Relocating to TX, looking 4 info!!

[NICOLE1590]

Okay, I know we have a great # of Tx members and I would LOVE to talk to some of you regarding your great state!!

My husand has been offered a wonderful job in Fort Worth, Tx and we are really thinking hard on relocating from Cleveland, ohio. I would love as much info on what to expect, how the living is there, great cities to check out, which ones to say away from, things that the computer really cant tell me.

I have been looking in Parker County, I really like the city of Aledo & Weatherford. If anyone can help me with any info it would be great!

Also, if anyone has had a relocation happen to them and would like to give me some pointers that would be wonderful.

[Sim]

right now prepare for heat lol... Its been in the mid 90's this week but it feels hotter. And Welcome to Texas!

[kpm_tex]

Go For it! heat / snow.. heat/snow I'll take the couple of months of heat any day!
Heide just moved to Springtown so maybe she can give you some house hunting tips. You will get a lot of house for your money right now and it's also a great time to buy.

[Sim]

you havn't had enough of this blazing sun kpm?

[JacksonsDaddy]

Well, the only thing I can say about Weatherford, is there's a reason the word "weather" is in there. When the spring storms roll through, Weatherford gets hit first 95% of the time.

The winters are generally pretty mild, normally between 40-50º. The summers however are a different story. It's generally humid, and the daytime temps can top over 100º. Even worse, the nights don't cool down too much. Usually only to about 75-80º. In talking about the weather, I should mention that I HATE the heat. I'd much rather be cold than hot! My theory is when you're cold, you can always get warm (bulky sweater, blankets, etc.). But when it's hot, there's only so much clothing you can take off legally! ;)

That said, DFW is a pretty nice area. There's a lot to do, lot's to eat, lot's of shopping, and lot's of shopping! I'm repeating that one because DFW has more shopping per capita than NYC.

Good luck with your relocation!!! and Welcome to TX!

[kpm_tex]

BTW.. this year has been pretty cool compared to the last couple of years.. and a lot more humid because of all the rain.. which we got very little of the past couple of years. The heat doesn't bother me really I grew up in SC and Orlando Fl... two of the most humid places on the face of the planet.... in comparison it's dry as a bone here. Aaron is right ... weatherford usually seems to be in the path of a lot of storms. If I were going to have a house built anywhere in Texas ever again I would have a storm room built into the house. There are no basements here, or they are very rare, because of the type of soil.

[NICOLE1590]

Well, the food sounds great!! and I love to shop! As for the weather I had a feeling that it was going to be a BIG change, but let me tell you that Not having to dig my car out of 14 inch of snow almost everyday well be great! So, is the Parker county a good area? Is there any other areas that I should look at around FW?

[rjones]

I am in San Antonio, Texas but my fiance used to attend UT in Arlington/Dallas area...Dallas is great...and it is a really good time to buy a house with the market being just horrible right now...So its def a buyers market...As for heat you get used to it..This year has been really cool compared to mosts, so we have been lucky...Also in the Dallas area it tends to be so much cooler during the winter time etc and they do sometimes get snow, so I think there really lucky...I wish it would snow in San Antonio, but I won't hold my breath...I would say go for it and Dallas is both fast paced or very laid back...However, I don't know much about the area that you are talking about so I can't help there...Try and find some realtors in that area and maybe just check it out etc...I think you will love it....P.S. You are so right about the food, it really is the best...I so love my Mexican food....lol

[Suzanne R]

I moved here from Minnesota about 30 years ago. I prefer the heat to the cold and snow, but that's just me. (No snow shoveling - and you don't have to plug your car into an outlet in the winter!!) The cost of living is MUCH more reasonable here than up north! I visited Minnesota a month or so ago, and noticed the grocery prices were about 2-3x more expensive than here. I was really surprised! Housing is much less expensive, also. Parker County is a nice area; Weatherford is growing rapidly, with lots of gas wells all over the place! I almost bought a house in Weatherford years ago - I like the area. PM me if you have more specific questions - I'm sure I can help.

[Doxie Duo Mom]

NO MORE LAKE EFFECT SNOW!!!!! Go for it.
I'm from Boardman Ohio (burb of Youngstown), moved to San Antonio 5 years ago...and 2 years ago I built between SA and Austin, I LOVE IT! We're hot and humid here, but being so close to Erie you know humidity and well Y town has hit 100 more times every summer since I've been here. Winter 50's and this was the first winter I was cold...that I bought a new winter coat for here.

