My email inbox is full. It’s always full, but lately it’s been flooded with emails from Redfin, Trulia and Zillow as I’ve been house hunting and they keep prompting me to “take the next step on 3467 Cactus Drive!” or “214 Mountain View Ave may sell soon!” Yeah, I know. The real estate market is on fire everywhere you turn.
This summer we did a lot of house looking — drive-bys, google map street view searches, and narrowing down locations. We thought we’d settled on Phoenix as a good compromise between house prices and location. Close enough to drive to Southern California or an easy flight to Northern CA, but affordable enough to purchase a house that we could live in for only a few months of the year, whenever we were home on vacation. After this past summer, I need a home base. Caleb is looking to go to college in Phoenix so it would be local to him. And you know we don’t mind the desert so . . . why not Phoenix?
But then we come back here and the same old Covid grind (which I’m not going to complain about, but really, this city is ridiculous) got us thinking that maybe it’s time to move back to the US permanently. So I’ve shifted my search to Texas, a likely location for a job transfer. And if it’s a permanent move I can look for my dream house, not just a temporary house.
I lie. I don’t have a dream house, I have a dream yard/property. 1/2 acre or bigger with some trees, garden space, ability to have chickens, room for dogs to run . . . green. The house is secondary. I skip lots of the inside photos to get to the ones of the yard and then google street view to see what it really looks like from the outside. I also troll reddit forums for various cities and neighborhoods to figure out which areas I want to focus my search based on traffic/school districts/crime/taxes/etc. It’s just like my research for planning a trip, but a more expensive and permanent one.
It’s not for sure. But for the first time, we are looking at options back in the US. We’ll see what job opportunities open up, where they are, and how things change here as we make a decision. :Starts singing: coming to America . . .[Neil Diamond version]
0H WOW….Understand and What a huge time for prayer and contemplation…and we will join you 🙏🏽🙏🏽!
Love you and will pray for wisdom, timing and God’s peace through it ALL ‼️
thanks dad. love you too. I didn’t think retired life would feel more unsettled than military life, but at least I’m good at waiting to see what happens.
As someone who is currently living in Austin Texas, I can speak with knowledge. I’m here to help the kids I have taken care of for 18 years adjust to this move.
Here’s what I will say: Texas is really, really hot. But you live in the desert, so never mind. They do have rain here, huge storms roll in unexpectedly. I’m more likely to get a “flood” day than a snow day.
Austin is the more liberal side of Texas, thankfully for me. But I think you are more conservative than me, so scratch that too.
It’s green…after a fashion. But this mid-west girl misses the lush trees and will miss the the Fall color change. But you’ve been living in a desert so the scraggly, shrub like trees will make you happy. So forget that point too.
Texas is exploding. Austin in particular. The high school in Dripping Springs is bursting at the seams and it was only build four years ago. The school is humongous but they are building a second new high school. But the infrastructure hasn’t kept up with the building so school traffic is un.bel.ieve.able. It’s a 6.5 mile drive, through hill country but with the traffic it easily takes us 45-50 minutes to get the kids to school. But you’ve talked about the drivers where you live so this will be nothing to you.
Come to think of it, Texas might just be the perfect place for you. Especially if it come with a job offer for Josh. What a big change that would be if, indeed, it happens.
Happy house hunting.
Jan
Jan, I had no idea you were in Austin!! I love the idea of Austin, (as close to California as you’ll get in Texas), but not the house prices or the traffic, especially as we’ve watched those both grow over the past few years.
You’ve summed up our thoughts on moving to Texas pretty well, lol. Heat? Not a problem. And compared to sand, even scrubby bushes look like lush greenery to us. And we’d be looking at North Texas most likely (north of Dallas) so greener and cooler than the south — but more tornados. Who knows what will happen? It’s bound to be another crazy year.
Exciting days. Great to hear your input, Jan. Robin, I heard too that Texas is exploding. Too bad because it’s driving house prices up. Bill
Garland’s home is now twice what he paid for it. I pray you get your dream yard for garden, compost, chickens, and room for lots of animals for Camille 😍. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Love you, Mom