Contemplating relocation from HI to TX

[Car-Guy]

Contemplating relocation from HI to TX

Recognition and acknowledgment are the first steps to recovery.

DW and I, both early retirees (I retired in 2013 at age 44 and DW last year at 51) currently reside on Oahu, HI. We've lived here for close to 7 years (less the year-long all expense-paid trip to Afghanistan courtesy of Uncle Sam) and decided to stay put after retirement from the US Army.

Vets are welcome. Others should reconsider.

We've grown tired of noisy environs (sirens day and night from mostly ambulances, loud vehicles, illegal fireworks, dogs, etc.), ineffective and seemingly apathetic local politics,

Well that rules out Houston, Dallas/Ft Worth and the San Antonio/Austin ares. Or anywhere near those mega-messes. But hey, that's not really Texas anyway.

 

[Koolau]

Just curious...does anyone on this forum live on the Big Island? I would love to hear from anyone who could share their experiences. I could never live in Oahu or Maui - too crowded for me. But the Big Island really appeals to me. I just don't know if I could live there full time.

Never lived on the Big Island but have visited. I love it there - for a week or two. You can get in a car and just drive! There are interesting things to see - a vast number of climate zones from desert to moonscape to lush tropical rain forest. Still, there is very little to do in the way of entertainment. If you can keep yourself occupied without external stimulation, you might love the Big Island. If you are like me, and like "cities" with all their attractions, the Big Island is just too rural.

One practical issue with Big Island living is that MOST significant health-care issues (from some tests to most invasive procedures) require a flight to Oahu. If it's an emergency, that's a very expensive ambulance flight.

I could not live on Big Island but I do see its charm. I don't think I could live on Maui either. When I feel a bit hemmed in by Honolulu, I just drive to the North Shore or even Kailua. Spending a day on a nearly deserted beach is almost as good as hopping a plane to leave the Islands. YMMV

 

[meierlde]

Never lived on the Big Island but have visited. I love it there - for a week or two. You can get in a car and just drive! There are interesting things to see - a vast number of climate zones from desert to moonscape to lush tropical rain forest. Still, there is very little to do in the way of entertainment. If you can keep yourself occupied without external stimulation, you might love the Big Island. If you are like me, and like "cities" with all their attractions, the Big Island is just too rural.

One practical issue with Big Island living is that MOST significant health-care issues (from some tests to most invasive procedures) require a flight to Oahu. If it's an emergency, that's a very expensive ambulance flight.

I could not live on Big Island but I do see its charm. I don't think I could live on Maui either. When I feel a bit hemmed in by Honolulu, I just drive to the North Shore or even Kailua. Spending a day on a nearly deserted beach is almost as good as hopping a plane to leave the Islands. YMMV

One question occurs how many of the evacuation flights are covered by insurance, and/or are there services that let you subscribe to them. Living 60 mi nw of San Antonio, I know that here there are helicopter services that for $100 a year will provide evacuation when needed to the level 1 trauma center in San Antonio. But then actually once you get more than one county west of San Antonio/Austin, the same medical issues apply, all be it that if its not a true emergency ambulance transport is available, all be it at $2000 a ride.

 

[stephenson]

Everyone jumping in ...lived Oahu (Navy), College Station, Corpus Christi, and 10 other places.

Texas was a hoot ...but I was young and impressionable ...have been back to San Marcos area, and San Antonio. Hot, miserable, iicky ...<mod edit>.

Lived for last twenty years in northern Virginia ...way packed with people, but great schools and broad spectrum diversity.

We are keeping a lake house in southern Virginia ...very quiet, very rural, but with nice summers. Not diverse. Blah food, but they are trying. Close to small towns with shopping. Moderate COL.

Just punched out of corporate world ...headed to low cost area of Florida ...short term in Pensacola ...hot, but with lots of watersports ...waaaay less expensive ....the area is trying to upgrade to symphonies, art, etc ....it will be awhile ...but, very pleasant winters and pretty easy access airports. Some issues with hurricanes on unlucky years. Will head further south after a few weeks and trips to do fact finding ...likely to St Pete/Pasadena on Tampa Bay.

If you were to ask my opinion ...take a couple of trips to inland TX in July and August before you make up your mind.


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[HillCountry]

If you were to ask my opinion ...take a couple of trips to inland TX in July and August before you make up your mind.

