Leaving Los Angeles

[leftyjace]

I liked San Diego a lot. Problem for me was housing prices and just the general mess of CA government.

This.

My job only requires I be near an International Airport for travel. I can live anywhere. I took a long, hard look at San Diego - but because of these two items, I just couldn't pull the trigger. Which is sad. I'm originally from California. I've always wanted to move back there.

 

[Beantown]

Isn't the Seattle real estate and cost of living really high?

 

[Deleted member 365]

This.

My job only requires I be near an International Airport for travel. I can live anywhere. I took a long, hard look at San Diego - but because of these two items, I just couldn't pull the trigger. Which is sad. I'm originally from California. I've always wanted to move back there.

But don't you also make a lot more there?

True, here in Utah housing costs are like half of what they'd be in the SD area. Yet, wages are like twice as much. It's fairly relative from what I've seen. Maybe it doesn't balance itself of completely but it's fairly relative... Right?

 

[Gameface]

But don't you also make a lot more there?

True, here in Utah housing costs are like half of what they'd be in the SD area. Yet, wages are like twice as much. It's fairly relative from what I've seen. Maybe it doesn't balance itself of completely but it's fairly relative... Right?

Wages are not twice as much there, in general. They are higher, but no where close to twice as high. Most middle income people lived in apts from what I saw. There was a much bigger line between the very wealthy and the not very wealthy than there is in Utah.

It doesn't balance out at all. You trade the ability to own your own large house for nicer weather and access to the beach, among other benefits that I think are not as great as people act like they are, like culture, night life, etc. Is there more to do in SD? Sure. It'll cost you, and if you find things you enjoy and stick to those things it doesn't really matter that there are 5 other places where you can do the same thing or that there are x number of other pursuits you could get into. So for most people the more stuff to do thing makes zero difference in how they are going to spend their time. I can do what I like to do in Utah, so it's a complete non-issue as far as I'm concerned. I always had season passes for the SD Zoo, and that was really cool, but I really don't miss it all that much.

Just like life in general, the place you're at is mostly what you make of it.

 

[leftyjace]

But don't you also make a lot more there?

True, here in Utah housing costs are like half of what they'd be in the SD area. Yet, wages are like twice as much. It's fairly relative from what I've seen. Maybe it doesn't balance itself of completely but it's fairly relative... Right?

To add to GF's response, taxes are also a consideration. The California State Income Tax alone would be twice the state income tax I pay in Utah. Not to mention higher sales taxes in most areas, property taxes in most areas, etc.

And since I live in UT, I could relocate to CA - but the increase in my wages would be relative to my employer's pick of cost-of-living increase studies, which never tells the whole story. According to salary.com cost of living is near 70% higher in San Diego over the Salt Lake area, and while I'm sure I'd get something I doubt very highly my employer would come close to that. Plus my move would be voluntary... not instituted by my employer... therefore they'd look at it as elective, and wouldn't have much of an incentive to give me much.

I could switch jobs to a competitor of my company at the same time I move and try to negotiate an appropriate salary commensurate to said cost of living expense, but... meh, I'll just stay here.

 

[Stifle Tower]

Wages are not twice as much there, in general. They are higher, but no where close to twice as high. Most middle income people lived in apts from what I saw. There was a much bigger line between the very wealthy and the not very wealthy than there is in Utah.

It doesn't balance out at all.

This. I made a decent salary at my last job, but we just didn't make much progress financially. COL is very high - and even worse in Orange County as opposed to LA. I don't know that SLC is much of a bargain, either. Real estate prices seem out of line with average wages. Perhaps a major factor is all the CA Mormons retiring to SLC...drives up the cost of homes.

 

[bigb]

This. I made a decent salary at my last job, but we just didn't make much progress financially. COL is very high - and even worse in Orange County as opposed to LA. I don't know that SLC is much of a bargain, either. Real estate prices seem out of line with average wages. Perhaps a major factor is all the CA Mormons retiring to SLC...drives up the cost of homes.

Damn Californians. Yet another reason to hate them Laker fans.

 

[Duck Rodgers]

Yeah, the SoCal housing story for a lot people that have relatively decent places to live(and not living a hour/s away commute time from the city centers) is that they they are well off, bought decades ago, had housing handed down to them, or they are pulling some kind of multi-family/multi-renter living situation where 4 or 5 Adults are picking up the tab. Even Compton, that notorious "ghetto", had $400,000 mean housing prices at the peak of the bubble. I think it's about 1/2 of that now, but California as a whole is back up near bubble highs so I'm sure Compton will be back there in a couple years unless the market crashes again.

 

[Stifle Tower]

Yeah, the SoCal housing story for a lot people that have relatively decent places to live(and not living a hour/s away commute time from the city centers) is that they they are well off, bought decades ago, had housing handed down to them, or they are pulling some kind of multi-family/multi-renter living situation where 4 or 5 Adults are picking up the tab. Even Compton, that notorious "ghetto", had $400,000 mean housing prices at the peak of the bubble. I think it's about 1/2 of that now, but California as a whole is back up near bubble highs so I'm sure Compton will be back there in a couple years unless the market crashes again.

Not even close to bubble highs. We're still below where we bought in 2004 and only 2/3rd's of what it was at the peak. Perhaps some of the higher-end communities like Santa Monica, Brentwood, etc, are bouncing back faster, but the outlying suburbs have not. Still too much inventory on the market and not enough demand.And wages are WAY down. Definitely an employer's market at present, with a lot of companies going to contract employees instead of full-time staff - no doubt a reflection of Obamacare amongst other factors (namely, that they can to reduce costs).

 

[Duck Rodgers]

Not even close to bubble highs. We're still below where we bought in 2004 and only 2/3rd's of what it was at the peak. Perhaps some of the higher-end communities like Santa Monica, Brentwood, etc, are bouncing back faster, but the outlying suburbs have not. Still too much inventory on the market and not enough demand.And wages are WAY down. Definitely an employer's market at present, with a lot of companies going to contract employees instead of full-time staff - no doubt a reflection of Obamacare amongst other factors (namely, that they can to reduce costs).

Well, since you actually own underwater property there, I'll let you be the judge of what's close. It's not that far away based on current trends in time or % though.

 

[♪alt13]

Not even close to bubble highs. We're still below where we bought in 2004 and only 2/3rd's of what it was at the peak. Perhaps some of the higher-end communities like Santa Monica, Brentwood, etc, are bouncing back faster, but the outlying suburbs have not. Still too much inventory on the market and not enough demand.And wages are WAY down. Definitely an employer's market at present, with a lot of companies going to contract employees instead of full-time staff - no doubt a reflection of Obamacare amongst other factors (namely, that they can to reduce costs).

Isn't rent still crazy high out there? If you move you could always rent out your home and wait for the value to return.

 

[bigb]

Isn't rent still crazy high out there? If you move you could always rent out your home and wait for the value to return.

That would be awesome as long as he doesn't need the equity to get into something new.