Bomjeito

Agree. We are dreaming of our next posting. Houston didn't do much for us; we enjoy other places in the USA.

Houston isn't all high paying jobs and cheap food and accommodation, like people seem to think~~!!

We came for work reasons and counting the time until we leave.

Bink

I think there's a lot here to be honest. There aren't many cities where so much is so accessible. How many places can your kids swim 8 months a year outside? There's a lot that's accessible here, what do you think is missing?

It's kinda hard to argue that the houses aren't cheap here... Houses are cheap here. You can get an awful lot of house for your money here especially in the suburbs which have a lot to offer and the salaries here for oil are right up there with pretty much anywhere else.

If you embrace Houston, it has a lot to offer. It's also an excellent base to travel to other parts of the US from.

Bomjeito

Well, being from the US (and hubby from UK), $500k for a house on a measly 1/4 acre lot IS expensive for many average Americans. And if you buy inside the inner loop, a large house for a family of four (say 3500 to 4000 sq ft) is much higher than that!

We can live MUCH more reasonably in many other states (excepting many areas of California and of course NYC). Not all people want that 1 hour plus commute from the outer suburbs.

For us, the lack of mountains, climate and size is what we don't much like about Houston. (As the American, I've lived here before AND in Fort Worth, which I like much better....) So having lived in so many places as well, its not that we aren't able to find what a city may have to offer.... Houston isn't for everyone. We'll be better off elsewhere and are happy to have had the experience here, but we'll be happy when we decide on our next adventure!

Mileage may vary for EVERYONE. Just folks tend to think Houston is dirt cheap with an overabundance of extremely well paid jobs.

Bink

I'm sorry, I disagree with you. My commute generally takes me 25-30 mins and I paid considerably less than $500k for approx 1/3rd acre that's in the 3,500 - 4,000 sqft range. As a large city with thriving industry, Houston is cheap. Maybe not within all industries but in oil there are an abundance of jobs that are very well paid.

Mr Weeze

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Househo..._United_States

Houston is well paid, relative to other areas in the USA.

We pay new grads (21 year olds) in excess of $100,000 base salary.

To me, Houston shines a spotlight on the polar ends of society that is reflective of the USA as a whole. You've got River Oaks with $10 million+ mansions and in about 5 miles you can buy a 4 bedroom house for $50,000.

http://search.har.com/engine/10846-F...AR33652644.htm

scrubbedexpat097

Suexpat

I can't see why the above are all good posts. Just because a few of us are not in love with Houston doesn't mean we are wrong, we just have a different opinion from the 3 of you. Yes houses are cheap here but the quality is nothing like other countries so I would rather have a smaller house and better built. Also I am not worried if my children can swim in my own pool for 8 months a year. I am sure that many people could write a long list as too how great they think Houston is but there is also a lot of people who could write a long list about the downside.

After all this is a forum for all our views good and bad.

Bink

You're perfectly entitled to your opinion and this is an open forum but explanation goes a long way to help others understand if they'd like it here. So far you've just said it sucks which doesn't really help anyone.

hoffage123

Mr. Weeze, what industry is this for - $100K is a lot of money, wow.

Mr Weeze

Oil and gas.

tommy.stewart27

I am moving to houston with my work and they the are doing all the visa for myself and my famly ( wife and 2 kids).
Am just looking for some information on what tax you pay on your wages and house tax?How do you go about buying a property?

Mr Weeze

Do you plan on buying or renting? Getting a mortgage with no credit is hard, but not impossible. If you rent you don't pay property tax, the landlord does.

Bink

Taxes here are complicated. There isn't a one answer fits all solution. There are so many things that affect how much you pay, it's unbelievable.

As an example, I only paid tax on 70% of my income last year due to various deductions, exemptions etc etc. So the difference between my gross income and what is called my Adjusted Gross Income was 30%. This year the reduction won't be so high so I can't just go off last year's numbers even though my income level will be very similar and the tax brackets haven't really changed. This varies by circumstance; income level, marital situation, children, childcare expenses, whether or not you own a home (mortgage interest and property tax), sales tax write offs (if you buy a car for example), student loan interest, the list goes on... It's not like the UK where the tax withholding gets adjusted throughout the year, you tell your company how much you want to withhold and at the end of the year either the IRS owes you, or you owe them.

As for property tax - you only pay this (directly) if you own a property. This varies by location but in Houston can be anywhere from 2% - 3.8% of assessed property value per year. Generally the newer neighborhoods and those with good schools have higher property tax rates.

tommy.stewart27

We will be selling our house in the UK and looking to buy in katy

rebs

Think very carefully about buying property until/unless you have got green cards.

Without that permanent residency, if something were to happen to your employment you were have to repatriate to the UK promptly... that's not always easy to do if you have property to offload.