Yes, definitely visit in the summer, if you plan to stay here year round. I was shocked coming out of Austin airport (for interview) at the end of June, from SF Bay Area.

After 8 years here, I don't think summer is that bad. You need the heat to have fun in the water.

 

[Surewhitey]

We've had a lot of Cali-folk moving to Dallas. Seem to see their tags daily. We lived and loved SoCal but understand the draw here too. You can get a house here and a summer home in New Mexico Highlands (a fella I work with just got a NM condo on the slopes for $80k).

Just saying that a two house lifestyle could be an option...

 

[World Traveler]

Born on Oahu, raised in SoCal and live in TX. We moved to lake Granbury about 50 mins from downtown Ft Worth. Small town of 8,000. It's got all the stores for convenience and if we need some other stores we go to Mt pilot(weatherford) because we live in Mayberry. We live on the lake with a great view.

I think I was a Salmon in a former life we go to Maui one to two times a year. We love TX, COL pretty darn reasonable. I do want to escape parts of summer because it is hot not quite Saudi hot but the lake will help being cool most of the time. We have an RV that we will go and visit the rest of the great states. I'm Retired military Ft Worth JRB about an hour away. I don't really use it.

 

[HillCountry]

I will most likely follow the same route as WorldTraveller. I will stay about half time in TX, and somewhere else the other time. Plenty of summer places in US, while not many in winter.

 

[Montecfo]

College Station, Texas, had absolutely the most miserable summers of any place I ever lived in my entire life. Bear in mind that I am saying this from my present home town of New Orleans.

That said, I was so pleased and surprised to find out what great people live in Texas. I never expected that. Those that I met were salt of the earth, responsible, honest people and a joy to know. Maybe that's because they were mostly Aggies, but some were not.

Well, I do remember a few hot summers in College Station. In 1979 I believe it was, we did not turn on the AC. High temp was 109 that summer. We did have fans.

Someone asked if central Texas summers are hotter than say Phoenix? Apples and oranges. I would say Texas feels hotter due to the humidity. With some misters you can eat outside in Phoenix with temps in 90s. Biggest issue there is not touching metal that was in the sun. Sun feels more intense there.

And suprising how chilly you can feel below say 80 degrees with low humidity. I think that is nice though.

 

[NW-Bound]

... I lived in NW San Antonio from 2006-2012 and it although I enjoyed it the first couple of years, the last 4 were purgatory for me. The population density was much too dense for me...

I first visited SA some time in the late 90s and stayed a week somewhere on the outskirt on the north side, most likely I-410. A couple of years ago, I drove by the area on an RV trip. I could not recognize anything. It has grown huge.

 

[stephenson]

Been following the responses ...

Second the College Station comment ...was an NROTC instructor at Texas A and M in 1980-1981... I loved the place ...except that it was so freaking hot! I'm from the panhandle of Florida and have traveled extensively ...other than the Mid East, it was the hottest place I have ever lived.

Hot!


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[Big_Hitter]

Second the College Station comment ...was an NROTC instructor at Texas A and M in 1980-1981... I loved the place ...except that it was so freaking hot! I'm from the panhandle of Florida and have traveled extensively ...other than the Mid East, it was the hottest place I have ever lived.

Used to be that you had to be in the corp to attend A&M

 

[MBAustin]

As others have mentioned, Central Texas summers are miserable due to the combination of heat and humidity. Arizona is just plain hot, but there are days here that are 103+ and 40%+ humidity which is like a sauna. Some summers are worse than others, but even the milder ones are worse now than 15 years ago when we first moved here.

If I was moving to this area "from scratch" I would prefer someplace away from urban heat sinks (that's a big part of the issue close in to Austin now), and with hills/trees. This gives some relief overnight, which we don't get near the city now. However, at least here when you are in the shade you feel some relief, in AZ, not so much

 

[Breedlove]

I guess we must have got used to it , we live in Houston at the moment . It is just like living up north . When the rough part of winter hits you stay in a temperature controlled area .

 

[Big_Hitter]

I guess we must have got used to it , we live in Houston at the moment . It is just like living up north . When the rough part of winter hits you stay in a temperature controlled area .

