You might change your mind about that thought once you start commuting...

For some, living in base and having no commute is the only way to do this job. On the other hand there are guys that commute and don't complain too much. Your opinion will vary, but I'd recommend the first option.

As an FO you could get to IAH pretty easily at both Skywest and Mesa. But, what you should really be focusing on is what life will be like after upgrade. IAH isn't the most junior captain base at Skywest, you'd (currently) need 3 years of seniority to hold captain in IAH (check out the seniority table on Skywest website). So that would mean a year or so of deferred upgrade or commuting to a junior base (DTW, MSP, ORD). The latter does not sound like fun.

At Mesa it's easy because IAH is the only E-jet base. It would be guaranteed out of training, and (currently) is guaranteed for upgrade.

Of course, these are both regional airlines, so the status of IAH at each is subject to change. But, your chances of success will be higher the faster you can get in and get your flight time.