Or... It could be some of those houses are in bad areas where the illegal alien problem has not been remedied. I actually looked at property in Texas and there is an obscene amount of cheap property, and cheap houses. Unfortunately they are close to the Texas border where cartels operate with impunity. I do not doubt there are nice places to live, and quite frankly I would probably do just fine in Texas, but in all honesty it is an entry point for all the drugs, cartels, and of course crime. Be safe down there my friend.