250 miles around Abbott takes in Oklahoma City to the north, Abilene to the west, San Antonio to the south, and Shreveport to the east.
Seriously considering moving to Waco, TX
- Thread starter realkingcobra
- Start date
Spent a year stationed at Fort Hood, so living in TX is not really new to me. It's only as hot as you want it to be, as I'll still be traveling quite a bit delivering tables. The place to live is for when I don't have any deliveries for a while, then I get to play table mechanic until Diamond has another run for me to take.
Texas
That set up sounds like a helluva deal! If your in Texas I know diamond that needs setup.
That set up sounds like a helluva deal! If your in Texas I know diamond that needs setup.
jmarcum1984
Registered
I am in the Houston area. You gave me advice when I was looking at getting a used table. I avoided a really bad table thanks to you. I think Texas is the right place and when you get here, I want to be first in line to have you come get my table tuned in to perfection.
Trust me when i say I get a lot of calls to work on pool tables in Texas....LOL I know I could never get caught up with all the tables needing work in that area, but I'm pretty sure I could make a dent.
Um F-yeah!
Glen it sounds like you've got a line on a nice set up. We'd love to have you here in Texas regularly rather than once in a blue moon! Good luck and let us know your final decision; oh and when you'll be stopping by to tune up the Centennial
.
-Ryan
Glen it sounds like you've got a line on a nice set up. We'd love to have you here in Texas regularly rather than once in a blue moon! Good luck and let us know your final decision; oh and when you'll be stopping by to tune up the Centennial
.-Ryan
The main thing is to get an experienced hungry realtor working on your behalf and generating lots of comparables to show to you. That way you will know the prices for similar properties in whatever area you choose.
While you think your current deal sounds good, I think it is quite a bit overpriced for a small town 2-bd apartment and outbuildings on just one acre. Remember Texas has not really recovered from the 2008 crash, especially in the small towns - lots of people are trying to get by on walmart jobs or less.
For the $1250 monthly payment you mention, I would expect no less than a full brick 4/3/3 home, 12 years old or newer, plus one or more metal outbuildings (big one 30x30 or larger and insulated) with concrete floor and separate concrete drive, all on a lot 5/8 acre or larger, fully enclosed by a cyclone or wooden fence, cedar if you can get it, with double gates where needed.
Of course, if you need certain zoning like light industrial, those prices are not the same as regular homesteads, but still it is a buyer's market, and anyone should be able to get a really great deal with some due diligence. Just remember an industrial lease is a ticket to robbery by the property owner - rent goes up and never down, and oh that fine print in the contract.
One to one-and-a-half acre by the way is a pain to have, because you'll need to pony up a grand or more for a riding mower, or sixty bucks three times or more a month during grass growing season. Less land would be much less hassle, unless you happen to enjoy mowing and gardening in the Texas sun, and have or want to buy the necessary tools.
Many, many lots in Texas small towns have a one or more metal outbuildings in various stages of repair or disrepair. Mine is 30x40, leakproof except when a downpour 4" or more per hour forces runoff over the sill and across the floor in one area, well insulated, with one garage size overhead door at the driveway end, and one standard 36" door around the side. There are two skylights (very helpful) and four double-pane windows. Mine is all welded construction, using heavy I-beans; lesser metal buildings are bolted together and have fewer and thinner supporting structures. The property also came with another metal building, not insulated, about 14x18 with double wide sliding doors, windows for cross ventilation, and a separate people door; it is for storing the garden tractor and yard tools.
There are a lot of 3/2/2/ frame or brick stucco homes in Texas. They are really pretty small but might be sufficient for one or two people.. If that suits you, get the newest one you can find - avoid like the plague any of the older ones, and I mean anything older than about fifteen years since they were built. Among other problems, they might have a lack of adequate electrical outlets, lack of grounded electrical outlets, undersized and/or aging heating and A/C units, plus they often have cracked foundations because the soil in Texas is very fluid in most places in the central to north and east Texas regions.
Watch for drainage problems; living at the bottom or on the side of a hill during a downpour brings a river of runoff everywhere unexpected, because Texas clay soil can get waterlogged very quickly and move water along like it was flowing across concrete.
Most important, don't be in a rush. If you can lease something for three to six months that will give you time to look the area over with a fine tooth comb and decide what's the best deal for you.
BTW, traffic on the North and South corridors through Fort Worth or Dallas is miserable. East to West corridors are not much better. Plan on over two hours to get from Waco to the center of Arlington, and if there is a baseball or football game that day make sure you have a full gas tank and bring a sack lunch because the Interstates will be parking lots.
