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Austin or San Francisco?

Austin or San Francisco?

Old Mar 6th 2015, 4:23 am
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Unhappy Austin or San Francisco?

Help!

We've been in Sydney for nearly three years. Hubby's work have suggested we move to San Francisco. I just got my head around the possibility of this (by reading lots of helpful posts on here) and then he phoned yesterday and said, 'Would you consider Austin, Texas?'

My head is all over the place. We have three kids, ages 11, 10 and 7. High school applications are pressing.

I have no great desire to stay in Australia. I have applied for hundreds of high school teaching jobs, but the huge glut of teachers in Sydney means that along with Visa restrictions, I'm bottom of a very large pile. So while we're here in Aus, my career is super-stalled.

How have people found getting work in the US? I believe the hubster will be on an L1 Visa (which makes me an L2?) so the state of the job market really just applies to me. Any high school teachers out there?
I'm trying to figure out if Austin or SF are a better bet for me and jobs, or whether indeed, neither...

Anyone any experience of schools in either SF or Austin? I don't know where to even start looking in Austin, but around SF the areas we have been looking at are Pacifica, San Mateo, Redwood City, Almeda and Oakland. We don't fancy living in SF City proper (and I believe schools are on a lottery system for kids).

Ooh, and are the Great Schools grading of 1-10 a pretty robust guide for selecting/looking at schools, or should we be taking it with a pinch of salt?

Living costs look a lot cheaper in Austin - but not sure about the heat. SF is surrounded by mountains and ocean. We like an outdoor lifestyle - what do people get up to in Austin, if that's not a leading question.

Just help. If anyone has any advice or experiences of either place, please send it my way.

Not even sure where to start...
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 10:33 am
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Default Re: Austin or San Francisco?

I'd say first and foremost, how much will your husband be paid (assume you won't get a job any time soon, and teacher pay is embarrassingly bad anyway)? If he isn't going to get at least $200k then forget SF, the cost of living there is insane!
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 11:35 am
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Default Re: Austin or San Francisco?

"The coldest winter I ever saw was the summer I spent in San Francisco."

Widely attributed to W.C. Fields, but also attributed to Mark Twain
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 11:49 am
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Default Re: Austin or San Francisco?

Thanks so much for replying.

$180 plus negotiable. They want us in the US I think. Their current thinking is that Austin is a cheaper bet for them (and us),

Teacher salary THAT bad? Urgh.
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 12:25 pm
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Default Re: Austin or San Francisco?

$180K is what people make over there nowadays?
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 12:38 pm
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Default Re: Austin or San Francisco?

Originally Posted by amideislas
$180K is what people make over there nowadays?
Crazy money Don't know what you'd get out after tax, but I'm sure it's still plenty.
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 12:39 pm
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Default Re: Austin or San Francisco?

Originally Posted by amideislas
$180K is what people make over there nowadays?
Not me.
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 12:49 pm
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Lightbulb Re: Austin or San Francisco?

I haven't lived in either cities but I do know that housing costs in San Fran are insane. It's certainly a beautiful city but perhaps best to just go there for holidays?

AFAIK, Austin is probably one of the best places (if not the best) for expats relocating to Texas as it's more liberal with a great arts and cultural scene and not as 'in-your-face' church going types. I think that someone who posts on the boards here lives in Austin, so keep checking in here! Housing costs are much cheaper than SF and you will probably find better schooling options as it's a big college/university city.

Here are some links to help you with your research:

San Francisco - Oakland Forum - Relocation, Moving, General and Local City Discussions - City-Data Forum

San Francisco, California (CA) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders (profile)

Austin Forum - Relocation, Moving, General and Local City Discussions - City-Data Forum

Austin, Texas (TX) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders (profile)
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 2:29 pm
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Default Re: Austin or San Francisco?

Originally Posted by headspin
- what do people get up to in Austin, if that's not a leading question....
Never been there but hear a lot about it every year because my favorite LA radio station (KCRW) sends several DJs and reporters to cover their SXSW Music and Film festivals.

It takes place in March over the course of a week or so. Sounds like a blast.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_by_Southwest
Home | South by Southwest 2015 Music, Film and Interactive Festivals - Austin Texas

ps: Serendipity(?): Apparently there's also an Educational element (whatever that means) to the festival:

http://sxswedu.com/about
and....


