KnowYard Community

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.

The unequal appraisal argument is your best weapon. If your neighbor's identical house is appraised at $50K less than yours, that's hard for them to justify. Use their own data against them.

Raising Cane's sweet tea doesn't get enough credit. It's dangerously good.

First time I protested I was nervous. The informal hearing took 12 minutes. The guy looked at my comps, agreed I had a point, and dropped it $25K. Easiest money I ever saved.

I used one of those companies that does it for you — they take 25-30% of savings. Got my value knocked down $40K. Worth it because I hate doing paperwork.

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.

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.

Any southern home cooking restaurant. The ones with the big plastic pitchers on the table. That's where the real sweet tea lives.

McDonald's sweet tea for $1 is the best value in fast food beverages and I will die on this hill. They put an absurd amount of sugar in it.

I deliver for Amazon Flex on weekends. $25/hr base plus tips. Use your own vehicle. 4-5 hour blocks. It's not exciting but it's reliable money with a flexible schedule.

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.

Texas has basically zero rent control and no statewide cap on increases. Your only leverage is threatening to leave. And honestly? Sometimes you have to follow through.

File for unemployment the same day. Texas unemployment isn't much ($563/week max) but it buys time. Don't wait. The processing takes 2-3 weeks.

My commute used to be 1.5 hours round trip. That's 7.5 hours a week, 30 hours a month, sitting in traffic producing nothing. Remote work gave me a whole day back every month.

Skip the job boards for the first week. Reach out directly to everyone you know. LinkedIn connections, former coworkers, friends of friends. 70% of jobs are filled through networking and that's not a cliché.

Older suburbs that haven't been "discovered" yet by flippers. The apartment complexes built in the 90s-2000s that are well-maintained but not trendy. Those are the sweet spot.

Look at healthcare and government tech roles. They're not as flashy but they're still hiring and they don't lay off every 6 months. Stability matters when you've been burned.

The real cost is what Texas is losing. Good teachers leave for other careers or other states. What's left is a teacher shortage that keeps getting worse. My kid's school has had 3 substitute teachers this year because they can't fill positions.

For COBRA — check healthcare.gov first. Losing your job qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period. ACA plans might be significantly cheaper than COBRA depending on your income.

Same thing happened to me in January. 3 years, great reviews, gone in a 10 minute call. The market is rough but not dead. Took me 11 weeks to find something. Apply everywhere, even stuff you think you're overqualified for.

Fully remote jobs are getting more competitive. 500+ applicants for every decent remote posting. Be prepared to apply to 50+ positions. It took me 3 months to find my current role.

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.

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.

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

The freedom is worth every extra dollar though. I can paint walls, have a dog, play music at midnight. After 6 years of apartment living the privacy alone is priceless.