would you not feel some concern over the changing characteristics of the gulf of mexico.... higher temperatures and increasing numbers of hurricanes and intensity/impact on coastal cities when considering a move to houston?
i was a child in a houston high rise when hurricane carla hit. (early 1960s??) it was scary. i couldn't imagine why, in a city where you couldn't even see the coastal water, how a hurricane could have such an impact. i've learned a lot since that time, probably as we all have, with the increase in # and intensity of storms hitting florida and now new orleans. hmmm.

my cousin (born and raised in texas) has lived last 20 yrs in a pleasant houston proper neighborhood on maroneal, has youngish children, for whom she cares intensely about quality of education. i would be willing to field specific questions her way if you like.
a grad of UT at austin, i must side with austin traveler. austin is unarguably the best town in texas if you are not conservative, which describes me pretty well.
corwin

Most parts of the Houston metropolitan is at least 30-40 miles away from the Gulf Coast, and many areas are not prone to flooding. You just need to choose the area more carefully.

Hurricanes do not kill that many people in normal circumstances in cities that far off the coast. And people can die anywhere - for example, Dallas is much more likely to see tornadoes than Houston.

Getting back to the questions at hand.

1. Property tax rates are higher than other states, but that is offset by lack of state income tax. Property taxes will be an issue regardless of where you live in the state.

2. Hopefully, because of property tax reform, rates should go down. It is possible housing values will rise since payments will be lower.

3. Go to www.har.com (Houston Association of Realtors) to research neighborhoods. It can give you a good idea as to home prices in each area.

4. www.hcad.org (Harris County Appraisal District) can show you tax bills for any house in Harris County.

5. My experience in Houston is at current rates, assuming 5% down; total monthly payment (principal, interest, taxes and insurance) is around %1 of the purchase price. That may fluctuate +/- .1%, but it is a reasonable guideline.

6. As for Dallas or Houston, that is up to you. I was raised in Houston, went to school in Austin, and now live in Houston. Spent some serious time in both Dallas and San Antonio. I like it here. My wife is from Austin, went to school at Rice, and will not leave. It just fits us.

7. I have never had a problem with flooding. I do not live in a flood plain. Since Allison, there has been a lot of work with the watershed to improve drainage. When you look at a house, the disclosure will tell you whether it is in a flood plain. If it is, run away.

8. Choosing a neighborhood to consider depends on where you will be working. Worst thing you could do is buy a house in Clear Lake City, then work in Conroe. The suburban neighborhoods (Kingwood, First Colony, The Woodlands) are all good places for first time buyers. I know several people who are buying in Spring Shadows Ranch down near Pearland.

9. Isn't it curious that this person has only one post, and it starts the ever popular Hosuton vs. Dallas debate.

What is this Dallas-Houston thing? I had a business meeting in Galveston and two people I had lunch with were from Dallas and Houston and they were making snide comments left and right...I live in Ohio and sometimes you hear about the rvivalries between the three C's (Cincy, Cleveland, Columbus)but nothing on the scale of Hou-Dal...except for football.. if one is better than the other then I would like to hear why. I would be able to appreciate it more since I was in both cities 2 weeks ago.

Well subzero, now I'm suspicious of you for sure. Your first post here and you got great answers to all your questions but now you want to dredge up the Houston vs. Dallas crap.

If you're really interested, just do a search here and you'll see endless posts on the subject. I hope nobody bites and turns this post into yet another one about how much better Dallas is than Houston or vice versa.

I'm a northerner. Just curious. Not meaning to start anything. It is just that i have never heard of serious city rivalries before outside of football....

See Sperling's Best Places, The Tax Foundation and Retirement Living web sites for comparative tax data by state.
Some states such as Texas have no state income tax, and apparently the property taxes are getting higher than they used to be. Some states have not supported public schools in the past, and most people send their children to private schools because the public schools are of poor quality. Add up all the likely taxes, fees and school tuition you would pay to live in a certain area. Remember to consider the cost of property insurance in your chosen area. I would imagine it is high in Houston due to the hurricane/flooding exposure.

Topping for Traveler... who posted a similar question.