Where should I live?

[NeilPearson]

With the rising price of houses in Phoenix, I have found myself in a situation where I have about $300,000 in home equity... but I still have a $250,000 mortgage.

I was thinking about moving and want some ideas. I want to get a house for under $450,000. It should be 2500+ square feet with a 3 car garage. I would also like it to be on at least an acre of land where I can keep and ride horses.

I am open to looking into just about anywhere but I don't want cold long winters. Good neighborhoods and nice weather is a must. Also it has to be in an area where I could find a job as a computer programmer... so we are talking just outside of cities that are going to be in the 750,000 - 1.5 million people range.

So far the best candidate I could really find is Texas but I don't really know a lot about Texas (I'm from Canada originally)... Also I am not sure where in Texas would be a good idea. It doesn't have to be Texas though, I am open to any ideas.

So what do you think?

[asphaltpilot]

North Florida, around Jax.
NC (Charlotte)
TN (Nashville)

[VoidRaven]

Well, I think you need to consider this: when looking at horses you should have *at least* an acre of open land per horse NOT counting the land you house and garage and barn are on. So you really should consider something like 3 to 5 acres if you can find an affordable spot.

Why must it be outside of a city in the 750,000 to 1.5 million range for population? Are there no computer programming jobs in/around cities under that amount?

Maybe you should post a bit more specific as to the *type* of programming job you are looking for. IE are you looking to code for Microsoft or work for some engineering firm designing and maintaining software for them?

[Travis L. Stevens]

Texas and Oklahoma are actually good options. Land and housing is cheap and there are many smaller, more laid back cities instead of the hustle and bustle of places like Pheonix, NYC, LA, etc. A $450,000 home in Oklahoma would easily rake in TONS of land (100+ acres at least) and/or a huge house. Here in the Stillwater area (not close to a large city though) you are looking at about $60/sq ft. So technically, a $450,000 house will be about 7500 sq ft.

[oz]

How about Charlottesville, VA. http://www.charlottesville.org

Winter is not so long or cold. It doesn't get below 20, I don't think.

For houses with your spec, its very doable. check out this site (http://www.mycaar.com/)

[NeilPearson]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7546077#post7546077 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by VoidRaven
Why must it be outside of a city in the 750,000 to 1.5 million range for population? Are there no computer programming jobs in/around cities under that amount?


It's just been my experience that most places smaller than that don't do a lot of software development. There may be some jobs but they get harder and harder to find as the place gets smaller.

[VoidRaven]

Ah, I see....well then, that makes perfect sense.

[emilye2]

Seriously-check out Colorado. Denver and Colorado Springs. Hubby is a Software Developer and had nooooooo problem finding gainful employment there! The Springs are about 45 min from Denver, just hop on I-25 and go. Lots of beautiful new houses going up. You can find some nice land on the outskirts of town toward Denver. And vice versa. Winters can be cold but not long. Sun almost every day of the year (yay!). And just a great vibe about the place if you don't mind cruddy drivers! The only reason we left is we had children and both our families are here in the east.

[hogpark7430]

Don't listen to her Colorado is miserable in the winter, snow up to you nose and cold as can be. The people here are not tolerant of Canadians and horses are illegal.




;)

[emilye2]

hehehe! Trying to keep the influx down there Mike? :D

[ENGINEERgoby]

Warm weather is nice but don't move anywhere coastal unless you are OK with your life being yearly turned up-side down with hurricane season...and possibly your house getting blown to bits!

I agree with Oklahoma. We visited my sister-in-law when she went to vet school at OSU, Stillwater is a pretty nice city. Her husband was a programmer and worked for Seagate I believe and then some telecom company. Once he finished with his masters he had no trouble finding work in Oklahoma.

If you could stand *a bit* of cold and blustery wind the cost of living here in central Illinois is super cheap and the people are very nice. Urbana-Champaign is building up more tech due to the university here.

[clavery]

I saw this show on TV last week and they were featuring homes from all across the country. They showed these beautiful HUGE homes in San Antonio, TX for $300K plus. Said it was a really up and coming area, with good employment opportunities and nice communities. I tell you, the house they featured would easily have gone for $600K+ around here.

Food for thought...

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7547764#post7547764 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ENGINEERgoby
I agree with Oklahoma. We visited my sister-in-law when she went to vet school at OSU, Stillwater is a pretty nice city. Her husband was a programmer and worked for Seagate I believe and then some telecom company. Once he finished with his masters he had no trouble finding work in Oklahoma.


And Stillwater, OK is still only considered a medium sized town in Oklahoma. You could live on the outskirts of the bigger cities. Like Sapulpa, Jenks, Broken Arrow, Bixby, and Owasso if you want to work in Tulsa, OK or places like Edmond, Moore, and Norman if you want to work in Oklahoma City, OK.

