Thinking about moving to Texas
 

Im thinking about moving to Texas before Michigan implodes. Currently Im in the swimming pool and concrete leveling business and would like to do that same if I move and want to work 12 months out of the year. How does the population, and economic conditions look? Is Galvaston a good choice? Any input would be helpfull. Thanks for your help.

San Antonio , Houston and points south if you want to work 12months out of the year in the pool business.

I wouldnt think Galveston would be a good place for that business. To small, and still too questionable after Ike.

I would say stay close to one of the major metroplexes. My family is in demolition/remodel/new construction in Dallas. While business got slower, it did not go away. Now things are back to being busy.

I don't think Galveston would be your first pick... stay close to Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio. Our housing market is among the best in the US here in Houston.

You might check the area known as Bay Area Houston (aka Clear Lake). It's about 25 miles south of Houston.

There was some damage from Ike (my house: 3 trees and dock), but not devastation like some other areas. If it matters: excellent schools.

If I were to move away from Lake Texoma, I would go to Austin area. Lots of opportunities no matter what line of work you`re in.

Is the construction or remodeling business as a whole back to being busy? Today I was given an oppertunity to take over a territory in the Houston or Dallas Area with one Pool product. Are both areas year round work? And on a recreational note... What is the boating season like? In Michigan my boat comes out of storage for about 5 months, however ALOT of that boating is in sweatshirts. This summer we had less then two weeks of IDEAL boating. I live to boat and work to buy gas.

Depends on your point of view.
I boat year round so long as its not freezing out,
then there are some that think the world ends on Labor Day.
Realistically I would say march thru october here in central texas. Down south houston way I would say year round would not be a stretch at all.

Dont know if thats so true right now. Lot of the tech companies
have been going belly up as has the contruction market which is currently at a standstill.

I can't speak for Dallas, but you can boat year around in H-Town if you want to. Texas is a great state, I am glad we made the move here. :coolcowboy:

March to October in Dallas area. For the last 2 years I have run the boat the day before Thanksgiving and it has been 50*, perfect to heat it up and drain for the winter.

Funny, I used to work for a family in South Carolina that had moved down from Michigan, also in the pool business. I'm in Dallas now, and we are typically boating well into November and starting again in March/April. Its still chilly, at least too us, but if you are coming down from Michigan, I'm sure you think its perfect! :)

There are a ton of pools down here as you might expect. I was in an apartment complex that had 5 pools, including a very nice infinity pool and another was a 4 lane 25 meter lap pool. And of course several with fountains, waterfalls and spas.

So, there are a ton of service, repair and new construction opportunities down here. I've actually toyed with leaving the corporate world and getting back into the business myself.

The work here is year round, although obviously heavily loaded to the summer months. But hardly any one winterizes their pool here, so there is a slow but steady business. And after the odd cold snap like we had last week, there will be a huge spike in repair work fixing freeze damage.

Drop me a line if you want to chat a bit more on it.

central tx is a great place to be...in austin your a short drive to dallas/ft worth, san antonio,and houston. when I was hauling equipment for a demolition company in austin we would do jobs in other towns and it wasnt a big deal since we were central to every where. you'll like tx better. I lived in michigan for about a year...HATED it....

I grew up in TX before moving to CA for a job in 1999. I'd say a definite no on Galveston (hurricane issues, no one there has money, over fun by katrina victims). Austin and Houston are the two fastest growing areas of TX. Nothing wrong with San Antonio, I don't know much about Dallas other than they usually get some snow every year, southern TX usually does not.

Good luck!

I have a Cigarette and live in Houston, TX. I like to boat from April - Oct 31st. In July and August, you better be moving in your boat or in the water....it's HOT! There are some great Freshwater Lakes. One of my favorites is Lake Sam Rayburn Reservour. It's the largest lake in Texas and not crowded like Lake Travis, Conroe, etc. Rayburn does have it downsides, like no bars or clubs on the lake, but there are nice sandy beaches, plenty of nice people, and it is deep in the south part of the lake and you don't have to worry about stumps. I never been to Lake Texoma. I heard it is nice. Rayburn is about 2 1/2 hours away from North Houston. Lake Travis is a small, overcrowed, dangerous lake with the clearest water. It is a big time party lake and I wouldn't even try to put my 38 foot Cig. in that small lake with a bunch of drunks.

