greener pastures. I have been in California almost seventy years and will be here till I check out. I have a gun safe full of rifles and handguns and can go shooting anytime I want to. The weather is great. Of course, we have loony politicians but so do many other states. I don't want to write about moving anymore.

[trebor44]

Why are so many Texans moving to Idaho?

[uscra112]

Kalifornians & Seattlites, mostly.

[Finster101]

First thing everyone does is complain about heat. I'll tell you I will take the heat over cold and snow any day, but I don't declare those places frozen hell holes as some do about Texas and Florida. You have to decide what you like or can tolerate for part of the year. Thank goodness we don't all like the same climate or it would be one crowded place.

[MOA]

Well rusty hill country is nicer visually than east Texas. I've lived in Houston, Huntsville, college station, Texas City down on the coast and have visited the area around Kerrville. You might take a trip to Kerrville area before you make a final choice. Anywhere from Dallas east and South to the coast is rain and hurricanes with some tornadoes mixed in for fun.

[deltaenterprizes]

In April I went to East Texas for the first time in my life, had more fun than I've had in decades living with some high school buddies I hadn't seen in 30 years in Henderson. We went to many small towns like Kilgore, and had an absolute blast. They are openly trying to get me to retire out there, too. I might...Some of the nicest people I have ever met were there in small town Texas. I would be happy to go back any time, BUT...I know the humidity will kill this old desert rat until I adjust.

One of my buddies.



My wife updating her phone after we got there - this is not a country road - this is part of the backyard...a small part...



East Texas Oil Museum in Kilgore - I HIGHLY recommend it.









Neighbors' "garden" - I like the way they garden...



Yeah, I liked East Texas.

That is right down the road from Longview, I go to church in Kilgore and pass the Oil Museum every Sunday!
Kilgore is nice, a buddy of mine has a house for sale right across the street from the church!

[Electrod47]

Longview Texas is a very special place.

[Winger Ed.]

Why are so many Texans moving to Idaho?

It's getting crowded.

I had a uncle that was born, raised, lived, and died in the Hill Country.
He lived on a working ranch a couple miles down the FM road from town.
The town had gotten so big- it had one flashing yellow light for traffic control.

He talked of moving because it had gotten so crowded.
He said, once in awhile, he could hear someone else's dog barking at night.

[farmer66]

I live in East Texas about 20 west of Sam Rayburn dam. I thought property taxes were reasonable. I pay $2900 per year for 60 acres, 3400 square foot house, several outbuildings. 10 miles from good medical facilities, but hot weather. Moved from Montana 50 years ago to get a better job. Thought about moving back, but only for summer. I really don't want to maintain two places and don't want to shovel snow.

[fastdadio]

I live in East Texas about 20 west of Sam Rayburn dam. I thought property taxes were reasonable. I pay $2900 per year for 60 acres, 3400 square foot house, several outbuildings. 10 miles from good medical facilities, but hot weather. Moved from Montana 50 years ago to get a better job. Thought about moving back, but only for summer. I really don't want to maintain two places and don't want to shovel snow.

Buy a camper and spend as much time up there in the summer as you can. There are a lot of ways to compromise. Oh, and about retiring and moving closer to your kids, My son lives in Fairbanks AK. and my daughter lives in Canton TX.

[Rapier]

If you want to move, make very sure you are moving for the right reason and into the right place. If 500 neighbors move into a neighborhood, and you move there, what did you accomplish, nothing. You must watch out for you, in a move, the realtors sure won’t and the developers won’t. You best get smart quick about value, taxes, repairs, renovations, travel, utilities, access, etc.

[Ohio Rusty]

Everyone has given some great advice and I appreciate every post !! Yes .. I love to hunt and fish. Texas seems to be a great place for that. I have a .357 handi rifle that uses a 180 grain .360-180 WFN I want to use for javelina. Grilled javelina sounds like heaven. I also have a .350 legend with the 180 grain SP boolit for deer. Fishing is also a passion and texas is loaded with bass. I love flyfishing for bass. The wife is looking for an improved lot with water, electric and sewer that we can buy a mobile or modular home and move it onto the property. The miracle property hasn't come along yet, but we'll keep looking. I'll post two pics ...one of my bass lures for bass, the other is our thermometer when it was 17 below here in Ohio ....that was brutal !! It was so cold you had to put your words in a hot frying pan so the other person could hear what you were saying !! I'm Ok with the heat after that.

[farmbif]

sounds like moving to texas these days is not for someone with champagne taste on a beer budget. paid my property tax bill late this year and it was just over $500, that includes the house, the barns, the sheds and chicken coops and 50 something acres and I never even put in for ag exemption since I bought the place. oh yeah and did I mention we got lots of rain, the river is full and its 77 degrees right now and raining.

[Ohio Rusty]

$500 a year in property taxes is near what I pay now. I live in a rural poor appalachian county so taxes are cheaper. In the big Ohio Cities, $2500 to more than $5000 a year is common. I'd live on a beer beer budget forever if that made the wife happy. I'm good with that. The neighbors hopefully won't complain about the sounds of 'smithing on an anvil now and then ....
Ohio Rusty ><>

[Txcowboy52]

Same here Ed!