Anyone know much about the benefits provided, 401K, matching gifts, vacation, etc. when working for the Texas A&M Foundation?

I am thinking of applying for a job with the Foundation and am trying to get a grasp on the overall package beyond salary. Trying to convince my wife to move to B/CS could be a challenge (she wants to move to Fairfield just north of Houston and let me commute).

Is the cost of living in B/CS high or low. I realize there would be plenty of cheap stuff to do because of the University, but what about property taxes, real estate costs, school taxes, etc.

Any help would be appreciated.


[This message has been edited by 12th Man Ag (edited 1/4/2006 10:46a).]

First off, CoL is very low. Homes/property is undervalued around 27% (lowest in the nation).

90k in in CS would be like about $125k in Houston or Dallas. (No stats to back up just feel)

We are heading there in June...

you will be grossly disappointed with the lack of difference in cost of living. We moved from the Dallas area to College Station not too long ago with the same thoughts most people have about COL/Housing?etc....

Housing, we bought a new house for a dime per square foot less than what we sold our house for in Flower Mound.

CS property tax rate is actually 0.25% higher than our tax rate was in Flower Mound.

However, home and car insurance are about 15% cheaper for same $ coverage.

Everything else (groceries, restaraunts, etc...) seems to be pretty much the same in College Station vs DFW area.

Almost forgot the most important ", beer is a heck of lot cheaper in CS than it was in Dallas. However, liquor is a little more, about $2.00 more per 1/2 gallon.

With all that being said, it has definitely been the best decision for us. CS is a wonderful community to be a part of, to raise a family in, to meet many people. Close access to all Aggie athletics is a most obvious plus!!!

As far as Texas A&M Foundation questions are concerned, contact the HR department and they'll be able to answer your questions that we can not.

-ct95

[This message has been edited by ct95 (edited 12/1/2005 9:45a).]

[This message has been edited by ct95 (edited 12/1/2005 9:49a).]

I moved from the Cypress/Champions area to College Station and found the real estate market higher in CS. The property values are much higher than the Houston 'burbs, therefore the $$/square foot price is high in CS. For Pebble Creek area neighborhoods, most good builders are from $92-$100 per square foot.

I agreee with ct95, don't expect a CoL discount.

That said, you couldn't drag me back to H-town.

Moved here from Sugar Land almost 7 years ago. Don't expect to find a deal on a house here in B/CS. On the positive side, a home in B/CS does usually come complete w/ sprinkler system, blinds, front/backyard landscaping (sod only in back), and a few other things that are not usually standard in Htown. I can't say that I have broken down the cost of whiskey quite like ct95 has, but I'll trust his expertise.

Other benefits to the area include: 5 minute commute to work and home; The Chicken, Tap and other bars and still a good time for us older married dudes ('91); babysitters are hot, or at least they can be if you have good vision;

From what I understand about the Foundation, excellant benefits and pension plan. Call Beverly Smith at 979-845-8161. She is their HR Rep.


Hope this helps.








[This message has been edited by 44 "THE HIT" (edited 12/1/2005 10:34a).]

I wouldn't take a pay cut to move here, because it's not as cheap as everyone assumes.

I do think it's a great place to live if you don't like big cities.

Benefits info
http://sago.tamu.edu/shro/brochures/hilites.HTM

aggie-master,

Benefits at The Foundation are a little different as it is not part of Texas A&M University.

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I wouldn't take a pay cut to move here, because it's not as cheap as everyone assumes.

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Yeah it is.

After having lived here now for 3 months the only things I've found cheaper are insurance and beer. We lived in Cypress and the Woodlands before and housing is much higher in CS. That said, there is no comparison with the houses in the Houston area. CS houses are far superior. I think everything else is about the same.

[This message has been edited by 91_Aggie (edited 12/1/2005 9:25p).]

Yes, I don't know where Fleen was getting his information about housing costs.

I've known people who moved to Houston from here and bought a much bigger house for the same amout of money as one in College Station.

Can't speak for Dallas.

I definitely do not see 125K in Houston equalling $90K in CS. Unless you have an H2 and a 50 mile commute everyday.

91, it was posted awhile back and I saw it in DMN as well, B/CS property is undervalued 27%...Yes you can get more house for less in suburb Houston and probably suburb Dallas if you are looking for cookie cutter neighborhoods and 2500ish sq/ft...

