Hello fellow CL'ers...I need some feedback from the Texas peeps...

I guess I'm really bored, but something came over me tonight and I started looking at houses online in Houston, Texas area. It's unbelievable what can be purchased for $200K. Here in S. CA, you can barely get a condo for that price point.

Reason I chose Texas is because one of my high school buddies lives there and I visited him once and thought the area was pretty cool. He lives in Sugarland, TX (is that considered a good neighborhood). I know visiting is different than living there, so here is where I need your help. What are the good/bad points about TX as far as:

1. Cost of living
2. Job Market (I am a web developer, although, I would want to open my own business if I were to move)
3. Continue from #2, how helpful is the local government in terms of helping small businesses start up?
4. Weather
5. Racial Tolerance (I'm Asian), living in San Gabriel Valley in CA, there's a lot of Asians.
6. Where are some good and safe neighborhoods to live around Houston area?
7. How is the car scene shows? How is the import car shops? (I might want to do something w/ the import show/shop if the opportunity is there)
8. How is the night club scene? (still need to relax)

Any input will really help me with this big change I'm contemplating. I've basically lived in S. CA for all my life and ready to see what else is out there.

Thanks for any info you can give.

 

sup man,
lol by the 200k statement u might already kno that the cost of living in texas might be less than some other states......
well im asian too and there is alot of asians here in houston and SUGAr Land ofcourse....and If u like being around asians i sugest u go to sugarland and its a pretty safe community.

Well the carshow scene is pretty good here..and also the clubs...

BUt yeah TExas is HOt *** shiet and HUMIDD!!!

 

1. Cost of living
-we have very high sales tax and property tax, but no state income tax
2. Job Market (I am a web developer, although, I would want to open my own business if I were to move)
- theres a lot of oppurtunity in houston to own ur own business
3. Continue from #2, how helpful is the local government in terms of helping small businesses start up?
-i cant really say because everybody i know that own there own business did it all by themselves
4. Weather
-its hot and humid most of the time, then there is hurricane season where it floods, and finally theres a short 2-3 month winter
5. Racial Tolerance (I'm Asian), living in San Gabriel Valley in CA, there's a lot of Asians.
-asians are not wide spread like say california but there are asian "sections" in houston
6. Where are some good and safe neighborhoods to live around Houston area?
-there are many and if your loooking at 200k + houses you will be in a most likely safe neighborhood
7. How is the car scene shows? How is the import car shops? (I might want to do something w/ the import show/shop if the opportunity is there)
not to many
JDM is huge in houston..but shops good luck on that there are many but i dont know any that work on lexus
8. How is the night club scene? (still need to relax)
downtown is the hotspot all the clubs are in walking distances

 

Thanks for the responses fellas. This gives me something to think about.

 

yeah you should come visit first and just check out the place. im pretty sure one of us will show u around.

 

for 200k u can get a really nice house in Houston.

 

Man you ain't kidding. I was searching online and there are so many nice looking houses, what's the deal? Is everyone moving from there or what?

 

i duno ive been here for over 20 years we jsut recently bought a pretty nice house on the northwest side of town for 150k.

 

Sugarland is a great place. Its the home of Imperial Surgar, has a great school system, and is not too far from Houston. Other areas worth taking a look at: The Woodlands and Clear Lake.

1. The cost isn't too bad... but powerbills can kill you down here. I just got one for my twobed, 1 bath house for $342, and Im making a point to watch lights and what not.
2. You will probably be able to find work, there are several companies here dealing in technology/ websites/ networking, etc.
3. Im not exactly sure- but I do know that my dad started a graphic design firm back in 1985, and now its the largest graphic design firm in the south. I would say that the local gov. was pretty good for him???
4. depends on the time of year. We really dont have seasons. In the summertime it is HOT and HUMID. The hot weather last up until Oct./Nov. Then it gets cold. Winter is nice, we get some really nice, crisp cool days with sun, but we also get our fair share of cloudy, cold and windy days. My favorite season is Spring. Spring is really nice, sunny, 65-70 deg. (BTW- when I said that we dont really have seasons- I mean that you wont see leaves turning brown, and you wont feel like its fall till right before its winter.)
5. Houston is very racialy tolerant. We have a very large asian american population, with quite a large China Town. Many Vietnamese (spelling?) families moved to houston during the Vietnam War (similar climate, and fishing/ shrimping industry similar to their home.)
6. Depends on what style of living you like.
Family- Katy, Surgar Land, Bellaire, Clear Lake, The Woodlands, some of the places out in Fort Bend
Metropolitan- Downtown lofts... anywhere inside 610 loop that is nice...
Artsy- Hieghts, Montrose (- montrose is the gay center of houston, but is still cool...)
7. The is actually a very big car scene- visit www.houstonimports.com to see some of the guys. There are quite a few "shops" but they really dont do much outside of their team. I think they started the shop for discounts! lol. We have a strip (Houston Raceway Park)- it has import nights, as well as sanctioned street race type races. I think that if somebody had their act together, and the money needed- a big shop could be profitable down here.
8. There is a pretty big night scene downtown. University of Houston is down there- lots of nice women. There are a ton of bars, nightclubs, etc- and as always if you are at the right place, then there are alot of pretty women.


