KnowYard Community

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.

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.

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.

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.

My church potluck sweet tea made in a 5 gallon cooler with approximately 4 pounds of sugar. Nothing in a restaurant comes close.

Document everything in writing. Every call, every text, every email. Take photos of the thermostat showing the indoor temp. This is your evidence if it goes to court.

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

$200/month HOA and they can't even maintain the common areas? Request a financial audit. You're entitled to see where that money goes.

Dashcam with parking mode. It records when it detects motion near the car. Won't stop the theft but gives you evidence and sometimes a clear face.

The hard truth is that unless someone is caught in the act, police don't have the resources to investigate car break-ins. Prevention is all you've got.

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

Show up to HOA board meetings. Seriously. Most boards are 3-5 retired people with nothing better to do. You show up with 5 neighbors who are also sick of it and you can vote them out.

Ring footage and police reports don't accomplish anything in my experience. The camera is for insurance claims, not actual justice. Sad but true.

I fought a similar violation. Sent a written response requesting the specific bylaw and photos of other houses in violation. They dropped it. They count on people just complying without question.

Chick-fil-A is the gold standard and I'm tired of people trying to find something better. It's sweet tea. They perfected it. Move on.

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.

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.

Read your CC&Rs cover to cover. Half the violations HOAs send out are either not actually in the rules or they're enforcing selectively. If your neighbor's trash can is visible too, document it and bring it up.

Left teaching last year for corporate training. Same skills, double the salary, and I don't cry in my car anymore. I miss the kids but I don't miss the system.

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.

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.

Our neighborhood pooled money for extra private security patrol one night a week. Break-ins dropped significantly. It's not cheap but it works.

I have everything delivered to my office now. Annoying to carry it all home but at least it's secure.

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 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.