Most of the time the weather in Central to Eastern Oklahoma is generally pretty mild. Winters rarely drop below 10-20ºF. The most snow I have ever seen in Oklahoma in 14 years was about six inches. And it only lasted a week before it was all melted away. The hottest it gets is 100ºF+. There have been a rare 110ºF days. There is a lot of wilderness and many water fronts to enjoy. The biggest threat is Tornadoes and even then, they aren't that bad. Imagine a Hurricane focused down to an itty-bitty space. A hurricane effects a large area with decent damage, but a tornadoe rips everything to shreds in a tiny area. Mudslides, avalanches, and earthquakes are unheard of here. The occassional flashflood will rip through, but most of Oklahoma is prepared for it (IE high bridges, etc).

Also, for what it's worth, my brother in law scored an awesome house in an awesome neighborhood for $135K. It's a two story, 4 bedroom, 2 bath, kitchen, living room, dining room, two car garage. In fact, the master bedroom has a room attached to it. And there is enough attic space to make another whole room. So, if they really wanted to, they could have a six bedroom, 2 bath. It is in the city, so you wouldn't be able to keep a horse, but for $135,000, I would say that they aren't doing so bad. ;)

[clsanchez77]

New Orleans, property has become a bargain around here...if you know how to use a few tools.

[Hotrod324]

I live in San Antonio and when i read this, realized it would be perfect for you. Theres a little town on the outskirts of San Antonio called Helotes. Its perfect if you want to get a couple of acres and a house for that price would be a pretty nice one. Its one of the better parts of town, especially if your looking for acres. Also, i dunno if you like country music but floores country store is in Helotes and any famous country singer you can think of has played there. Lemme know if you want anymore info on Helotes

[Jamesurq]

Come to Greenville, it's the 2nd sweatiest city in the US!

[predatorpassion]

well we live in oklahoma more in the country. but not a mile away from a reasors' albertsons etc. Actually not that far away from travis (which is probably a bad thing) lol just kidding. But we live on 80acres and own around 20.6 we have a nice house. but the house was like 400,000k. I believe. The land was wasn't that cheap and was like 10,000$ an acre. 3,600square footage.

[Reefrus2003]

Oklahoma = Cold winters, tornados
Colorado = Cold Winters, high cost of living
New Orleans = Joke
Florida = Nice weather, no winters, hurricanes
Texas = San Antonio, Houston Area, Dallas Area everything from desert to piney woods all climates from Amarillo to Corpus, from El Paso to Tyler

[NeilPearson]

Thanks everyone.... I am really leaning towards Austin or San Antonio. I just have to visit it in the summer and see what the humidity is like. I hear horror stories about it but most of them are from native Arizonans that get uncomfortable at 20% humidity :)

It is starting to look like I might not be able to make the move for about a year but I am definitely looking forward to it.

What is the San Antonio job market like as far as tech jobs? I got the impression that Austin was better for this type of job but I could be wrong.

Any information is appreciated.... Thanks!

[jenlovesty]

In Texas, Houston, Dallas, or Austin.

Houston is a big city, but they do have problems with smog.

Dallas is nice.

If I had to move to Texas, I would choose Austin. Austin is an upcoming city, in the hill country part of Texas. Lots of hills and lakes.

Texas is nice because they do not have a state income tax.

I currently live in florida, but grew up in Texas.

Florida would be nice, but the cost of living where I live is getting ridiculus. Orlando is still not too bad. You can buy a nice 2500 house for 300,000 in Orlando.

[Jamesurq]

All kidding aside - The Carolinas are pretty damn nice... From what I saw of Texas (granted, it was limited to Houston and Dallas) it was flat, bland, and hotter than hell.

We're an hour from the mountains, 3 hours from the ocean, and about 2 banjos away from a hoedown.

[Sk8r]

And there is western Washington and Portland, Oregon area if you don't mind the ground moving occasionally. There is room for horses in some areas around the metros. Winters are mild and snow is fairly rare.

[iCam]

In Texas, Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio are all good options.

In Houston, there are areas not far from downtown with some fairly nice neighborhoods where housing is not that expensive, given the area, and some of the higher class neighborhoods near the same area. As with any big city, there is smog on some days, and traffic on work days, but not as bad as I have seen in other large cities. The area is pretty nice as you get into the pine forests.

I'm not as sure about Dallas, I don't make my way there often, but it is a pretty nice area.

San Antonio has developed into a pretty nice place, and is just outside of the hill country. There are plenty of nicer neighborhoods with housing in a reasonable range. Smog doesn't seem to be a problem, but traffic can get bad. There are some really nice surrounding towns like Boerne and Kerrville in the hill country, all pretty towns with some nice housing and scenery. The land is hilly, with a lot of cedar trees.