Sorry for the long post, but eight years ago I had to make a move-to-north-Texas decision in about one week. I did okay, but I could have done so very much better for the money; could have got a home years and years newer, could have spent much less money, could have had better drainage, didn't need 1.5 acres to mow, could have moved closer to a pool hall or group of pool halls, etc etc.. I'm just passing along some of what I wish I had known eight years ago. I had a realtor working for me, but he did not have much experience, and he failed to provide me with comparable properties to review, which hurt my search a lot, though I did not know it at the time.
Good luck in your move wherever it may take you.
While you think your current deal sounds good, I think it is quite a bit overpriced for a small town 2-bd apartment and outbuildings on just one acre. Remember Texas has not really recovered from the 2008 crash, especially in the small towns - lots of people are trying to get by on walmart jobs or less.
For the $1250 monthly payment you mention, I would expect no less than a full brick 4/3/3 home, 12 years old or newer, plus one or more metal outbuildings (big one 30x30 or larger and insulated) with concrete floor and separate concrete drive, all on a lot 5/8 acre or larger, fully enclosed by a cyclone or wooden fence, cedar if you can get it, with double gates where needed.
Of course, if you need certain zoning like light industrial, those prices are not the same as regular homesteads, but still it is a buyer's market, and anyone should be able to get a really great deal with some due diligence. Just remember an industrial lease is a ticket to robbery by the property owner - rent goes up and never down, and oh that fine print in the contract.
One to one-and-a-half acre by the way is a pain to have, because you'll need to pony up a grand or more for a riding mower, or sixty bucks three times or more a month during grass growing season. Less land would be much less hassle, unless you happen to enjoy mowing and gardening in the Texas sun, and have or want to buy the necessary tools.
Many, many lots in Texas small towns have a one or more metal outbuildings in various stages of repair or disrepair. Mine is 30x40, leakproof except when a downpour 4" or more per hour forces runoff over the sill and across the floor in one area, well insulated, with one garage size overhead door at the driveway end, and one standard 36" door around the side. There are two skylights (very helpful) and four double-pane windows. Mine is all welded construction, using heavy I-beans; lesser metal buildings are bolted together and have fewer and thinner supporting structures. The property also came with another metal building, not insulated, about 14x18 with double wide sliding doors, windows for cross ventilation, and a separate people door; it is for storing the garden tractor and yard tools.
There are a lot of 3/2/2/ frame or brick stucco homes in Texas. They are really pretty small but might be sufficient for one or two people.. If that suits you, get the newest one you can find - avoid like the plague any of the older ones, and I mean anything older than about fifteen years since they were built. Among other problems, they might have a lack of adequate electrical outlets, lack of grounded electrical outlets, undersized and/or aging heating and A/C units, plus they often have cracked foundations because the soil in Texas is very fluid in most places in the central to north and east Texas regions.
Watch for drainage problems; living at the bottom or on the side of a hill during a downpour brings a river of runoff everywhere unexpected, because Texas clay soil can get waterlogged very quickly and move water along like it was flowing across concrete.
Most important, don't be in a rush. If you can lease something for three to six months that will give you time to look the area over with a fine tooth comb and decide what's the best deal for you.
BTW, traffic on the North and South corridors through Fort Worth or Dallas is miserable. East to West corridors are not much better. Plan on over two hours to get from Waco to the center of Arlington, and if there is a baseball or football game that day make sure you have a full gas tank and bring a sack lunch because the Interstates will be parking lots.
Sorry for the long post, but eight years ago I had to make a move-to-north-Texas decision in about one week. I did okay, but I could have done so very much better for the money; could have got a home years and years newer, could have spent much less money, could have had better drainage, didn't need 1.5 acres to mow, could have moved closer to a pool hall or group of pool halls, etc etc.. I'm just passing along some of what I wish I had known eight years ago. I had a realtor working for me, but he did not have much experience, and he failed to provide me with comparable properties to review, which hurt my search a lot, though I did not know it at the time.
Good luck in your move wherever it may take you.
Couple nice lakes close by . Short drives to alot of variances in geography. Austin 100 miles ,Ft Worth 60 miles , OKC 240 , San Antonio 210 miles , backroads to Shreveport ,200 miles , New Orleans 450, guessing Houston is 160.Fuel costs usually cheaper than national average. Atlanta about 800 miles and you can make one interstate change and be in Memphis/St Louis , about 350.
