If you are going to Texas then you might want to think about San Antonio. Austin is a small town that young people like to hang out at. It rains a lot in Houston. San Antonio seems to have the best weather in Texas and it's far enough away from the coast to keep you away from any major hurricane issues.
The humidity would stifle you in either Austin or Houston. Austin is not as bad when it comes down to the humidity as is Houston. Austin is also much more scenic than is Houston.
Each city has its pros and cons. When I weigh them I favor Austin over Houston and I am very familiar with both locations. The only real advantage of Houston over Austin is that Houston is near the Gulf of Mexico. Austin, however, is only a 4-5 hour drive to the better beaches along the Padre Island National Seashore.
I hope this helps you to decide, but the terrain that more interests you would be what you should be looking at.
Houston - flat and coastal
Austin - low hills and more centrally located in the state.
I don't actually recommend the suburbs of any major city in Texas for retirement. There are a lot of smaller towns in Texas where you can get a great deal on a nice house and still be within driving distance of the major cities. The trick of finding an affordable home here is finding one with low property taxes. Most of the funding for schools is through property taxes so when you buy a house you get stuck with a tax that isn't going to go down when you retire. Smaller towns have smaller schools which which means smaller taxes.
Austin has too many liberals to be comfortable. It is very very hot in the summertime. Houston has a lot of rain but it is more comfort and the sea air is nice. Galveston is also nice.
California has one of the most perfect climates in the US. That said, it has other difficulties. High taxes and a very confused government. And a populace that hates foreigners. That includes people from other states. If you speak Spanish you will be welcomed, in fact, celebrated.
Florida has great weather most of the time and St. Augustine is great for the Atlantic side. Clearwater is my favorite for the gulf side. Ft. Myers is also great. If you have money there is Sanibel Island.
There you have my opinion in a nutshell.
If you don't mind a few days of winter every two or three years, I live in Kentucky. I moved from California. The part I live in is where the horse farms are and it is picturesque. The people are nice. I left my house one day. I paid my electric bill, my gas bill, my water bill, renewed my driver's license and got plates for one of my cars. I returned home 35 minutes later. We'd be glad to have you.
Canadians are free to visit the United States for a maximum of 180 days per year. If you wish to purchase a second house in Texas and head down during the Canadian winter... fine. Lots of Canadians do that. Lots of online sites, retirement communities, rentals, etc. in the southern US cater to Canadian 'Snow Birds'.
However, you can not stay in the United States longer than 180 days per year unless you qualify for a green card. That would require that you have a job offer in specific professions, invest $1M in a US company which hires more than five people, or you have a US spouse willing to sponsor you. You must also pass background, medical, and financial checks. The medical will typically disqualify you.
You also loose your provincial health care coverage if you fail to remain within your province for more than six months of the year. Obtaining US medical insurance at retirement ages is extremely expensive likely thousands per month per person and will not cover any pre-existing condition. Even travel medical insurance needed to stay in the US will be thousands per year and require you return to Canada as soon as possible for any follow-up or extended care.
Consider the Carolinas. Texas gets way too hot in the summer.
The southern US is warm.I live in south carolina where it gets HOT in the summer.
Scorching hot.And there isnt much snow.
It is better to move to a warmer climate than it is to bring a warmer climate to you by wasting energy.
I think you might want to consider southern Florida. It is a great place for snowbirds. good luck
We're thinking about either Austin or Houston suburbs. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!
