[Pendragon]

Well, I have been wanting to leave CA forever. Now it is starting to look not only possible, but probable.

My wife has acknowledged a lot of the things I dislike about this place, but she also felt that family was very important for our son.

We had planed to move out of Sacramento and go back to our home town an hour North. This weekend pretty much squashed that idea. Apartment rent is climbing fast and vacancies are ~1% which essentially means no vacancies.

If we stay, we are looking at raising our son in a mid range to lower mid range apartment - no yard, poor schools, etc. You simply canot get a house here for under 200k and decent homes (3br, 1400 sqft, not scary) start at 250k.

We can't do that with just me working - we could try, but we did that and the stress of making a $2,000 per month payment is just not worth it. You cant save, any bump on the road of life will fling you in the ditch because you have no cushion - ugh. We are tired of living that way.

I have been searching home prices at http://www.sabor.com/consumer/homesrch.htm and it looks like we can get a nice family home for $80-100k. I recomend other Californians look into this. I know some people with enough equity to buy a house outright - not us, but we can at least buy one.

Are there many people here from San Antonio, Texas? Can you tell us about the gun ranges (there is alrerady a thread about SA gun shops). Whats the best areas to live - especially for schools? Looking at a map of graduation rates and poverty, the Northern area looks like the best idea. Any communities to look for in particular or avoid like the plague?

What about houses with land where you can shoot in yourback yard? Possible? Expensive? Far out of the way?

Any other SA advice you can give would be appreciated.

[Ledbetter]

but I found it a nice place to visit as well and am also in the market for a little piece of free America. Any livability info would be appreciated.

[cola8d8]

Also give some serious thought to the Bryan/College Station area. Much smaller than SA about 120,000 + 40,000+ additional students (not included in the 120,000). We have most "big city" conviences here due to A&M being here. Houston is about an hour away and Austin is about 1.5 hours away. We have good to great schools for children, the prices of homes are reasonable (about what you mentioned above), a great college (Texas A&M), and a good junior college also (Blinn).

[Pendragon]

I would not mind an area like that, but I work in IT Support and so my best chances for employment are in the larger cities with more companies needing my wares...

Also, I have heard that the humidity is not as bad in SA as in other places especially Houston an BCS.

[Bainx]

Be sure and do "The River Walk".
It is waaay cool!:cool:

[El Tejon]

Pen, Saint Tony's is great. Of course, the only other city in Tejas I've been to is Austin (and that was fun as well).

I've been going down since '95 and will only be back a couple of more times. I will miss it.

Live: live north;
skuls: will not matter if you go private, but I am told government skuls are better north;
gun shoppes: I've purchased stuff from Kerrville but only went to Saint Tony's to look and shoot. I like that pawn shop place a lot.

I can tell you a lot more about touristy stuff, sushi joints, best place for Thai and, er, um, entertainment.:D

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

Have a look at www.realtor.com

It's a good website to look for rentals as well as homes for sale and you can filter your results better than most of the other sites.

Enjoy Texas. After 6 months of residency you can apply for your CHL. Just make sure you get a Texas drivers license as soon as you get an address so you can prove residency. San Antonio is a great town. You might also look in the surrounding Hill Country area as there are nice hamlets there in which to raise a family. The best thing about Saint Tony is the military employment opportunities, the cultural events, and the history. Beyond that, it's just big.

Oh, we don't worry about how many guns you want to buy or when you buy them around here, either. Just wanted to pass that along.

Regards,
Rabbit.

[SADshooter]

Long-time resident/grew up there/now bouncing around Texas...

Weather: Summers get hot (100+ not uncommon), less humid than Houston and B/CS, generally mild the balance of the year. Area is prone to flash flooding--exercise common sense. One of the worst places in the world for allergy sufferers.

Housing/schools: NW is growing rapidly (I-10W toward Hill Country). Schools generally better on N side (where I grew up). Real estate more reasonable on E/S sides, you can find decent neighborhoods in these areas, schools not as good. Also consider a commute from the surrounding area; traffic is congested in spots, but probably nothing compared to what you're used to in CA.

Employment/Wages: The cost of living is very reasonable in SA. Downside--the wage structure is deflated accordingly. Tech/manuf/light industry is a smaller market segment there than in comparably-sized cities. Taxes--property & sales, not great but could be worse.

Quality of life: SA is a laid back place, proud of its history. Lots of fun things to do/see (RiverWalk, Alamo/missions, theme parks, Fiesta, driving distance to parks/natural features, etc.). Great food city (one of the "fattest" US populations, according to media) no french fries with your enchilada plate. Ongoing debate over water sources will be a long term problem. Some racial tension, but I think SA manages this better than many other places. Only real downside, SA wants to be a cosmopolitan city with a small town flavor, but the one-horse mentality often wins out.

Guns/Shooting: Outdoor ranges from OK to nice (Bullet Hole, A Place to Shoot, Blackhawk, many others) range of gunshops. Police tend to be CHL friendly. Usual quotient of blissninnies, nicely balanced by being in the buckle of the redneck belt (paper's sports section runs pics of nice takes during hunting seasons).

Overall, I would recommend the San Antonio area as the place to live in Texas for a "furriner", assuming you can locate satisfactory employment. Hope this helps, just my impressions over 20+ years. I'll happily try to answer any specific questions.

[wingman]

I would suggest staying out of the major
cities here in the great state of Texas,
if a job is your big concern(it is for most)
Austin would be your best location and at
that make all effort to live outside the city.!!!

San Antonio is facing a lot of problems in
the next 20 years not to offend but I
would not want to raise children there,
lots of nice places in Texas however its
in the rural areas anything 100 miles
east/west of 1-35 is great.

[Sam Adams]

I live in SA. I would agree with virtually everything that SADshooter said, except that the employment/wage situation is about to improve. We recently found out that Toyota will be building a MAJOR pickup assembly plant here, which will generate approx. 2,500 direct jobs beginning in 2005 - and these are $20/hour manufacturing jobs, not burger-flippers at minimum wage. Toyota will likely add about 2,000 jobs a year or 2 later (assuming things work out well) for assembling SUVs. Indirect jobs from Toyota's suppliers located nearby will generate as much as 12,000 more jobs. This doesn't include the effects of infrastructure (more home construction, schools, hospitals, more stores, food service, etc.). Nor does it include the effect on Toyota coming here on other large companies - now that one of the largest companies in the world is coming here, suddenly SATX is on the corporate map. I believe that all of this adds up to a minimum of 200,000 additional people in the Bexar Cty. area within 10 years (i.e. in addition to fairly strong "natural" growth).

As for places to shoot - The Bullet Hole is my favorite. It is about 15 miles from my home, and the people there are fantastic. The owner is an ex-Navy UDT member (pre-SEAL special ops), who swam ashore at Inchon before the invasion with a few of his buddies as a 17-year-old, and who served in Vietnam (you NEED to hear his story about the Grease Gun and the Dentist). You can rent one of 3 machine guns (really subguns) and shoot them there, or bring your own if you have them (yes, this IS Texas, and they are legal if you can pay the price). I shot a silenced MP5 there a few weeks back - what a blast (pun intended).

There's AT LEAST one gun show a month, usually 2.

You'll be very welcome here, and feel very comfortable. I do, and I've only been here for 2 1/2 years (I'm an escapee from the PRNJ).

Ask me anything you want, and I'll do my best to answer.

