Relocation advice requested.

[darkstar3]

First, let me get this off my chest.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIGOTAKICKASSJOBWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

OK, I feel better now.

Anyway, darkspouse, darkpooch, and I have to relocate to Austin, TX, and I know next to nothing about the city. I'm going down there in about three weeks (and I just found out yesterday :wow:) to basically stay in a hotel, work during the day, and scout the place at night. We're going to rent somewhere in Austin (that's OK with a 90 pound dog), and we have to sell our house in St. Louis.

This is my first relocation that involved more than the transferral of a dorm room from one location to another. I'm really excited about this opportunity, but there's a little part of me that's afraid I'm going to foul everything up. ANY advice from the Loungers is appreciated. Tell me about Austin, renting with a dog, moving, selling a house, pitfalls, gotchas, or ANYTHING else that you think might be interesting or helpful.

I feel exactly like I did the first time I buckled my seat belt on a roller coaster: Excited, happy, bouncy, and mildly nauseated by fear of the unknown.

[SCantiGOP]

1. from everything I've heard

Austin is a great place to live, just don't venture outside into Texas. Kind of like where I live: Charleston is a great, liberal, bohemian city, but the rest of South Carolina is Bob Jones and rednecks.

[kentauros]

7. Well, then you haven't heard enough.

Go visit the Texas forum to find out why ;)

[Divameow77]

2. I lived in Austin for 2 years (until last summer)

and I am so jealous! I love Austin!

I would live near work as traffic can get pretty bad.

Eat at Torchy's Tacos, my absolute fav.

[darkstar3]

14. Everybody I've talked to in IRL says good

general things about the city. "Oh, it looks like a nice place" or "Wow, I hear great things about Austin" and so on. But I haven't gotten many specifics yet.

Why do YOU, fellow DUer, love Austin?

I plan to live on the same side of town as work: North, and a little east, up 35 out of the city center.

[Gormy Cuss]

3. Get rid of any and all furniture that has no sentimental value and low actual value.

Purge excess books and housewares, clothes, etc using the same standard. It's better to get rid of stuff now rather than pay to move it and then realize that it's excess baggage. Normally I'd say have a garage sale but since you have so little time, try to donate as much as practical to a well-known charity like Goodwill. Write a master list of items donated (include description on make and approximate age)and get a receipt from the charity. You can claim the donation on your 2011 taxes.

Selling the house could be the biggest challenge in the current market. Ask everyone you know to recommend realtors and interview several of them. Since you'll be dealing with the sale long distance you want to be very confident with the realtor in MO. The actual sale can probably be handled without a trip back, but find out before you move.

Also, negotiate a weekly rate at your Austin hotel. Should save you some dough.

[KamaAina]

4. There are even extended-stay hotels that specialize in just this

you get weekly rates, plus a kitchenette.

[BlueCollar]

5. Do not miss Esters Follies...n/t

[darkstar3]

13. Had to Google that one.

Sounds like it could be fun. :hi:

[struggle4progress]

6. I lived in Austin 30 years ago. Back then, I could walk the city from north to south.

I'm sure it's changed some since then

It's always been a weird mix: state government folk, state university folk, hippie folk, country folk

There used to be some pleasant residential neighborhoods between the Mopac and Lamar: but it was mostly slab construction and the slabs would crack with clay-heaving in moisture-driven shrink-swell cycles. Google earth suggests those neighborhoods are still there, but I'd investigate foundation issues carefully before buying

[darkstar3]

12. OK, so watch for shoddy foundation-work.

Good tip. Thanks!

[struggle4progress]

15. More precisely: make sure you know whether the house has a standard foundation or

is built on a poured slab. In a lot of cases, the slab may have cracked, and the rescue isn't easy

[kentauros]

8. DU-er sonias lives in Austin.

She'd probably be your best bet for that kind of info :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=user_profiles&u_id=103743

I've only ever lived in Houston, with a brief stint in San Antonio. Austin is also an expensive city for cost of living, compared to Houston, at least. But again, ask the folks that still live there, such as over in the Texas forum :)

Welcome to Texas, y'all! :hi:

[darkstar3]

11. I considered the TX forum, but I didn't know how much traffic I'd get.

After all, I've lived in MO for 9 years and I've been on DU for several of those, and I never end up in the MO forum somehow...

Thanks for the welcome!

[kentauros]

16. The Texas forum is one of the more active state forums around.

Might as well do both here and there :)

And next year you'll get to experience the madness that is the SXSW Conference :P

[Luciferous]

9. Congrats on the kickass job! I love that area of Texas, but

Austin drivers are crazy, so watch out for that. I don't really have any advice since I've never relocated that far and have only visited the Austin area, but good luck and let us know how everything goes.

[darkstar3]

10. Meh, St. Louis drivers are nuts, too, so that won't be anything new.

Thanks for the well wishes!

[ceile]

17. What part of town is your job?

I ask because traffic is terrible so you'll want to get close to your work as possible. Also depending on what part of town rents/house prices vary dramatically.
PM me if you want to talk specifics.
Welcome to Austin!!!

[darkstar3]

18. Thanks everyone, for the great advice, both here and in PM form.

I appreciate it! :hi:

[Arugula Latte]

19. One word: Bats.

A friend of mine was just in Austin and she remarked about how cool the nightly Congress Ave. "bat show" is:

http://www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/visit-a-bat-location/congress-avenue-bridge/subcategory/51.html