Maybe Moving to Austin

[PuyoPiyo]

Hey Texans, I live in Vancouver, the one in Portland Metro. I want to get out of this place, here's reason why:

1. Housing price are HORRIBLE. It is like hell to find a home.
2. Good Jobs are hard to find in Vancouver or even Portland.
3. Lived here for 19 years (whole my life) and finally got sick of Washington.
4. Looking for someplace warmer and dry ratherly than cool and wet.

And some of my question about Austin is:

1. Does it have good deaf community? (yes I am deaf so I need that kind of community)
2. How is the housing price there?
3. Is the jobs availablity there any good?
4. Is it ALWAYS warm or even hot there?

Thank to Texans, hope I find the right place lol..

[MichaelB]

Hey Texans, I live in Vancouver, the one in Portland Metro. I want to get out of this place, here's reason why:

1. Housing price are HORRIBLE. It is like hell to find a home.
2. Good Jobs are hard to find in Vancouver or even Portland.
3. Lived here for 19 years (whole my life) and finally got sick of Washington.
4. Looking for someplace warmer and dry ratherly than cool and wet.

And some of my question about Austin is:

1. Does it have good deaf community? (yes I am deaf so I need that kind of community)
2. How is the housing price there?
3. Is the jobs availablity there any good?
4. Is it ALWAYS warm or even hot there?

Thank to Texans, hope I find the right place lol..

Best news for you is that the "State School for the Deaf" is here..... hugh and great place ....so there is a large deaf community. I'll let others answer the rest for now.....good luck!

[PuyoPiyo]

Thanks for the good news about the deaf community :)

[rad707]

The deaf community is spread around, but you would be wise to consider moving close to the school.

Conveniently, it's located off South Congress avenue just south of downtown. The neighborhood speaks for itself if you search around on Google to learn more about it. I can only speak from what I've seen, not personally experienced, but I would imagine that this is the part of town where people don't look at you funny when you are using sign language at a bar/bus/grocery store (which has several deaf check-out clercks).

Housing prices are rediculous here; however, if you are in the market to buy you should feel assured that what you pay for will retain its value. this is one of the few cities that could avoid the major downturn american real estate will experience over the next few years. our economy is so strong here (tech) that some analysts say that our prices will remain flat when others plummit.

Check it:

http://www.news8austin.com/content/news_8_explores/deaf_community/?ArID=146987&SecID=196

[GoldenBoot]

...Housing prices are rediculous here; however, if you are in the market to buy you should feel assured that what you pay for will retain its value...


"Prices are ridiculous" is a very subjective phrase when speaking about Austin housing. For some Austinites, they are becoming an issue...

PuyoPiyo, what is "horrible" cost of housing in your terms? I know that the average cost of a house/condo in Vancouver & Portland are higher than they are here in Austin.

In October, the average home in the Austin metro. sold for just over $175,000 (the most expensive of the major markets in Texas). Plus, the average downtown condominium will set you back $500,000 for roughly 1,100 sq. ft.

When comparing Austin to other major markets throughout the country (namely the east and west coast), it is relatively cheap!!

I hope you decide to come...I'm pretty sure you'll love it here.

[PuyoPiyo]

WOW about the deaf community ^_^

Well, reason why I say Vancouver WA's housing price are horrible because there are VERY few houses are 500 square feets, most are big house for people who work at Portland can buy. I am looking for a place that has alot of cute, cheap, little houses. Allright I will plan for a travel to Austin TX, to see :)

Thank to everyone.

[Mikey711MN]

3. Is the jobs availablity there any good?
4. Is it ALWAYS warm or even hot there?

Jobs availability is generally considered plentiful, but particularly so depending on your profession or line of work. Unemployment in Central Texas is very low right now though.

As for the temperatures, well, I had to scrape my windows on my car this morning, so it certainly isn't warm all of the time. :) But winter lasts about 3 weeks here, with the spring and fall being roughly about a month each, which leaves you the summer with temps ranging between the 80's and 100's. But frankly, I moved here from Minnesota...if I can get used to it, you can too.

Hope to see you down here in Central Texas soon!

[JACKinBeantown]

It definitely gets HOT in Austin during the summer in a way that you won't be used to. But everything else about Austin is fantastic.

[bluedogok]

Housing prices are cheap here compared to most of country, they are more on average than the rest of Texas for comparable location/sizes so that gives some the perception that housing prices are out of line. We live in a 1,200 sf house (3BR/2BA/2Car) in South Austin that was built in the mid 70's and houses in our neighborhood are in the 120,000-130,000 range. We have been considering moving to Denver and their housing prices are ridiculous compared to Austin.