Cons , Willie Nelson is from Abbott.
Cons are really what you make of it , sure just change in culture , still the USA . You've been around , you know . Con , they drive to motels from small town for prospective students.Get long term lease.I lived in Abbott for several years, always been a fan. I35 is handy for travel and its within 2 hrs of Austin and Dallas. Even had my Brunswick done from a guy that lives 10 min. south.
Come on to Texas. They got so many bad playing tables in this state you would be set for work for a good 10 years. I've not been in 1 pool room in this state with good equipment that plays well. I do not think one exists. Actually I know one does not exists.
I've been through a lot of pool rooms in Texas as well, and worked on many tables in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma and I swear every one of the tables were bought in Texas. When I made the comment to the home owner that he must have bought the table from somewhere in Texas, they'd always ask me how did I know that...LOL I'd just say "lucky guess"....LMAO
fullstroke25
Registered
when you get things figured out let me know please. i have a gold crown that needs the RKC Performance Package. and also with gladly take any schooling you offer just for the simple fact that the knowledge would better every aspect of my game on and off the table. also dallas isn't such a bad spot...
I'm sure that just about anyone would come out of your school a much better mechanic. How many table mechanics are needed in any one state? How many students would travel from out of state to one stand alone school? I think in your case a traveling school would work much better, like billiard instructers do. Put out the word you will be at point "A" from this date to that date. Get the word out on AZB and multi media to sign up with deposits and if not enough sign ups by a closing date...cancel. Johnnyt
I'm going to produce a basic beginners set of DVDs that cover the basics of leveling slates, installing bed cloths, and recovering rails for in general work. The beginners set of DVDs are going to run $200 which is exactly what the hands on training will be covering. That is the only way people will learn how to perform these tasks correctly, when they can go back and study, study, and study the DVDs until they brainwash themselves on how to perform the tasks correctly. No one training class is going to get the job done. The DVDs are also going to be for sale to all those that cannot attend a class in person, and will cover everything taught in the class. The DVD's Jay and I made for Simonis has already done a great job of teaching many table mechanics how to up their skills, but they still fall short when it comes to covering all the basics as slate leveling was not included when we made the DVDs.
Just by chance I was looking for a good table mechanic (got some dead rails on my Brunswick) and I came across your post. I was born and raised in Waco and now live in Dallas area. Waco's not a bad mid-size town, and with Baylor doing better in sports lately, it seems to be up and coming. I agree with the other posters, the central location is key for your business. You can hit a bunch of major cities (even in multiple states) and keep costs down since the cost of living in Waco is quite a bit lower. I was just there over the holidays and played on some tables that could use some work for sure. From your posts it sounds like you've had some experience in the area and analyzed your business options, so that's a good foundation.
Thank you sir, I've been through the area 100's of times and it's just about perfect as far as I see. It would take something real special to get me to change my mind as I've pretty well made it up as to where I'm going to move to, but one never really knows for sure until the decision is behind us having already been done.
You have picked a good spot I think....One of the better parts about Texas and that area, TONS of good places to eat....I think about every little town down there has it's own BBQ shack and many, many good steakhouses....I believe there was a really good one in Brownwood, Tx which isn't all that far from Abbott...Don't remember any tables there, but the beer was cold and the steaks were fantastic....
For what it's worth, if you are going to have access to a warehouse like that and being right off of I-35, it may be worth your time to see about having tables delivered to your location instead of having to drive to get them from the Diamond factory...Don't know what freight charges are these days, but you might be able to get a bargain using some LTL fright haulers going through that area...
For what it's worth, if you are going to have access to a warehouse like that and being right off of I-35, it may be worth your time to see about having tables delivered to your location instead of having to drive to get them from the Diamond factory...Don't know what freight charges are these days, but you might be able to get a bargain using some LTL fright haulers going through that area...
My decision to move to Texas is related to my son's death last February 8th. It's coming up on the first anniversary of the day he was killed in a car accident, which I guess is also the month we're going to finally be in court for his wrongful death lawsuit, then all of this will to some extent be behind us, and I feel it's time to move on. Living on the road for the last 14 years in a box truck, my son's death, and turning 58 yesterday has just built up to the point that I just don't think I can keep up with this lifestyle any more, so I have to change something in my life. Working on pool tables has always been my passion in life, but I think it's time to call somewhere home. I've talked to 2 of my daughter's and I think they'll move to Texas as well once I've made the move, at least they've said they will anyway. I can't help but feel like I need a change in life, a positive change.
Glen
Glen