Austin can be a bit more expensive in parts, but it's a nice part of Texas not far from the hill country as well, with a lot of nice lakes and rivers in the area, and plenty to do even though it's not all in all that large of a city. Austin is really popular for live music and other entertainment.

Summers can be over 100F, which is worse in Houston where it's really humid, but it's drier in Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin. Winters are pretty mild, usually getting within the freezing range, then getting back up around 50F, all through the winter. You might see a day or two of snow in San Antonio, Austin, or Dallas, but generally not enough to stay on the ground for long at all. You can usually expect one or two small freezes, nothing bad.

[Confooseld]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7667241#post7667241 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NeilPearson
Thanks everyone.... I am really leaning towards Austin or San Antonio. I just have to visit it in the summer and see what the humidity is like. I hear horror stories about it but most of them are from native Arizonans that get uncomfortable at 20% humidity :)

It is starting to look like I might not be able to make the move for about a year but I am definitely looking forward to it.

What is the San Antonio job market like as far as tech jobs? I got the impression that Austin was better for this type of job but I could be wrong.

Any information is appreciated.... Thanks!
Go to Austin the country is SOOOOO pretty (I grew up in Houston and have cousins in Austin) it's quite hilly there's almost no humidty (at least compared to a lifetime of Houston) and the traffic isn't particularly bad (again compared to the urban sprawl capital of the US). Winters are nearly non-existant I've never ever in the entirety of my life seen snow fall once! Last year I saw it on the ground in Galveston after some freak snow fall (which melted after three days). The cost of living is very cheap in the south in general. San Antonio is nearly the same as Austin just less rain and fewer hills and is only an hour away or so. I can't speak for Dallas (only ever driven through once) but Houston is not a fun city to live in IMO too much traffic/smog/humidity.

[Sk8r]

The area around Wichita Falls is pretty, and you're within driving distance of WF, Gainesville, and even DFW if you're determined enough.

But if you can take heat [personally I faint at anything above 72 degrees:asthma] I recommend Oklahoma: cheaper and wetter than Texas. Eastern Oklahoma, besides being horse-friendly, has some nice wooded real estate rife with pothole springs and small creeks that could make nice riding trails; finding a horse property is never hard up there, some with nice pole barns and water access that rarely freezes up. One thing you have to get used to is the fact that any creek downcuts, so your trails often involve plunges 10 feet down to the water and another scramble up a clay bank on the other side. I've done a lot of riding in this state. One thing to watch out for: greenbriar. If you get a property with a lot of that vegetable concertina wire on it, you will rue the purchase. It's thick in some areas, and extremely hard to get rid of. It will scar you for life, I'm not kidding. Do a walkover of any acreage you buy and take a look.

Climate: most years you get roses still blooming in December, the worst cold in February [apricots attempting to bud will bring on a freeze without exception]. Ihave seen 3 foot snow in OKC, but it's a rare year when that happens. Tornados, if this worries you, are more often seen in the south and west of the state. In the eastern hills they're less frequent. Another really nice area in the east is around Muskogee, where they have dirt that actually grows azaleas. The bad news is that if you want a good reef shop, you're pretty well going to have to go to Tulsa or OKC areas. Deep snow is not unknown, but mostly in the west and center. Oklahoma is a joining-point of odd climates, with some little dots on the growing-zone map that give a whole new meaning to microclimate.

[TheBadGuy]

Also it has to be in an area where I could find a job as a computer programmer

RTP, NC

[Sk8r]

The Muskogee area is pretty well south of Tulsa, about an hour, I think, with some pretty territory in between and a turnpike, if I remember correctly, though I could be a little optimistic on the distance. A little computer commuting might work, too.

[wav3form]

I live in central virginia and i love it. They don't call it God's country for nothing. (i'm not regligious, that's just what they call it)

[Sk8r]

You're right about Virginia---you keep expecting to pass a certain point and see it was all a movie set. It's the most fanatically perfect landscape I've ever driven through.

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7667137#post7667137 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefrus2003
Oklahoma = Cold winters, tornados
Colorado = Cold Winters, high cost of living
New Orleans = Joke
Florida = Nice weather, no winters, hurricanes
Texas = San Antonio, Houston Area, Dallas Area everything from desert to piney woods all climates from Amarillo to Corpus, from El Paso to Tyler

:lmao: You're funny! A "cold winter" from a Texan is anything below 50ºF :lmao: But I see that Niel is from Arizona, so an Oklahoma winter might be considered cold. But don't think that Texas doesn't get a tornado on occassion. They get tons of Dust Devils though :D Those are fun. I lived in west Texas. Lubbock to be more specific and I still have family there in Lubbock and Plainview, TX. I'll admit I like Oklahoma better just because it's "wetter". More trees, lakes, streams, forests, etc.