MONTANA TO TEXAS - a possible move

[def90]

Now or never, you can always move back.

 

[Reburn]

Texas is full.

Try Colorado they will take you.

 

[BuckSmasher]

Hey, folks!

My wife and I are heavily considering the possibility of moving our young family of five from Montana down to east Texas. I know, polar opposites, and yuck, BUT there is reason.

A large reason is that due to medical reasons I am not able to do much in the winter here anymore, we don’t own snowmobiles, we don’t ski, and our three kids are all under four years of age - we get outside a ton but winter is pretty bleak for us. Usually 5-6 months of weathering it out inside. (Northwest Montana). I am versed with the humidity and heat in east texas

We also recently just purchased a house for nearly a half a million dollars but that in the market where we are is a barely livable house in the middle of town that we are having to spend money on just to like it. Our mortgage WITH good credit is 3400 a month! We are finding it is almost pointless to pay for a house we barely like, and the market isn’t any better anywhere else here. I could buy a new house on acreage in Texas for 250-300k.

Another large draw is that the entirety of my family lives there, the only exception being my parents who moved us to Montana when I was a baby.

It is a very hard decision given my love for chasing critters here and mountains, but we are 27 years old and feel the urge to at least try.

This may be an inappropriate place to even ask for guidance, but know there is a lot of wise folks in these forums! Thank you!

Have you replied to this thread? Still considering the move? I am an 8th generation Texan and some of these comments are WAY off. My family came in 1821 to San Augustine County. Some are spot on, especially about the heat. After being gone for almost 5 years here is what I miss:

-The food. Texas in general and Houston Metro area specifically has the best food, and the best variety of ethnic food in the world. Big statement but I have traveled more than most and can absolutely defend this.
- Hog hunting. I love to hunt pigs. Hog hunting is the only big game hunting I have ever been on where you can realistically expect to shoot 3-5 pigs on a weekend outing. Its like big game hunting and upland bird hunting melded into one. Tons of fun.
-Saltwater. Saltwater is fun to fish in, boat on, visit and sight see on. I really miss our saltwater boat.
-Real Texas culture. Not some yankee transplant or west coast refugee but real Texan. The humor and wit of real Texans is lacking elsewhere in the country. Hard to describe but it is the kinda thing where everyone is given a nickname and they only give you a hard time if they like you.
-The sights and sounds of an East Texas pine forest on a cool fall day. The East Texas national forests with a burned understory, pine uplands, and bottomland hardwoods are a real cool thing to experience if you are into nature. Very biodiverse and way more birds, insects and plant species than we have up north.

What I do not miss:

-The scarcity of public land. I have had some really good experience on Texas public land but doesn't compare to the amount out west.
-Heat. Its not just the daily high in the summer. Its how LONG it is hot for. The day we left Tyler, Oct 23, 2020 it was 87 degrees. Over 80 well into the night sweat dripping off my shirt as I loaded the uhaul. At night, at the end of October.
-Crowds. The Houston Metro area has MORE people than Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming combined.
-Red imported fire ants. Fire ant control, and fire ant poison commercials and ads are a big deal down there. fire ants are awful.

Where in East Texas are you thinking about going?