I lived in htown about 40 years and never got used to it.

there is a reason for the tunnel system downtown...js

summer is a time to get out and enjoy the outdoors, I could never do that in houston between may and September, inclusive

 

[fasteddie911]

I've lived in both Honolulu and Houston. Your concerns regarding Hawaii are valid, but you also mention having an active outdoor lifestyle, and Texas, even the hill country, cannot even compare to what Hawaii has to offer. Why are you interested in Texas? The largest advantage Texas has is the lower COL, but if you have that under control in Hawaii, then you'd probably be ok financially almost anywhere. For me, I consider Texas a nice place to work and live with it's low taxes and COL, but I wouldn't really consider visiting or retiring there. As an outdoor person myself, I never found it very attractive or exciting as far as outdoors go. Hawaii for me is the exact opposite. While you can't do much about the cost of travel to/from hawaii, the local culture and mindset (apathetic politics, homeless, etc.) is how it's always been and always will be. I think it kind of goes hand in hand with the laidback vibe there. If that type of culture and mindset bothers you enough to want to move, then staying there may not be healthy for you in the long term.

 

[Koolau]

While you can't do much about the cost of travel to/from hawaii, the local culture and mindset (apathetic politics, homeless, etc.) is how it's always been and always will be. I think it kind of goes hand in hand with the laidback vibe there. If that type of culture and mindset bothers you enough to want to move, then staying there may not be healthy for you in the long term.

Well said. We checked out HI several times before moving and knew the politics and other "bad" stuff was manageable before we moved. There is a piece of me that has never felt completely at home here (in HI). I think it is precisely because of the "bad" stuff about paradise. However, to us, it is still worth it. YMMV

 

[Van-Guard23]

Just an update. My wife and I were able to make it out to Central Texas' Hill Country and checked out San Marcos and surrounding areas. At this point, we think we've narrowed our choices down to a 55+ community in San Marcos and another community (not age restricted but as one of the posters suggested, "self selects" into one) in Kerrville, TX.

 

[Kimo]

I sold my Makakilo house and moved back to my Reno house. (I had rented it) While I do have a very nice house in the middle of 17 acres which I could never have had in Hawaii I really, really miss the plate lunches, sushi for diner and the weather. (did I mention weather) LOL!

 

[griffithee]

Your situation is so surreal. I retired from Pearl Harbor in 2013 at the grand old age of 44 as well. Also, the wife retired in 2015 from Hickam. We moved from Waikele end of 2015, had a house built in Cypress and love it. The Lonestar state really takes care of us veterans.

 

[Van-Guard23]

Wow! That is something else! I had to look up where Cypress, TX is and it looks to be NW from Houston...hope you guys are OK from hurricane Harvey. Saw some images of flooding in your AO.
If you don't mind, we might send you a message to get lessons learned from your relocation.

 

[griffithee]

We are set up pretty high so the flooding was not an issue. A lot of others got slammed a helluva lot worse than we did. We are very lucky.

No worries, mate. Send as many questions as you got. We've been on station since 1 April 2016 so have at least a year's + worth of feedback. Standing by to assist

 

[Bamaman]

Glad you have finally narrowed down your search.

Now, go for it.

I've been looking to move an hour north in Tennessee. Comparable homes are $100k higher. Nashville area is another $100k more.

We will just stay where we are, as my wife's being SS disabled waives property taxes. We are in perhaps the cheapest housing market anywhere, and for that we are very thankful.

 

[meierlde]

Note that kerrville is on the edge of the well settled part of tx. Even the western part of Kerr County is very thinly populated. The next town west with a Wal-Mart is Fort Stockton 250 miles west. Edwards and Real counties, although quite scenic have less than 2 people per square mile meaning they fit the nineteenth century definition of Frontier. Kerrville is 60 or so miles from San Antonio and 100 from Austin (just go to Fredricksburg and take a right on 290 and you will go to Austin). Note that Comanche Trace is with Kerrville City Limits so you will pay 25% more property tax than living outside the city limits.

 

[WestUniversity]

Agreed

Living in a medium size city outside two large cities would be a very good place to be. And the weather in the middle of Texas is not too cold in winter. I can certainly live with the Summer hot, though.

Something has got to be said good about a state that has given us two great things: Tex Mex food and chicken fried steak. And it's often hard to get any Texan to move out of that state.

I have traveled all over the US, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Have seen a bunch of amazing places and met so many wonderful people. That said I don't see myself living anywhere else...