[Pendragon]

A few things that jump out at me as red flags:

Area is prone to flash flooding--exercise common sense. One of the worst places in the world for allergy sufferers.


Sacramento is actually in a big floor plane - they have really improved the levees so the danger is minute and the the problem is not flash floods, but one year they will have a drought - so they keep the resivoir high - then we get an extra wet season and they cannot contain the runoff in Folsom dam so the excess water will cause flooding.

Whats flash flooding all about? Does it sweep away houses and people or just muck up the streets? Is there a "high" part of town where this does not happen? How often do houses get inundated?

As for allergies, the whole San Juaqine valley here cannot be better than there - pollens run high most of the time, pollution is very bad, etc. Are SA allergens mostly pollen or a lot of mold or what? Also - how is the pollution and if I get a little out of SA is it a lot better? Our whole valley has bad air here - so you can live way out in the sticks and still have bad air...

...Downside--the wage structure is deflated accordingly....Tech/manuf/light industry is a smaller market segment there than in comparably-sized cities

Well, I am not expecting to make 70k in San Anotonio (dont make that here). I cant imagine that a computer guy in a city of 1.6 mil cant make enough to buy a 100k house.

Since I do support, I have the best chances with places like banks, large corporations, call centers, insurance companies, etc. - if people are in business, they need their 'pooters fixed. (thats probably on the list of things not to say in Texas). So is the job base more "service" and "tourism" oriented? What about small business? I have been kicking around staring a little support operation for small and medium business - have friends who do it and have more business than they can handle in our home town of 90k people. I just dont want to do it in CA, because I dont want to be here and with my luck, it would take off and I would get entrenched...

If you can speak to these issues, I would be much obliged :)

[Pendragon]

wingman,

can you elaborate?

Are you referring to the illegals or the fact that white people are minorities now?

Specifically, what would make you not want to raise children there?

What may be a deal breaker for you may be no big deal for other people - without saying specifics, what you said is not very useful.

[SADshooter]

Sam:

Brain fart! I forgot about the Toyota facility. There's also the potential growth around the Kelly AFB redevelopment. I worked with economic development issues in SA for a while, though, so I'm a bit cynical about that.

wingman:

In general, I agree with you. I'm hoping my wife and I can get out of Austin next year (if I don't get RIFed first), maybe to Elgin, Rosanke, etc. Austin does have a somewhat better job market, but some other disadvantages (e.g. liberal dimension warp in the middle of Texas).

[Pendragon]

So how far out of the cities are you guys talking? 20 minutes or an hour?

[Trisha]

I love living in the mountains of Colorado!

You want 2A-friendly? You want reasonably-priced homes, many where you can just go out your back door and hunt/fish/shoot? Park County's (or Teller, or Lake) the place.

OK, so we do get the wee forest fire during drought years, and we can see snow in June, and you're looking at living (most places) at 9,000ft above sea level, and up - but the I25 corridor is accessible for employment (some 1-3 hours away depending on weather, elk and big horn sheep), and you'll get real used to driving a 4WD most all of the time. . .

OK, so that's a little bit of hyperbole - most people who move up here for their "mountain experience" leave in 18 months or less because there's no night life (save for the critters, large and small), the nearest hospital is at least an hour away (OK, about half an hour by helicopter, total flight time here and back), and the back roads are mostly unpaved decomposed granite that wash out into axle-swallowing ravines after a little rain.

The high point of the year is "Burro Days" in Fairplay, and "Bailey Day" here.

San Antonio? With all that heat? Summer here wilts people when it gets above 75 for parts of three, maybe as much as five weeks (but don't be surprised if it gets near freezing some of those nights)!

We have absolutely no local industry, unless you're in emergency services, or can work from home as an electrician or plumber or handyman - and don't expect much new work to come your way - we start to trust strangers up here after about five years if we haven't heard your name & license plate over the police scanner. . .

(wrinkled-nose smile)

But if you can take the commute, contribute to the community as a volunteer firefighter or a medic, show up at all the neighborhood community meetings (homeowners association, parent-teachers/school board, County Board of Commissioners) and do your shopping locally as much as is humanly possible - you'll call home one of the harshest, most starkly beautiful of places.

Wild horses couldn't drag me away.

I guess I'm saying home is what you make of it, and when you decide to relocate get the biggest bang for your buck. Maybe really think about getting a little further off the beaten path - you'll get maybe a decade before you see many neighbors; and then you'll have something priceless to keep:

The memory of what it was like before it all got paved over.

Best of luck!

Trisha

[Pendragon]

Thanks Trish :)

I spent 5 years in Alaska and loved it. Spent a lot of summers in rural Oregon and loved it as well.

My wife is a confirmed California Girl - she needs the stores and the shopping, etc. She is a serious bargain hunter, but that is the kind of hunting grounds she prefers. Just getting her to realize we need to get out of here has taken a year and a half - shes just not the mountain type.

Sacramento has many days in the 100s - even the 110s - humidity is pretty low though but we prefer the heat to the rain and gloom.

[Smoke]

I can't comment on schools or cost of living in San Antone; but,

For Tech industry Austin may be a little more lucrative dependent on your area of expertise. Larger Tech industry but more compettion for jobs too. Dallas another option.

I would second living in the smaller communitites and commute. Best option is to find acreage in unincorporated areas just outside the city limits. You can often find small tracts that have community water systems but lack the other city services including city taxes. That is where you can shoot off your back porch. The farther you are willing to commute the cheaper the land will be.

[Pendragon]

People always tell me that Austin is the big "hi-tech" area.

It is - but mostly if you are a programmer or developer or engineer. Those kinds of people need to be in a hi-tech place since they create technology and products.

People who work in support can make a living working for any decent company that uses computers. Thats me. Maybe salaries are higher in Austin, but if I wanted to live in a place like that, I would not be moving. housing is higher and the liberals - I need to live away from them for a while.

Living out on some land out of town - I really like that idea. Depends on how far out, what the schools are like, the cost savings, etc. Around here, its MUCH more expensive to live like that.

[mushoot]

I live in New Braunfels, about 15 miles north of San Antonio. Life is good here. I live about 8 miles from Dietz range, pistol and rifle. You can shoot rifle up to 200 yards. 60 dollars a year for a family membership. My last duty station was the Presidio of San Francisco. It is great to be back in Texas.

[CleverNickname]

After 6 months of residency you can apply for your CHL.

True, but if he gets a FL non-resident he can carry here right away.

[El Tejon]

Ummm, what about domicile under the Tejas code?

