What's EP REALLY like for complete newcomers? (Houston, San Antonio: condo, houses)

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by ExpatNL

I am former top brass Dutch military (in what would translate as a civilian in MOS 49A/50A/59A capacity at JCOS/OSD level) looking for a career switch into PMC/PSC.

The most obvious employees according to my desired line of work are located in the larger DC (North East VA) area and in NC, but I don't want to live in those states for a number of reasons. So I'm 'okay' settling for less spectacular business activities, as long as the conditions are good. Which could basically be anywhere in the Southern half of the US less CA , NM and FL. Of course the South West would be my number one choice for health reasons, but it's also a trade off because I love to walk in endless forests and so does my bride to be. The trade off in the Deep South is the humidity, mosquitoes and possibly hostility because we are a mixed couple (I am Nordic and she is Latina). We do not want to get caught in the middle of white vs black issues, nor do we want to be bothered [as in mobilized for their cause in any way, shape or form] or outright harassed by either BLM or far right flag wavers. So, ideally we want a majortiy Latino or mixed Latino/white environment and be as far away from race issues as is physically possible. I'm very protective of her and completely comfortable around Latinos myself.



I'd absolutely love -in theory, never been there- AZ's climate. Would be great for my knees (I have severe arthrosis, almost no cartilage left and the stretching tendens are also done for, but I feel fine in warm/hot and dry wheather as long as I don't do anything that's too much physical strain).


Are San Antonio's Northern outskirts relatively dry? I like the looks of places like Bulverde and Fair Oaks Ranch. They are also in a more elevated part of TX, which might help with humidity.


So basically, long story short: key issues are employment opportunities, environment/quality of life/pollution, 2nd Amendment, year round warm and ideally dry climate, green (yeah, I know...), absolutely no cold ever because that's torture, not exactly prone to natural disasters, and zero race issues (latino/white/one not hostile to the other/vice versa and absolutely no black/woke/white troublemakers. We are from Europe and LATAM and hold no stock in what we consider to be internal quarrels within the US, the Civil War heritage animosities etc. We don't wish to get involved in that crap).

Many places in Texas would suit you. San Antonio is a good place to live. It gets a little cold sometimes, but not for long periods.

You may be able to work for large corporations, which often look for people with security expertise. Especially large corporations with campus settings, where there is potential for company staff to provide armed response to situations before authorities arrive.

I don't know of any place in Texas that would look down on you and your wife for being a mixed couple. It's very common here. I am White, my wife is Hispanic. Same with 2 of my cousins and 4 or 5 of my cousin's kids. No one cares.

One advantage of the Houston area is there are many forests within an hour drive. Here's a website with some details on hiking trails around Houston(maybe other areas too) https://lonestartrail.org/index.html

[ExpatNL]

Originally Posted by WRM20

Many places in Texas would suit you. San Antonio is a good place to live. It gets a little cold sometimes, but not for long periods.

You may be able to work for large corporations, which often look for people with security expertise. Especially large corporations with campus settings, where there is potential for company staff to provide armed response to situations before authorities arrive.

I don't know of any place in Texas that would look down on you and your wife for being a mixed couple. It's very common here. I am White, my wife is Hispanic. Same with 2 of my cousins and 4 or 5 of my cousin's kids. No one cares.

One advantage of the Houston area is there are many forests within an hour drive. Here's a website with some details on hiking trails around Houston(maybe other areas too) https://lonestartrail.org/index.html

TX most definitely appeals to me. And it baffles me why there are no high/critical risk security contractors with very serious capability located there, because TX is a very good State for business and has proximity to LATAM as well as sea lanes to Africa. The large corporations thing might be a good idea...


Excellent! I know that Texas is very hybrid for that matter.


The area North of Houston is gorgeous indeed, thanks for the link. TX overall is a very interesting State, and is better situated and has more business potential than AZ, not knocking AZ though. That State has its charm as well, and the best gun rights in the nation. We took a hard look at Prescott but here are little to no employment opportunities there. And you need a very good salary to make ends meet in AZ. The cost of living is high overthere. In TX, not so. If you make at least 6 figures or more you're good. And my fiancée and I both hold Masters degrees with solid experience in our respective fields, but actually getting a GC is very difficult. But under the right conditions we'd move in a heart beat.

[supfromthesite]

Originally Posted by malcorub16

Despite the cities being similarly Southwestern and there probably being more cartel activity in El Paso, Albuquerque NM has much more violent crime per capita than El Paso. Its in the top 10 for violent crime the US.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/us...ies-in-america

I don't know too much about NM admittingly but Albuquerque is a place I would never move to. Just trying to help OP with other options regarding jobs. There have to be decent places to live around Alb... right?

[supfromthesite]

Originally Posted by ExpatNL

I am former top brass Dutch military (in what would translate as a civilian in MOS 49A/50A/59A capacity at JCOS/OSD level) looking for a career switch into PMC/PSC.