Last edited by MMcD; Mar 6th 2015 at 2:40 pm. Reason: added links
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 2:44 pm
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Default Re: Austin or San Francisco?

I would go for Austin. Schools are good, the weather apart from June- mid September is generally good and housing isn't too expensive. Small city with plenty of expats.
Do have you have children of your own. Do you speak Spanish, that would be helpful in getting a teaching job? Which subject do you teach.
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 3:31 pm
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Default Re: Austin or San Francisco?

We live in Mountain View, the heart of Silicon Valley and around an hour south of SF.

We love living here, the weather is perfect, there is tons to do, the schools are good, it's clean and safe, there's plenty of work... The list goes on and on.

However, it is crazy expensive. We would love to be able to buy our own home now we have our Green Cards, but we're looking at around $1.4m for a 2000 sq. ft. house with a bit of garden, raising the 20% deposit on that is tough. My daughter is nearly 13 and very happy in school and on her sports team, moving her again so we can buy a house isn't an option (she went to 4 different elementary schools), so we're kind of stuck until she finishes school.

So would I chose SF or Austin? For all I love about living here, I'd probably chose Austin.
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 3:39 pm
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Default Re: Austin or San Francisco?

Originally Posted by Moses2013
Crazy money Don't know what you'd get out after tax, but I'm sure it's still plenty.
Would pretty much qualify as "despicably wealthy" around here, and certainly wouldn't serve you well to let anyone know about it. Hacienda would be licking their chops.

But there's always a way around it. A qualified accountant, a nice little 2br flat to "live" in, a 2008 VW Golf to drive, and then a lovely 5 br house with a pool and a chunk of land in your non-resident elderly mother's name that she "rents" to your kids for some small amount that barely covers the mortgage...
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 3:46 pm
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Default Re: Austin or San Francisco?

Originally Posted by MMcD
Never been there but hear a lot about it every year because my favorite LA radio station (KCRW) sends several DJs and reporters to cover their SXSW Music and Film festivals.

It takes place in March over the course of a week or so. Sounds like a blast.

South by Southwest - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Home | South by Southwest 2015 Music, Film and Interactive Festivals - Austin Texas
Austin has an excellent music scene!

Our family lived in TX decades ago, & spent some fun times at another relaxed, family-friendly music festival in Austin. This one was largely a Bluegrass Festival, with some lovely acoustic music happening on small outdoor stages and lots of little children in the audience dancing on the grass.

I think the festival we went to has now become this one (I recognize a few of the artists):

All About Old Settler’s | Old Settler's Music Festival
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 5:57 pm
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Default Re: Austin or San Francisco?

Originally Posted by N1cky
We live in Mountain View, the heart of Silicon Valley and around an hour south of SF.

We love living here, the weather is perfect, there is tons to do, the schools are good, it's clean and safe, there's plenty of work... The list goes on and on.

However, it is crazy expensive. We would love to be able to buy our own home now we have our Green Cards, but we're looking at around $1.4m for a 2000 sq. ft. house with a bit of garden, raising the 20% deposit on that is tough. My daughter is nearly 13 and very happy in school and on her sports team, moving her again so we can buy a house isn't an option (she went to 4 different elementary schools), so we're kind of stuck until she finishes school.

So would I chose SF or Austin? For all I love about living here, I'd probably chose Austin.
Where would you buy? As great as it is, I find it crazy that people on high salaries eventually end up poor over there, because of house prices. Wouldn't it be better to invest in a mobile home (bigger than most apartments:-), save the huge salary for a year or two and go to another nice place mortgage free and not get stressed.
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Old Mar 6th 2015, 6:38 pm
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Default Re: Austin or San Francisco?

Originally Posted by Moses2013
Where would you buy? As great as it is, I find it crazy that people on high salaries eventually end up poor over there, because of house prices. Wouldn't it be better to invest in a mobile home (bigger than most apartments:-), save the huge salary for a year or two and go to another nice place mortgage free and not get stressed.
Our rent is already what we would pay for a mortgage, and we don't get any tax breaks, so are actually worse off. Our daughter is only 12, so we have a good few years of school left yet. After renting for the last 7 years, I don't want to continue to do so. And call me a snob if you like, but I wouldn't buy a mobile home.
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