Opinion from Dallas area residents

[crimson monkey]

My wife and I both grew up in the Plano and Garland areas. Highschool was the last time either of us lived there on a permenant basis. Both are families are still there. We have been in Omaha for 10 years. We always thought we would move back to Texas, but things were never right to do so. Now we have two kids. I have a very good job in the IT industry with a stable company.

Well, I have been offered a 1 year contract with a good Dallas company. The contact could extend if the budget allows. I could look for other opportunities after this is up. The pay is a little less that what I am at now and the benefits are not as good. My question is - if you were in my shoes would you do it? Would you leave a steady job for this opportunity? Our goal has always been to move back closer to family, but I am not sure this is the time. I have had problems getting interviews. This offer came because I was in town while they were interviewing (complete chance).

A related question - do those of you who live in the Dallas area like it? What are your likes and dislikes? As I said, it has been awhile since we have lived there. Things have changed. I would like any honest opinions.

Also, for those of you in IT, what is the job market like in the area? I am a .NET/C# developer.

I appreciate the feedback.

[GrapevineSooner]

Well, I don't know about the programming side of things, but IT in general seems to have weathered the economy down here better than other job markets. I just know that after 3 rounds of layoffs in our department since June of 2008, I still have my job in tech support.

And I like living here. Of course, I'm originally FROM here and have lived here for 15 years since moving back from God's Country.

So...of course I like it.

[Frozen Sooner]

I'm not a Dallas resident, but here's what I'm reading from your post:

You have a stable job in a terrible economy that you're thinking about leaving for a job that has no guarantee beyond one year that pays less than your current job, and you'd have to pull up stakes and move several states away to do it.

While I recognize the appeal of moving closer to family, that sounds like a terrible idea.

[OUHOMER]

And I guarantee damn t, the cost of living will be much higher in Dallas area, Also do you own a home and can you sell it?

[crimson monkey]

Yes, we own our house. I would go and my wife would stay until it sold. I know this sounds like a crazy idea given the economic state, but this may be our only opportunity to go back without going first and finding a job after we get there. Companies don't seem to be looking out of the area and they sure are not looking out of state. It took me over a year to get to this point. Like I said, this offer was pretty much pure luck. The company said they did not hire outside of the area. The only way I got an interview was from being at the right place at the right time.

I appreciate all of the opinions.

[SunnySooner]

I'm not a Dallas resident, but here's what I'm reading from your post:

You have a stable job in a terrible economy that you're thinking about leaving for a job that has no guarantee beyond one year that pays less than your current job, and you'd have to pull up stakes and move several states away to do it.

While I recognize the appeal of moving closer to family, that sounds like a terrible idea.

My thoughts exactly. The time may come when you can move back, but this doesn't seem to be it.

[XingTheRubicon]

Get ready to have your car stolen/broken into.

I don't know what the stats are for each city, but here they are for me.

I've lived (since I started driving) in the OKC/metro for 16 years.

Southern California for 2 years

New Orleans (tulane) for 4 years

Dallas for 2 years



I've had my car vandalized/broken into/stolen 6 times since I was 16.


1 of the 6 was in SoCal. (San Diego)

the other 5 were in Dallas. Dallas is a cesspool compared to OKC, KC or Omaha type places. Wouldn't live there for free.

[Partial Qualifier]

Well, I have been offered a 1 year contract with a good Dallas company. The contact could extend if the budget allows. I could look for other opportunities after this is up. The pay is a little less that what I am at now and the benefits are not as good. My question is - if you were in my shoes would you do it? Would you leave a steady job for this opportunity?

I wouldn't.

There's a reason they're contracting that job out (i.e. not making it a core position) and "budget permitting" doesn't sound too promising given today's state of affairs so within a year, you'll likely be scraping around for jobs in a market that's already oversaturated with I.T. talent.

[Partial Qualifier]

Do you specialize in any sort of niche? And do you have any inclination to start your own business? I know guys in the Dallas area who've done that and things are great. Maybe you could build some clientel while at this 1-year contract?

