Houston Math: Cost of Living Comparison

[tstone]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

PS, I don't know anyone who gets away with 60 bucks a month for water. Sprinklers, showers, laundry etc. Maybe if you don't have kids or a yard or dogs..

I was getting away with $9-12/mo for water for a few years, then my wife became a SAHM and the bill jumped to $15. With sprinklers it's up to $21 but should be back down to $15 now. Half of this is water and half is sewer. Oh yeah, and our property tax is still around 2.9%, much like yours .

[tstone]

Moderator cut: post referring to has been deleted

Many times in the burbs the annual MUD/water tax portion balances out the bills. Get a cheap bill, get a high MUD tax bill. I was just giving examples is all. Now you know someone who doesn't spend $60/mo on water. Moderator cut: off topic

[tstone]

Sorry about that. There isn't any regular persona in here I don't like, but sometimes the immature picking & teasing etc is just too hard to hold back. Anyway I'm looking at your numbers for a 2400 sq ft house up there, and the whole package looks very simliar to essentially any suburb here, minus state income tax. And in TX you can still take a state & local sales tax deduction on your 1040, as long as Washington renews that provision each year.

I have a similar size house and can say this. Natural gas runs only about $20 for all months (water heater) except when we use the heater, which is for basically 2 months, and those bills run $60-70. Electric runs about $70-220, probably averaging $150 over 12 mos. You'll see $220 about 3x a year. But our trees are ~20 yrs old, we have a new AC unit, and I'm always on the lookout for low electric rates. There might be some adjustments depending on your cooking & clothes drying but it should balance out, roughly speaking. Car insurance runs about $550 every 6 months for 2 no-frills American cars fully covered, 4-6 yrs old. Property tax and HO insurance look very similar. Trash is usually separate from water/sewer and is usually covered by HOA fees or property taxes, but in some unincorporated areas you need to pay that bill separate, about $15/mo extra. YMMV depending on area. Pest control and lawn I do myself and the costs for those spread out monthly are negligible but others can chime in.

Since you're going from 2400 to 3000 sq ft, add 25 or 30% for home costs and you should be in range. Again it sounds like it'll be very similar to where you're at.

[HugeTon]

Originally Posted by tstone

Sorry about that. There isn't any regular persona in here I don't like, but sometimes the immature picking & teasing etc is just too hard to hold back. Anyway I'm looking at your numbers for a 2400 sq ft house up there, and the whole package looks very simliar to essentially any suburb here, minus state income tax. And in TX you can still take a state & local sales tax deduction on your 1040, as long as Washington renews that provision each year.

I have a similar size house and can say this. Natural gas runs only about $20 for all months (water heater) except when we use the heater, which is for basically 2 months, and those bills run $60-70. Electric runs about $70-220, probably averaging $150 over 12 mos. You'll see $220 about 3x a year. But our trees are ~20 yrs old, we have a new AC unit, and I'm always on the lookout for low electric rates. There might be some adjustments depending on your cooking & clothes drying but it should balance out, roughly speaking. Car insurance runs about $550 every 6 months for 2 no-frills American cars fully covered, 4-6 yrs old. Property tax and HO insurance look very similar. Trash is usually separate from water/sewer and is usually covered by HOA fees or property taxes, but in some unincorporated areas you need to pay that bill separate, about $15/mo extra. YMMV depending on area. Pest control and lawn I do myself and the costs for those spread out monthly are negligible but others can chime in.

Since you're going from 2400 to 3000 sq ft, add 25 or 30% for home costs and you should be in range. Again it sounds like it'll be very similar to where you're at.

Thank you. This is very helpful info.
I would certainly like to see a few more comments from others if some of you have the time to charm in. I am greatly appreciated.

[Oildog]

Before I moved I called my insurance co and asked what the change in premiums would be.