All of this is coming from a 22 y/o guy who lived in Houston, moved to Clear Lake, and now goes to Texas A&M at Galveston.

 

what neighborhood did you move into? i live on the NW side too

 

copperbrook

 

1. Cost of living
I just finished searching for homes and finally decided on one last Friday. Cost of living here much cheaper then Cali. for sure. The bills and taxes are a little high but not that much different then Cali. Any house above $180, your looking at a good neighborhood.

2. Job Market (I am a web developer, although, I would want to open my own business if I were to move)
I know a couple of web developers and I must say they are doing well for themselves right now.

3. Continue from #2, how helpful is the local government in terms of helping small businesses start up?
I don't know much about this, but I know that the state does have some kind of help that they do offer.

4. Weather
Hot, and damn hot. Like others have said summer gets around 100-110 sometimes and with humidity your looking at heat index of 120-130. Winter is short and coldest it usually gets is low 30s and that is rare. We do have hurricanes and tornados but not often. Flood is a big thing but at the price range your looking at for a house it should have good drainage.

5. Racial Tolerance (I'm Asian), living in San Gabriel Valley in CA, there's a lot of Asians.
The asian scene of Houston is actually 2nd or 3rd largest in the US. You have Chinatown in Downtown and Little Saigon all along Bellaire Blvd. Actually I think I read somewhere that the white folks are becoming the minority in Houston with the increase in Hispanic and Asian folks coming to Houston.

6. Where are some good and safe neighborhoods to live around Houston area?
There are plenty to look at, but most of them are located up North, West, and South of Houston. The East side is mostly Industrial. North you have the Woodlands, Kingwood, Champion Forest, and Spring. Northwest/west you have Katy, Cinco Ranch, Klien, etc. Southwest/south you have Sugarland, New Territory, Sienna Plantation, Pearland, etc. Here is a website that will help you out on homes in Houston www.har.com

7. How is the car scene shows? How is the import car shops? (I might want to do something w/ the import show/shop if the opportunity is there)
JDM crazy. A lot of Honda/Nissan scene and of course the domestic scene is huge. Luxury performance wise good luck. The euro scene is growing.

8. How is the night club scene? (still need to relax)
Downtown is mad crazy and geting crazier. If you like azn hoonies, they are everywhere. They have clubs for pretty much any flavor you like. And there is still the Westhiemer/Richmond scene. Up north 1960/Hwy 6 is getting hot.

Hope I helped you out some.

 

Thanks for the detailed responses fellas. Sounds so tempting.

 

import scene is big, and starting up an import shop would be awesome. here is a website to give you an idea of the import scene in houston. www.houston-import.com

 

I'd agree with everything said about houston. I own a business that I started on my own w/o gov't help. Racially wise, very diverse,... not many problem areas,... good neighborhoods are pretty much in any part of houston,... just as bad ones can be right next to the good one,... ie. Midtown or Stafford / Sugarland. I live in Katy / NW Houston border and it's quiet out here, but growing rapidly.

Din, isn't Copperbrook off of HWY 6?? I think that's not far from where I live ( W. Little York / Barker Cypress ).

Weather does suck azz compared to Austin's weather ( where i'm from ), but no city is gonna be perfect.

The nite life flucuates from Downtown to the Westheimer / Richmond strip near the galleria. Every few years one becomes the hot spot and the other fades background, then it switches. Right now, the downtown and montrose area is jumpin'.

you'll be cool.