The most obvious employees according to my desired line of work are located in the larger DC (North East VA) area and in NC, but I don't want to live in those states for a number of reasons. So I'm 'okay' settling for less spectacular business activities, as long as the conditions are good. Which could basically be anywhere in the Southern half of the US less CA , NM and FL. Of course the South West would be my number one choice for health reasons, but it's also a trade off because I love to walk in endless forests and so does my bride to be. The trade off in the Deep South is the humidity, mosquitoes and possibly hostility because we are a mixed couple (I am Nordic and she is Latina). We do not want to get caught in the middle of white vs black issues, nor do we want to be bothered [as in mobilized for their cause in any way, shape or form] or outright harassed by either BLM or far right flag wavers. So, ideally we want a majortiy Latino or mixed Latino/white environment and be as far away from race issues as is physically possible. I'm very protective of her and completely comfortable around Latinos myself.



I'd absolutely love -in theory, never been there- AZ's climate. Would be great for my knees (I have severe arthrosis, almost no cartilage left and the stretching tendens are also done for, but I feel fine in warm/hot and dry wheather as long as I don't do anything that's too much physical strain).


Are San Antonio's Northern outskirts relatively dry? I like the looks of places like Bulverde and Fair Oaks Ranch. They are also in a more elevated part of TX, which might help with humidity.


So basically, long story short: key issues are employment opportunities, environment/quality of life/pollution, 2nd Amendment, year round warm and ideally dry climate, green (yeah, I know...), absolutely no cold ever because that's torture, not exactly prone to natural disasters, and zero race issues (latino/white/one not hostile to the other/vice versa and absolutely no black/woke/white troublemakers. We are from Europe and LATAM and hold no stock in what we consider to be internal quarrels within the US, the Civil War heritage animosities etc. We don't wish to get involved in that crap).

You will find BLM riots and flag waiving Trump supporters in basically every part of America. BLM riots moreso in bigger cities. There is really no escaping this.

Black and white people have lived together in the south for many centuries. By now, there is not as much racial conflict as the media would make it seem. Seems like it is worse in the north, where the two groups are still getting used to living near each other. Also, lots of white/hispanic or white/black interracial marriages... Obviously Texas will have more of the former as there are a ton more hispanics. I do hear you about the humidity though.

Your best bet for avoiding humidity in San Antonio is staying on the northwest side. Castroville and Boerne (fair oaks ranch is basically a part of Boerne) would be better than Bulverde and Spring Branch I believe. Maybe Bandera, and then out towards Junction it is a lot more dry, although now we are getting pretty far from San Antonio.

Towns like Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Laredo and Alpine would be muchmore dry, but then you will be kind of screwed when it comes to work.

Seems like El Paso or Arizona would be your best bet. Not sure what you have against NM but I think it would be a good place for you too. If work is not possible in these places... You may have to settle for a dry, hilly place outside of San Antonio.

[supfromthesite]

Originally Posted by ExpatNL

TX most definitely appeals to me. And it baffles me why there are no high/critical risk security contractors with very serious capability located there, because TX is a very good State for business and has proximity to LATAM as well as sea lanes to Africa. The large corporations thing might be a good idea...


Excellent! I know that Texas is very hybrid for that matter.


The area North of Houston is gorgeous indeed, thanks for the link. TX overall is a very interesting State, and is better situated and has more business potential than AZ, not knocking AZ though. That State has its charm as well, and the best gun rights in the nation. We took a hard look at Prescott but here are little to no employment opportunities there. And you need a very good salary to make ends meet in AZ. The cost of living is high overthere. In TX, not so. If you make at least 6 figures or more you're good. And my fiancée and I both hold Masters degrees with solid experience in our respective fields, but actually getting a GC is very difficult. But under the right conditions we'd move in a heart beat.

East Texas, which Houston is in, is probably going to be way too humid for you. Hill Country is where it starts to get less humid.

Houston otherwise might be a decent choice... But you will definitely find more BLM riots there than in San Antonio. Not sure about race relations but I could see them probably being better in San Antonio too.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by supfromthesite

East Texas, which Houston is in, is probably going to be way too humid for you. Hill Country is where it starts to get less humid.

Houston otherwise might be a decent choice... But you will definitely find more BLM riots there than in San Antonio. Not sure about race relations but I could see them probably being better in San Antonio too.

That's just not true at all. We've had essentially zero riots in recent memory in Houston. Protests, yes, but not riots, and very few protests.

[supfromthesite]

There were 137 arrests and 8 officers injured in Houston. A group of 60 to 70 people shut down a highway.

Nothing even remotely similar happened in San Antonio.

https://abc13.com/houston-native-geo...r-ewn/6220895/

There is a video in this link that clearly shows it was more than just a protest. I didn't know shattering windows, looting, and taking down a traffic light are a part of protesting...

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by supfromthesite

There were 137 arrests and 8 officers injured in Houston. A group of 60 to 70 people shut down a highway.

Nothing even remotely similar happened in San Antonio.

https://abc13.com/houston-native-geo...r-ewn/6220895/

There is a video in this link that clearly shows it was more than just a protest. I didn't know shattering windows, looting, and taking down a traffic light are a part of protesting...

Really? I guess this didn't happen https://www.tpr.org/news/2020-05-31/...the-alamo-city

[supfromthesite]

Houston's was definitely worse.

With that said... I guess there were riots in both cities. I doubt El Paso had any.

[NoClueWho]

Mexico