re: What keeps you in Louisiana?

I just left LA and can tell ya the following:
1) other places have dysfunctional govt agencies, bad roads, traffic, and crime; and

2) that the myth of cheap TX real estate is just that...a myth.

Houston metro housing is actually a considered a bubble, according to the Dallas Federal Reserve. And, the property taxes on a home in a new suburban neighborhood far outweighed my property + income tax in LA, so we had to buy a 25 yr old home so the Municipal Utility District tax on a new home wouldn't eat us up.

We did save money on home and auto insurance though.

I will report back on how the schools are in a year or two.