#Fixin’toMovetoTexas AKA RELOCATION TO TEXAS FROM CALIFORNIA

Top 10 Reasons Californians are moving to Texas

  1. Lower Taxes: No Texas state income tax & lower sales taxes.
  2. Cheaper Housing: & more living space, with land, larger homes in TX, e.g., Zillow home value index shows typical home in CA is $775K vs similar home in TX is only $315K.
  3. Cost of Living. Food/Entertainment/Childcare/clothing/groceries/utilities/transportation, etc., are thousands cheaper than California, gas prices in TX average $1.60/gal cheaper than in CA.
  4. Great schools: K-12 to Colleges and Universities.
  5. Job Market. AT&T, AAL, Tesla, Apple, Google, Amazon, Dell, HP, IBM Oracle, Samsung, Toyota, etc.
  6. Traffic: Texas traffic isn’t nearly as bad it is in California.
  7. Diversity: Texas ranks second most diverse state in the USA.
  8. Climate: Northern TX cities average 200 sunny days/yr. Southern cities 290. Winters are mild.
  9. Politics: Overall TX is a conservative ‘red’ state, with more liberal populations in the major cities. Texas’ gov’t is more limited than CA making it easier to get business done.
  10. Friendly People. Strangers will approach you with a “Howdy, Y’all”!

Interstate Moving Checklist

  1. If you plan to buy a home in Texas, get a PreApproved letter from MercantileMortgage.com before you arrive and you’ll be able to negotiate a contract and have your new home waiting for your move-in. Remember, you’ll likely need to have a job in the city you’re moving to, OR a letter from your HR Dept saying you can work remotely.
  2. Do major research on the Texas city you’re moving to at www.NeighborhoodScout.com & www.GreatSchools.org, Google Maps, etc.
  3. Go Visit the city and neighborhoods before you decide.
  4. Ask your employer if they cover relocation expenses.
  5. Decide on whether you want a full-service moving company to pack, ship and unpack your stuff, (est $3K to $8,000), much cheaper if you rent a truck and do it yourself, or rent a PODS Portable container, and whether you transport your vehicles by driving, towing, or ship with an auto transport company. Top 10 Moving Companies https://bit.ly/XcountryMovers
  6. Insurance. Be sure your belongings are insured & confirm your moving co is licensed with TxDMV.
  7. Climate. Winters are MILD, but TX Summers are hot, so know what temps to expect when you plan your move.
  8. Allow for temporary expenses for food, hotels, utilities, storage, etc., during your move and while you’re getting settled into your new home.
  9. Once you get settled in TX, get a TX driver’s license, register your vehicle, locate your child’s new school.