The only thing that I hate about Austin is summer from March to October, I am very hot natured and as I have become older (42) my tolerance for the heat just isn't what it used to be. I grew up in Oklahoma City which isn't much different when it comes to heat, although the humidity is a little higher here but not like Houston. That is one of the main reasons we are considering the move to Denver. We are having a "cold" spell here at the moment but winter here is at most a few days of cold and maybe some ice/snow but it is usually gone in a day so I don't really consider Austin as having a "winter". Some people love the heat, I don't so it really depends on what type of weather that you prefer.

My wife works for a non-profit that helps with down payment assistance and home modifications for people with disabilities and has moved into independent living rentals and NOT group homes, they are very much against congregate housing of people with disabilities. PM me if you would be interested.

Good luck with your decision and move if you do go through with it.

[PuyoPiyo]

But winter lasts about 3 weeks here

Only 3 weeks?! LOL At Washington, it takes about 3 months for winter, and other 6 months WET, then only 3 months summer at about 80 degree.

I want to get used with that kind of weather in Texas.

And thank you everyone for good informations. I will go to Austin, TX after I finish with my school.

THANKS EVERYONE ^_^

[JAM]

Was at Barton Creek Mall last night. Passed by what appeared to be several deaf people (at least 8) while strolling through. (They were using sign language). Barton Creek is the mall closest to downtown, just a few miles away from the school for the deaf.

A good resource to look at real-estate in Austin is:

http://austinhomesearch.com

Good Luck!

[KevinFromTexas]

There seems to be a good sized deaf community in Austin.

Here's a link to the Texas School for the Deaf. They should be able to point you in the right direction to some more information, including housing.
http://www.tsd.state.tx.us/

And here's a picture I took this summer of their emblem along the sidewalk along South Congress.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b234/KevinFromTexas/Downtown%20Austin%20September%2013%202006/P1010184EDIT.jpg

[PuyoPiyo]

Thank you for the web address, Kevin :)

[¿buen diseño?]

Austin is a fantastic city. You won't regret it.

[alexjon]

Go to Kerbey Lane.

[PuyoPiyo]

Allright, thanks. ^_^

[jmanh]

The only thing that I hate about Austin is summer from March to October,
I'd say summer here is from mid-April to mid-October, although there can be some awfully warm days outside of that interval.

I don't think that the Austin summer is miserable because of the intensity of the heat, but rather because of its length. September is usually the hardest month for me because I am hoping so much for the temperature to cool down but then get frustrated hearing about one cold front after another coming this way only to dissipate a few hundred miles north of here.

I like Austin and will stay here despite the heat. I rationalize living in such heat by telling myself the following:

1) There are really only four bad months -- eight months out of twelve are fairly pleasant.
2) There are 300 or so days of sunshine here (This works for me because I love sunshine)
3) It's really pretty easy to stay indoors or hang out in a pool during the bad hours from noon to 6 PM.
4) You can usually exercise outdoors comfortably in the morning before 9 AM and in the evening after 8 PM
5) Heat is miserable but not painful like the cold (I was thinking this last Thursday while walking into that biting wind.)
6) If it weren't for the long, hot summers here, thirty million people would be living in the Austin metro.

[PuyoPiyo]

Interesting, and wow 300 sunny days. That is like no raining or clouds lol.

Good to know, thank you, jmanh.

[potts]

Hi there! Glad to know that you are considering moving to the Lone Star State! As stated above, it is certaintly hot here in South Texas for much of the year and at times the heat can become quite oppressive. However, the mild (albeit, brief) winters can be quite rewarding though. Austin, in my opinion, is the most cosmopolitan city in the state (even though it is quite small compared to DFW, HOU, and SAT). I absolutely love the "liberalness" of the city and as a San Antonian I retreat there quite often. Also, Austin and San Antonio are under an hour's drive from each other so its almost as if you're living in twin cities. The Hill country is breathtaking and the coast is only two hours away! Great region if you ask me. :tup:

[arbeiter]

As someone who grew up in Washington and moved to Austin, I will tell you that you should check out the heat first. It's really unbearable for a lot of people. And there are plenty of cute little houses in Austin, but not as nice or affordable as Portland. That's the thing about Austin - housing is affordable, if you want to live in the dreary, ugly, lower-middle-class suburbs. Anything in a neighborhood with real character will set you back at least $250,000, in my opinion.

Portland is a better choice in my opinion - rents are actually cheaper. I know people who live in the Alberta arts district area and rent a huge bungalow for like $1200 - in Austin, that'd be unheard of unless it was a deteriorating shack.

[bluedogok]

As someone who grew up in Washington and moved to Austin, I will tell you that you should check out the heat first. It's really unbearable for a lot of people. And there are plenty of cute little houses in Austin, but not as nice or affordable as Portland. That's the thing about Austin - housing is affordable, if you want to live in the dreary, ugly, lower-middle-class suburbs. Anything in a neighborhood with real character will set you back at least $250,000, in my opinion.