[Jeff OTMG]

The price of admission to Texas will be one Valtro. ;)

[WSH]

Hi, we have lived here for the last 23 years. We raised our kids here. San Antonio is a good place to live. It has its warts like anywhere else but by and large it has been great. School systems on the North and Northeast sides of town are good. San Antonio ISD is not so great. San Antonio is one of the 10 or 12 largest cities in the nation by population but still pretty small town in attitude. Nice thing here is once you leave the city limits you are in the country pretty quick. Not a lot of large residential communities once you leave the city limits. More growth toward I-35 going up toward Austin and on I10 going northwest of town. Someone mentioned New Braunfels area which is only a few minutes up I35 and is a beautiful area. Also only about 30 minutes east to the Seguin area which is pretty.
I've been self employed for the last 20 years so not much help on the job market. Austin does have more high tech but they have been really hard hit with layoffs in the computer/hi tech sectors. Toyota is moving a plant here and some other things look like they may be starting to grow some too. Medical research and technical fields seem to be growing.
I shoot mostly at a small local range, not much to brag about but it is relatively inexpensive and its 2 miles from the house so thats usually where I end up. Hope this helps. Give a holler if you think of any questions I might help with. Good luck. Hope you make it here. Wayne

[WSH]

Hi, we have lived here for the last 23 years. We raised our kids here. San Antonio is a good place to live. It has its warts like anywhere else but by and large it has been great. School systems on the North and Northeast sides of town are good. San Antonio ISD is not so great. San Antonio is one of the 10 or 12 largest cities in the nation by population but still pretty small town in attitude. Nice thing here is once you leave the city limits you are in the country pretty quick. Not a lot of large residential communities once you leave the city limits. More growth toward I-35 going up toward Austin and on I10 going northwest of town. Someone mentioned New Braunfels area which is only a few minutes up I35 and is a beautiful area. Also only about 30 minutes east to the Seguin area which is pretty.
I've been self employed for the last 20 years so not much help on the job market. Austin does have more high tech but they have been really hard hit with layoffs in the computer/hi tech sectors. Toyota is moving a plant here and some other things look like they may be starting to grow some too. Medical research and technical fields seem to be growing.
I shoot mostly at a small local range, not much to brag about but it is relatively inexpensive and its 2 miles from the house so thats usually where I end up. Hope this helps. Give a holler if you think of any questions I might help with. Good luck. Hope you make it here. Wayne

oops. forgot housing. You can buy a lot of house here for 100K

Flooding is not a real problem.....just stay out of low lying flood plains... Some areas along some streams and rivers had problems but if you watch where you buy it shouldn't be a problem.

[Greybeard]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After 6 months of residency you can apply for your CHL.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSSIBLY a change coming there. Not sure yet if proposed bill to change that ever passed recently or not. I'm scheduled for DPS instructor renewal skul on Aug. 26 and should get the new scoop on that and more "from the horse's' mouth".

Like Clever said tho, maybe get the wheels turning for FL license so it would be good wehn ya get to Tejas. It's good for a year longer and less expensive to boot. ;) Although I would suggest still at least taking the TX CHL course when you get planted for at least "must know info." ...

DFW or outskirts possibly another consideration. Lots of RIFed techie-types still looking for work here. But, many still finding jobs - just not as lucrative as before the bubble burst (again) a few years back. If ya happen to land close, give a holler. :cool:

[Elminster]

Another San Antonio resident right here!

I live on the Northwest side, and the entire area is great. As far as schools are concerned, both Northside ISD or Northeast ISD are execellent districts. I went to school in Northside and have mostly good things to say about it.

What kind of IT work are you looking for? The technology community in San Antonio is fairly small and everyone knows everyone. Most of the 'big players' used to work at Datapoint at some time, and if you know them you're set forever. I was lucky enough to meet and work for some of these people (we're talking about people who invented Arcnet, for instance) and now have all sorts of connections at the young age of 21. Shoot me an e-mail and I'll poke around a bit....

I also usually shoot at Bullet Hole. The owner, Vern, is an awesome guy, and the rest of his staff is wonderful. There are a number of other ranges around that are also execllent. I've only had one encounter with SAPD while carrying (witnessed a bad traffic accident) and the officer was extremely professional. This is what I've heard to be the norm in this area.

One of the nice things about this area is that you can go 10 - 15 minutes out of town (Boerne, Helotes, etc) and have a significant ammount of land, and yes, you can buy enough to build your own range on. :) Housing prices aren't bad at all on the North side of town, and I'm sure you'll be able to find something in your price range with no problems at all.

San Antonio is an excellent city to raise a family in. Did I mention it's the home of the World Champion SAN ANTONIO SPURS ?!? :D :D

Send me an e-mail if you have any other questions, or need any help!

[BozemanMT]

I love San Antonio, have relatives all over it. The food is great, the people are great, the traffic is average, but for me, it's too hot.:fire:

but, on another note, housing is cheap right now. 30 year rates are down to about 5 to 5.25% on a 30 year fixed.
that means a 100,000 dollars borrowed is about 540 dollars a month (plus taxes and insurance). that's pretty small if houses only cost a 100k. Although I do believe that Texas has OUTRAGEOUS property taxes, but perhaps a native can correct me.

San Antonio rocks:D , California blows:barf: , move now!

oh, mortgage calculator site.
http://www.mortgage-calculators.org/calculators/calculators.html

[Sam Adams]

If you want to live away from Liberals, SATX is a pretty good place to do that (as big cities go). Some of the local radio hosts will definitely bring a smile to your face and lower your blood pressure. Carl Wigglesworth (4-7) and Ricci Wear (2-4, I think) on 550 AM are good in this regard. Plus we get Glenn Beck (9-11), Rush (11-2) and Schnitt (2-4) on 1200 AM.

Definitely get a FL non-resident carry license if you can and haven't yet done it - it will enable you to carry much sooner.

SATX has another advantage - a bunch of THL'ers live in and around town, so you'd have a built-in group of pro-gun folks that you can shoot guns or the $hit with, and who (at least in my case) would be glad to give you pointers on where to shop, etc.

Good luck in your hunt for a place to live.

[Grayrock]

I'm just a hop, skip and jump out of San Antonio (don't call it San Antone!) now. Was born and raised there. Northside schools and an English teacher mom are to thank for my degrees. No property to shoot on in Bexar County unless you are Daddy Warbucks, but you might pick up some acreage not too far out. Bexar Community Range is nice- mostly SG, though. I miss the old range over off West Ave near Blanco. National headquarters for Sporting Clays is here also. They have a big facility out toward Sea World. There is also good hunting in the hill country and south Texas. Everything from cottontails to Nilgai (if you got the $) Wild hogs are also plentiful- got some in my freezer right now. I never thought I'd live in SA once I left, but here I am again.

[robear]

My job keeps me in Houston, but I'd move to SA in a heartbeat!!
I have friends on the NW side, (Judson & 1604) that I visit at least once a month..

I've been to 'a place to shoot' , but it is a bit of a drive from the NW side of town..

The last 2 times I was shooting in San Antonio was on a range off of Nacodoches, outside of 1604, behind Rolling Oaks mall.. Not too bad of a setup, but you can't go downrange?!?!?
You shoot THEIR pre-stapled targets, and that's it..

Elminster, where is the Bullet Hole located? I am always looking to try a new range...

pendragon.. we'd love to have 'ya in TX... We'll have a COLD Shiner waiting for you..

-R

[Malone LaVeigh]

My old martial arts teacher moved his operation to Pipe Creek, about a half hour northwest of SA a couple of years ago. I have never really liked any part of Texas I've been in before, but that area was pretty nice. It's in the hill country, and as far as I can tell, the major industry around there is built around the popularity of that area for hunting.

[Sam Adams]

The Bullet Hole is located near the Potranco Road exit off of 1604.
It has a website at http://www.bullethole.com/htdocs/index.htm which has directions and a whole bunch of other info. I enjoy shooting there, and you CAN go downrange and examine/change your targets. For rifles, you can shoot at 100, 200 or 300 yards. Vern, the owner, is a hoot, and he knows damned near anything there is to know about guns. The guys working with him are also good - when you're at the handgun station if you are pulling left, right, high, low, etc., or otherwise not putting a tight group on the point of aim, the rangemaster almost always will give you tips. It is a truly GREAT place to shoot.

