KnowYard Community

Mowing lawns. Seriously. Especially in summer when people don't want to be outside. $40-60 per yard, you can do 6-8 in a day. A truck and a mower is all you need.

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.

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

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.

The real answer is that it depends on what trade and what degree. A CS degree from a good school pays more than plumbing. But a plumbing license pays more than a generic business degree with $40K in loans.

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.

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.

Check your city and county job boards directly. Government jobs don't always post on Indeed. The benefits package is usually better than private sector even if the pay is slightly lower.

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.

Factor in ALL costs not just mortgage. Property tax, insurance, HOA, maintenance, and the stuff that breaks. My first year I spent $8K on things the inspection missed.

The insurance situation in Texas is rough right now. Get quotes BEFORE you make an offer on a house. Some areas are seeing 40-50% premium increases after recent storm seasons.

Utility companies are almost always hiring and pay decent with good benefits. Check your local electric co-op or water district. $22-28/hr starting for field positions and you don't need a degree.

At $110K combined you can make $350K work but it will be tight with Texas property taxes. Run the real numbers including tax, insurance, and a maintenance fund. Not just principal and interest.

Bought last year at 6.8%. Monthly payment is more than my old rent but I'm not throwing money away anymore. You can always refinance when rates drop. You can't un-rent money you already spent.

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.

Left lane campers on the DNT at 62 mph should have their TollTag revoked. I said what I said.

Furniture flipping. Grab free stuff off Facebook Marketplace, clean it up or do minor repairs, resell. A truck is your biggest advantage. I clear $500-800/month doing this on weekends.

You can do both. Get your trade license AND take classes part-time. My buddy is a licensed plumber making $75K while finishing his business degree at night. He wants to run his own shop.

I use a pellet grill and I'm tired of pretending I'm sorry about it. The brisket is good. My family loves it. I don't care about your offset smoker opinions.

Transplant here. I said "where's the nightlife" my first week. Then I found Deep Ellum. I now go out more than I did in Chicago.

Stores in wealthier areas don't lock stuff up even though they get shoplifted too. It's a customer experience decision, not purely a theft rate one. Think about what that says.

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.

Whatever you pick, the yard sign and window stickers matter almost as much as the actual system. Most burglars are opportunistic and will skip a house with visible security signs.

Bought a home warranty for $600/year. Covered the AC repair and a plumbing issue in the first 6 months. Paid for itself twice over. Get one for the first year at least.