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Wed Dec 27, 2017, 12:09 PM

Jake Stern (3,143 posts)

Where is the affordable Texas I hear so many people brag about?

Currently in Denver and what I see on local message boards are former residents gushing about how much more affordable Texas is versus "liberal" Colorado. So I checked it out and I'm just not seeing where it's cheaper to live. With the exception of Lubbock, none of the cities were any cheaper than Denver and some, like Austin, were worse! Even Midland and Odessa are expensive.

Is all the bragging true?

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16 replies	Author	Time	Post
Where is the affordable Texas I hear so many people brag about? (Original post)	Jake Stern	Dec 2017	OP
Median home Denver $389,000, Lubbock $122,000	Cicada	Dec 2017	#1
As in create more flat buildable land?	DBoon	Dec 2017	#4
There are many ways to lower costs even in mountains	Cicada	Dec 2017	#10
LOL	ExciteBike66	Dec 2017	#9
No disgrace being from Texas, only disgrace is having to go back	Cicada	Dec 2017	#11
There's not much else to brag about in texas	Merlot	Dec 2017	#2
I live in McAllen, Texas	Xipe Totec	Dec 2017	#3
Just about anywhere in the TX panhandle	littlebit	Dec 2017	#5
I know someone that bought a huge mansion in Flower Mound outside Dallas FTW.	Lucky Luciano	Dec 2017	#12
Thank You	Jake Stern	Dec 2017	#6
For $1460	KatyMan	Dec 2017	#8
Try Houston	KatyMan	Dec 2017	#7
http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/texas/cheapest-places-to-live-tx/	marble falls	Dec 2017	#13
10 years ago, you could get a house in Austin at a reasonable price. no more. nt	Javaman	Dec 2017	#14
My folks built our Austin home in 1954 for $14,000.	Paladin	Dec 2017	#15
We bought our house back in '5 for 89k. 1320 square feet...	Javaman	Dec 2017	#16

Response to Jake Stern (Original post)

Wed Dec 27, 2017, 12:25 PM

Cicada (4,519 posts)

1. Median home Denver $389,000, Lubbock $122,000

We do need to learn from Texas or somewhere how to lower home costs.

We need to blend what California does to create strong economic growth with what Texas does to lower home costs. We have dropped the ball in figuring out how to drive home prices down.

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Response to Cicada (Reply #1)

Wed Dec 27, 2017, 12:33 PM

DBoon (19,747 posts)

4. As in create more flat buildable land?

I think leveling the Rocky Mountains might prove to be expensive

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Response to DBoon (Reply #4)

Wed Dec 27, 2017, 06:00 PM

Cicada (4,519 posts)

10. There are many ways to lower costs even in mountains

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Response to Cicada (Reply #1)

Wed Dec 27, 2017, 02:24 PM

ExciteBike66 (1,999 posts)

9. LOL

The only lesson Lubbock can teach you about lowering home costs is that it is always cheaper to live where other people do not want to live.

In a similar vein, there are plenty of places in Ohio where you can get a house even cheaper than in Texas. S***, in Detroit they are giving homes away!

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Response to ExciteBike66 (Reply #9)

Wed Dec 27, 2017, 06:02 PM

Cicada (4,519 posts)

11. No disgrace being from Texas, only disgrace is having to go back

The great Texas philosopher Kinky Friedman said that. But there are a ton of ways to cut costs even in the civilized parts of America.

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Response to Jake Stern (Original post)

Wed Dec 27, 2017, 12:31 PM

Merlot (9,196 posts)

2. There's not much else to brag about in texas

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Response to Jake Stern (Original post)

Wed Dec 27, 2017, 12:32 PM

Xipe Totec (43,521 posts)

3. I live in McAllen, Texas

I rent a 5,000 sqft apartment, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, attached 2 car garage, all appliances included, access to two pools and 3 gazebos in an inner court yard. All for $1,250 per month. That's typical in the Rio Grande Valley area.

McAllen is on the list of 10 cheapest places to live in the US.

https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/10-cheapest-places-to-live-in-the-us/3/

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Response to Jake Stern (Original post)

Wed Dec 27, 2017, 12:33 PM

littlebit (1,728 posts)

5. Just about anywhere in the TX panhandle

is cheaper. But you probably wouldn't want to live here. Midland and Odessa are expensive because of the oil fields. To many people moved there to work and there is not enough housing. Also the suburbs around the Dallas Fort Worth area are reasonable.

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Response to littlebit (Reply #5)

Wed Dec 27, 2017, 06:04 PM

Lucky Luciano (10,716 posts)

12. I know someone that bought a huge mansion in Flower Mound outside Dallas FTW.

Last edited Wed Dec 27, 2017, 10:51 PM - Edit history (1)

I thought it was like $5MM from the pictures even accounting for Texas. - was only a bit over $1MM!! LOL, I could barely get a postage stamp sized apartment for that amount in Manhattan!

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Response to Jake Stern (Original post)

Wed Dec 27, 2017, 12:42 PM

Jake Stern (3,143 posts)

6. Thank You

Truth is that, while I love Denver, it's getting too expensive to live here. Right now I live in a teeny 2 bedroom duplex, no basement and a postage stamp yard for $1400.

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Response to Jake Stern (Reply #6)

Wed Dec 27, 2017, 01:10 PM

KatyMan (3,601 posts)

8. For $1460

You can get this in Katy. It's actually the next neighborhood over from us, a really nice place.

http://www.har.com/26614-marble-falls-bend/rent_95464351

1400+ sq foot house on a 5K sq ft lot, 3 bed 2 bath. Houston and its environs are the hidden gems in Texas.

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Response to Jake Stern (Original post)

Wed Dec 27, 2017, 01:05 PM

KatyMan (3,601 posts)

7. Try Houston

Depending on where you like to live--suburbs, city, exurbs, etc. The far west side of Houston (Katy TX) is affordable but growing fast. Brookshire (the next town past Katy) isn't too bad for house prices. But these are the suburbs. There's still a lot to do, but it's not city living.

On edit, to view properties and prices in and around Houston, go to www.har.com

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Response to Jake Stern (Original post)

Wed Dec 27, 2017, 10:12 PM

marble falls (45,632 posts)

13. http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/texas/cheapest-places-to-live-tx/

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Response to Jake Stern (Original post)

Thu Dec 28, 2017, 09:28 AM

Javaman (59,423 posts)

14. 10 years ago, you could get a house in Austin at a reasonable price. no more. nt

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Response to Javaman (Reply #14)

Thu Dec 28, 2017, 11:24 AM

Paladin (25,229 posts)

15. My folks built our Austin home in 1954 for $14,000.

Last edited Thu Dec 28, 2017, 12:29 PM - Edit history (1)

Today that modest home lists in the $600,000 range.

There are plenty of areas of affordable living in Texas: Houston and San Antonio come to mind. Forget about Austin, however.

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Response to Paladin (Reply #15)

Thu Dec 28, 2017, 02:56 PM

Javaman (59,423 posts)

16. We bought our house back in '5 for 89k. 1320 square feet...

it's now worth over 250k.

that is freaking crazy.

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