The machine guns are a real rush (though a tad expensive). You HAVE to do it at least once (with each of the 3 guns, of course). :D

[jsalcedo]

SA is decent I've lived here 20 years with no major problems.

Gun ranges:
Bullet hole
Blackhawk
Place to shoot
Bracken
Dietz

A few others that don't advertise much.

Housing is relatively inexpensive you can buy a 3 bedroom house in an older neighborhood for 600 a month with low crime.

Or you can spend 1500 a month and live in a new 2500 Sq foot
in a develping area.

Traffic is so so

No tax on food medicine or income

Property tax on a $100,000 home is about $3500 per year

People are overall decent but the drivers are mostly incompetant.

I'm staying here as long as possible

[SADshooter]

Pendragon:

Flash flooding occurs in the area when, during or after torrential rains, the ground gets saturated and large volumes of water run into low areas VERY fast. A few people die each year trying to drive through low water crossings when their vehicles get swept away and they drown.

Allergens means some of everything (I'm suffering with mold right now) but heavy concentrations of cedar pollen. Pollution is an issue, but not as severe as many other places.

Hill Country property values/density are increasing rapidly, but there are a lot of nice smaller communities around SA where real estate is moderately priced.

[another okie]

As you leave San Antonio and go northwest into the hills the humidity drops rapidly and so does the crime rate.

[robear]

Thanks Sam Adams.. I will give it a try soon...

BTW, I don't know why I kept saying NW in my previous post, Judson & 1604 is in the NE part of town!! So is that range I was talking about, behing Rolling Oaks mall.. Pardon my cranial flatulence..

R

[mushoot]

That range behind rolling oaks mall is the Bracken range. Cedar ridge range has not been mentioned. It is over by 281 not too far from Bulverde.

[ahenry]

S.A. is a great place. There is lots of good hunting in that area and, to my way of thinking, beautiful scenery. Its a different kind of scenery and lots of people don’t like it, so maybe its just grown on me but as far as I’m concerned south Texas is an incredible place with San Antonio definitely being the prettiest city there. I’m actually a couple hours south of there, but it is my favorite places to visit and likely always will be. There is a strong Mexican influence there so if you wouldn’t like that then I wouldn’t even bother. Personally I really like the flavor it adds. While I’ve never been to CA, my understanding of the Mexican influence in CA makes me think that it is very different from the influence of that culture here in Texas (S.A. specifically). I have my own thoughts as to why that is but I digress. If you want more info, feel free to email or PM me about it.

[Hank Zudd]

I grew up in San Antone (28 yrs-northeast side), lived in Austin 3 years till 87 then moved to Kalifornia. Lived in Woodland for 3 years, now in Alameda County. I made $8.00 an hour doing construction inspection in Texas; in 16 years since moving to Kali, I now make $40.00 an hour. Wages suck in most of Texas; if you can't get a decent paying job, your just trading one hot hell hole for another humid hot hell hole with tornadoes, occasional ice storms & hurricane spill over and giant mosquitoes & roaches thrown in. I'm not going to raise my kids here forever;Kali definetly is a third world country. Be very open minded about moving. Think Florida. going there again tomorrow. pm

[St. Gunner]

Pendragon,

I've lived her for about 20yrs now, since I was 8 so I've had the experience of school through college. I live about 25 minutes from San Antonio near the town of Devine. This area has really grown in the last few years and promises to grow more with the move by toyota to this side of town. Schools are good, but small town is where the kids need to be anymore. Kids hate it because everyone knows their business and rats them to the parents, but hey.:D Land is cheap if you want to spend $100,000 buy 10 acres in a surrounding county, build a house, and have your own range. I bought 10 acres with 2 septic systems , two electric meters, rural water, two wells, and the phone all hooked up for $34,000.

My suggestion would be this though, it is a move I am contemplating for my family. Look for land on the Southeast side of town, down Interstate 37 towards Pleasonton or even the Floresville area. It is a totally different type of people than anywhere else. Many Polish folks, a bunch of Germans, and a slew of Bohemians, all good hard working folks that are more than willing to help out and look out for you and yours. I started working in the area a bunch with my business 3 years ago and have been wanting to get moved there ever since.

Wages aren't the best in the world in some areas, but you make enough to live on. Toyota seems to be the biggest prospect, but USAA is here, HEB the grocery chain has a huge computerized warehouse, Citibank is on the west side, plus many more corporations around with a high demand for support folks.

I'm an old country hick so I avoid San Antonio most of the time but I can recomend a couple gunshops I go to on a regular basis. HO-Guns off of Culebra road is my favorite hang-out, Wayne is a great guy, the place is frequented by mainly high volume shooters and is on a normal afternoon so full of good stories you have to wear waders. I used to stop off after a day at the socialist cesspool college I attended to de-compress. Wayne if he doesn't have it will order it for you and have it there as soon as he can. He has a good gunsmith in the back. IPSC and IDPA member almost live there and shoot most of the time at BlackHawk Range down I-35 towards Lytle. IDPA shoots the regular pistol course (normally a 90rd count) and then they shoot a carbine or shotgun side match. I've never been around a nicer bunch of guys and gals. For reloading stuff I normally go to the powderhorn, David keeps all sorts of powder, bullets and primers around as well as other reloading stuff. You can normally find it there. Plus Texas has Academy stores, ammo packed clean to the ceiling it may be the coolest store around, aisle upon aisle of gun and hunting stuff.:D

It is hot here, can't deny that, but it only lasts for a few months, winters are normally mild with a few days per year below freezing, you rarely have to worry about shoveling snow. If you fish you are close to many lakes and the coast is just a few hours away. Hunting is a little tougher, you have to lease land to do that, expect to pay $800-$2,000 a year, but you can find it close to home. But if you buy 10 acres in the right area, you can hunt at home.

I love it here, have a 300yd range right outside, turkeys come water in my front yard at a little pond I built, deer pass through on occasion, plus all sorts of other critters are around. Pretty neat.

[Pendragon]

I can hardly express my appreciation to you all (y'all? ;)) that replied here.

As has been said, every place has its warts - Sacramento can get pretty hot although we often have the cool delta breeze on summer nights - but sometimes its over 100 for several days.

We really have no problem with the "Mexican flavor" - my wife loves mexican food and we have no cultural or ethnic hangups.

As for wages - sure you can make more here in CA in a lot of jobs, but the problem is - the tech sector is in a world of hurt and uglyness. I know several people who used to command an easy 6 figures - now they are working for 1/3rd or less. I am working for under 1/2 of what I made 2 years ago and as I have said a million times here - housing is out of control.

We will have enough to put down at least 20% on a house we would care to own. Before we had kids, we shopped for homes and wanted the biggest and flashiest we could barely afford. Somehow that seemed like the thing to do.

Now, we just want to be out of debt (CC has been racking up while trying to hold house on lower income) we want to have a house that is just enough for our small family with a nice yard so our son can play. The thing is - I could take another 30% pay cut from what I am making now and still live a lot better in SA than I can live here.

I played hookie from work today. I just wanted to stay home and talk to my wife and be with my son - sometimes I feel like I barely see them.

We agreed that moving to SA makes the most sense and we want to do it sooner rather than later. We started calling apartments to get an idea of where we should live in the interim.

I have been checking real estate in New Braunfels and there are several smaller houses (950-1150 sf) under 60k. No pictures so we are not sure if they are shacks or just well kept bungalows but we like the idea of a smaller, traditional style home - wood floors, interesting mill work, etc.