These guys kill me. They can charge $250-and-up per hour, have all the business they want year-in and year-out and basically work out of their house. Bastards. ;)

[crimson monkey]

From what I can tell, most IT jobs in the area are contract based. Maybe I am wrong about that. In Omaha, that type of job is pretty rare. Every job I have looked at has been contract. They typically hire full time after you have done that for 3 years or so. That is the aspect I am having trouble with. I have a full time job here. It would be a risk.

I guess my specialty would be web based applications. However, I do thick client and web/WCF services. The hard part would be building up the clientele. I don't really have many contacts in the area. But yeah - charging those amounts is about the norm.

[Partial Qualifier]

Sorry I can't speak firsthand about the Dallas market. I know lots of perfectly good I.T. people who've tested the waters in the metro and none fared particularly well. Granted that was during (and the few years after) the telcom mini-bust down there earlier last decade, and there were tons of talented people out of work.

Sounds like you understand the risk. Good luck, whatever you decide to do. Two of the dudes I know moved to the Austin area (gasp) which appears to be a better situation overall.

[crimson monkey]

I don't think I could move to Austin even if it was a dream job with unlimited pay. I think I would rather poke both eyes out with toothpicks beore moving to enemy territory. Thanks for the well wishes. Still not sure what we are going to do. If I am still having any doubts this time tomorrow, I am going to turn it down. We love Omaha as well. Just want to move closer to family before the kids get too much older and relocating becomes more of an issue with them.

[Sooner Eclipse]

You do not want to sell a house right now, no matter which market you are in. It took me damn near a year to close on the sale of our old house, much less purchace a new one and credit was not the issue. The gov'mint has F'ed up home buying right now. Your contract could be up by the time you sell the thing.

[olevetonahill]

IMHO
Yer an Idiot for even considering it, During these trying times .
jes sayin

[Okla-homey]

I'd rather be the towel boy in a 15 minute-per-throw Omaha whore house than the Governor of texass. But that's just me. You do what you want.

[StoopTroup]

Get ready to have your car stolen/broken into.

I don't know what the stats are for each city, but here they are for me.

I've lived (since I started driving) in the OKC/metro for 16 years.

Southern California for 2 years

New Orleans (tulane) for 4 years

Dallas for 2 years



I've had my car vandalized/broken into/stolen 6 times since I was 16.


1 of the 6 was in SoCal. (San Diego)

the other 5 were in Dallas. Dallas is a cesspool compared to OKC, KC or Omaha type places. Wouldn't live there for free.

If you get an old car and get it fixed up so it's mechanically solid and drive around with coveralls and a ballcap to cover your suit....

Would that limit your exposure there. Maybe put some shorthorn, aggie and sand aggie stickers all over it.

Then just spend the money you saved on a low jack system in case they borrow it for a joyride?

[crimson monkey]

Thanks everyone for chiming in. Vet, I appreciate your humble opinion, but that is all I wanted. I didn't ask for name calling or disrespect.

[StoopTroup]

I'd rather be the towel boy in a 15 minute-per-throw Omaha whore house than the Governor of texass. But that's just me. You do what you want.

I knew this....
http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/shared-blogs/austin/longhorns/upload/2008/02/obama_hooks_em/Obama%202008.jpg

Would lead to whornhouses.

[olevetonahill]

Thanks everyone for chiming in. Vet, I appreciate your humble opinion, but that is all I wanted. I didn't ask for name calling or disrespect.

:D You will go far here :D :P

[GKeeper316]

stay in omaha.

nebbish fans are great. dallas is expensive and has a ton of crime.

[Curly Bill]

I live about an hour north of Dallas, but it'd take a lot of bucks to get me to live in Dallas.

Crime, traffic, yuck...

[GrapevineSooner]

Oh, yeah, forgot to mention about the crime part?

Never had one vehicle broken into.

Just sayin'

[Curly Bill]

Oh, yeah, forgot to mention about the crime part?

Never had one vehicle broken into.

Just sayin'

Someone just jinxed themselves! ;)

[Crucifax Autumn]

Anyone with a steady job with great benefits even considering taking a pay cut for a temp job in this economy needs mental help. There are a LOT of people that would kill to have a great job right now.

[Curly Bill]

Anyone with a steady job with great benefits even considering taking a pay cut for a temp job in this economy needs mental help. There are a LOT of people that would kill to have a great job right now.

