NFR - Retire in Texas ?

SHAFT · Post by **SHAFT** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 8:40 pm

Hope you guys don't mind this post here , Thinking about retirement , it's not that far off . We have a home on Clear Lake which is for our retirement but after looking around on the internet and seeing what you can get in Texas that has become an option . We defiantly want to live on the water on a lake for bass fishing and boating and some of the Texas lakes look good , we want to look at Lake Fork , Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend . The other big concern would be the weather we like warm and no snow which is what we like about Clear Lake , does anyone have any options about These lakes , the Texas weather , or relocating in general , are there other lakes to consider ? Thanks

mac (Doyle McEwen) · Post by **mac (Doyle McEwen)** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:02 pm

There is a chance you would see snow at any one of those lakes, although I doubt it would ever be very much..It is definitely warmer there in the summer and most of the time colder in the winter..As a matter of fact any of the named lakes would be a very good choice for retirement..

mac

Dom · Post by **Dom** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:06 pm

I am from Texas The DFW area and Wise county area my family still lives there I can tell ya about weather Texas has all four seasons when its cold its cold unlike california where you have to buddle up in the morning and need shorts by the afternoon. As for summer its HOT! I mean HOT!

The hummidity is high out there in the summer Thunderstorms are common as are tornados another thing thats bad about texas weather is the BLACK ICE in the winter it can get ya quick. If you can deal with all that then you could own a MANSION for what your clear lake pad is worth here.

The cost of living is 40% cheaper and you will hear people say the wages are lower but they are not I could make more down there then I do out here in my proffession. I love Texas but i love the California weather also and the bass fishing aint to shabby out here either

optichamp · Post by **optichamp** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:32 pm

yup, I grew up in Texas as well, lived in the Dallas area for 12 years before moving to CA in 94. Lake Fork is a legendary lake there, producing the state record of 18+ pounds. It's not far from Dallas, if you must visit the big city. Sam Raybourn is not far from Houston.

No state income tax, but property taxes can get silly at times. Far cheaper housing, but also a lot harder to turn a profit on a house. Much more conservative government. I wouldn't mind living there again, myself.

TopCat · Post by **TopCat** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 10:16 pm

Lake Fork is beyond awesome!

The entire area as well seems very livable. Snow? Well i doubt it, winter in TX is possibly a two month ordeal of High 30's for lows.

There is also a lake directly East of Lf, sorry don't remember the name of it, but it's close, and it as well offers what most of LF does and probably at lesser values.

Enjoy it! I'm betting you will.

Blue_R70 · Post by **Blue_R70** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 10:37 pm

Texas is also Class III/Title II friendly. IE, it's legal for ordinary folks to own not only full auto weaponry but the other fun stuff like suppressors, Destructive Devices (grenades, grenade launchers, artillery) and AOWs (Any Other Weapons: pen guns, cane guns, briefcase guns, etc)....

Dom · Post by **Dom** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 7:17 am

Did I mention our southern women? anyway they are second to none

I love a wrangler rocky mountain butt

Had quite a few of em back in the day I even married one LOL

Barry Watson · Post by **Barry Watson** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:57 am

I'm from Texas and moved out west in 1960. We go back (HOME)
almost every year. When we leave, the wife and I always make this statement. " How did we ever live in this awful chigger infested, swealtering place?"

We enjoy staying at the Lake house, catching tons of fish, hunting whitetails on our old ranch, etc.etc. But, do not miss the terrible blue northers, ice and snow or the horrible droughts..

Funny thing is, we will always be Texans, not Californians, always looking for a place to buy down there in case we want to spend the falls and springs there, always hate the Texas A&M Aggies and always appreciate the fact we can enjoy that wonderful Delta Breeze and sleep without air conditioning here in Loomis.

When we die, and all the crap has dried up, they can bury us in a shoebox, but that box is going back to Texas.

Go Figger. LOL

chf8500 · Post by **chf8500** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 1:11 pm

Y'all will probably love it down there, great lakes every where, drive 15/30 minutes you got a different one, most are no fee lakes as they are corp type, fishing is awesome most of the time, but different than sunny Cal., gots to watch for big bugs and snakes, some reason they love fishermen, weather is about like northen cal, hot and cold when it is suposed to be, snow somtimes but not bad, ICE whenever it is cold especially on the overcrossing, people are far nicer than out here, ain't in such a rush all the time, I go back every year for a bit just to stay in touch with reality, totally diferent outlook on living in the south. will say that is where my retirement is going to be tx, ark, okla, all about the same.

steve0806 · Post by **steve0806** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:46 pm

I have some friends living in Katy, TX. Their property taxes are more than silly, outrageous. At least income taxes are tied to income levels. Property taxes are not. Be sure to check those out.

Robert F · Post by **Robert F** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 3:27 pm

I heard Dean Rojas is selling his home near Lake Fork. It is a bass fisherman's paradise. 40 acres with an 8 acre private lake. May be enough to offset those weather issues.

Fish Chris · Post by **Fish Chris** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 7:25 pm

I spent 3 years (93' to 96') in North West Louisiana, only about 1 hour from North East Texas, and it was, without doubt, the worst 3 years of my life.
The weather (most notably, the humidity) sucked.
The fishing was lousy. I have never seen so many catch and keep anglers in my life.
The job pay rates were rediculous. I was a correctional officer making $8.25 an hour !!! (but you said for retirement, so this might not matter to you)
The people..... {okay, I did meet a couple of good people, who I am still friends with today.... and also, I think things might have been different if I had lived in a large city like Shreveport, instead of the little hole in the wall I was stuck in} but for the most part, if you didn't hunt squirrels, drive a 4 wheel drive truck, listen to country music, and drink coors, this meant you weren't one of them, and they didn't wan't anything to do with you.
I guess a lot of people can / will transform themselves to be like the guys around them, just so they can fit in..... But I'm not one of those guys. Take me, or leave me, but I'm my own person, and I won't change for anyone.

