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Why aren't more retiring in Houston?
08-15-2008, 11:52 AM
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#1
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,323
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Why aren't more retiring in Houston?
Houston has two of the top hospitals for cancer and heart, 6th best restaurant city from studies and lots of cultural activities; so, why aren't more retirees moving there? Seems as if everyone heads to Austin--where I read that only 45% of the physicians will take Medicare now there. Anyone have an answer as to why Houston wouldn't attract more retirees or do I just not have the latest on the Houston retirement scene?:confused:
__________________
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08-15-2008, 12:06 PM
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#2
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Lake Livingston, Tx
Posts: 4,204
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125% Humidity 105 deg temp. from June to Sept!
Houston is a big city. How many people say 'give me 75 front feet on a nice slab of concrete' Now that's retirement!
Now if you want to talk outside of Houston, say 30 min to and hour, there is the Woodlands, Lake Conroe, Lake Houston, Lake Livingston, and lots of communities where you can get anywhere from 1 to 5 acres of woods at a reasonable price.
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08-15-2008, 12:08 PM
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#3
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gone traveling
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 3,864
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 Quote:
Originally Posted by Orchidflower
Houston has two of the top hospitals for cancer and heart, 6th best restaurant city from studies and lots of cultural activities; so, why aren't more retirees moving there? Seems as if everyone heads to Austin--where I read that only 45% of the physicians will take Medicare now there. Anyone have an answer as to why Houston wouldn't attract more retirees or do I just not have the latest on the Houston retirement scene?:confused:
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Have you ever been to Houston in the Summer? There is more to picking a retirement location than statistics.
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08-15-2008, 12:11 PM
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#4
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,020
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I was asked if I wanted a job in Houston. I laughed. Fat, hairy men do not belong in Houston.
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08-15-2008, 12:12 PM
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#5
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gone traveling
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 3,864
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rustic23
125% Humidity 105 deg temp. from June to Sept!
Houston is a big city. How many people say 'give me 75 front feet on a nice slab of concrete' Now that's retirement!
Now if you want to talk outside of Houston, say 30 min to and hour, there is the Woodlands, Lake Conroe, Lake Houston, Lake Livingston, and lots of communities where you can get anywhere from 1 to 5 acres of woods at a reasonable price.
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If I had to retire in Houston, I would look at Brenham- just west of Houston off 290. My first choice in TX would be one of the lakes north of San Antonio-around New Braunfels.
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08-15-2008, 12:15 PM
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#6
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gone traveling
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 3,864
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Marquette
Fat, hairy men do not belong in Houston.
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Houston becomes a rendering plant for fat, hairy guys in the summer.
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08-15-2008, 12:45 PM
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#7
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,764
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I like the Houston area. Heat doesn't bother me. Its the cold I don't like. I like to be able to sit in front of my computer naked all year round..
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08-15-2008, 01:03 PM
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#8
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Fort Collins
Posts: 194
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Orchidflower
Houston has two of the top hospitals for cancer and heart, 6th best restaurant city from studies and lots of cultural activities; so, why aren't more retirees moving there? Seems as if everyone heads to Austin--where I read that only 45% of the physicians will take Medicare now there. Anyone have an answer as to why Houston wouldn't attract more retirees or do I just not have the latest on the Houston retirement scene?:confused:
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You are kidding, right? I lived there ten years. Perpetual summer with high humidity, bad air quality, heavy traffic, hurricanes, fire ants, West Nile Virus. Maybe you should consider Calcutta.
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08-15-2008, 01:35 PM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7,968
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake46
You are kidding, right? I lived there ten years. Perpetual summer with high humidity, bad air quality, heavy traffic, hurricanes, fire ants, West Nile Virus. Maybe you should consider Calcutta.
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Yeah you right! After hell holes like greater Portland OR, Seattle and Denver - thirty years in paradise(New Orleans) should have acclimated me for someplace nice like Houston.
But I think greater Kansas City deserves a chance - three years this September.
Tornado's and ice storms are ok - but not the same thing.
heh heh heh - speaking tongue in cheek wise - natch. Roughing it with care packages - you do realize white shrimp season is open and the soft shell crabs are pretty good.  .
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08-15-2008, 02:32 PM
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#10
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 6,506
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake46
....... high humidity, bad air quality, heavy traffic, hurricanes, fire ants, West Nile Virus. Maybe you should consider Calcutta.
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That is good season in November/December. And they speak in Texan.
__________________
There must be moderation in everything, including moderation.
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08-15-2008, 03:05 PM
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#11
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,637
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One of the experts on FIRE, John Greaney (screen name: intercst), founder of the Retire Early Home Page, lives in Houston (although I believe he leaves during the really hot weather to stay with family in CT.
