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Home >> Stock Forums >> Huntsville, AL or Houston, TX

Huntsville, AL or Houston, TX

sax1 said: "I will soon choose to move to either Huntsville or Houston. I have never been to either. I need some feedback. Here are some of the things I find about both places. I did some cost comparison using those online tools, but those things don't give a good comparison because they don't take into account property taxes. Houston: hot and long summer; very high property tax ( >3% ); heavy traffic congestion; plenty of jobs; no state income tax; high utility and insurance cost Huntsville: hot but short summer; very low property tax ( .5% ); low state income tax; less traffic congestion; low utility and insurance cost Where do you think I should move to? Thanks."

FirefighterB said: "I'm guessing you work for NASA? You've gotta give much more information as to what you're looking for and what you do for fun. -Do you like sports? (Houston has major sports teams) -Do you like "big city" life? (Houston is a quagmire of urban sprawl, but it's got everything. Huntsvilles is MUCH smaller) -Do you LOVE humidity, rain, and flooding? (Houston is very humid and when it rains, it usually floods) -Do you like the beach? (Galveston is close to Houston for your ocean fix) -Do you like to travel or hav people you're gonna visit all over the country? (Houston is going to have cheaper flights everywhere) -Do you like the mountains/hiking/camping? (Houston is F-L-A-T. Huntsville is gonna be hillier and closer to mountains in Tennessee) -You got a wife/2.4 kids? (If you're single, will Huntsville have a nightlife? Houston is huge and will. Also, if you have kids, Huntsville would be more laid back and less hectic for them, but I'm not sure of the "mentality" of people there. I don't want to draw conclusions, as I've never been to there specifically, but I'd venture to guess it might be more segregated and "close-minded" compared to Houston. Just my .02 and a few thoughts to ponder."

sax1 said: "I don't care much for sports or nightlife. I hate humidity. The most important thing for me is the cost of living and the quality of life (peaceful and quiet). Huntsville, from what I hear, is the most diverse and liberal city in AL. It all comes down to where I can get the most for my money. Thanks for you response."

FirefighterB said: "[QUOTE=sax1]I don't care much for sports or nightlife. I hate humidity. The most important thing for me is the cost of living and the quality of life (peaceful and quiet).[/QUOTE] That right there says it all. You DEFINITELY don't want Houston, then. Although I'm sure you can find quiet suburbs, the humidity is super high (although I'm sure it's not much better in 'Bama). Add to that the fact that Huntsville might be more laid back and diverse, it sounds like that's a better shot."

Aligator said: "[QUOTE=sax1]I will soon choose to move to either Huntsville or Houston. I have never been to either. I need some feedback. Here are some of the things I find about both places. I did some cost comparison using those online tools, but those things don't give a good comparison because they don't take into account property taxes. Houston: hot and long summer; very high property tax ( >3% ); heavy traffic congestion; plenty of jobs; no state income tax; high utility and insurance cost Huntsville: hot but short summer; very low property tax ( .5% ); low state income tax; less traffic congestion; low utility and insurance cost Where do you think I should move to? Thanks.[/QUOTE] I've lived in Huntsville. It's one of my favorite cities and I've often said that it is sort of a small version of Atlatna with upscale, educated people, good educational systems and a great minor league baseball team. I love the place. Houston: I have traveled to Houston many times, but never lived there. It's HUGE! BIG! To say Houston is this way or that way would be wrong because it is so damn big. It is too big for me. I hate driving around in Houston. For me it's Huntsville. I met lots of people and found it easy to get out of town when I wanted to. Houston can take hours just to get clear of town and then you're.....where?"

sax1 said: "[QUOTE=Aligator]I've lived in Huntsville. It's one of my favorite cities and I've often said that it is sort of a small version of Atlatna with upscale, educated people, good educational systems and a great minor league baseball team. I love the place. Houston: I have traveled to Houston many times, but never lived there. It's HUGE! BIG! To say Houston is this way or that way would be wrong because it is so damn big. It is too big for me. I hate driving around in Houston. For me it's Huntsville. I met lots of people and found it easy to get out of town when I wanted to. Houston can take hours just to get clear of town and then you're.....where?[/QUOTE] How long did you live in Huntsville? How did you like the weather there? Was the summer too hot? Winter too cold? Do you remember how much your property tax was? Property tax is a big thing on my mind. That is why I am reluctant to move to Houston where property taxes are 3%, about six times higher than property taxes in Huntsville. On a $100K house, the property tax in Huntsville is $500. In Houston it's $3,000. When was the last time anyone here made 250% on their stocks or mutual funds? Thank you for your input."

lil dickie said: "Hell those numbers for Huntsville sound very good."

Aligator said: "[QUOTE=lil dickie]Hell those numbers for Huntsville sound very good.[/QUOTE] I'm sure he is just quoting city figure; county will double his figures, at least. On the other hand things in Alabama ain't all that bad - had a new home on five acres out in the country in 1988. My taxes were 82$ per year! Those days are gone..........bet you'd have to pay over a hundred now.:laugh: :laugh:"

sax1 said: "[QUOTE=Aligator]I'm sure he is just quoting city figure; county will double his figures, at least. On the other hand things in Alabama ain't all that bad - had a new home on five acres out in the country in 1988. My taxes were 82$ per year! Those days are gone..........bet you'd have to pay over a hundred now.:laugh: :laugh:[/QUOTE] 5 acres! That's what I am talking about. Asked someone on another forum and the taxes are a little more expensive now. But it's still inexpensive compared to where I live. [QUOTE]I have a 1500 sq ft older house, homeowners is less than 700.00 a year, property tax (less than 100k home) $200.00 a year. Electric for just me during the summer average $150 MOL and it was a hot year, water bill with garbage $30.00 a month, during the winter electric average is $50.00 but I have a gas log fireplace and gas runs around $20.00. Of course there are a couple of months where you don't need a/c or heat. [/QUOTE] I am tired of living in the big city. Country living is more appealing to me now. Thanks."

Aligator said: "I know where everyone's coming from on these taxes.......but there's good news on the horizon, at least for us. We will at some point move into one of our townhouses here in town. They appraise at around 80K or so, I dunno......but the tax credit for us old people (we will be over 65) is 70K. So that means we'll have to pay taxes on about 10K worth of real estate. I think we can handle it - when we're home, which ain't gonna be much!:)"