KnowYard Community

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.

Dodie's catfish is the real deal. I grew up in Baton Rouge and this is one of the few places in Texas that does it right. The dark roux gumbo is legit.

Brisket gatekeepers are the worst. My dad has been smoking brisket for 30 years and some guy who watched one YouTube video tried to tell him he's doing it wrong.

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.

I'm remote and I love it but I'll be honest — the isolation is real. I go days without talking to another adult in person. Make sure you have a plan for that.

Left my hybrid job for a fully remote one. Took a small pay cut but the savings on gas, parking, lunch, and wardrobe made it net positive. Zero regrets.

This is exactly why I love this platform. Real DFW conversations.

this is why MMA is the hardest sport to predict. a grappler winning 3 rounds and getting KOd from bottom in round 4 is something that only happens in mixed martial arts. no other sport has this variance

Pressure washing. You can get a decent setup for $400. Driveways, fences, patios. Post on Nextdoor and you'll be booked within a week. $100-200 per driveway.

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

If they won't let you talk to anyone who actually does the job, run. I always ask to speak with a current team member. If they hesitate, there's a reason.

Been waiting for someone to bring this up. Good thread.

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.

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.

"Competitive benefits" with no specifics = bad benefits. Real companies list their benefits because they're proud of them. Vague ones are hiding something.

UPS warehouse and driving positions. Warehouse starts around $21/hr, drivers make $35+/hr after training. Union benefits. It's physical work but it's legit.

Any medical facility. Not as a doctor — as everything else. Phlebotomy cert takes 4 months and pays $18-22/hr. Medical billing is similar. Hospitals are desperate for support staff.

The FEMA flood maps were updated after 2015 and some properties that were previously outside the flood zone got mapped INTO it. If you haven't checked your flood zone recently, do it now. It may have changed.

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.

Counterpoint: standards are what make Texas BBQ great. If we stop caring about quality we end up like every other state's mid BBQ. Gatekeeping has a purpose.

The "but you get summers off" crowd has clearly never met a teacher. My wife spends summer doing curriculum planning, professional development, and setting up her classroom. It's unpaid work.

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.

We bought our lakefront home in Rowlett in 2017 after the 2015 floods. Our lot was affected — high water came to within 30 feet of the house. We got the elevation certificate and the house itself is safe, but the yard flooded. We carry flood insurance ($1,800/year) and consider it the cost of lake living.

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

Package lockbox on the porch. $80 on Amazon. You put a sign on it that says "delivery drivers: please place packages inside." Works 95% of the time. Haven't had a theft since.