Hate to detract from this thread, but seeing 2 Oregonians who've been to the south for extended periods...I've been looking at the piney woods area of east texas as a possible place to move to, but haven't visited the area. The people I know from Texas seem awfully nice and the pictures I've seen look a bit like OR...have either of you been there, and am I nuts? The housing prices here in OR are daunting for a young person starting out, and after living in Southern California for a bit, the rainy winters here seem a lot more dismal...[/quote]
THIS IS JIMBO LIVING IN THE PINEY WOODS, KINGWOOD TEXAS NORTH OF HOUSTON. IF YOUR IN PDX AND THINKING OF MOVING HERE, STOP!
You would leave Oregon to move here? I have to tell you there isn't much of anything pretty to look at here. No mountains, a dirty brown water bay with no waves to speak of. It's industrial as hell too, Pietra chemical everywhere the ship channel looks like Dante's Inferno and smells awful. KB&R, Hydrill, Exxon, and Haliburton are just down the street from me. There are more bugs and things that crawl and bite then you can even imagine. Copperheads are the most common snake here outside of the city government. If your tired of rain, try putting up with 100+ degrees and 98% humidity for months at a time.
Sure you can buy a nice big house for 1/4 as much as you would pay in Oregon, but be prepared for $500+ a month power bills, and $300+ for water on top of that in the summer months. The locals are nice people but they are also nosy as hell, they have nothing else to do but go to church, (90% Baptist here abouts) watch their neighbors, and praise George Bush. You will soon learn that "Bless your heart" can mean anything from "bless your heart", to "burn in hell", all depending on how it is said. Plus they all think they are driving NASCAR, traveling the highway is a life shortening experience, going 100 mph is common. Streetlights and signs are considered "suggestions". Scary as hell going anywhere, and you have to drive forever to get anywhere too. Things are so spread out you end up driving for a couple hours a day even if you live close to work.
Crime is really bad in Houston too, especially since the Katrina influx. The politicians (except for mayor White) and both the state and local government are totally corrupt as are the utility companies, (can you say Enron?) and they are all in cahoots so you have no recourse when you get overcharged, which happens all the time. Graft and corruption is just an accepted way of life here and your expected to just accept it if you want to live here. This is also home to the biggest Klavern of the KKK in the USA, that should tell you something right there.
If you want to leave God's country and move to this godforsaken cultural backwater just to save a few bucks, I've got to warn you against it. Besides in the long run you won't save anything anyway. They find ways of taxing you so that you will pay as much no matter where you are. Oregon has no sales tax, everything here is at 8%, believe me that adds up fast. There are trees all around here but don't mistake it for the Pacific Northwest. You can't walk into the woods because it is mostly swamp to start with, and its all super dense creeping vine and pucker brush too. If you do manage to penetrate the woods be prepared for ticks, snakes and biting insects of all kinds. You need to wear snake boots and cover yourself from head to toe, which aint fun in a 100 degree swamp.
Think it over really hard before you consider a move. Your in one of the most pleasant places to live right now, with an intelligent and informed populous. At least come visit the area, preferably in the heat of summer before you make a radical misstak- er decision.
Jimbo
THIS IS JIMBO LIVING IN THE PINEY WOODS, KINGWOOD TEXAS NORTH OF HOUSTON. IF YOUR IN PDX AND THINKING OF MOVING HERE, STOP!
You would leave Oregon to move here? I have to tell you there isn't much of anything pretty to look at here. No mountains, a dirty brown water bay with no waves to speak of. It's industrial as hell too, Pietra chemical everywhere the ship channel looks like Dante's Inferno and smells awful. KB&R, Hydrill, Exxon, and Haliburton are just down the street from me. There are more bugs and things that crawl and bite then you can even imagine. Copperheads are the most common snake here outside of the city government. If your tired of rain, try putting up with 100+ degrees and 98% humidity for months at a time.
Sure you can buy a nice big house for 1/4 as much as you would pay in Oregon, but be prepared for $500+ a month power bills, and $300+ for water on top of that in the summer months. The locals are nice people but they are also nosy as hell, they have nothing else to do but go to church, (90% Baptist here abouts) watch their neighbors, and praise George Bush. You will soon learn that "Bless your heart" can mean anything from "bless your heart", to "burn in hell", all depending on how it is said. Plus they all think they are driving NASCAR, traveling the highway is a life shortening experience, going 100 mph is common. Streetlights and signs are considered "suggestions". Scary as hell going anywhere, and you have to drive forever to get anywhere too. Things are so spread out you end up driving for a couple hours a day even if you live close to work.
Crime is really bad in Houston too, especially since the Katrina influx. The politicians (except for mayor White) and both the state and local government are totally corrupt as are the utility companies, (can you say Enron?) and they are all in cahoots so you have no recourse when you get overcharged, which happens all the time. Graft and corruption is just an accepted way of life here and your expected to just accept it if you want to live here. This is also home to the biggest Klavern of the KKK in the USA, that should tell you something right there.
If you want to leave God's country and move to this godforsaken cultural backwater just to save a few bucks, I've got to warn you against it. Besides in the long run you won't save anything anyway. They find ways of taxing you so that you will pay as much no matter where you are. Oregon has no sales tax, everything here is at 8%, believe me that adds up fast. There are trees all around here but don't mistake it for the Pacific Northwest. You can't walk into the woods because it is mostly swamp to start with, and its all super dense creeping vine and pucker brush too. If you do manage to penetrate the woods be prepared for ticks, snakes and biting insects of all kinds. You need to wear snake boots and cover yourself from head to toe, which aint fun in a 100 degree swamp.
Think it over really hard before you consider a move. Your in one of the most pleasant places to live right now, with an intelligent and informed populous. At least come visit the area, preferably in the heat of summer before you make a radical misstak- er decision.
Jimbo