If you kill someone do you get to take their job?

[Crucifax Autumn]

Sounds like a fine way to run things.

[Curly Bill]

I know, I got all the good ideas. :D

[crawfish]

I've found the IT market in DFW to be pretty reliable - always able to find a job when I need to. You can avoid the crime if you don't move into the wrong places, although it's tougher to avoid the traffic. I do think there is decent demand for C#/.NET guys here, at least for the lower level jobs (40-60K).

[Veritas]

I started my software business in Lincoln, Nebraska. We've since moved the business to Dallas and split time about 60/40 between Dallas (business) and Lincoln (family). So...I think I'm able to offer a perspective that is somewhat consistent with your situation.

Opportunities in Omaha are *very* limited and salaries are relatively low. Dallas, relative to Omaha, has tons of opportunities and the salaries are much better than Omaha.

You may be making less money, but consider the fact that you'll not be paying the 6.84% Nebraska income tax rate. Food and goods are roughly 5-10% cheaper (we track our costs in Quickbooks, so that's not a guess, that's a range based multiple observations). Houses cost less but are much nicer: you get way more for your money in Dallas. Texas property taxes suck, but they're not even a full percentage point higher than what you're probably paying in Omaha, so it's not all that big a deal relative to what you're used to.

It's cheaper to register vehicles; you don't get assraped every year like you do in Nebraska.

From a professional perspective (remember, this is another nerd talking here), the environment in Dallas alone makes the move worthwhile. The Omaha technical community is very small and very insular. I have a hard time finding folks in Omaha/Lincoln whose skills are superior to my own. Dallas, however, offers me the opportunity the hang out with and learn from nerds whose abilities and knowledge make me look like a silly child playing with computers.

If you do have the inclination to start your own business, definitely make the move. 80% of my company's business by volume (not revenue) comes from Dallas. We do NO business in Nebraska, in fact, we avoid it intentionally. Nebraska clients expect service at a $200/hour rate but only want to pay $75, and they complain about that. Dallas presents the opportunity to charge a pretty steep rate and IF you can a) deliver when you say you can and b) deliver quality code you will find yourself turning work away. My company keeps two freelance guys pretty busy with work that is outside of our area of expertise, and we've only been at it for 22 months.

I would encourage you to consider the move. My wife and I LOVE Dallas and spend our time in Nebraska looking forward to getting back.

[Veritas]

There is the downside of having to deal with lots of dirty rotten stinking ****ing whorn fans. But there is also the upside of gameday in Norman being three hours away. And gameday in Norman, especially SF.com tailgates, is awesome. My wife and I still talk about what a great experience we had when we went to OU/NU in Norman.

[crimson monkey]

Veritas - great perspective and exactly what I was looking for. I really appreciate it. By the way - are you looking for help? ;)

I would love to start my own thing. I completely agree with you about everyone wanting work done for a low hourly rate. I used to work for a firm in Omaha that had Valmont as a client. They would haggle rates down so lo that we would lose money. I can't believe our owner kept doing business with them. All of our other clients were very similar.

My wife and I have a lot to talk about. Our decision is due tomorrow. Again, thank you. You make some great points.

[Uncle Ernie]

I would say stay where you are if you have a good job. This economy sucks worse than Dallas' offensive line did against A.D. and The Vikes today. I would say that is the bottom line. All big cities have crime, traffic and other similar problems. I've lived in DFW 13 years but I love it. However if I could get a job and a house in Norman it would be "See ya!" I'm a Sooner and my family is still in Oklahoma. So what am I telling you? You're going to have to make up your own mind. You're welcome.;)

[Jacie]

If you live in the city limits as opposed to one of the surrounding communities like where you grew up, you will be taxed $50/year/vehicle. This one was started the year I moved out and I got a good laugh about the tax bill that followed me to New York as I chucked it in the trash. Also, the gas costs more in the city than outside. I wouldn't subject my kids to Dallas schools but if it is just you and your wife it could be good. Living in Texas in general was nice if only because there was one less tax form to fill out.