Cost of living is way cheaper the Ohio (on average on fuel we're about 20 cents cheaper a gallon). Our Electric bill runs no higher then about $180 winter as low as $45 and no gas bill for heat:) For the area I live in here I would pay at least 2x more for it in Ohio.

Two things I miss about Ohio really are the food...Pizza to most is Papa John's or Pizza Hut, good Italian is rare,(took me 3 years to find good Pizza) and the walking & bike trails and Parks of Ohio.

I'm not near where you'd be, but I do enjoy Texas (oh the drivers in SA anyway can be a bit rough) and my car ins. did TRIPLE when I moved here.

[NICOLE1590]

Thank you all for all the info !! This is the stuff im taking about! I have talked to a realitor and she made it sound wonderful, I just wanted the info that I wouldn't get from someone trying to sell me a house!

I do have one questions, someone told me that you all have REALLY big bugs? It that true, and how big are we talking? Also, is there a snake problem there? what kind of stuff do I and the dogs need to watch out for?

[Doxie Duo Mom]

I do have one questions, someone told me that you all have REALLY big bugs? It that true, and how big are we talking? Also, is there a snake problem there? what kind of stuff do I and the dogs need to watch out for?


Big bugs, yes right now they are huge black and crunchy (crickets maybe) I've seen them every summer since here...bigger then some kids I know:faint:.
Snakes yes, but not bad here, here we have bobcats, coyotes, deer, & longhorn, and Clay says I must tell you about the frogs she loves to eat frogs. I use heartworm preventive, but nothing for fleas or ticks and we've never had a problem (we're at the vets for each one at least every 6 months, with the ins plan they get semi annual check ups ).

I've never had major bugs in the house (spiders and a few ants here and there) but we do pay for yearly extermination as well as a preventative. I'm not thrilled to got the chemical route, but I don't want to deal with bugs either and well this is the lazy way of getting it done.

Geckos are some what popular in the apt we always had them here I've seen 2 in just over 2 years. I'm told they keep the bugs away though. Still I don't care for them.

[kpm_tex]

There aren’t any more snakes here then in any other part of the country. If you are in a rural area that’s just goes with the territory. That being said if you are in an urban area you will probably never see one. I live on 10 acres in a farming area… in the 6 years I’ve been here this is the first year I’ve seen a snake.. other than a really small little grass snake which even bordered on cute.

Bugs are really no worse here than anywhere I have lived… and I have lived in NY, NJ, PA, SC, FL, GA and TX . You want REALLY big bug go anywhere on the gulf coast or Florida.
The biggest thing you’ll see here are tarantulas and again, if you are in an urban area you will probably never see one… and they are harmless anyway. I’ve seen all of 3 on my property in the time I’ve been there. All 3 times I let them climb onto the end of a broom and I took them over to the woods and let them go. BTW they were in the yard.. outside.

It is not all wild west out here. Most areas are built up and look pretty much like any other urban setting in the country. Check out Ebby.com a local realtor site which I think has one of the better search engines for all listings in North Texas.

Oddities…We do have strange soil here though. Most places around here have a black clay soil that expands and contracts with the amount of moisture in the ground.. or lack there of. When it’s dry cracks will form in the ground. It’s best to keep your yard where the dogs will be running watered so they don’t catch their feet in a crack. You also have to put irrigation around your home.. be it soaker hoses or sprinklers… foundations can actually crack because of the ground expanding and contracting. If you can, get a home with a pier and beam foundation… they seem to do better than slabs.. I have a slab and I have a crack.. so I know. This is one thing you really have to check for when you buy a pre-owned home. There are also some areas that have a sandy loam type of soil… you don’t have the same worries with expansion there.

Other things you might not think about. Ice storms and hail. We get more ice than snow and everything shuts down when that happens. Hail storms in the spring are common… some can get pretty good size. I’ve seen golf ball size hail at my place.
There is no income tax here. Property taxes / school taxes are a bit higher than when I was in Ga. Insurance is a bit higher too… especially car insurance.
There is not a lot of public transportation here especially the further you get out from Dallas or Ft. Worth. Ft Worth does have a nicer down town and night life / restaurants/ museums / cultural district than Dallas.. safer too.