We are going to grab a decent apartment and spend a few months scouting the various towns and areas on the ourskirts of SA.

I think we found our city. Barring some amazing job offer out of the blue from somewhere else, we are going to pack up and go. No job, no nothing :what: :neener:

[St. Gunner]

Pendragon,

20yrs ago my fathers construction business in Iowa went belly up, we drove out of town one day with all our stuff packed up not even knowing where we where going. It was a toss-up between Alaska and Texas, so they flipped a coin. You will like it here, just like I did.

We looked at a 3 bedroom 2 bath brick home in the town of Devine with tile floors, really neat house, about 1200 square feet for $63,000, before we bought this place . Whatever you look at in New Braunfels make sure it is out of the flood plain. Same with San Marcos and all the towns around the rivers.

If you want, pm me, i'll give you all my contact info and when you get down here, i'll show you around the areas I know. I know there are some nice houses going up for sale in the small town of Poth, normally they are priced pretty low. I don't venture much to the North side of the town, just don't fit in up there most places. Being a big ugly redneck and all.

[Walther P99]

San Antonio is definitely the best place I've lived in the several cities I've lived in. The cost of living is definitely lower and there aren't many liberals, relatively speaking as well as several gun shops/shows to go to. :)

There really isn't too much too add that hasn't been said but if you do move here try to get a house outside of Bexar county (the county SA is in) on the North side and you'll enjoy lower property taxes and lower car insurance rates. I live in Schertz and the costs are lower.

[Pendragon]

It has been an interesting month.

It took us a little longer than expected to get the house up for sale. We had dome some chromatic experimentation in a couple rooms and it was a major chore to get it back to original color.

House has been polished and immaculate for about 3 weeks now. Based on how everyone else was selling, we thought our house would go quick so we were kind of high on the price. After 10 days, we got no offers so we dropped it. 10 days later, still no offers, so we dropped it again - but too much. We got too much interest now. We reaise the price back up $5k but we got an offer in the mean time - its at our absolute drop dead minimum - the unfun minimum that means no toys, no fun, no cheese, just barely get to move and get settled.

It's ok though.

Nothing more scary than sitting on a house that aint selling, watching the days fly by while you sit at home waiting for people to come and maybe buy - or maybe not.

So - if we dont get a better offer by Thurday night, its sold.

Michelle told her parents. She had told them it was likley, but they were hoping against hope that we would stay. They even offered to buy us a house here (ouch). So many reasons why not to do that.

I am thinking we will land in SA around the begining of September - just in time for the new CHL law to let me apply right away...

We are going to use DoortoDoor.com to move - they give you some large containers and you fill em up and they move the containers. Pretty interesting.

I was going to drive the cars (one, then fly back and drive the other) but my wife convinced me to ship them. With my sleep disorder, it just seemed to perilous.

The housing market is excited - I do online searches all the time because you can buy a lot for under $100k. Meanwhile, the Sacbee.com has all kinds of stories about what kind of filth and horrors people brave to find a sub $200k home in this area.

We are SO close. :)

[AZLibertarian]

Pen, you've got lots of locals responding, but I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned that San Antonio is one of the most military-friendly communities in the country. Sacto is/was fairly mil-friendly by Kalifornia standards, but it is a world of difference between that and what you'll find in SA.

Good luck on your move.

[Pendragon]

If only I was in the military :)

[J.J.]

As stated by others Check out the smaller towns, I live in San Marcos (attending college) it is in the middle of San Antonio and Austin. A lot of people live here and drive to Austin etc. The commute would be harder but the living is cheaper. I remember one person mentioned Seguin, its a nice town but my girlfriends parents live there.. The School system in Seguin is Horrible. My girlfriend’s parents are white and they adopted 3 Hispanic children. They have now realized that Seguin is extremely racist town. They are treated a lot better when the children are around, they never realized how they were being discriminated against cause they were white until they realized all the sudden once they have the children
1.) Service is prompt and polite
2.) They get even dirtier looks than when they are without the children.

My girlfriend is an education major and went to observe a music class room. She watched as the Teacher screamed at the 3rd and 4th graders the whole time, for be behaving as 3rd and 4th graders do (wiggling etc. etc.) So Seguin I wouldn't recommend just because of the school system.

Honestly, check out the smaller towns, those are things that require a map and being in the area.

As was already said, Flash floods can be bad, just be smart don't cross low water crossings, make sure that you house is not behind a low water crossing or etc. Most of the Deaths come from those who try to drive through a crossing that has a marker with a 5’2” barely showing.. idiots..

Spiders are the only complaint I have around here... (I am scared of the things, ever since a brown recluse bit me.)
__
I was just told by my girlfriend to recommend that you try Geronimo (small town near Seguin supposed to be one of the better school districts) Judson or Northeast ISD are supposed to be the better ones IN S.A.

[mushoot]

Hi, If you need a picture of a house in New Braunfels just send me the address and I will take a picture of it for you. I live here. Some houses I have seen for sale I wouldn't like because of location near a busy street etc. I will give you a discription as well. I had to stay here this summer for medical reasons. take care, John

[Pendragon]

Wow, you really know how to make good on that state motto :)

Thanks again guys.

Well, we just settled negotiations - we are sold pending signitures. Looks like the first week of September to get there.

Hey what about those spiders?!? My 20 month old son pointed out a black widow on our ottoman a week ago :what: - he kept saying "BUG! BUG! BUG!" which he says to every piece of lint. We finally look and AIIIGH!! - I kilt it but dang!

The more real it becomes, the less real it seems. Kind of a twilight zone feeling lately - that old - wow, never going to go here again...

I will keep you guys posted.

[Jeff OTMG]

Depending on what you do for a living, be sure to check out Corpus Christi. It is a large city with the lightest traffic and lowest cost of living in Texas. Houses nearly half what they are in Austin.

[J.J.]

It's not really that bad, worst is the fact that we have BOTH Brown Recluse and Black Widow. My major issue is that I have chairs on my patio (the folding cloth ones.) You just learn to shake them our REAL good before sitting in them, if they have been in a closed postion.

________________
Its a great Area though, Maybe I will Spot some of Y'all New Braunfels people at the shooting range, I am starting to requent the outdoor range up in That city (seeing as how San Marcos isn't lucky enough to have a range)

[OneShot]

WOW! This is almost exactly what my wife and I were discussing this evening! We are sick and tried of living in the California Bay Area and not being able to afford a house.

It's almost funny that we were also discussing a move to Texas....Our downfall would be not having a house to sell here to bankroll our move.

I am currently a sales rep for United Rentals, how is the construction industry down there? Are there various rental places that i might be able to find work at. I actually specialize in underground construction work, is there much of that type of wrok going on down there?

Thanks in advance for any insight that you can give me--Rob

[Pendragon]

Hi guys,

I found an apartment at 9400 Fredericksberg road 78240 zip.

Its called Stone Hollow and I can get a real great deal - $195 move in, no rent in Sept with a year lease.

This is in the Medical District or something...?

How is this area for crime and other problems? My wife and boy will be home a lot and I want to not worry too much about them.

Also dont want people stealin my guns when I am out.

Can anyone report on this area or apartment? I need to go with it in the next 48 hours or so.

