I can't do anything about Texas weather - it does get pretty toasty come July and August. But the flip side is the mildness of the winters, if you want to call them that. Austin is a little cooler than D/FW in the summer and a little warmer in the winter, has less humidity than Houston, and while overall housing is the most expensive in the state, right now rental communities are doing things like "one month free", "free cable", etc. to attract renters. Being a little smaller town is a good feeling to some. And Austin does advertise itself as the "Live Music Capital of the World". Also, it's only a semi-desert ecology: they get 30 inches of rain annually.

Both Houston and Austin have a Fry's, and both have plenty of "screwdriver shops" for D-I-Y parts and knowledge. Austin has more of a Internet mentality to the business environment (which is why I can't find a job there), so if you're skilled at ASP, XML, .NET, etc., you'll find work. However, Austin is very bad if you have (or plan on developing) allergies. Plus, traffic sucks big time, and the native-born population are getting less tolerant of us non-native "furriners".

And while I can't do anything about your temporary housing requirements, if you come to Houston, both Darrell and I are here for moral support.