__________________
friar1610
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08-15-2008, 03:18 PM
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#12
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,498
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Why I am not planning to retire in Houston:
1. weather - - hurricanes?
2. property taxes
3. horrible traffic
4. crime (though they at least have Texas Justice)
5. prefer a walkable neighborhood in a smaller town
On the other hand, Houston is really not such a bad place. It just didn't win the "gold medal" in the competition to be my #1 choice.
Today, Frank and I traveled to Huntsville, Alabama again, for a long weekend and we will give it a second look. It is still our #2, but I do not know exactly why!! It is a nice town. So, we shall see.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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08-15-2008, 03:27 PM
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#13
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Northern Illinois
Posts: 16,591
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I worked in Houston for a few weeks during the summer. It felt like the hottest place on earth - too hot for year round retirement.
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08-15-2008, 03:50 PM
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#14
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Chicago
Posts: 79
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Because Austin is supposed to be cool (and Democrat). No other Texas city has the PR that Austin has.
__________________
I like my job, but I'll like FIRE more.
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08-15-2008, 03:56 PM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7,968
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Want2retire
Why I am not planning to retire in Houston:
1. weather - - hurricanes?
2. property taxes
3. horrible traffic
4. crime (though they at least have Texas Justice)
5. prefer a walkable neighborhood in a smaller town
On the other hand, Houston is really not such a bad place. It just didn't win the "gold medal" in the competition to be my #1 choice.
Today, Frank and I traveled to Huntsville, Alabama again, for a long weekend and we will give it a second look. It is still our #2, but I do not know exactly why!! It is a nice town. So, we shall see.
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Be very careful - one guy I retired with(now a jobshopper) and another still working at the old rocket plant are making Huntsville type noises and maybe deserting Slidell. Both having worked there before with the NASA cats.
I liked my time there in 74/75 but am still sticking with Missouri - aka north of KC.
heh heh heh - 
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08-15-2008, 04:07 PM
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#16
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Lake Livingston, Tx
Posts: 4,204
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Ok, for near Houston.
We retired on Lake Livingston. We have a 3,000 sf, all brick home with guest quarters on a one acre lot with 170 ft. of lake front, underground utilities, sewer not septic. Cost less than $300,000.
In the summer we can sit on the deck for breakfast and dinner. July and August a little hot for lunch. Elect avg $75 a month Gas about the same. It is about 90 miles to the center of Houston. DW and I are able to live here for half our retirement income. If it really gets hot in the summer, we can take a long trip to a cooler place.
I would never retire in Houston, but there are great places about an hour north. Oh yea, property tax is $7000 a year, but it is frozen.
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08-15-2008, 04:11 PM
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#17
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 488
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rustic23
I would never retire in Houston, but there are great places about an hour north. Oh yea, property tax is $7000 a year, but it is frozen.
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Someone told me property taxes were really low in Texas because of all the oil revenue.
$7000/year for 300k home is not low. I hope they unfreeze it for you.
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08-15-2008, 04:12 PM
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#18
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,021
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Good grief. Texas is a retirement hell-hole and Houston is the port of entry...
__________________
Numbers is hard
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08-15-2008, 04:20 PM
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#19
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,125
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Lived in Houston for 7 years. Add to the list
Snakes in the pool
Bugs in the pool
Frogs in the pool
Crayfish in the pool
Giant cockroaches coming out of the AC vents and eating all the spices
Semi-bad traffic (better than Washington, worse than Phoenix)
Brown haze
Hurricanes and flooding
Non-hurricane related flooding
Water pipes breaking when it goes below freezing
No cheap parking in the medical center
Getting run over by suburbans (known locally as Texas Station Wagons).
On the other hand, there were some good restaurants there (Taste of Texas, Pappas chain, Kolache Factory)
and no State Income Tax (they get you on Sales Tax and Property Tax)
__________________
Angels danced on the day that you were born.
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08-15-2008, 04:22 PM
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#20
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,498
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Quote:
Originally Posted by unclemick
Be very careful - one guy I retired with(now a jobshopper) and another still working at the old rocket plant are making Huntsville type noises and maybe deserting Slidell. Both having worked there before with the NASA cats.
I liked my time there in 74/75 but am still sticking with Missouri - aka north of KC.
heh heh heh - |
All the better for Frank, I suppose - - in case he needs to do a little job shopping once in a while after ER to make ends meet. He wouldn't even have to leave home.
A lot of guys working at that old rocket plant where you used to work are looking around, due to the publicly announced imminent layoffs related to shutting down the shuttle program. Others have already left. Just like the bad old days back in the 1980's, says Frank.
So far, we really prefer Missouri (Springfield, in our case). Just giving Huntsville one more chance.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.
Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
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