Also - would anyone be into helping us move in around Sept 1st? We would be happy to pitch you a little cash and spring for pizza :)

Thanks and let me know,

[St. Gunner]

Fredricksburg road near the medical center isn't to bad an area, lots of stuff close by, groceries, restraunts, and assorted other stuff. What school district is it, Northside? Supposed to be pretty good. I think you made a good choice of an area, the only bad part is the traffic, but it'll put you right in the area you need to look for a job. Probably not bad traffic by CA standards though, I spent 2hrs going 9 miles in LA once.

I should be able to help out Sept. 1, i'm self employed so I can take off if I want to.:D PM me and i'll send you my phone number, you can call me when you are inbound, i'm sure some others around will pitch in and help. We'll get you set-up and you can start looking for a house and job then.

I actually applied for a job that may move me out of the area, if so this place may end up for sale, range and all.

[saddenedcitizen]

to consider;

I live south of DFW (in Texas 24 yrs) and MANY of the points
raised here are valid throughout the state

1) yes - wages may be lower in Texas BUT no income-tax (YET !!)
no tax on food so that'll help
2) Flash flooding in many places - just don't pick the house
at the bottom of a sloping road/or hill/or grade ;-)
3) summers can be HOT but nearly EVERYTHING is
air-conditioned
4) some bugs big enough to put a saddle on but mostly
harmless (I said MOSTLY !!)
5) MUCH more gun friendly than what you're used to
6) Yes - definately get an apartment for say 6 months
this will give you time to explore/learn the area and
figure out where you may want to buy/live as opposed
to jumping at the first place you find/like and learning
sometime later that maybe you should have picked
something else
Just some food for thought based on a lotta mistakes (MINE !)

[SADshooter]

As St. Gunner pointed out, traffic is the big issue on Fred. Rd. When I was in that area some years ago (Horizon Hill), rents were higher because of proximity to Medical Center, USAA, etc. In the current market it's probably better. I don't think its a particulary safe area, but its not a crime hot spot either. Convenient to shopping/eats/etc. You're definitely "in town". If you're staging into a home purchase, I say go for it.

[mushoot]

I may be able to help on the 1st. The medical center area is good. The school district is Northside ISD. It is one of the best in SA. Good Luck!

[robear]

Pendragon,

I used to live about 1/2 mile from there, in the apts on the corner of Gus Eckert.. This was about 10 years ago, and it was quite a nice area, as it was still a little north of the full 'city'.. I am always surprised how much the area has GROWN since then, especially to the north along I-10..

I live in Houston now, but still have friends that I visit regularly on the NE side of SA, around 1604 & Judson Rd.. I now prefer this area of town, it seems a little more laid back..

Agree it will be fine as a 'home base' for your job and house hunts..

Glad to see you're making the move.. Like the bumper sticker says, "I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could!"

R

[St. Gunner]

Pendragon,

Here is a pic of me, so you know who is showing up to help that day.:D Wouldn't want you to shoot me thinking you where fixin to get robbed. The hair on my face is longer now, and the hair on my head is gone, well a 1/2" is left.:D

[Jeff OTMG]

Here is a link to some info on your zip code.
http://www.realtor.com/FindNeig/NeigDetail.asp?gate=tbo&detzp=78240&x=14&y=7&poe=realtor

[Pendragon]

Guys!

Thanks so much for the info and the willingness to help us out when we get there.

One thing that is really cool - my wifes parents - who are pretty torn up about this whole deal - have been discussing what it would take to move there with us. Her dad has someone interested in buying his business and he has ordered a ton of info from the SA Chamber of Commerce.

Before, they said they would never move, especially to Texas (her mom was actually born there but she is just very comfy where she is). So its far from a sure thing, but its moved from no way to a definite maybe :)

Thanks again guys, I will keep this thread updated.

Oh, is anyone self employed in computer consulting/support ? I was planning on going that way there - supporting Dr.'s, Law-yers, Dentists, and maybe a few other professional type offices...

[Elminster]

I drove by the appt complex you mentioned on the way back to work from a local burger joint this afternoon (Chesters....mmm.....) and saw someone taking pictures of the outside of the complex.

Was that by chance any of ya'll?

[Pendragon]

ok, we bailed on the first apartment (we made no commitment).

We settled on a place called (get this) "Blue Swan Apartments".

We thought it sounded like a "no-tell mo-tel" but we looked at it on the internet and it is very nice with several "designer" features like french doors that my wife is really excited about (happy wife=happy life).

Unfortunately, we have to pay about 3 months rent up front since I have no job, but you gotta pay the rent anyway so what the heck.

They are at 11710 Parliament , SA TX, 78213

Our move in date is Saturday, September 6th and I think we will probably fly in a day or two before that and stay in a Hotel.

The apartment is on the 2nd floor and I have a couch and a "Cal King" bed to move up there - almost everything else could be done by one guy but if anyone wants to help, I will pay up to 2 guys $50 each for up to 3 hours of moving If we get done early, you still get $50. Plus pizza and soda afterwards are on me :)

If y'all are busy or cant make it, I will hire a couple movers...

I have to say - its very surreal. It is so hard to look around at the place I have lived for 16 years and think I am not going to be here in 4 weeks. My wife is trying to be brave and not worry about missing her family too much or being overwhelmed by taking care of our son without family to pitch in. She is a tough lady.

The cool thing is - her parents are REALLY looking at moving there. I did some on line real estate searched with her dad and he just could not believe what things go for - he was flabbergasted to say the least. He has also been looking at the cost of doing business - he found that commercial electric rates are 40% of what he pays here. We are trying to find out the workmans comp rates because they have about tripled in the past couple years and are going up even more. He owns a building supply warehouse in Gridley CA (60mi N of Sacramento). He also has a guy interested in buying him out and he said he would sell if the deal is decent.

This probably aint that interesting to most of you - but it does speak volumes of what happens when regular CA people see how much it really costs to live here and what other places are like.

My wife is trying to to get too excited about them coming in case it does not happen, but from what I see in her dad, he would do ANYTHING to see his grandson and I dont think they will be able to move fast enough once they cant see him anymore.

[jsalcedo]

That is a decent area. I used to make service calls over there.

You are very close to shopping, suermarket and it is in the area for one of the highest rated schools.

Congrats.

Also in the sub-division nearby is Delview where you can get a nice older home in a good neighborhood for about 52k to 60k.

PM me if you want any additional info

[MikeD29]

I am in the Bulverde area, just north of San Antonio....work in SA. I think you will find SA satisfactory.

If you get the chance, check out the surrounding Hill Country areas to live, Bulverde, Boerne, New Braunfels, all are within 30 miles of SA. I am approximately 20 miles north, takes no time at all, but i start work at 7:00, so I do miss most of the morning traffic.

The North and North East school districts are good. The North East school district has a few schools I would avoid, notably the Roosevelt High School area. I graduated Roosevelt in 87, it has steadily gone downhill. I would look in the North/North East and North West sides of town. The areas along 1604 from I35 to I10 are really growing, same for areas north of 1604 on I10 and HWY 281.

Most of the ranges have been mentioned, I shoot at the Bullet Hole most of the time. Vern is a character, although I do find his RO annoying. only tip you get out of that guy is the thumbing speech.

Ho Guns on Culebra is my favorite place. Wayne is a good guy and his gun smith Chris is a well kept secret. He definately charges way too little, although Wayne says they are going to structure some pricing starting next year. Chris has my Delta Elite and Kimber Pro Carry running top notch. Both were purchased used and had some problems, not anymore. He does high quality work.

When you get here you are welcome to shoot with myself and friend, we go to the Bullet Hole most every Tuesday night.

