KnowYard Community

Facebook marketplace for house rentals. A lot of smaller landlords don't list on Zillow or Apartments.com. Some of the best deals are private listings from owners.

I found a garage apartment behind someone's house for $950/month. Private entrance, quiet street, great neighborhood. Wouldn't have found it on any apartment website.

Drive through the area at night before you sign anything. If you feel uneasy at 10pm on a Tuesday, trust that instinct.

Look for areas near good school districts. Even if you don't have kids, school district quality correlates with neighborhood safety and maintenance. It's a useful proxy.

It's both. It's a tourist trap AND it's good. Those things can coexist. The prices are high but the quality is real.

Emergency fund before you buy. At least $10K set aside for repairs. The AC, water heater, or roof WILL need attention in the first 2 years. Guaranteed.

The lawn thing is SO real. My water bill in August was $180. For GRASS. I'm seriously considering xeriscaping the whole front yard.

Nobody ever includes property tax and insurance when they compare mortgage to rent. With those factored in, my "cheaper than rent" mortgage is actually $500 more than my old apartment.

The family-owned Chinese spot near me has been open since the 80s. Same family. Same recipes. Still the best egg drop soup I've ever had.

Protested 5 years in a row. Won every time. Average reduction of about $20K in appraised value. The informal hearing is where it happens — bring your comps printed out and be polite.

It's not theater. Something like 60-70% of people who protest get a reduction. The appraisal district overshoots on purpose because they know most people won't protest. Don't be most people.

My barber recommended a BBQ spot that's been open since 1991. Went there. No signage. Just a smoker and some picnic tables. Best ribs I've had in this state.

There's a burger joint near me that's been cash only for 30 years. No website. No social media. Packed every day at lunch. That's the ultimate endorsement.

Old school Tex-Mex places are the best example of this. The ones where the enchilada plate is $9.99 and it comes with rice beans and chips. No substitutions. Perfection.

Buc-ee's is an experience, not a restaurant. You go for the vibes and the clean bathroom and you leave with $40 of beaver-branded impulse purchases.

Do NOT withhold rent without following the proper legal steps. Texas is very landlord-friendly and they can evict you fast if you just stop paying without going through the process.

If you have a kid and the indoor temp is dangerous, call 311 and explain the situation. Some cities have emergency housing resources or can expedite code enforcement.

Starting salary in my district is $52K. Starting salary at Buc-ee's is $50K. With less stress, less responsibility, and no papers to grade at home. That tells you everything about how we value teachers.

Call your city's code compliance. An apartment without AC in July may violate habitability codes. The city inspector showing up lights a fire under landlords real fast.

The fudge and the jerky are genuinely high quality. Everything else is overpriced gas station food with cute packaging. Fight me.

I stop every time I see one and I'm not sorry. The kolaches are solid, the bathrooms are spotless, and the beaver nuggets are crack.

If the menu is laminated and the decor includes wood paneling, you're about to have an incredible meal. That's just science.

The bathroom thing alone justifies its existence. After driving 3 hours on a Texas highway I would pay $5 just for a clean bathroom. The food is a bonus.

Texas Property Code 92.056. Send a WRITTEN notice (certified mail or email with delivery receipt) describing the condition and giving them reasonable time to fix it. If they don't, you have options including repair-and-deduct.

The brisket sandwich is legitimately good for what it is. Is it better than a dedicated BBQ joint? No. Is it the best food you can get without leaving a gas station parking lot? Absolutely.