I'm not claiming to know a lot, just going off the experience of my In-laws and when I am in town...

quote:

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it was posted awhile back and I saw it in DMN as well, B/CS property is undervalued 27%

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Don't know how true that is anymore since the Appraisal Board jacked a lot of the appraisals up 30% this year.

Comfort I don't believe he was talking about valuation for that purpose.

No this was pricing I believe...maybe against national average?

It all depends on how they arrived at their valuations. Some studies I've seen do a market survey of building costs, others do more of a realtors comparable survey. My point was, whether pertinent or not, that taxable valuations were way behind marketable values up until the last two years, when the Brazos County appraisal board changed their software and started ratcheting up property appraisals in B-CS.

The quality of life is higher in CS, and you can't put a price tag on that!

If I'm not mistaken, the Foundation and Assoc of Former Students are independent from the System and have a different benefits package.

I've seen those studies, but having bought a house 3 years ago, and having looked at houses in both Bryan and College Station, I can tell you that you can get more house for the money if you buy in Bryan. Houses are not cheap in College Station. I bought an 1810 square foot house in Memorial Forest for less than I could have gotten a 1300 square foot house in the newer areas of College Station.

And I just had some friends move to Arlington. They bought a house almost twice as big as the one they owned here over on Pueblo Court (just off of Deacon Drive) in College Station for the same money.

Cost of living is about the same as in Houston; but you will be dissapointed in what the University pays; benefits are good; pay low.

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Cost of living is about the same as in Houston; but you will be dissapointed in what the University pays; benefits are good; pay low.

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So, if I can get a salary equal to or above my current salary, then I should be fine, right?

Also, does anyone know for sure if they benefits at the Foundation differ from those of regualr University employees?

What others have already told you is true. Since the Foundation is a separate entity from the University, they are able to offer a different compensation package.

I know the Foundation gives you (as part of their compensation package) something like 19% of your annual salary into a retirement account for you. This is totally free to you. The Association puts in 18%, and I know TAMF is a little better than AFS in that regard.

TAMF is a lot more formal than most places on campus, especially when compared to AFS...but it is a great place to work.

development officers don't start out at 90.

[This message has been edited by 12th Man Ag (edited 1/4/2006 10:47a).]

http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html

For what it's worth.

^
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Not worth much. It says you would only need to make $75K in B/CS to equal $95K in Houston. I'm not buying that at all.

[This message has been edited by aggiepaintrain (edited 12/21/2005 9:15p).]

[This message has been edited by 12th Man Ag (edited 1/4/2006 10:48a).]

quote:

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Not worth much. It says you would only need to make $75K in B/CS to equal $95K in Houston. I'm not buying that at all.

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That is about right..

We live in a brand new 4 bedroom house around 1900 square feet with a huge back yard.

My brother in law lives in small three bed room with a tiny back yard in cypress and he paid almost 20 grand more than I did.

Housing in BCS is some of the lowest in a moderate sized community.

Plus insuance and basic cost of living is far less.

Good luck, 12th Man Ag.

I wish I could make the move back to the motherland.

I will respectfully disagree about the cost of housing in BCS being low. The cost is much higher than the Houston market, but the quality is exponentially higher. I've been in the real estate and mortgage banking business in the Houston market for many years and recently built in CS so I think I have a fairly good perspective on the two. That said, the cost of insuring the house is much, much lower in CS.

Goodluck with the job 12th man ag. However, it is fairly difficult to land a job at A&M unless somehow you have some connections on campus. Im a graduate student @ A&M, and it took me a year to finally land a job on campus. Since then, i have made plenty of connections to keep me here if i choose to stay after I graduate. Once your in, it is no problem to move around as you like.

Robb
Fighting Texas Aggie `01

12th Man Ag - I know a guy who works for the foundation, email me at my user at yahoo, and I'll give you contact details for him.

I live in south College Station and I think I can be at Fairfield in under an hour. I guess this is slightly more than a commute downtown from Katy?

I was born in Bryan, lived in CS until 5th grade, then my family moved to San Antonio. I came back in 1977 when I attended A&M, yet wanted to move back to SA when I graduated. Decided to hang around B/CS for a year or so after I graduated and ended up not leaving.

I can sum up living in College Station this way:

At my 10 year high school reunion my classmates said "You're still living in College Station...are you crazy?"

At my 20 year reunion they said "Man, I'd give anything if I could live there....but it's tough to compete for a high end job".

I love living here. New Branfels, Boerne or Kerrville would be the only other places I'd even consider...and I doubt I'll be doing that.