I’m not a native Texan. I grew up in Pennsylvania in a little town about an hour from Pittsburgh, where the cold is REAL.
Sure, the snow is beautiful, but the way my fingers and toes would freeze on zero-degree blizzard days wasn’t. 🥶
In 2012, I moved away from PA and headed for Missouri to meet my soon-to-be life partner, Josh McCoy.
It was the beginning of everything. We ended up joining forces, and he became the CTO of my writing business, Express Writers.
Eventually, we realized we could live anywhere in the country, thanks to the freedom of owning and running a digital writing agency.
We jumped on the opportunity and started researching states that ticked a few boxes: 1) ones that taxed us less so we could pour more resources into our business and the economy, and 2) ones with warm weather, outdoor amazing-ness, great food, and plenty of parks to give us the life we dreamed of.
Spoiler: We chose Texas…
And now Texas has my ♥.
That’s why I’m here right now, compiling this list of what to know before moving to Texas.
My family and I have found everything we want in the Lone Star State. And now I want to share with you why I love Texas, why it’s a great state for entrepreneurs, and why I think you’ll love it here, too.
(Plus one negative, because I have to keep it real. 💯)
So, whether you’re thinking of moving to Texas, whether you’re a digital nomad free to live anywhere, or just need an excuse to head south and visit (once this pesky pandemic is behind us, of course) –
This is the blog for you. ➡
What to Know Before Moving to Texas: The Full Video
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Keep scrolling for the blog recap!
Recap: What to Know Before Moving to Texas: 4 Reasons I Love Texas (+ 1 Negative!)
Like I said, my husband and I moved to Texas in 2013. We moved from Missouri aaaaall the way to Corpus Christi and lived a few miles from the ocean. Then we moved to Austin, Texas, in 2014. In 2015 we moved to Round Rock, and last year we moved to Georgetown, Texas.
Needless to say, I have some experience with Texas living.
The good and the bad. (Mostly good.)
Texas, I love you. But there’s one thing we need to get out of the way before I can fully profess my deep devotion to this great state.
Two words: Cedar. Fever. 🤧
If you have allergies or are sensitive to pollen like me, this is one of the biggest negatives to take into account if you’re interested in living here.
Let’s get it over with and then dive back into everything to LOVE about Texas.
1 Negative: “Cedar Fever” is the WORST!
In case you didn’t know, Texas is full of mountain cedar trees, including species like the Ashe juniper.
Now, the pollen from this tree isn’t particularly allergenic in small quantities – say, if you have one or two trees growing nearby.
The problem is, central Texas is FULL of Ashe junipers, and they all release their pollen after a cold snap – right around December in Texas.
There’s so much pollen, it even creates problems for people WITHOUT allergies. So, you can imagine the havoc it wreaks on those of us who are sensitive.
Yes, that is actual cedar pollen you can SEE flying off that tree in clouds of evil. Just looking at this picture makes me want to sneeze.
My first few months living in Austin, I was sick for WEEKS. I had so much inflammation going on, I had THREE different infections set in – stomach, respiratory, and sinus – and my fever even reached 105 degrees.
Now, you might be okay if heavy, HEAVY tree pollen doesn’t affect you.
But, fair warning: This past January, cedar tree pollen hit its second-highest level on record. Beware, and be prepared from around late November to late February/early March.
It’s not all bad, though.
Here’s how I learned to cope with it.
FOOD was the biggest factor for me.
I cut out:
- 🥛 Dairy
- 🍭 Refined sugars/oils
- 🍟 Processed foods
Instead, I eat a whole food/real food diet, focusing on eating foods closest to their natural state. These foods support my health and wellness and keep my immune system strong. 💪
Besides food, I also rely on preventative holistic supplements for an extra boost.
2 Recommended Holistic Preventatives for “Cedar Fever” Season in Austin:
During allergy season, these supplements save my life. Taken with my healthy diet, these coping mechanisms keep me relatively sneeze-free throughout cedar fever season.
That means, as you read this, I’m doing good!
Now that the big C-word is out of the way, let’s get into the positives about moving to Texas, because they’re all GREAT.
Positive #1: Texas – Especially Georgetown – Is a Great Place to Raise a Family
Currently, our #1 favorite area in Texas is where we recently settled: Georgetown. ♥
It’s a great place to raise a family, and a great place for kids to grow up.
My daughter is in first grade and the public schools are wonderful. In particular, at our school, the curriculum is traditional – NOT common core, which we love.
This means our first-grader comes home with BOOKS to read and fills her mind and brain with excellent content while in school. On top of this, I’ve met all her teachers and love each one.
Of course, in this pandemic environment, all the kids and teachers wear masks to school, but in return my kid gets a great education, not to mention gets to socialize and see her friends.
I can’t recommend the schools and the communities here in Georgetown enough.
But it’s not just Georgetown. I’ve lived in a bunch of other Texas towns, and I can speak highly of those, too!
Positive #2: It’s Entrepreneurial-Friendly
A great thing not many people know about Texas is citizens have put in hard work to bring forward business-friendly legislature here. That fact, along with the lack of state income tax, makes Texas great for entrepreneurs.
When I talk about business-friendly laws, I mean legislature that isn’t overly complex or complicated. There aren’t hundreds of hoops to jump through to get your business up and running.
Great example: If you want to start a farm (or cottage food business) and sell food products out of your home, it’s simply a matter of completing a food safety course and getting labels. Citizens even set up a site to educate people wanting to start a home food business on relevant laws.
Complicated laws can kill progress, and I LOVE that Texas makes this easy so more people can contribute to strengthen the local economy and provide value to their friends and neighbors.
Positive #3: The Economy Here is BOOMING!
The economy is sizzling in Texas, and that includes the real estate market. If you want to move here, now is the time!
Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, certainly saw the opportunity. He moved here in December, and is building his newest auto factory just east of Austin, in Del Valle. 🤯 Having Tesla and SpaceX here will be CRAZY good for the economy.
Source: Yahoo! Finance
As for real estate, if you have the $$ to invest, chances are you’ll see great returns. Right now, an acre in Georgetown can easily go for $150k.
In 2020, after saving up for over five years, we got a beautiful house for $840K. It has acreage, no HOA, and – best of all – it’s out in the country and literally set in the hills (tough for internet access, but we made it happen). We raised our own chickens and we’re growing our own food.
It’s the dream.
If your dream looks anything similar, I recommend coming in with an $800K+ budget to get a new/spacious house with land. (And, keep in mind, this is on the low end.)
Looking for a realtor? (yay!) Ben Pham is a great one.
Positive #4: Nature, Hiking, & Exploring Are AMAZING Here
Did I mention? Texas is gloriously gorgeous, with miles and miles of natural landscapes to explore.
Texas Hill Country. Source: Backpacker
Georgetown particularly surprised me with its beauty. We live near Russell Park, which is on the west side of Georgetown, and that’s actually Texas Hill Country. It’s on the San Gabriel River. Simply put, this is one big reason to come out here.
We have a lake. We have over 40 parks and more than 30 hiking trails covering over a hundred miles that we are still exploring. Our whole family loves it. If you love nature and getting outdoors, I think you will too. 🌿
Are You Part of the “Texodus”?
Remember that list I mentioned earlier, the one my partner and I came up with – what we wanted out of where we live?
Texas ticks every single box. ✅
There are so many reasons to love this state – and I’ve only scratched the surface on what you need to know before moving to Texas.
Over to you – have you considered Texas as a place to live and work? Did you bite the bullet and move out here? Or are you a Texas native?
