Hill Country is beautiful, but it's tough homesteading. There isn't much soil out there. We looked at some properties out that way when we were shopping, but ended up buying a place to the east of Austin. All of the places we looked at to the west were rock with a few inches of topsoil. The place we have now has deep, beautiful soil that can grow anything that's suited for the climate.

I've got a friend who had a nice place in Johnson City, with a gorgeous view, but the whole thing was one big rock. Digging a well was going to cost so much, he ended up going with a big rainwater tank. Just some things to consider as you start shopping around.

But as far as the political climate and attitudes you're looking for, as long s you start away from the cities, you'll find people like that all over the state.