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10-19-2006, 09:14 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Jacksonville, FL-South
2,746 posts, read 2,088,961 times
Reputation: 903
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I was in the Navy in San Diego during the late 60's early 70's and decided to stay......not returning to the farm in northern Indiana after my discharge from the Navy. BIG MAJOR MISTAKE!!! I was a farm boy at heart and didn't realize just how much I would miss the 4-seasons of Indiana. Anyway, I stayed in Southern Calif. (Orange County) wayyyy to many years.......seen a LOT of growth (population, traffic), house costs skyrocket and crime go bananas. I met my wife there (she is from Michigan) in 2000 and we decided to move to the Denver area (Englewood and then Parker). We live the "good life" here (house, ski boat, etc., etc.) that we could have never had there. I drive 28 miles to Denver to work and literally have no traffic at all at 6:30 in the morning. My wife's mom and sisters live in Southern Calif. and they won't even come out here to see us (the weather here frightens them).
Anyway, if you have the money and don't mind the traffic, population....Southern Cal is for you. Oh yes, if you are young, good looking, love the beach and love to "party".......run fast to Southern Calif.
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10-20-2006, 01:07 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
201 posts, read 240,056 times
Reputation: 115
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LOL!!! Key words - traffic and crowds. Seems like every time I go to SoCal, the freeways are jammed and the cars barely move on the freeway. Then again, the Bay Area isn't that much different. Commutes are getting longer and longer as home prices become more and more expensive. At some point, I think it's a diminishing return on investment on the time spent in a car and that of what you earn for your job. Every morning, people commute from the suburbs to SF and OMG, the daily traffic is beyond horrendous trying to get to the toll plaza. The state wants to take $3 from you and make you burn up tons of gas trying to get to the point where you pay them that $3. The bumper-to-bumper stop-and-go traffic for miles wears down your brakes. Midas Brakes make a killing here.  As for the GG Bridge, it's $5 a pop. Believe it or not, I've had people from other states actually not believing me when I tell them how much it costs for toll on the GG Bridge until I show them the Web site that lists the price. I hear they're considering raising toll on the GG Bridge and most likely the rest of the other bridges again. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/02/10/BAGG0B8I4F1.DTL
Re: Crowds. I went to an urban park here in the East Bay on a weekend a few months ago. Man, there were people in every corner, behind every bush trying to picnic on top of each other. You can't even find a spot to sit quietly on your own without hearing other people's conversations. Heck, even Yosemite is crowded!
Quote:
Originally Posted by LoveBoating
Anyway, if you have the money and don't mind the traffic, population....Southern Cal is for you. Oh yes, if you are young, good looking, love the beach and love to "party".......run fast to Southern Calif.
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Last edited by speedoflight; 10-20-2006 at 01:22 AM..
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10-20-2006, 02:11 PM
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Junior Member
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Join Date: Oct 2006
2 posts, read 1,959 times
Reputation: 11
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We bought our townhouse in the SF Bay Area in 1989 for 79,000 refinanced it in 92 for 90,000. When we first bought it the HOA were only $125/month (it was a 3/2...1140 sq ft) We sold it 2003 because the HOA's kept going up. When we sold it the hoa's were up to 382/month...we sold for 200 and I checked Realtor.com...the same size townhouse in the same complex is now going for over 400,000...too bad it doesn't list the hoa dues!
We were able to buy a house in NW AR for 108,000...it's a 4/2 1850 sq ft.; payments including ins and tax are less than $500 mo.
My sister said that housing in the Bay Area is starting to stablize...she said it is no longer the seller's market
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10-20-2006, 02:57 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
201 posts, read 240,056 times
Reputation: 115
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HOA dues are up, up and up.
Stabilizing at high prices, not dropping that much. Prices went to a level higher now than ever before, so dropping by $10-20k doesn't make any dent.
Quote:
Originally Posted by luv2quilt
We bought our townhouse in the SF Bay Area in 1989 for 79,000 refinanced it in 92 for 90,000. When we first bought it the HOA were only $125/month (it was a 3/2...1140 sq ft) We sold it 2003 because the HOA's kept going up. When we sold it the hoa's were up to 382/month...we sold for 200 and I checked Realtor.com...the same size townhouse in the same complex is now going for over 400,000...too bad it doesn't list the hoa dues!
We were able to buy a house in NW AR for 108,000...it's a 4/2 1850 sq ft.; payments including ins and tax are less than $500 mo.
My sister said that housing in the Bay Area is starting to stablize...she said it is no longer the seller's market
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10-20-2006, 09:01 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Rolando, San Diego CA 92115
4,983 posts, read 5,132,568 times
Reputation: 1189
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Quote:
Originally Posted by puffle
when we lived in Lexington, Ma. we did not come across materialistic people wearing and driving their wealth for all to see. In fact, by just looking, you would never know who had money and who didn't because it isn't something you talk about or show off there, which I truly appreciate now.
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Oh please they are as wealthy and materialistic as anyone. A Volvo wagon is not a cheap car. I grew up in the NYC area and had lots of friends in MA. We call them M*******s. They treated us working class schmoes like dirt. They are richer and snobbier than any CA wannabee in a chromed-out Mercedes C class.
Quote:
Originally Posted by puffle
The list is too long, but change is good and life is too short. Oh, I didn't say anything about the Hispanic language...I said there is mainly Hispanic culture in California as opposed to the East Coast.
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That might have something to do witht the fact that it was actually part of Mexico once upon a time, ya think? BTW: Mexicans speak a language called "Spanish', not "Hispanic". You might have heard of it. And don't worry, you'll have Mexicans ruining your little snobby New England town in a couple of years. They've already made it to Long Island.
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10-21-2006, 02:30 AM
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Member
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Join Date: Sep 2006
26 posts, read 23,786 times
Reputation: 18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Caliguy29
I agree with you....Alot of Californians are no longer leaving the State,but just moving inland towards The Inland Empire,The Central Valley and The Desert.
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I disagree... I am a realtor and moving people out of state left and right. |
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10-21-2006, 09:39 AM
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One Ostrich at a time....
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Join Date: Jun 2006
1,843 posts, read 1,468,132 times
Reputation: 402
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spoiledmama
I disagree... I am a realtor and moving people out of state left and right.
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Thank you for being honest!!  |
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10-21-2006, 11:28 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Oct 2006
545 posts, read 473,774 times
Reputation: 128
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why is everyone leaving california? sorry i didnt read everyones post.
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10-21-2006, 11:51 AM
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One Ostrich at a time....
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Join Date: Jun 2006
1,843 posts, read 1,468,132 times
Reputation: 402
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jaada
why is everyone leaving california? sorry i didnt read everyones post.
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Don't get me started!! lol.....you should read some of the posts.....it will give you a good idea!! |
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10-21-2006, 10:22 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
201 posts, read 240,056 times
Reputation: 115
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Why?? Well, do you have about $650-700k to buy a 1200 sq ft home in a very mediocre neighborhood in a suburb. You want better ambiance/neighborhood? Oh, then fork out $800-$1 MM for it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaada
why is everyone leaving california? sorry i didnt read everyones post.
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