[JerryN]

A few years back I used to visit SanDamTonio pretty often. I am a systems analyst specializing in data transport systems and I was running the USAF Recruiting Service's comms for recruiters. I spent a boatload of time in SA, enough so I ended up being able to give directions to locals.


Good people down there. They taunt us Yankees somethin fierce, but if you're a regular kind of person, they take you in pretty quickly. I made some lifelong friends in San Antonio.

It is DEATHLY hot and humid. No, its not as humid and stifling as Houston, but hell isnt as humid and stifling as houston.

Juniper pollen will kill you for 2 years. Then you might get lucky and get used to it.

In the winter, when they get a little tiny scattering of ice on the roads, they spread "sand", which, down there, consists of boulders, construction debris and other giant, damaging material. More people suffer broken windshields from the "sand" than are damaged by ice induced accidents. A small patch if ice up in New Braunfels is enough to have San Damtonio shut down by law.

When you are trying to merge onto a highway from an on-ramp anywhere in Texas, do NOT expect anybody in the right lane to move over to let you in. I think its a law in Texas. Nobody will move over to let you onto the highway. You have to swerve toward them until you are close enough to make them evacuate their bowels. Then they move over. Grudgingly. Scientists don't know why they do this. :rolleyes:

You will find small restaurants that look like total dives in San Antonio that server the finest food you can find in the USA. All nationalities are involved. Often, the crudiest looking places serve the best stuff. Try Louigi's italian some time. Its on the southwest side of town. Also try El Caribe on the east side. Bahamas with a smile.

Get a civil service job working on an airforce base. You can be a total imbecile and still run huge projects with no fear of ever being fired. You can proclaim new, prohibited projects as being "maintenance" when they are really gigantic cost overrun projects designed to further the advancement of juvie officer's careers. Ask somebody at Randolph USAFRS about "AFRIS". Okay, maybe dont ask about that... Cooperate. You'll get paid. I didn't. I don't consult there any more!

Bass fishing in texas is more like street fighting than fishing. You need to relearn how to fish. First of all, the "hookset" needs to be strong enough to move a parked Volkswagon. In the parlance of Tejas bass fishermen, you need to "cross that bitch's eyes" when you set the hook. If you don't, your hook won't penetrate the 2.3 inches of solid bone that most Texas largemouth bass posses in their mouths. Be prepared to hang on to your rod as if you dont want it dragged (embarassingly) over the side. I must warn you, its happened before. I cant seem to remember who it happened to though.... hmmmmm...

San Antonio. Good memories from a Yankee. Nice people down there. North side good. South side can get hairy. Two miles further south and you're in boonies.

Go there. Do not come to NH. Ugly people, ugly countryside, too cold, no fish, no game, no jobs, horrible gun laws. Way, way crowded with anti-gun down country flatlanders.... :D

[Pendragon]

Thanks for the report :D

[Pendragon]

Yeehaw!

I land in San Antonio in aproximately 24 hours.

I seem to have everything lined up - the internet is SO useful - I even got a 210 area code cell phone for my wife and I last week.

Today is my moms birthday so we are spending tonight with my family (been staying with my wifes family).

I was hoping to go shooting one last time with my Father In Law, but I am sure there will be some cool places to take him when he comes to visit.

If anyone has a line on a decent IT support job in the area, send me a PM.

I have pretty much decided that I am going to just set out and work for my self - then I dont gotta worry about getting fired for CCW on the job and whatnot.

Thanks to everyone who encourged me and gave me good info and tips on the area - I look forward to meeting many of you in the weeks and months ahead.

If you are a religious person, say a prayer for all the passengers on the plane - for we are traveling with a highly active 21 month old boy. Bless them Lord, for they know not what they have gotten themselves into...

[MeekandMild]

Good luck, have fun and keep your eyes open. :D

When you get there you might check to see if the Bijou is still a going concern. Twenty five plus years ago it was a real dive with smoke in the air, cold beer, hot B-girls...and the best bluegrass music west of Asheville. It was kind of a rough place but a lot of fun.

They have a huge beer festival at the expo hall with lots of interesting stuff once a year.

And there is always the Lone Star brewery.

Somehow all my San Antonio memories are beer soaked. Probably similar to those of the other 9,999,999 servicemen who trained there the last 50 years. :neener:

[UnknownSailor]

One thing I havn't seen mentioned yet is SA's close proximity to Thunder Ranch (http://www.thunderranchinc.com). Get over there for some training while they are still open.

I enjoyed SA while I was there for a 5 day course at TR, but the concept of a frontage road along a freeway needs to be rethought. :p

[Sven]

Congrats and good luck!

[Pendragon]

Well, here we are.

The past week was a near perfect storm of Murphys law made manifest.

Our stuff was delayed, the phone company changed our phone number (after I sent several resumes out with the now invalid number). Our car was smoking like a chimney when we picked it up - that turned our to be minor so we hade a blow out on a busy road - whee!

It's ok though, here we are. :)

First, I took my Valtro and my great-grand fathers Winchester Model 63 with me on the flight (checked of course).

TSA was actually very cool. They saw my rifle case and asked if it was a rifle and then helped me get a skycap to get checked in. Southwest Airlines was extremely cool and professional. It got even better when the guy who checked my rifle turned out to be a former student of mine from when I taught at the local business/tech school. He was one of my best students - I am sure he went on to get his MCSE, but there he was playing luggage cop. He was nice, but when I aked him how he liked the TSA gig, he just kinda got quiet and said "heh, cant really say anything (lah dee dah)".

Anyway, it was extremely easy to travel with the guns.

A couple things:

1. I did not declare any ammo - I thought I did not have any, but when I arrived, I found 16 rounds that I had kept in for defense. Gives me a funny feeling to think about them finding it when I did not declare it.

2. My wifes baggage was searched by hand and TSA left a little pamphlet that said "we searched your bag". She had an antique style tin sign and a metal sand pail and spade in the bag - probably looked too dark on x-ray.

3. They dont give you a second walk through the metal detector like they used to. I thought I got all my metal out, but I still beeped - I think it was my belt buckly which is tiny. I was wearing denim shorts and a T-shirt - all they did was want me and make me roll my wasteband.


About Texas:

I really like it here. Everything is bigger - just like they say. People are a LOT nicer than California. San Antonio has a few grungy parts, but some really beautiful parts as well. We are liking the city already.

We are very suprised to find that it seems like 10% or less of the people have an actual Texas accent. At times, it is easy to forget this is Texas.

I have not been a lot of places, but I have not seen any 30.06 signs yet.

Tomorrow we will have been here a week - I still have not been to a gun store. Is this a felony or a misdemeanor?

[Sven]

This is freedom!

[Pendragon]

Yes Sven.

It does feel different here. It's hard to put your finger on it but when I talk to the real Texans, I sense it. This one cab driver that drive us all over - very interesting guy, very intelligent and well educated - former aerospace, although it took me 45 minutes to find that out. A lot of people might dismiss him as a crank or a hick or whatever - he talked kinda like R. Lee Ermey. He talked about the government and the President - said its ok to like a politician every once in a while, but that don't mean you trust 'em.

I would say that its not that freedom is so noticeable per se - whats noticeable is the lower level of government intrusion, oppression, regulation and control.

Come on down, the waters nice... :D

[SADshooter]

Sorry about the mishaps. I was in a collision last week here in Austin. :(

But you're here, and welcome. :)

[R-Tex12]

Welcome to the best *$&@ state in the country, Pendragon. Now, get yourself out to Thunder Ranch before they move!