[NICOLE1590]

Wow, Karen! thank you so much ! Thats the kind of stuff I was looking for. I really need ?'s to ask the realtor about that I wont know to ask about. I have talked with several from remax & the dfw.com I will look at the one that you sent me too!

I cant beleive that it really ice storms there, thats just crazy! Thank you all again for all the info!! I will keep everyone posted as the time come near! If anyone would like to give me more info please feel free to email me at silverdapplemom06@yahoo.com

[Suzanne R]

Good info, Karen. Yep - if we have an ice storm (or even snow!) they usually roll up the sidewalks and EVERYONE stays home - it's hilarious, after living in Minnesota! And watching folks who don't have a clue how to drive on slick roads is pretty hilarious, too, as long as you don't have to be out on the roads with them! We may get, on the average, maybe 2-3 inches of snow a year, normally in January or February, and that's usually melted within a few hours, or a couple of days at the most. And we do have some serious hail storms, too, usually in the spring. But no snow shoveling, no need for a huge winter wardrobe, houses are more reasonable because they don't need to be constructed for the severe cold weather, etc. I think you'll like it here!:cheer:

[Cindi]

And the distances between places is going to surprise you <G> WEatherford is 1/2 hour to 45 minutes from Ft Worth :) So if you are in to TRAINING your dogs and want classes of any kind (although there is a new training site on the west side of Ft Worth that is great and indoors - which is a RARITY in TX) you will be travelling! Depending on how many dogs you have, make sure your real estate agent is aware of the cities dog # laws and if it will be a problem to you.

The further west from the *cities* the more the ice is a travel nightmare <G>

Cindi in NE Ft Worth

[Heide]

We relocated here from Ms in April. We bought a gorgeous 3 bedroom home brand new with an acre of land. I have 2 words.....LOVE IT. The people that are here are so nice. We bought in Springtown. Its about 30 miles to Ft.Worth, where my hubby works from. Not a big deal. There are several ways to get there. We looked into Weatherford, but its just way tooooo busy for us. The property taxes are high, but its going to schools. I am so glad we moved here. The weather is nice and warm, like that better than snow anyday. Parker County which our County also is fantastic.
If you need any help, I will try to help you out. I know they have a few houses that are almost done in my area, for sale.
Its a peaceful quiet setting.
Bugs, well yah we got those. I call them tarradactial size :wahooo: but your going to have bugs where ever you go. WE have a pest control company come out once a month and that does wonders.:wavesmile: I am here anytime. Just pm me and we can talk more.

[NICOLE1590]

I can not thank you all for all the great info! The more I hear the more I cant wait !!!

Do you Tx'en have a doxie get together? I would love to meet all of you that are helping me out after I get moved !

[Suzanne R]

Most of the dachsie get-togethers in the DFW area so far have been at fund-raising events (one on Sept. 7 coming up soon!) or in different locations, mostly in Austin and Houston. I don't know of any dachsie get-togethers in our DFW area. That's kind of sad! Wish I had the kind of location for one.

[NICOLE1590]

Well, I will asure you this, I will have one for all of you that have help me out in my little adventure (move) !

Plus, well I will know noone so meeting people would be nice too!

[Suzanne R]

Well, I will asure you this, I will have one for all of you that have help me out in my little adventure (move) !

Plus, well I will know noone so meeting people would be nice too!

Let us know as the move nears - maybe we can meet up somewhere eventually and socialize our furkids!!? I'll help all I can.

[Doxie Duo Mom]

Do you Tx'en have a doxie get together?

In April Buda (near Austin that is probably 2-3 hours from DFW area) has the Weiner races and many come for that.

[Heide]

there is a costume contest, races and all kinds of things doxie. I am most definetly going. Its located in Azle, which is about 10 miles or so from me. I am looking forward to it.
I am going to pm you so you will have my email addy.
Its hard not knowing folks, or having family here. But slowly I am meeting new neighbors.My hubby works out of town for the RR. So he is gone alot of the time. Thank goodness for my 6 babies.:Sun2:
But I definetly love it here. Look forward to meeting you. Suzanne we need to meet too.:wavesmile: