Texas, Where to live and be close to F-Class Matches?

[clunker]

To the OP. The southern Oregon coast is where I want to retire. Endless miles of breathtaking coastline with very few people. The actual coast hasn't turned blue yet, but I feel your pain with a politically shifting climate at the state level. I have never been to Texas, but a friend lives in Houston, and she seems to think that the city has become much more liberal in recent years. Forum members who live near there would be a better source of info. I'm moving from Washington to Oregon, so I'm basically trading in a Ford Pinto for an AMC Pacer.

 

[DirtySteve]

Hear me and heed this. Stay the heck a way from AUSTIN!!!!!!! Traffic going any where near there sucks. I Would lean toward Nacogdoches, Lufkin, Crockett area. Close to Carthage and easy drive to the range south of Houston. It would be about a 2 hr drive. In Texas 2 hrs is nothing...

 

[Bc'z]

Papa charlie, cant say's I blame you.
The demographic by geographic is screwed up here. I've been all over this great country
Oregon is beautiful, but I'm even thinking bout packing up n moving on.
As far as Texas couldn't tell ya bout ranges.
But the Tyler area east of Dallas sure is nice.
The rose gardens are absolutely stunning.
And the bar b que....
Some of the best melt In your mouth brisket
I've ever had.

 

[243Lapua]

Hill Country in the outskirts of San Antonio. Plus you got South Texas for the best hunting grounds. Austin traffic is horrible.

 

[ShootDots]

I grew up in Western New York. Taxes, liberalism and very few jobs drove me out in 1978. I went to Houston, Texas. I stayed there til July, 2016, when I moved to Chandler, Az.. Arizona is a good state to live in>>>However, Texas is, BY FAR, the GREATEST state in the nation! The economic factors are incredible! Hunting and fishing is second to none>>>period! Competitive shooting, if not the best, is very near the top! And Houston, although very humid (which I hate) is where it's at for literally everything! Bayou Rifles, just south of Houston, is excellent with TOP TALENT for competitors. A 1.5 hour drive from Houston is Beaumont, and has 600 F-Class matches every month. About 4 hours away is a new club in Shreevport, La. boasts a new 1000 yard club. Further east in La. is Palo Alto rifle club>>>about the toughest 600 yard club, with some of the toughest competition anywhere! Houston is a "hub" for almost everything! Having said that, if I were to move back there, I would move to either Manvel or Pearland.. Those cities are far enough away from Houston to be nice communities and yet close enough to Bayou Rifles and the Gulf Coast for fishing to be an ideal location!

 

[GlockamoleTX]

Georgetown, TX We stay out of Austin for the most part. No need to be there.

 

[Papa Charlie]

check your land taxes where ever you go, my house is locked because of MY AGE, shop no. I'm staying,,just beware of BETO,,

At what age do they lock the rate and what happens if the value goes down? Do they take the value at a specific age and hold it or discount it at that point? Also is this only for your county or statewide?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I know when i lived in texas i was begging for a state income tax for relief from the other astronomical taxes. I know its not as bad as other states but like a drivers license was like 5x higher than arkansas and the school tax and junk on my house was well over 4x higher for a smaller spread. They always get you somehow so dont let a no state income tax draw you in because its a trap! Texas is by far the greatest state to be in. Im a texan 100%

 

[Medic505]

a drivers license was like 5x higher than arkansas

It doesn't cost all that much to pilot a mule.....

 

[JackT]

I am looking to move to the Texas Hill Country, got some acreage outside San Marcos but looking to go further west because of the I -10 corridor traffic. Things to consider about the Houston area is air quality, humidity, and traffic. The mix of all three of these in the 6 months of summer can put a damper on anything outdoors.

 

[Medic505]

Things to consider about the Houston area is air quality, humidity, and traffic

You left out fire ants, hurricanes, flooding and illegal aliens.

 

[Chris Covell]

I like central Texas, San Antonio area the best. I would move to El Paso or west Texas because I love the desert the best.

 

[squint-n-squeeze]

You left out fire ants, hurricanes, flooding and illegal aliens.

You mean pets, the summer breeze, and friends you have not yet met?

 

[MikeMcCasland]

I am looking to move to the Texas Hill Country, got some acreage outside San Marcos but looking to go further west because of the I -10 corridor traffic. Things to consider about the Houston area is air quality, humidity, and traffic. The mix of all three of these in the 6 months of summer can put a damper on anything outdoors.