Portland is a better choice in my opinion - rents are actually cheaper. I know people who live in the Alberta arts district area and rent a huge bungalow for like $1200 - in Austin, that'd be unheard of unless it was a deteriorating shack.
Nice to know that I live in such a "horrible" area only 6 miles from downtown :rolleyes:

Not everyone needs to live in the gentrified areas adjacent to downtown to feel "special", too many of those types live in those areas so they can say they live in [insert overpriced "cool" neighborhood here]. Those people are paying a premium for living in a "name" neighborhood, don't get me wrong, I like those areas but would never consider paying the ridiculous prices those people want when they buy and flip those houses. I live in a regular house with a $700 a month house payment in a nice quiet neighborhood with some good neighbors. Not too bad if you ask me, but then I grew out of the "pretentious" stage of my life many years ago.

[PuyoPiyo]

Thanks for the informations again lol :)

[arbeiter]

Not everyone needs to live in the gentrified areas adjacent to downtown to feel "special", too many of those types live in those areas so they can say they live in [insert overpriced "cool" neighborhood here]. Those people are paying a premium for living in a "name" neighborhood, don't get me wrong, I like those areas but would never consider paying the ridiculous prices those people want when they buy and flip those houses. I live in a regular house with a $700 a month house payment in a nice quiet neighborhood with some good neighbors. Not too bad if you ask me, but then I grew out of the "pretentious" stage of my life many years ago.

You misread my comments. This wasn't an attack on your lifestyle choices or any others, it was simply my opinion. And one that should count, as I have lived in both the Pac NW and Austin (went to high school and college there.)

They're paying a premium for several reasons: location is one of them, but let's face it, a 1920's bungalow with a porch and mature trees with nice sidewalks and the ability to walk to Dolce Vita or Mother's Cafe is simply a superior option to many people. The reason these neighborhoods are "name" to begin with is because there was something about them that made them popular.

It's as simple as this: Austin has a very small core of older housing stock, smaller than many cities its size. If you look at Portland, which is similarly sized, classic pre-war housing radiates from the center for miles and miles, whereas Austin basically becomes postwar suburbia about 20-30 blocks from downtown. I'm glad you like your neighbors and $700 mortgage, but I was merely explaining a major difference between Austin and Portland. Price isn't everything.

[M1EK]

It's as simple as this: Austin has a very small core of older housing stock, smaller than many cities its size. If you look at Portland, which is similarly sized, classic pre-war housing radiates from the center for miles and miles, whereas Austin basically becomes postwar suburbia about 20-30 blocks from downtown. I'm glad you like your neighbors and $700 mortgage, but I was merely explaining a major difference between Austin and Portland. Price isn't everything.

Agreed 1000%. Look, Allandale, Crestview, even Zilker are close in, but they aren't urban neighborhoods; they were built as car-dependent sprawl.

[bluedogok]

The way that I read the original post is that he would be a first time home buyer and I wanted to relay the fact there are opportunities out there in nice areas for that type of buyer other than the overpriced "cool" areas that aren't terribly far away from downtown (i.e. the burbs of Kyle and such places) or the Texas School for the Deaf area. If someone is wanting a change from a Portland/Vancouver type of place, Austin seems to be a good place to do that. Affordable housing can be found unless you are looking exclusively in that very small niche of housing.

I was just giving you a hard time about the thinking that Austin doesn't "exist" more than a few blocks outside of downtown that many have. Yes, the "cool" areas close in are very nice but the way they have become is out of the reach of most home buyers and especially the first time buyer. I know some feel that way, but there are some nice areas outside of there which are nice and affordable but may not be "urban" in nature, but nice nonetheless and not in the "new suburban style". We have sidewalks (that are used) and a bus line running through our neighborhood, so it is not like the newer types of subdivisions out there.

We have looked at some of those areas but $400,000 for a 60 year old 900sf bungalow is just ridiculous, but maybe my thinking has been skewed by the fact that I can buy the same basic house in the same type of neighborhood in Oklahoma City for around 100K, living there will make you think everything is overpriced. But then I am a F.O.F. who would rather have land outside of the city than live in the urban environment like I did when I was younger. My hobbies (woodworking and I want to get into metalworking and cars) are not conducive to the urban life unless I were to buy a commercial building and convert part of it into residential space. So my priorities changed over the years.

[arbeiter]

Well, I was in Colombia and found a luxury aparment on sale for $40,000. My point? Well, there's always somewhere cheaper and with better bang for the buck. Not suggesting he buy a house in Hyde Park either, but he should be aware that once you get out of the central core, the housing options are cheap but largely ugly and poorly-built.

[bluedogok]

Well, I would agree that our mid 70's was probably built by a contractor with an inspector on the payroll but I have seen some newer houses that aren't built any better. In fact I think many of them will not last as long, I guess you could call that planned obsolescence . It is just good that there is a decent variety here at many income levels.