[Veritas]

Veritas - great perspective and exactly what I was looking for. I really appreciate it. By the way - are you looking for help? ;)

I would love to start my own thing. I completely agree with you about everyone wanting work done for a low hourly rate. I used to work for a firm in Omaha that had Valmont as a client. They would haggle rates down so lo that we would lose money. I can't believe our owner kept doing business with them. All of our other clients were very similar.

My wife and I have a lot to talk about. Our decision is due tomorrow. Again, thank you. You make some great points.
I was looking for devs a few months ago; hired people in Houston and Dallas.

There just aren't enough "big fish" clients in Nebraska so it's a buyer's market and all of the agencies fall all over themselves to get those clients just so they can have their margin beaten down to nothing. It's retarded.

Either way, good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[StoopTroup]

Interview over? LETS ROCK!

KOIqauJ3_WU

[colleyvillesooner]

I started my software business in Lincoln, Nebraska. We've since moved the business to Dallas and split time about 60/40 between Dallas (business) and Lincoln (family). So...I think I'm able to offer a perspective that is somewhat consistent with your situation.

Opportunities in Omaha are *very* limited and salaries are relatively low. Dallas, relative to Omaha, has tons of opportunities and the salaries are much better than Omaha.

You may be making less money, but consider the fact that you'll not be paying the 6.84% Nebraska income tax rate. Food and goods are roughly 5-10% cheaper (we track our costs in Quickbooks, so that's not a guess, that's a range based multiple observations). Houses cost less but are much nicer: you get way more for your money in Dallas. Texas property taxes suck, but they're not even a full percentage point higher than what you're probably paying in Omaha, so it's not all that big a deal relative to what you're used to.

It's cheaper to register vehicles; you don't get assraped every year like you do in Nebraska.

From a professional perspective (remember, this is another nerd talking here), the environment in Dallas alone makes the move worthwhile. The Omaha technical community is very small and very insular. I have a hard time finding folks in Omaha/Lincoln whose skills are superior to my own. Dallas, however, offers me the opportunity the hang out with and learn from nerds whose abilities and knowledge make me look like a silly child playing with computers.

If you do have the inclination to start your own business, definitely make the move. 80% of my company's business by volume (not revenue) comes from Dallas. We do NO business in Nebraska, in fact, we avoid it intentionally. Nebraska clients expect service at a $200/hour rate but only want to pay $75, and they complain about that. Dallas presents the opportunity to charge a pretty steep rate and IF you can a) deliver when you say you can and b) deliver quality code you will find yourself turning work away. My company keeps two freelance guys pretty busy with work that is outside of our area of expertise, and we've only been at it for 22 months.

I would encourage you to consider the move. My wife and I LOVE Dallas and spend our time in Nebraska looking forward to getting back.

so what you're really saying is you're in Dallas a lot and never call.

:mad:

;)

[IB4OU2]

and corn, don't forget about the corn!

[OUMallen]

I'm not a Dallas resident, but here's what I'm reading from your post:

You have a stable job in a terrible economy that you're thinking about leaving for a job that has no guarantee beyond one year that pays less than your current job, and you'd have to pull up stakes and move several states away to do it.

While I recognize the appeal of moving closer to family, that sounds like a terrible idea.

+ a fillion.

[Veritas]

so what you're really saying is you're in Dallas a lot and never call.

:mad:

;)
Well, all this is as of the last month and a half. Trust me, we'll be bothering you soon enough. :D

[yankee]

Get ready to have your car stolen/broken into.

I don't know what the stats are for each city, but here they are for me.

I've lived (since I started driving) in the OKC/metro for 16 years.

Southern California for 2 years

New Orleans (tulane) for 4 years

Dallas for 2 years



I've had my car vandalized/broken into/stolen 6 times since I was 16.


1 of the 6 was in SoCal. (San Diego)

the other 5 were in Dallas. Dallas is a cesspool compared to OKC, KC or Omaha type places. Wouldn't live there for free.

so don't live in dallas, crimson monkey. since you grew up in plano, you know there are an abundance of very nice suburbs in the d/fw area. i've lived in d/fw for over 10 years, and still have not had my car broken into.

[unbiasedtruth]

dont do it.....


this from someone who works in the metroplex 3 out of 5 nights per week, work from home the other 2 and that commutes 45 miles one way on those 3 nights I do drive in.