R-Tex

[Missouri Mule]

I had a lot of good times while living in SA.

My only real problem was trying to eat on a daily basis while working construction with overflowing supply of wet backs.

That is the reason I moved back. Otherwise I loved it down there.

[jsalcedo]

problem was trying to eat on a daily basis while working construction with overflowing supply of wet backs.

Just curious. What does eating have to do with wetbacks?

[Quartus]

illegal aliens taking jobs means fewer jobs means somebody who has a right to be here is out of work means somebody can't buy food.


It's not complicated.

[jsalcedo]

Maybe thats why I can get a new 2500 square ft 4 bedroom house in San Antonio for $100k.

As long as everyone keeps looking the other way and reaping the benefits of cheap labor the illegal immigrant problem will not go away.

Its not the wetbacks fault that San Antonio builders are willing to break the law and hire immigrant day laborers that work twice as hard for less than 1/2 the money.

Looks to be a lack of enforcement.

I have a cousin who does construction in southern Missouri he came down at Christmas complaining that the wetbacks were driving him out of business as well. :uhoh:

[Pendragon]

I doubt its illegal immigration that is keeping real estate low here.

When my house was built in CA nearly 2.5 years ago (1600 sf for 210k), I saw lots of workers who may have been illegal.

The real issue is supply and demand. Yes, they keep labor and wages down here, but in CA, they held up building housing so much for so long that they shortage just made everything go nuts.

Texas seems to be good about letting housing keep pace with demand and land seems a lot more plentiful. The good places in CA are boxed in by valleys so prime land goes fast.

[Hank Zudd]

It's always some immigrant's fault for whatever you want to complain about. At the turn of the century [in the west], after they helped build the railroads & everything else at the time it was the chineese fault; they got run out. In the 30's it was the okies fault; they posted guards at the state border. Now in cali. they're exporting jobs cause upper lower class/semi-skilled won't do it for the money that's offered. Everyone can't live in the same 2500sf house the Jones's have. I guess having to earn it dosen't count anymore. If you don't like where you are, what your being paid then move. I did. I left Texas +15 years ago cause things weren't like I wanted. So I moved here to boost my standard of living (don't get me started on how it's going to evaporate very soon?). but when & if things take a dump here, I'll move again. I you really want to complain about something, then get rid of all the mexican workers who pick your fruit & vegtables and go ahead and pay $5.00 for a head of lettuce. I knew a guy (caucasin Cali. native) that was a carpenter foreman building semi-custom homes in socal, and when things got slack him and a few mexican workers were the last on his crew; he would have been the last to go only cause he knew more than them, and he would never teach someone else everything he knew for that very reason. Don't complain; get an edge, or move. Sorry if you didn't like this, but being a mexican who was born in Texas 47 years ago, I have never been given anything but a chance. If you piss that away, oh well.

[JerryN]

I'd be happy to pay $5.00 a head for lettuce if I had a damned job. All the good paying jobs that common folk like me used to have are now held by people in India, Pakistan, Mexico and Taiwan.

Companys in the USA won't hire a senior level middle aged white person. They hire kids out of school to support the indians and paki's who really run the show. You look around. The Information Technology sector is in a depression and its because the liberal democrats under Herr Klinton gave our jobs away. You wanna debate that point? Good luck, pal.

You call Computer Associates, Inc. for software support. Almost every damned person in that company is from India or Pakistan or some damnd place. And CA is the largest software distribution company in the world. And its owned by a foreigner. And the entire management staff is foreign. And its based in Islandia, NY. I'll pay you ten bucks if you can call CA support and talk to a native born American.

Thank you William Jefferson Klynton. I love my minimum wage unemployment pay, you bastard.

Don't defend a lack of border policing as if it was "the melting pot".

[Quartus]

It's always some immigrant's fault for whatever you want to complain about.



Happens every time. Make a comment about ILLEGAL immigration and some liberal screams about how nice immigrants are.



It's the ILLEGALITY...., uh, I won't finish that.


:rolleyes:

[Pendragon]

We now return you to our regularly scheduled thread...

The IT job market is hurting right now, as much as Clinton might have done wrong, it was congress that opened the Visa flood gates after the panic that there would not be enough IT workers in the coming years and America would lose its technological edge.

What they did not factor was that as the computer and software tech improves, you can support more systems with fewer people.

In the old days, a software roll out was a bunch of guys staying late with CDs, running to every computer and sitting down to install it. Now one guy can push the new software out with a script.

Combine that with the fact that you can get some highly educated and intelligent Indian nationals to do a lot of your programming and support for 10% of what an American IT worker costs and us techies are in a land of hurt.

I would be happy to make 15-20 an hour which would have been unthinkable 3 or 4 years ago and I have over 8 years experience.

The thing I see right now is that you cannot export support for small business. There are lots of companies that are too small to do the kind of mass scale management that makes sense for large companies. Places with 50 or less PCs cant really afford a full time guy, nor do they need one. A sharp guy can go and sell his time for so much an hour and hopefully make a decent living.

At least, thats my plan. I have seen VERY few computer jobs since I got here. Its frankly a little scary although I knew this was not a hi-tech area. Still, there are a lot of very large companies here and they have to have people supporting them and they have to have some level of turn over. I think most jobs are filled by networking, not by newspaper and internet ads but thats all I have access to right now until I can make some contacts in the area.

So next week, I am printing business cards, getting my website online and I am just going to go for it. Its really the best time - I can collect unemployment while I beat the streets looking for clients.

Setting our on your own is simultaneously exhillerating and terrifying but at least when I get my TX CHL, I won't have to worry about getting busted for CCW on the job.

Is there anyone out there who maybe works in an office or goes to different offices and CCWs? I think a snub would be no problem, maybe with a 1911 in a comparment in a briefcase. Heh, use the snub to fight to your 1911? hehe.

I suppose some offices could have 30.06 signs, but I am guessing most just have a policy that employees are not allowed to CCW - ths would not apply to consultants AFAIK.

[Elminster]

You are absolutly correct about the technology community being very tight-knit here.

I've been keeping my ears open, but haven't heard much of anything based on what you said you're looking to do. I'll let you know if I come across anything though...

[Quartus]

I think most jobs are filled by networking, not by newspaper and internet ads but thats all I have access to right now until I can make some contacts in the area.



True in every field, 'Dragon. Even WITH a good network and recommends from folks at the manager and Director level, I can't seem to land a decent job in my field. I wish you well.


Here's a resource on career changes. Free newsletter that has some good ideas. Of course they hope you'll pay for some services they offer, but you don't have to.


http://www.48days.com/MainPages/Newsletter.htm


I've got an ap in for a job in that area. Been looking into it, and it looks pretty good to me. I've been through there, and it is pretty. Not the Rockies, but it sure beats Houston!

[Geezer]

I don't know what it's like in Baja Oklahoma, but if your were relocating to Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana or Wyoming, the absolute very, very first thing you do is re-register your vehicles and get rid of those California plates.

You will not only not save money by waiting until they expire, you will lose money because you will be charged more and treated diffeently in many places by many people.

The second thing to do is to learn to not mention California at all. Under no circumstances do you ever tell anyone anything about how it used to be in California, or how you used to do it in California.

Get those things down pat and moving anywhere is fun, but there is one thing I just don't understand. Why would anyone move east of the continental divide?:confused:

God bless and y'all be carful out there.:cool: