Best coastal living? (Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi: school, vs, safe)

[Poltracker]

Originally Posted by missWendyS

Also, by best COL Im not referring to cheap, as money is not really much of an issue regarding my move. Im doing quite well where I live at now but hate the snowy, cold winters. I vacationed on the Oregon Coast and loved the ocean just not the cold and knew I would be moving somewhere near the ocean next. As I mentioned before, Oregon is too cold, and California is rediculously expensive dirty and overcrowded, The third nearest place to my friends and family is Texas and it seems to be a place where you get your moneys worth plus beautiful and warm, this is what has attracted me to the Texas area mainly. Thank you

You do know that Houston is not exactly on the coast? It is 50 miles inland. There are communities on the coast of the bay or Gulf i.e. Galveston, Seabrook, etc. and there are inland communities. Unlike California, if you live too close to the coast of any sort, you risk being wiped away or heavily damaged by a hurricane at some point. It is not all joy and light. It is also difficult to find a good rental on the coast around here for that very reason. Many residences were heavily damaged during the last storm and have not yet been totally repaired or replaced. Others still do not have water or sewer. Just wanted to make sure you got a reality check about coastal living in Texas. It is very nice but it has its issues and if you have young children, you need to consider that.

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by missWendyS

Oh and BTW a co-worker of mine has been taking great pleasure in enlightening me with horror stories of huge insects in the Texas area, he was born there. Hes telling me the fire ants are huge, tarantulas hang out on your walls, scorpions chill on your porch, and lizards like to hop into bed with you, not to mention the creepy stories about droves of indestructible roaches everywhere and the giant flying roaches who like to fly at your face, is he just pulling my leg, or is this for real????!!!! My 9-year-old hates the bugs we run into here and would freak out if a giant roach flew at her head, lol! are these "giant" bugs able to be controlled by pest companies or not? Thanks

I've been here for about a year and a half. No run ins with fire ants (although my son did get bit by a few when he sat in the grass on top of a fire ant hill), haven't seen any tarantulas or scorpions, I've seen some tiny green lizards in my house but they don't bother me (I help them get outside), and I haven't seen any flying roaches. I have seen the occasional dead roach in the house...we have a pest control company treat the house quarterly and that keeps everything creepy at bay.

[westhou]

Originally Posted by missWendyS

Also, by best COL Im not referring to cheap, as money is not really much of an issue regarding my move. Im doing quite well where I live at now but hate the snowy, cold winters. I vacationed on the Oregon Coast and loved the ocean just not the cold and knew I would be moving somewhere near the ocean next. As I mentioned before, Oregon is too cold, and California is rediculously expensive dirty and overcrowded, The third nearest place to my friends and family is Texas and it seems to be a place where you get your moneys worth plus beautiful and warm, this is what has attracted me to the Texas area mainly. Thank you

You think the California coast is dirty?! Wait till you see the Upper Texas Coast. It takes dirty to a whole new level.

[AddieJane]

Originally Posted by westhou

You think the California coast is dirty?! Wait till you see the Upper Texas Coast. It takes dirty to a whole new level.

I agree with this. California coast is not that dirty, especially the areas that cater to tourists like San Diego, Orange County, etc. California has a lot of rules for the environment. Texas ... not so much.

#1 issue I have with your post. Houston is NOT on the coast. Not NEAR the coast. Clear Lake is not too far, but if you are talking about the beaches (said losely, since they are terribly ugly beaches) in Galveston, then you will be driving a good hour to hour and a half to get there. No jobs in Galveston. Sorry. Water is gross. Ewww. I wouldn't swim in it. I did once and got mono. I don't think it was a coincidence.

I think you should keep looking for a coastal community. Houston is NOT it. I'd stear clear of the hurricane region in the south.

Have you been to the Central Coast of California? Oh my God it is gorgeous. If money is no object, then PLEASE go there. San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Pismo, Big Sur, Carmel-by-the sea. GO GO GO.

(Don't try to swim there though. Too cold)

[tstone]

Addiejane, you need to read how people actually get that herpes virus commonly called "mono".

BTW the whole shoreline of Galveston Bay is considered "coast." Look it up or better yet ask anyone who lived near there last year. It's not a ''beach'' coast but it's still the coast.

About it being dirty, I agree. My practice fishing hole near the Seabrook-Kemah bridge is disappointingly dirty. The muddy water is fine... that's the Texas coast for you. By dirty I mean beer cans, dirty diapers, potato chip bags, etc. Some people dump their bait fish or trash fish on the shoreline instead of put it back in the water, too, so it can smell like dead fish and fester with insects. It's definitely a fun place to catch a lot of smaller fish, but I practice catch & release only.

[missWendyS]

So then, are there no pretty beaches anywhere along the gulf in Texas? I wanted warm, pretty, beachy and not too far from Family in the pacific northwest. Pictures I saw for Houston and Corpus christy showed some beaches but is it rare to find nice beach areas along the Gulf in Texas? If so, where would be the next best places with a reasonable COL? Money is not reallyt that much of an issue regarding my move, but I am far from rich and dont want to spend half a mil for a decent house, like in California. Warm and beachy are requirements as I am leaving the PNW because of the cold. Thank you

Wendy

[Visitor2007]

Originally Posted by missWendyS

So then, are there no pretty beaches anywhere along the gulf in Texas? I wanted warm, pretty, beachy and not too far from Family in the pacific northwest. Pictures I saw for Houston and Corpus christy showed some beaches but is it rare to find nice beach areas along the Gulf in Texas? If so, where would be the next best places with a reasonable COL? Money is not reallyt that much of an issue regarding my move, but I am far from rich and dont want to spend half a mil for a decent house, like in California. Warm and beachy are requirements as I am leaving the PNW because of the cold. Thank you

Wendy

Low cost of living plus beach would probably be northern Florida and the Carolinas. But, there are some rednecks there, well, at least in northern FL and South Carolina.

[catfancier]

If you want "warm and pretty" beaches along the Gulf coast you may want to consider the Florida Panhandle.

You will not find "warm and pretty" in the gulf area closest to Houston, IMO. Well I should correct that, as the water temperature in Galveston in the summer certainly is like bath water, so it's warm. But not pretty in the sense that I am guessing you want.

Texans who want to visit nicer beaches in their own state tend to go down to the South Padre Island area. I have been to Port Aransas which is near Corpus Christi, and that was decent, but still not the white sugar beaches of the Florida panhandle (e.g. Destin, FL.)

As you are in real estate, why not ask professional colleagues (assume you're in a realty association) for advice about the areas you're considering? They of all people should have the lowdown about the pros and cons of an area. i.e. contact a realtor in Corpus for advice.

[tstone]

Not too far from the Pacific NW? The TX coast is about as far from there as it is to Maine.

Someone mentioned the FL panhandle. Alabama might work, too.

If you want a beach house, half a mil might be a starting point, even in Galveston.

[missWendyS]

What I meant by not too far from the Pacific Northwest is that my ideal place to move would be Florida but it is over 3000 miles from family, Im trying to live as close to Washington state as possible. I know I will be pretty far from there no matter where I move in the southern areas, but cannot stand the cold Northern winters any more. I am a Real estate agent, but Ive only been in the business a couple of months and dont really know anyone that well to really discuss my best options. Also by Beachy I dont mean I want to live on a beach, allthough that would be nice, I just want to live somewhere near real beaches (not lakes etc...) Where you can occasionally see sea life etc... I would like to be able to take my children on day trips to the ocean whenever and know the weather will be mild. I really like Florida as I lived there a few years back, but the frequent hurricanes and alligators scare me off. I know texas has hurricanes too but not regularly like Florida. Maybe Ill stick to Corpus Christi but Im not sure how big that city is or about employment etc.... Corpus Christi does not appear to have many Real Estate offices, so Im not sure as to whether or not I could find employment there, But I guess thats about the only area in Texas that might meet my requirements. I might even consider an inland area so long as the beach and ocean are not too far a drive. Clean and safe are also at the top of my list. Whats the point of living near the beach only to see the beach covered in trash and debris? Or have air so filled with smog it negatively effects ones health (both issues I found in southern California where I also lived briefly a number of years ago)