One things for sure; Living down there for 3 years gave me a whole new appreciation for Nor Cal

Nor Cal is my home, and I love it !

Peace,
Fish

Splash · Post by **Splash** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:36 pm

Fish Chris wrote:I spent 3 years (93' to 96') in North West Louisiana, only about 1 hour from North East Texas, and it was, without doubt, the worst 3 years of my life.
The weather (most notably, the humidity) sucked.
The fishing was lousy. I have never seen so many catch and keep anglers in my life.
The job pay rates were rediculous. I was a correctional officer making $8.25 an hour !!! (but you said for retirement, so this might not matter to you)
The people..... {okay, I did meet a couple of good people, who I am still friends with today.... and also, I think things might have been different if I had lived in a large city like Shreveport, instead of the little hole in the wall I was stuck in} but for the most part, if you didn't hunt squirrels, drive a 4 wheel drive truck, listen to country music, and drink coors, this meant you weren't one of them, and they didn't wan't anything to do with you.
I guess a lot of people can / will transform themselves to be like the guys around them, just so they can fit in..... But I'm not one of those guys. Take me, or leave me, but I'm my own person, and I won't change for anyone.

One things for sure; Living down there for 3 years gave me a whole new appreciation for Nor Cal

Nor Cal is my home, and I love it !

Peace,
Fish

Chris,
Living in Louisianna is a whole different world than anywhere in Texas, from the people to the pay. I agree that the weather gets hotter here and the humidity sucks, but it's an outdoorsmans paradise. Deer season lasts 3 months, you can fish year round as you can there and anything you could possibly want to do is within a couple od hours. I live just north west of Houston on a small 28,000 acre lake called Lake Conroe. In 2 1/2 hours I can be on Sam Rayburn, 114,000 acres, in 3 I can be on Toledo Bend, 186,00 acres or in 4 hours I can be on Lake Fork, not to mention 5 hours to Choke Canyon, 6 to Amistad etc., etc.!!! The last 3 years in a row I have gotten a sunburn in december. Yes, it gets cold, but rarely snows and rarely lasts longer than a few days. Yes, we'll get a few storms a year, an occasional twister but the hurricanes rarely affect us because we are 3 hours off the coast, which is another outstanding fishery if you like salt water fishing. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else!!! By the way, Lane and Tony say Hi!!!

Fish Chris · Post by **Fish Chris** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 5:24 am

Hey Splash, I have to believe you that Texas would be much better than Shongaloo Louisiana ! In fact, Somalia would probably be better, too ! Maybe even the surface of Mars ?

I know I should have ventured West towards some of the famed Texas lakes while I was in LA.... But I was too busy working at the prison for $8.25 an hour !

I also think their is a lot to be said for, "Wherever you were born and raised, it makes it very hard to call anyplace else 'home'.

Tell Lane and Tony I said hey !

Peace,
Fish

ken · Post by **ken** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 7:53 pm

Try the Toledo Bend area in east Texas around Hemphill. Fishing is very good but no better than Clear Lake, however it isn't nearly as crowded. The people are great and the politics are much better than here on the left coast. Their summer time humidity is high and the main draw back for me.

schreecher2 · Post by **schreecher2** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 10:03 am

Robert F wrote:I heard Dean Rojas is selling his home near Lake Fork. It is a bass fisherman's paradise. 40 acres with an 8 acre private lake. May be enough to offset those weather issues.

I have been fishing there on Deans pond, and it is a nice pond to fish. We had a great time down there also fishing Lake Fork. Didn't fish with Dean, but a buddy that lives on the ranch there. Anyway, it is a lot of fun to go 25 feet out your back door, and start catching bass, and lot of them! I had thought about buying the place down there myself, but the Wife absolutely will not move down there with the fire ants, snakes, chiggers, and all the other "creepy crawly" things as she put it. I would seriously look into buying this place, especially if you don't mind the bugs and stuff in Texas.

912nitro · Post by **912nitro** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 12:05 pm

I'm a native Texan & will be retiring on the lower end of Toledo, around Housen Bay, or 6 Mile.
Lots of research went into that decision, but the 2 main factors is : Lkae Fork is the most humid & hottest place i ever fished, making Toledo a little cooler, & Sam Rayburn has restrictions preventing you from building on the water ie : docks, boat houses etc.. If you have waterfront property on Rayburn, you cant do anything to prevent erosion if & when i occurs.
We can discuss them later if you want.
I have lived in Washington, Oregon , Louisiana, Texas, & now California , As far as the weather, i have yet to find anyplace that didnt have geographical & other natural issues that makes me uncomfortable to plumb misrable.
A person has to find the things they like & make the best of the rest.
I have a friend who lives near the top of Toledo.
He fishes 5 plus days a week, from daylight to around 10 or 11 am, then he goes inside & takes care of all his other business, ( can you say Siesta Time ?).
around 3 pm or so he fishes again, usually till dark.
He had propertu on Fork, & fished both places, until he decided that Toledo was rthe best overall place to live.
If you dont want to live on the water, you cn live halfway between Toledo & Rayburn, & have about a 15 mile drive each way. COE aunches were $ 3.00 a day last time i was there 4 years ago.
Traffic problems & boat launch congestion isnt in the vocabulary in that area.
Even the wife is on board for this.. talk about a win - win situation......