Please consider Tyler and the areas around.Come over for a visit.This is a beautiful place with lakes for recreation and an outstanding medical community which draws many retired persons.

Forget Galveston. If my property values go any higher I'll be a millionare, living in the street cause I can't afford the taxes and insurance.
Good luck in your search. Be sure and check out the soil before you move.
Tally HO!

I really think it is getting like that almost anywhere you go, Tally. We looked in the East Texas (Athens, Tyler, Palestine) area a couple of years back, but were not ready to make a move. Went want recently and could not believe the prices now as compared to then. We are still okay taxwise, but they are building everywhere around us, and we will not be in the country much longer.

I am not a pro! However, the housing bubble just started bursting in all the super-inflated parts of the country.(When I left CA I sold my house I'd lived in for 4 years for 3x's what I paid for it.) The selling price for that house is now dropping. I believe that trend will work it's way toward the center of the country here really soon. I'd hold off awhile if possible and see what's happening to the market. You might save yourself some serious money.PJ

I know how ya feel, I've been wanting out of this area but not sure where we would go. LOL Beachplant I did look up Galveston cause DH loves the beach and I would be happy gardening there, Well, all it came up with was millon dollar homes HAHAHA like everyone has money like that.
I'm happy with simple thing's only reqiurement I have if we ever move is to have a huge wrap around porch, heck I might just live on the porch and forget the rest of the house. When we drive around I gaze at the big porches wishing I had one. BTW mines one of those on most homes built in the 80's about 4 foot wide and 3 feet long.
I talked to a lady that lives in Haslet, she had bought her home five years ago it's now worth three times what she purchased it for then.
This area is booming :( .......I loved this area till all the stores came in and more houses going up.
Might have to find me and DH an island of our own :) HAHA Don't I wish.

Native Houstonian, here, who moved to Bastrop a little over a year ago. Now, I canÂt imagine living anywhere else. The people here are just so nice, and the area is beautiful.

Although I have been here only 14 months, I have been a Bastropian for just over two years. I bought my place, and was fixing it up when we came up for the Christmas festival in Â04. There was a home tour, arts and crafts booths, and finally a parade down Main Street that evening.

As I was watching the parade, I turned to my GF and exclaimed, "IÂm home!" I had not yet moved at that point, but I already knew I was 'home'.

I just love Bastrop!

Thanks for the suggestions and warnings!

Thursday I took a drive. S of Ft Worth And found it!!!

Bosque County!! Yep.. that's where I'm going to concentrate my search. (at least for now) I've never been down there, and had no idea terrain like that was so close.

In the mean time, I have motivation to get the things done around here that need doing to make this happen.

Here's a picture of what I want to see out my window...down there I can get it.

{{gwi:1315000}}

melvalena, I used to date a lady from Clifton, and I spent a good deal of time there. If you want a sleepy little town, Clifton would fit the bill. In fact, most of the towns around there (Bosque Co) are somewhere between sleepy and asleep.

Clifton is only 35 minutes away from Waco, but I donÂt know if yÂall want to have to deal with those wild and crazy Baylor students!

That is pretty....Hill country is very pretty too if your able to move that far.

My best-est friend lives in Waco. Her job takes her out in the country down dirt roads in the surrounding counties, she also likes Clifton. But Meridian is her first choice.

I ran into an old friend last night and found out he has a small weekend home in Morgan.
A client of hubby's is building down there as well. Hubby is now interested enough to actually ask me to show him on a map where these places are!

He's been thinking 10 to 15 years in the future..I'm thinking more like 2...it will end up being about 5 I think.

But before I settle on that area, I'm going to take a drive out towards Glen Rose/Grandbury and look around. I haven't been out there either. It may be further than I want to move though.

Do yÂall play golf? ThereÂs a nice little course between Clifton and Meridian just off the highway on the other side of the river from the main highway. ItÂs especially nice if you drink beer because you come back to the clubhouse after every three holes.

LOL... we drink beer but don't play golf. You think they'd let us just come and drink the beer? do you think they'd make us walk around the course first?

Melvalena,
We moved to Granbury this past summer, it is really nice here IMO! We live a bit outside of town and the wildlife is spectaclular. I see deer almost every morning as I leave for work. It is far if you have to commute to the north of Dallas...I commute 88 miles to Plano and that is getting old now. I think I met you last spring at the LISDOLA swap.

Pam

Yes Pam!! We did meet. You gave me a hardy hibiscus that performed wonderfully.

Hubby just read your post over my shoulder. He said: "man, I'd love to see deer every morning, that's what I want" ...then he read further...

He's astonished that you drive that much every day! He'd never do that.

His office is close to DFW airport, so that's a bit closer for him but still not a drive he'd be willing to make everyday.

