happyhskids Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 I have been a long time lurker on here, but I've never posted before. I've gotten lots of great homeschooling help from everyone on here by reading through the posts. I finally decided to ask a question... We have lived in Colorado for a long time. We love Colorado, but the politics and lifestyle has changed considerably and we are getting restless (not to mention it's getting really expensive!) We have 3 places we can live that will allow my husband to stay with his company - Phoenix, San Antonio, and Colorado (and Tampa, but it's too expensive!). Our main considerations in choosing whether to move, and where, are: ease of homeschooling, cost of living, safety, and good/reasonably priced colleges. We have a 13-year-old, so this will probably be our last move before he starts college. I would say reasonably priced colleges/universities is pretty high on our list of considerations. Wherever we move, we'll likely have 3 kids going through college there. I would appreciate any insight you very knowledgeable ladies can give me! Thanks :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 If you're looking for a change from CO, try TX. We have never lived there but I have heard about some great options for college (in-state). I almost moved to Austin one time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 From those choices, San Antonio. TX is easy to homeschool, and San Antonio has many colleges in the city and many more within 1.5 hours. I understand COL is lower than many places, but cannot confirm that is true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 San Antonio. Texas is a private school state; that is, homeschoolers are considered equivalent to private schools, and so there is no government oversight at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mominco Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Hi OP, Search for the moving to from MI to Texas posts by MamaStephanina. She narrowed it down to Dallas and we gave her a lot of info that you might find useful as well. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhskids Posted January 22, 2017 Author Share Posted January 22, 2017 Thanks for the advice! Texas... I've been afraid that might be the best answer. Nothing against Texas except the humidity, and I'll live with it if it's our best choice :) I'll look for that post about Texas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapbookbuzz Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Come to Phoenix and I'll show you the ropes! We have some pretty decent state schools in AZ plus decent community colleges in the city and surrounding areas. Just be prepared for occasional 120*F temps in the summer. Not all the time, but it averages 105*F most days from June through Sept/Oct. Not much humidity here, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhskids Posted January 22, 2017 Author Share Posted January 22, 2017 Come to Phoenix and I'll show you the ropes! We have some pretty decent state schools in AZ plus decent community colleges in the city and surrounding areas. Just be prepared for occasional 120*F temps in the summer. Not all the time, but it averages 105*F most days from June through Sept/Oct. Not much humidity here, though! I know, it's as dry there as it is here, except for monsoon season. Two of my boys were born at Banner Thunderbird, but we left when they were still very little. I was in survival mode with two little ones, so the only part of the city we know is around Bell and Union Hills, right off 101, near Sun City. It's been 11 years since we left. We only rented an apartment while we were there. How is the house buying/rental market right now? And how is the 303 from Surprise? It wasn't finished while we were there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 I know, it's as dry there as it is here, except for monsoon season. Two of my boys were born at Banner Thunderbird, but we left when they were still very little. I was in survival mode with two little ones, so the only part of the city we know is around Bell and Union Hills, right off 101, near Sun City. It's been 11 years since we left. We only rented an apartment while we were there. How is the house buying/rental market right now? And how is the 303 from Surprise? It wasn't finished while we were there. The 303 is done and it's pretty nifty. Population still hasn't caught up thanks to the downturn so traffic is light and housing is pretty cheap, especially in the West Valley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 The 303 is WONDERFUL. Definitely my choice of your 3. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 (edited) If you are concerned about humidity, honestly San Antonio isn't bad. Seriously. It does get hot, but it also usually has closer to 4 seasons than some of the other areas south of San Antonio. Sometimes it even gets snow in winter (although that is fairly rare). Houston is seriously humid but San Antonio isn't nearly as humid as Houston. Pros for San Antonio: 1. Housing costs aren't bad (Austin is getting painful). 2. There are lots of very strong homeschooling communities in the city, many offering great classes/extracurriculars. 3. Many neighborhoods have sidewalks and outdoor park areas and are close to stores. 4. You would be a private school, as mentioned up thread. No yearly reporting. 5. Access to lots of cultural opportunities. Great summer camps in nearby areas. 6. Lots of college options, including UTSA (see links below) and a pretty good Community College, and some of the private colleges offer great scholarship programs. There is a good art college as well. Lots of options for Universities/Colleges. Below are just a few... https://www.utsa.edu/ https://www.uthscsa.edu/ https://new.trinity.edu/ http://www.alamo.edu/sac/ http://www.alamo.edu/home.aspx?id=788 http://www.tamusa.edu/ http://www.uiw.edu/ https://www.swschool.org/ https://www.stmarytx.edu/ 7. Zillions of places to eat, with a wide diversity of offerings. 8. Lots of good options for cutting edge health care. 9. Pretty decent public transit that the city continues to invest in. 10. It is known for its arts community and cultural offerings. 