Nailed on Houston. I'd rather be in an MRAP driving in Baghdad circa 2007 than deal with those insane Houston drivers; I'm a moderately aggressive driver, and those folks out-crazy me by orders of magnitude. It's hot everywhere down here, but the Houston area just seems to be 20% higher humidity than the rest of the state, with a heaping helping of sulfur smell added in.

Although it'd be 2-4 hour drive to most F-Class shoots, you can really get a lot of house, and live in beautiful parts of the Hill Country if you look towards Liberty Hill, Jonestown, Georgetown, or somewhere on the north 183 corridor. Property values are going to go through the roof there in the next 20-30 years. Don't let "Austin" scare you; you can live within proximity to it, and not be exposed to the weirdos.


OP - As far as your question about ranges out near the DFW area, there's a 2000 yard mile steel range out there that's pretty good. Lots of ranges with shorter distances in that area too, but not many F-Class comps to my knowledge.

https://www.triplecrange.com/

 

[243Mendoza]

http://www.city-data.com/

Resource to do some research.

 

[L1986]

I would suggest taking a look at Oklahoma...Both Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas are a fairly easy day drive to the DFW area and like previous poster said there are ranges in both. Your money will go further, a lot further, anywhere in Oklahoma when buying property and the taxes will be substantially less. Texas does have the no state income tax going for them but that’s not as much help in retirement. When it comes to the political side of things I’m not sure about Texas, I obviously don’t live there. But I do believe Texas will lean left long befor it’s northern neighbor will. It’s truly sad but when you have places like Austin growing the way they are it’s pretty simple math to see who will eventually have the majority. I hope Texas can hold on to it’s great heritage and common sense for a long time but I have my doubts.

 

[Texas10]

Texas has no state income tax, it's against their Constitution to have any statewide tax, so homeowners are on the hook for supporting the State and local Government, and they do it through property taxes. And although gasoline and electricity are fairly cheap here, they really don't make up for the tax bite you'll feel every year. What with property tax and homeowners insurance, December of every year costs me about $9,000 on my modest 2600 sq ft home.
The property tax bite effectively eliminates any appreciation in value you might see on an average yearly basis. So if you live here 10 years and your home appreciates by a whopping $100,000 (very atypical), you'd of already paid most of that in taxes. That's why Texas property does not suffer the huge swings in value periodically like other states see. For instance the huge property value collapse after 2008 seemed to bypass Texas entirely as people move here to live, not so much to invest in property.

Austin and the surrounding area have the highest property taxes in Texas, and that combined with the recent significant property value increases in the area are combining to force long time residents out of their homes. Some are selling everything and buying a motorhome to live in, waiting out the recent market swing causing home prices and taxes to soar.

If you can afford it, you might buy a few acres in a rural area, put a few goats on it for the agricultural exemption on property taxes, and build a small house.

 

[Medic505]

We also have a sales tax of 8 to 9 % depending on where you live. No state income tax is great, but we still take it in the shorts just like everybody else. Being a life long Texan and damn proud of that fact, it hurts me to agree with the poster above that suggested to take a look at Oklahoma. Or Arkansas or Missouri for that matter. Both states have active F Class ranges. If I were in your shoes I would seriously take a look at the Phoenix area. I would move out there right now, but it would be a rather long commute for my sponsor,,,eerrrr little wife. Maybe one of these days.

 

[Papa Charlie]

Thanks for the information guys. I have noticed that the property taxes vary widely depending on where you look in Texas. Not surprising. The more services the more they have to collect to pay for those services. Just like the larger the city the more the cost because not only are paying for services but you are paying for those that can't or won't support themselves and cities seem to breed socialist thinking politicians.

 

[rckendall]

TEXAS, I would move there but for objections from the other half. There is no income tax a big plus. The state is so big that you can live in dry/arid to hot humid climates. Land/home taxes including school vary widely across the state. Find a location you might like and contact the county courthouse to peruse local taxes. My suggestion is to research and go for it.

perry42

I've Lived in Tyler for six moths once, and have been to Dallas area and San Antonio a few times. What area do you consider dry/arid? I love the state for many reasons other than heat and humidity.

Richard