Melvalena, I play golf, but I donÂt drink beer, so maybe we could work something out.

I thought about yÂall yesterday afternoon. GF and I went to Houston to get the last of MomÂs belongings for her move to Austin. I was on the very high exit ramp going from the West Belt to I-10, an area that is really torn up with construction.

They had already poured a row of really tall concrete columns for a future overpass, their surrealistic appearance reminding me of a modern day Stonehenge, and I asked Michelle if she had any doubts as to why we left Houston for Bastrop.

The congestion didnÂt bother me in the least because I knew that was probably the last time I would have to fight Houston traffic. That thought made the entire trip to Bastrop an especially pleasant one.

BTW, as I write this, I am awaiting my morning "greeting committee". Every day about this time, a group of 4 does come up near the driveway and begin stomping for me to go out and feed them some deer corn. I have had as many as 18 deer feeding at one time.

There is a particularly handsome 9-point buck that makes an occasional appearance, and I cheer every time I see him because he has not been "relocated" to someoneÂs freezer.

Ooops! There they are. I gotta go do my duty!

Join the club. Texas may not be too hard, as the housing market here is one of the best in the country.

For me, I am trying to return to the mountains, only to find the cost totally prohibitive. Haven't found a satisfactory solution, as yet.

Believe it or not, DFW is still one of the lowest priced housing markets, in the entire country.

On the other hand, taxes are 2-3 times other places, where the housing is a lot more expensive.

WOW, I really need to get on the ball and get our current house ready. Though, I think hubby is thinking about this some and wants to keep this one (fixed up the way we want it) and get the place out yonder sometime in the next few years.

At least he's on board now, and motivated. I've printed out that picture and put it up on the fridge to keep him (us) on track.

You people who keep posting about your wildlife really helps a lot!

Rick, I hope something happens to help you work out getting what you're after.

Well, we just eliminated the next to last option. If the other one won't work, guess we will just stay where we are. Doesn't make sense to pay to move a 1000 miles, pay more for a house that is way smaller, and pay higher interest to boot, right at the time when you plan to spend way more time at home.

but, if its what you want and you are able to pay for it..why wouldn't you it? (unless it breaks you..and you lose everything)

Why pay for something that isn't exactly what you want, unless of course its something you are equally happy with.
I know there are lots of factors to consider in these kinds of decisions, bottom line cost is just one of 'em.

Most people are happier when paying more for something they want then paying less and being frustrated/miserable making do with the cheaper option.

:)

We moved to Granbury from Phx AZ 9 years ago. WE LOVE GRANBURY. Unfortuately so do a LOT of others. The town is growing way too fast.
We live on the lake and I wake up to ducks, herons, splashing fish.....no deer. The sunsets out here are beautiful every night. My neighborhood is very cozy, about 1 1/2 miles in, at the end of a narrow road. No one comes back here unless they belong back here.
We worry about getting taxed out. Our house is probably in the $350,000 + range and our taxes are almost $7,000 a year and our homeowners with extra liability ins runs another $2,000. Living on the lake, you need a boat, jet skis & other water toys & ins on them....more $$$. Lots of summer company to feed too! We love it.......

bev, Hubby has always said he wants a house on a lake. But after really thinking about, he's decided maybe not.. unless its a private lake, HIS OWN PRIVATE LAKE. so I'm pretty sure that isn't going to happen anytime soon.

I'm glad to hear you are happy with your place. You're right though.. lots of extras to pay for when you're lake living.

Melvalena

Bev, your house is wonderful! Lovely view all around. The only reason I wouldn't want to live as close as you do to the water would be my kids. I'd constantly be terrified they'd end up at the bottom of the lake! If I didn't have munchkins I'd move there in a second.PJ

Thank you PJ
I grew up living on lakes in MN. After a few beatings I learned not to go down to the shore without an adult at a very young age. My oldest daughter was smarter than me, only one beating from the lake all the way to her room...and I did beat her. She never went to the shore without an adult.She's 37 now and still remembers that. Only time I ever lost "it" with her...I was so scared.
The younger kids still wear life jackets when they play in the water here and the kids have to stay away from the water if they are alone. We do a buddy system. There are usually plenty of adults around if the kids are here. We live on/in the water most the summer. All my kids & grandkids are 1/2 fish!
My neighbors treat my kids & grandkids like their own and watch when the kids are in or near the water too. I'm fortunate to have wonderful neighbors.
Malvalena.......On the weekends the lake is busy, but during the week its just a few boaters & fishing folk. That's when we like it best. Although on weekends I enjoy watching the skiers & kids on water toys having fun.
We also have a paddleboat and it's so peaceful at night to paddle along the shoreline listening to the lake critters.