LOL,, funny I have only heard of one boating accident death in 12 years due to drunks or anything else in that tiny (60mile long) Lake as long as I have lived here and I do 3-6 poker runs a year here in my tiny 21ft boat. Hell one year my boat was down and I was using a 17ft open fish all summer up and down the lake and amazingly even with all those drunks I am still alive..
Guess all the families I see out every weekend enjoying lake with their families are all a bunch of drunks too.

Live with us up on Lake Conroe and work in Houston. When they get the construction finished on 45N, there won't be a traffic issue. Schools are good, lake life is good and you can get a lot of house up here, for not a lot of money.

Houston is doing just fine right now compared to many other areas. I agree with Jeff1000man, I drive 70 miles to work so I can live on Conroe and traffic isn't bad now that I45 is almost done. Boating season here realistically is from about late March to Halloween excepting some of us hard core suckers. I boat all year long... been out 3 times so far this year:coolcowboy:

I've been to lake Travis when there was no water because of the drout, but not on a boat. I looked at the boat launch by the dam, and it looks steep. I based my statement about Lake Travis on other people that I know that has been there. They told me that they had to wait about 3 1/2 hours to launch their boat due to the crowds in line. That doesn't sound fun to me. I also heard that Jet Ski's can only be on the lake on certain days. If that is true, then that is an indication that the lake is too crowded. I based my input from 4 seperate people that have been to Sam Rayburn Reservour and Lake Travis. They all say the same thing. They say that Lake Travis is very pretty and the water is clear and they had fun, but said it was overcrowded and there are no sandy beaches. I heard there is a Party Cove at Lake Travis and people tie their boats together and have fun. I personally don't want someone climbing all over my boat, holding a cigarette that I don't know or invite. At Rayburn, there is a party Island named Snake Island and there are 3 other nice sandy beaches that poeple go. People don't tie to each others boats at Sam Rayburn. I see Lake Travis as a great Lake if you like BARS, Restraunts and Crowds on the water. Rayburn is totally different from that. Sandy beaches to play horse shoes, layout, cook, talk to friends, etc. Also, if you are into fishing, in which I am not, Rayburn has finshing ternaments almost every weekend all year. Don't get me wrong, I would love to go to visit Lake Travis...just not in my boat.

Have you sent in your TOPPS aplication yet?

So youve never actually been on Lake Travis yet you call the people here a bunch of drunks?
Jet skis are not allowed on certain days in Lake Austin not Lake Travis.
There is a party cove but there are also hundreds of other coves to go to on the 60mile long lake. Cow creek for example is much more of a family cove.
There has never been "no water" in Lake Travis, even when it was at a record low a few months ago the lake was over 150ft deep in the channel and there was still over 25ft under my boat in its slip right next to the shore.
We ran our poker runs as usual all last year and there was enough water for boats like this 50ft 140mph Nortech cat
LTPA poker run 9/2309
http://www.lakepirateforums.com/uplo...image5_771.jpg
that boat came from dallas to run in our Poker run and was launched at a ramp by the way.
There were plenty of ramps open with no wait but most are private or pay ramps. The free ones get crowded because state of texas and travis county are too cheap to extend them so they close most of them leaving only Mansfield Dam as the only open public ramp.
My marinas ramp never closed.
When lake is down a bit we have a huge sandy beach that wraps around Point Venture, probably where thye will hold Aquapalooza this year. Pace Bend park also has a beach.
As for rafting up I have NEVER been on any lake or ocean (Im from Miami originally)
where people dont raft up(tie-up together) at popular spots , and you cant find freindlier people than here in Austin.

I know everyone has different tastes and if you dont like Travis that is fine, but dont go talking trash about something you personally know nothing about..