Am I crazy to move from the Pacific Northwest to Austin TX?|154038

We currently live in Washington state but are seriously considering moving to Austin. Our main reason for moving is to get away from the cold and rain. I love heat and humiditiy (have lived in Florida) so that is not an issue. We have researched schools, houses, etc and visited Austin so if we move, that is where we will go. My husband can keep his job and work from home. Everyone up here seems to think we are crazy for moving to Texas though! I love the outdoors (hiking, etc) but hate the cold so much that I can only be outside about 4 months a year up here. Has anyone made a similar move? Any advice our opinions? I dont_ want to regret this! Thanks.

I made this same move several years ago (Seattle to Austin) and it was a great move for me. I really just prefer sun and heat (I love the summers here in Austin) so Seattle was just not a good fit for me (I do not miss having to carry around coats in summer for the second the sun went down!), and I would never consider moving back. My quality of life increased so much just because of the climate change, that nothing else really mattered (like the fact that I make less money, job market is still a little tight, minimal public transportation, etc). People thought Texas was a weird choice for me as well, but that was just because none of them had ever been. I_ll admit I was a little nervous at first because of the Texan stereotypes, but I haven_t found any of them to really be true in Austin (except for people are friendlier here, that_s true).

Austin is great, i moved here from cali last november. it_s definatly different from the west coast... most people are alot nicer!! housing is great, not nearly as expensive as the west coast... theres alot of things to do and its very diverse.. you will run into alot of different people here... jobs are great cuz its the tech hub of the country.. i live around the corner from dell and samsung. so if your wanting to move to texas.. austin is the perfect choice~!

We moved from CT to 2 blocks outside of Dallas, Texas. That was over 20yrs ago, no regrets! We currently live about 24 miles from Dallas, just outside of McKinney, so we_re 6 miles from the nearest gas/groceries, not out in the sticks, but very pleasant. The only thing about your decision I would question is the city, Texas has a low cost of living, but Austin has the highest in the state. Why not McKinney, San Antonio or a hill country town like Fredericksburg? Depending on what you want to be near.
Below is some info I previously put togethe:r
If you want to be in the city then Dallas or Fort Worth, but there are small towns like Lucas within commuting range so you can have the best of both worlds. McKinney is less than 30 minutes from Dallas _ is growing but still real pleasant, Lowry Crossing or Princeton are real short hops from there but offer nice homes not double-wides, on land, for great prices, like 1,900 sq ft on 1 acre for around $155k. If you like the coast, consider Galveston or Corpus Christi. Avoid Houston, it is over-populated due to refugees from Katrina. Cost of living is much lower in TX and there is a huge range of terrain and climate.

One of the best things with Cities in Texas, if you can work a schedule that is a little off the normal hours, traffic isn_t bad. Living in the McKinney area gives us country living but short drives to all the amenities of the city. Dallas museums, opera, symphony, landmarks, restaurants, race tracks (dirt track, drag racing, TX Motorspeedway for NASCAR). Hospitals in McKinney, Allen, Plano, Richardson, Dallas: Healthsouth, Presbyterian, Baylor etc.
It is important to understand the difference between driving commutes in other states/TX; if I work late the I can make the 27 mile route home from Dallas, in 35 minutes, w/o breaking the speed limit, as there are only 2 lights _ 1 Stop sign. At rush hour I take back roads, 24 miles, yet still make the trip in under an hour, sometimes as quick as 45 minutes.
Real Estate:
Site w/home finding parameters including lot size:

http://www.ebby.com/properties/propertie��



http://www.mls.com/
you have to register to use this site, but it is useful.

Helpful Texas sites below, some of the places are a ways from Dallas, like Galveston at 300 miles, but due to open highways that_s only 5-6 hours, most folks think nothing of making a run like that for a 3 or 4 day weekend. Email me any questions:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/


http://www.galveston.com/


http://www.cctexas.com/
Corpus Christi

http://www.portaransas.org/


http://www.txtreasure.com/
Gambling boat

http://www.nps.gov/caha/


http://www.rockinr.com/
for tubing the Guadalupe river

http://www.hill-country-visitor.com/defa��


http://www.fossilrim.com/index.php


http://www.mesquiterodeo.com

No, you are not crazy. The weather_s great and so is the city. From a political standpoint, Austin is very much like the northwest and the entire west coast, so it won_t be very different from that aspect. Lots of people come here from California for many reasons, so you are not the only one to make a _drastic_ move to Texas. Not all of us are cowboys. lol

No, you are not crazy. I am native Texan and moved to Washington State. I lasted almost 2 years before I had to move. The sun never came out and it rained all the time. The cost of living was outrageous and you could not get any good Mexican food. After 2 years I moved to Florida and have never been sorry. I would prefer to be back in Texas (that_s where all the family is) but until I can transfer Florida is fine.

Sounds like a good idea to me, especially with your husband being able to keep his job. You definitely won_t be as cold! Good luck to you both in your move!!!!

I live in San Antonio. San Antonio could also be possibly a good move, although it is slightly more humid here. But, Austin is fantastic! The city in general is beautiful! The small epicenter of metropolitan area of downtown is clean, easy to maneuver (unlike San Antonio_s downtown area) and delightful to walk around in. The parks are fabulous and kept clean, the lakes and rivers are abundant and the view is spectacular. The culture is diverse, interesting, and is a mecca of musical diversity and variety. It is a perfect place to raise a family, has a great history of education (schooling and career choices), and plenty of activities for all age groups. The cost of living is affordable (in certain areas, as with any other place some places are higher) and choices abound.

Altogether I would say that it is an ideal move. San Antonio (a larger populated city with a larger Hispanic population and culture) is only an hour away (with Six Flags and Sea World), Houston 5 hours away, and Dallas/Ft. Worth only 3-4 hours drive. So, Austin is a great central base to operate out of as well.

Great choice in relocation consideration and we welcome you and see you soon!...lol

~jaz~

It_s true, I_m sure Hollywood has made it difficult for many to picture themselves living in Texas.

The skies are bigger in Texas....one advantage of smaller trees.

as for rainfall. We have more rain than LA...hope that helps.

almost all of the heavily populated areas voted dem. in the last election..

Austin has more book sales per ca pita than anywhere else in the country I hear.

economically it_s likely the best place to be right now.

at least people in WA have an opinion about us...

Where do you live in Washington? It_s not cold there.