A young mother who moved with her family from California to America’s fastest-growing city has revealed what drew them to the small town.
Michelle Clifford, 33, says she has always been fascinated by Texas culture and even attended college there.
So when the opportunity arose to move to Celina in the Lone Star State, she and her husband decided to take it.
Clifford said they never looked back after getting a larger property for a lower price and having more space to do outdoor activities with their children.
It was a goal she had wanted to accomplish for some time, but the couple had previously settled in Southern California following her graduation, after falling in love with the man of her dreams who attended school in the Bay Area.
The couple lived in San Diego for five years before moving to San Francisco, where they married and had their first daughter, Clifford. he writes in an essay for Business Insider.
Michelle Clifford described what led her and her husband to move to America’s fastest-growing city.
The couple had lived in Oceanside, California (pictured) before deciding to move to the Lone Star State.
During the pandemic, she and her husband moved to Oceanside, California, and she became pregnant with their second daughter. But by then they wanted more out of life.
“Over time, our priorities changed,” Clifford wrote. “We wanted to slow down and buy a house, but that wasn’t a realistic option for us in California.”
Since she was working remotely at the time, she and her husband decided it was time to move to Texas.
They initially moved to Prosper, a city north of Dallas that has also experienced a boom in recent years.
Census data show the city’s population was just 10,000 in 2009. Today, the city’s population is around 40,000, according to the Prosper Economic Development Corporation.
Clifford and her husband purchased a 2,400-square-foot home in Celina, Texas, for approximately $600,000.
In Prosper, the couple rented a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house on a third of an acre for $2,650 a month, a major upgrade from their small home in Oceanside, where they rented a two-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow built in the 1960s for $3,300.
But now they’re upgrading even further, moving into a 2,400-square-foot home in Celina, Texas, that sits on an acre of land.
Clifford and her husband were able to purchase the property for about $600,000, and Clifford said the process of purchasing the home was very easy compared to what they would have faced in California, where they couldn’t find properties they liked within their $700,000 budget.
“I have friends who lost deals on homes in California to buyers willing to offer up to $150,000 more than the asking price, often in cash,” he said.
“But finding a home in Celina was the easiest process – it was like the stars aligned.”
Clifford said the sellers accepted their offer the same day they made it and were able to close the deal in just 15 days.
Clifford said she and her husband fell in love with Celina’s culture.
“If we stayed in California, we knew that to buy a house we would probably have to move much farther east, away from the ocean, or settle for a lifetime of renting or living in a small townhouse with a backyard,” she wrote.
“We’re outdoorsy people, so we’d feel like we were being robbed.”
She added that they also fell in love with Celina’s culture, writing: ‘It felt like the perfect place for me to settle down and put down roots.
“The most important thing was that it was about doing something completely different,” Clifford said.
“We have experienced city life and wanted to embrace country life and have some land.”
Her new neighbors have eight cows, and Clifford and her husband recently bought their own chicken coop, she said.
She said she is grateful that her two daughters will be able to grow up in the Texas city.
The city’s population has grown tremendously in recent years and more and more Californians are moving to Celina, driving up prices.
He went on to describe the city as having a “small, friendly atmosphere” despite its vast land area.
“Everyone says hi to us and I feel like we all know each other,” Clifford wrote.
“It’s hard to describe, but it feels like you’re stepping back in time,” she said, describing how the city and residents have preserved their culture with small businesses and “almost no fast food chains.”
“I am honored to consider myself a Celina resident and am grateful to be welcomed,” she said.
Clifford added that she is also grateful that her children will have a home of their own.
“I’m not usually an emotional person, but for the last month, I swear, I cried all the time. I never thought this would happen,” she said of the possibility of owning a home.
“I’ve been renting or moving almost every year since I was 18,” she continued.
‘To finally be able to own something that’s mine is the most incredible feeling.
“Knowing that my daughters will have room to run around in Celina is the biggest blessing. I can’t stop imagining them playing at the end of a cul-de-sac, just like I did when I was little.
“I’m very grateful,” Clifford concluded. “It seems like everything was meant to be.”
But, she noted, all the charms that drew her to Celina are now attracting more and more Californians who are driving up prices.
The average price of their homes has also skyrocketed. Approximately $680,00029 percent higher than the median home price in nearby Dallas.
Celina’s new transplants are likely there for the hour-long drive to Dallas, its highly-rated schools and low crime rates.
Celina also has a bit of culture of its own, known for hosting festivals filled with good food and attractions.
Its downtown plaza hosted its annual Cajun Festival in May, promoting the event as the “The Biggest Crawfish Party in North Texas.’
The event was rounded out by live alligator shows, a family-friendly carnival and a live performance by country star Aaron Watson.
And, of course, thousands of pounds of fresh crabs for residents and passersby alike to enjoy.
Now, Clifford said she hopes “Celina doesn’t lose the quaint feel that drew her here in the first place.”
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