Should I move?

[ctopher]

hello
I am looking into the possibility of moving my family to Fort Worth/Dallas area. I am from So Cal. I can sell my home and pay cash for one there. I am looking for a job there in mech engineering. We want out of CA because of expense, crowds, etc. My question is, is FortWorth/Dallas a good area to move to for family/jobs? Or should I stick it out and see what happens with CA? I have a good job, but no room for advancement and no raises for 2 yrs.

 

[TheTick]

I don't know what the job market is like in TX, but I can definitely see why you want out of CA.

I was in San Jose for two years doing contract MCAD design. I came from Wisconsin, where I lived most of my life.

When I announced that I was leaving CA to go back to WI, something strange happened. Many of the people I worked with who had migrated from the Midwest 10-20 years before came to congratulate me on getting out of California. Most said that they wished they hadn't raised their children there.

All this machinery making modern music can still be open-hearted.

 

[ctopher]

thanks Tick,
I've heard the same thing from others also.
I love using SolidWorks, but most jobs in FW area use AutoCAD...yuk! I am thinking of starting a side job, if I move, doing SW mech design.

 

[buzzp]

Hmmm. Seems the crowds are just about as bad in Ft Worth. But it has to be better than CA. There are plenty of opportunities there. I live in and around the Rocky Mountain states and we see thousands of Californians selling there and coming here and paying cash for a house based on a little equity in the house they had in CA. You can get a 2000sq foot house (I consider average) for anywhere from $100k-150k. If you really want to live in a remote area, then this could be cut in half.

 

[Baldor]

Being a Houstonian, I have a natural dislike of Dallas(J/K!)
I've read a few things here and there positive about the state as a whole, but go to this site and explore for a while. I use the LMI tracer info as a source to justify raises for my guys. Oh, and there's no state income tax!

http://www.twc.state.tx.us/

 

[ctopher]

Thanks for the link.
What is the dislike of FW/Dallas?

 

[Baldor]

Oh, it's just a friendly rivalry thing. When friends of mine from there say or do something stupid, I'll say something like; "knock it off! Your Dallas is showing! People will know!!!"
The mud gets slung both ways, of course.

 

[rhodie]

The best thing about DFW is that you are only 120 miles away from the best college football team in the world.

 

[Binary]

Rhodie, mapquest shows Dallas to be 1,400 miles from Miami...

 

[MintJulep]

My sister and brother-in-law moved to Dallas for a few years, hated it, moved to the NorthEast for a few years, then moved back to Dallas. They still hate Dallas and are considering moving away again.

The summer climate is extremely hot and humid. Pollution is bad. Traffic is bad.

There is a reason it is cheap to live there.

 

[electricpete]

I live near Houston. I believe that one grows accustomed to the heat. I think maybe the salaries are high compared to cost of living which for us meant we could get a bigger house with a pool. Our area seems like a good family location. Our oldest child is involved raising rabbits with 4H which is one of the types of things that you don't see on the coasts.

Two things I don't like about Texas:
1 - It is a very long way between cities. You are mostly stuck in d/fw. Outside of there you will find miles and miles of nothing.
2 - The terrain is just not as scenic as other parts of the countries. Fewer hills, fewer rolling rivers and streams, etc.

 

[ctopher]

thanks everyone....you are all alot of help.
I looked at Houston, but was told to stay away.
I have only been to El Paso. Would not live there.
I will be looking at other cities in surrounding states also.

 

[TheTick]

Sounds like you aim to stick to the Sun Belt. I get calls now and then from recruiters in Georgia.

Me, I like the long winters. Helps keep out the riffraff

All this machinery making modern music can still be open-hearted.

 

[ctopher]

I had a fellow engineer quit here and go to Georgia. He was there a year and did not like it. He came back to CA.
I would like to go somewhere that has all four seasons. Not too cold or too hot.

 

[Baldor]

CTO,

just out of couriosity, why were you told to stay away from Houston? Like all cities, it's got it's faults, but there's a lot of good things too.

 

[ctopher]

I heard of very bad humidity, and stinky from the gulf.
I have never been there, but find a lot of jobs on the net.

 

[MintJulep]

I was in-line for a transfer to Houston a few years ago, but it didn't come through.

Like Dallas, the summer weather is unbearably hot and humid, plus Houston gets the occasional hurricane. Traffic bad, pollution bad.

In my opinion Houston is nicer than Dallas from a things to do and see standpoint, but I guess that depends on the types of things you like to do and see.

You could likely sell your house in So. Cal and buy a palace in Houston for cash and have plenty left over to buy a nice comfy car with good air conditioning. You will appreciate the comfy car while stuck in traffic.

 

[TheTick]

There's always NC. That's another spot recruiters seem hot for warm bodies.

All this machinery making modern music can still be open-hearted.

 

[electricpete]

Sort of seems like a silly thing to argue about, but you're talking about my home.

I live within an hour of Houston. My town is great small little town with mall and plenty of shopping and civilization. We zip into houston and Galveston on weekends from time to time. In 10 years living here I think I have been stuck in traffic maybe 10 times. Just requires a little planning to avoid the rush-hours ans snarls. Not much different than any big city I thought. I lived previously in Washington DC and I thought traffic there was a lot worse, especially in the suburbs of Washington DC compared to suburbs of Houston. So traffic is not necessarily a strike againt Houston in my book... depends where you live and work.

 

[melone]

Having driven in both Chicago and Texas (San Antonio and Austin), Texas driving is a breeze!