Want to move to CA (lived there before), but see people leaving (San Diego: crime, house)

[shannon94]

Originally Posted by speedoflight

I don't know about San Diego but 2002-2003 was somewhat at the peak of the prices here. It got so bad that not only were houses selling like hot cakes, people didn't even get more than 5 minutes in a house before they had to bid on it. There were more than 10 bidders on each house. If your bid weren't over and above asking prices you won't get in. This peaked in 2004 and then in 2005, it began its decline to what we have today. It was the period of 2000-2005 that drove the prices to the extremes, so not sure why you want them to get to 2002-2003 levels. Something affordable would have to be somewhere near 1990 levels but that's not going to happen.

Your right. San Diego started climbing when I left at the end of 99. Really I think prices will fall further ....I was being generous with the supply and demand theory!! In 99 prices were still affordable. Yes more expensive than other states but not outrageous. I remember when houses were selling like that. After I moved to Texas my girlfriend called from Cali in 2001 to tell me she was camping out at a new development site to get the lot she wanted. It was crazy. She eventually sold before prices started going down and moved to Idaho. Got tired of driving from Temecula to SD everday for work just to have an affordable home.
I don't think they will drop to 1990 either. The early 90's was the period of time that prices took a dive. Another friend of mine bought a great house for 115k in 97 even. Wish I would have bought in then. Well...we probably would have still moved because of the schools being so overcrowded...that's another issure out there. lol poor Cali.

[Need_affordable_home]

San F. is extremely expensive, but there are other cheaper areas of California. If jobs pay in San D. about as well as San F, its logical to move there as you can get a middle class house in a nice area for $400k to $500k at a cost of around $300 a square foot. San F. would be twice the cost per square foot at around $600/foot!

My friend's parents cashed out on their Santa Clara(silicon valley?) house for $977k(!!!!) size was about 1400 square feet, maybe a little less. Thats $700+ a square foot! They got a 3150 square feet new house in Yuba City for $500k, thats $159/foot! I know the location is less "desirable" but they dont care, they have soooooo much house for soooo cheap and they have enough money to retire anyway(but arent yet retired)

[speedoflight]

As mentioned in my previous posts, there are cheaper places in CA but there's not much going on there, so it's hard for most people to get a job that pays enough to have a great life. Most jobs in such towns pay very mediocrely.

Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home

San F. is extremely expensive, but there are other cheaper areas of California. If jobs pay in San D. about as well as San F, its logical to move there as you can get a middle class house in a nice area for $400k to $500k at a cost of around $300 a square foot. San F. would be twice the cost per square foot at around $600/foot!

My friend's parents cashed out on their Santa Clara(silicon valley?) house for $977k(!!!!) size was about 1400 square feet, maybe a little less. Thats $700+ a square foot! They got a 3150 square feet new house in Yuba City for $500k, thats $159/foot! I know the location is less "desirable" but they dont care, they have soooooo much house for soooo cheap and they have enough money to retire anyway(but arent yet retired)

[speedoflight]

In 1996, I remember trying to rent an apt in SF where the vacancy was less than 1%. There were people lining up to look at the apartment which rented out in less than an hour. I arrived there 2 hours before the appointment time and still did not get it. By 2002, everyone was bidding for a house, it seemed. I have a friend who told me that for every time he failed to get a house he bidded on, he tried to up the bid by $50-100k on the next house. I mean if that environment was not nutty, then what was? It was supply/demand on steroids basically. The historic low interest rates and the creative financing options gave everyone tremendous buying power. Whether they could really afford it or not is another story. Today that buying power has diminished a lot because of the higher interest rates. Even with creative financing options, the higher interest rates still mean larger monthly payments.

Driving such long distances in prime time traffic can really get to you. I've done the 50 mile each way commute once - took me 1.5 hours a day one way and sometimes more. It drains you out after a while to sit in traffic.

The thing to observe is - the people who are leaving CA aren't the poor and indigent. Ironically, most of those are stuck in CA it seems. Many of the ones who are leaving and have left are the middle to upper middle class people who have done the math and feel it's not gelling. My financial advisor left CA in 2003 for North Carolina. She requested for a transfer to NC. Her words were, "Life is so much easier here, from housing through parking. I am not sure why we didn't do this sooner." A few months after she moved there, she quit her job to be a stay home mom with her baby.

Originally Posted by shannon94

Your right. San Diego started climbing when I left at the end of 99. Really I think prices will fall further ....I was being generous with the supply and demand theory!! In 99 prices were still affordable. Yes more expensive than other states but not outrageous. I remember when houses were selling like that. After I moved to Texas my girlfriend called from Cali in 2001 to tell me she was camping out at a new development site to get the lot she wanted. It was crazy. She eventually sold before prices started going down and moved to Idaho. Got tired of driving from Temecula to SD everday for work just to have an affordable home.
I don't think they will drop to 1990 either. The early 90's was the period of time that prices took a dive. Another friend of mine bought a great house for 115k in 97 even. Wish I would have bought in then. Well...we probably would have still moved because of the schools being so overcrowded...that's another issure out there. lol poor Cali.

[anicob9]

Stay in Ohio.
I'm from Cleveland, but I live by San Jose and I miss Cleveland daily.

[Donna7]

Anocob9, if you don't mind my asking - what do you NOT like about San Jose? Also, did you move to San Jose (or area) because of job relocation, or spouse's relocation, or other reason? I ask this because sometimes if a person is not wanting to move, but a move is forced (for various reasons), it is difficult to adjust (this is certainly not saying that this is your case, just an observation).

P.S. - take care, and I do hope that you get back to a place that feels like "home" to you.

[puffle]

I have lived in Southern California for 43 years in one of the nicest areas with schools in the top ten in the state. We are moving to Massachusetts because we are tired of the lack of culture and history other than Hispanic, plastic people hooked on plastic surgery, sixth grade girls wanting to make out with my 13 year old son, mother's trying to look like their daughters especially in the "O.C." It's what you drive and what you do that matters here. I know this a generalization,but this is also 43 years of experience. Run, run fast!

[Donna7]

Also, being a mom, and a mom of a larger family, I can atteste to the fact that 6th grade hormonal girls are not just located in CA, or OC in CA. If anyone thinks that they can run from puburty by running away to a different state, this is purely delusional. Time did NOT stop in other states, nor are other states eternal re-runs of the 40's and 50's. Parents pulling their hair out are prevalent in all 50 states.

As far as the "plastic" people, they are also located in other states as well, although, perhaps they are "concentrated" in OC, or any other place where people are fixated on their looks. But again, now that I think about it, people are fixated on their looks anywhere in the country, as our culture here in the states values and places great emphasis on looking young.

As far as Hispanic langugage (not sure what that means) - I'm assuming Spanish, uh, we have that here too. Frankly, I'm not bothered by a language at all; people are people, some good, some not so good, regardless of language spoken.

Sounds to me like a lot of running away from something; something that will inevitably greet you to wherever you go here in the states. Just my opinion. However, in the end, everyone is allowed to run away to or run away from - wherever they desire.

[greatbasinguide]

No matter where you go, there you are.

You take your baggage, you preconcieved ideas, your prejudices..

If you are into prejudice, Mass. has kikes, wops, guineas, micks, puerto ricans, colored folk etc.

Try having a nice dinner in Roxbury.

[Perdu]

It is reverse prejudice and a trend of MASSIVE disrespect inflicted on people born in America and living in America who encounter store after store in an American city wherein not a single clerk can be located who speaks English. This is the case in much of Los Angeles.