11. There are free offerings daily for interesting things to do at the various museums and parks. Cons: 1. Traffic, especially at rush hour. Not as bad as Houston but it can get bad. Plan lots of extra time if you have to drive during rush hour. 2. Some neighborhoods (definitely not all but a few) are located above underground water systems and the ground tends to shift. Make certain if you are looking at houses that you check closets. Most people repaint main rooms but they might not repaint closets. You can spot cracks from shifting that way. Edited January 22, 2017 by OneStepAtATime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 Thanks for the advice! Texas... I've been afraid that might be the best answer. Nothing against Texas except the humidity, and I'll live with it if it's our best choice :) I'll look for that post about Texas. You'll notice the humidity in San Antonio coming from CO, but it really isn't terrible all year long. Be prepared for the heat, though, during the summer. Winters are very mild with a few nights below freezing. There are apparently 2 growing seasons for gardens, one in the spring and one in the fall. I would guess we have between 10-12 universities/colleges locally and a few more within a couple of hours, but I don't know how homeschool friendly they are or whether you can dual enroll in them in high school. My kids haven't been homeschooled in the 4 years we've lived here, but they are dual enrolled through the high school. I can ask my hsing friends and neighbors for more info if you'd like. Just like in any major city, there are places you'll want to avoid after dark, but I haven't found anywhere I felt unsafe during the day. It'll take a bit to get used to the way the interstates and many highways are set up here, but once you understand them, it's easy to get around. There aren't always signs that a lane closes, so you have to watch ahead. Road rage can be a problem and there are some terrible drivers. Frequently the attitude is that the person merging onto a highway has the right of way (as vs. the person already on the highway), so many don't accelerate to highway speed until they've already merged onto the highway and frequently they don't watch/plan how to fit into the existing traffic as they merge. If you want more specific help with San Antonio, you can check the city-data forum. There are many people there who are glad to answer questions and there is a wealth of information there about various states/cities/countries if you need it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralloyd Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 (edited) Well I have lived in all three states. We are currently in Dallas (Grapevine) TX. Before we were in Houston (don't like it there). I would pick San Antonio TX. I have lived most of my life in AZ. Phoenix heat is unbearable during the summer and beyond. The heat seems to last forever, to me. Yes, it is more humid here in TX. At least you get a break from the heat, somewhat, in the evenings though. In Phoenix you can't take a walk at night (in the 100s or 90s still). The heat doesn't last as long here either. We adjusted to the humidity pretty easily. When we first moved people kept asking how we were handling the humidity/heat, and we truthfully had to say it was nothing compared to living in Phoenix. Colorado is more expensive and harder to homeschool in. Both AZ and TX are very easy to homeschool in. AZ is slightly "harder". You just need to send in an affidavit. ETA: It is easier to get around in AZ. The greater Phoenix area is master planned. Houston is horrible. Dallas is better than Houston, but still hard at times. San Antonio doesn't seem too bad. Edited January 22, 2017 by coralloyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 I live in Colorado Springs now. I have lived in eastern Texas. I find it very easy to homeschool here and there are a ton of co-ops and enrichment programs available to those who want them. Also, dual enrollment is really taking off here and there are a lot of options for high schoolers if you go that direction (tuition and books paid for by the public school system). I don't find the politics really all that different but I am coming from Minnesota so maybe I'm used to it? I would have to agree with you on cost of living. We've only lived here two years and have thought about building an accessible home. To get close to what we currently have, we are looking at an additional $200K in costs. The median price of a home has gone up 40% in 6 years so I get it. We lived in east Texas and it was hot hot hot in the summer. The kind where you walk outside and start sweating. The winters were mild which was nice with the occasional ice storm that messed things up for a few days, but doable. Personally, I prefer the mild winters and lack of summer humidity that I'm experiencing in Colorado vs. the humid summers of Texas. I'm not a fan of air conditioning so that probably plays into it (I just like being able to open windows for a nice breeze). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted January 22, 2017 Share Posted January 22, 2017 A friend once told me that Weather in Texas vs. places further north is sort of flipped. You are outside in the Fall, Winter, Spring and stay more indoors during the summer when it is very hot instead of being inside a lot in the Winter and outside during the Fall, Spring, Summer. Don't know how true that is. Honestly, what you should probably do is spend some time in each place. I realize many cannot do that. Too expensive and time consuming and too hard with job schedules. I do think, though, that if you were getting serious about one particular location you should try really hard to spend a few days there before you commit. Every location has a different feel, a different vibe. If you move to a city with a vibe that doesn't fit your personality it could be a pretty miserable change. Personally, I love both Texas and Colorado. They are vastly different, though. Since you already live in Colorado, is it possible to plan some sort of vacation in San Antonio to get a feel for that city instead? http://visitsanantonio.com/Browse-Book/Attractions And if you love Colorado, maybe there is some way to stay where you love but shift to an area that better fits your family? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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