Just for fun...when CA. finally taxes you out, where will you go? Why? (Santa Barbara: real estate, buying a house)

[family first]

Anyone on the brink yet? If you are on the fence about leaving the state, where are greener pastures? What states, and cities/towns are you looking at for a relocation? When the state tries to find more revenues by taxing us into oblivion, what will you do? What will be the last straw for you?

[.highnlite]

The difference in tax burden between CA and the "low tax" states is no more than 4%. On an income of $100,000 a year, that is about $11.00 per day.

You are likely to save more than that on heating and/or cooling costs by staying in California with its benign climate.

In California you would pay about $10,500 total tax burden, in Texas you would pay about $7,500.

Many would consider that $4,000 a reasonable fee for not having to live in Texas.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by family first

Anyone on the brink yet? If you are on the fence about leaving the state, where are greener pastures? What states, and cities/towns are you looking at for a relocation? When the state tries to find more revenues by taxing us into oblivion, what will you do? What will be the last straw for you?

Like written above, CA taxes are practically irrelevant for the average person (may be different for business owners....not sure). What makes it tough is real estate and jobs near housing commensurate with those jobs' salaries. In general CA salaries are only a little higher than elsewhere but apples to apples real estate is more expensive than other places. One solution: Instead of an apple, buy a plum.

We are definitely living in a smaller, less elaborate home in CA than we had in Huntsville, AL and near Colorado Springs but it is worth it to us. Weather, family, and (usually) jobs.

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

The difference in tax burden between CA and the "low tax" states is no more than 4%. On an income of $100,000 a year, that is about $11.00 per day.

You are likely to save more than that on heating and/or cooling costs by staying in California with its benign climate.

In California you would pay about $10,500 total tax burden, in Texas you would pay about $7,500.

Many would consider that $4,000 a reasonable fee for not having to live in Texas.

You are just flat out wrong here.

Many states have significantly lower overall taxes than California, especially when combining income taxes with real estate taxes (especially when looking at equivalent property prices).

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by family first

Anyone on the brink yet? If you are on the fence about leaving the state, where are greener pastures? What states, and cities/towns are you looking at for a relocation? When the state tries to find more revenues by taxing us into oblivion, what will you do? What will be the last straw for you?

We likely will stay due to extenuating circumstances.

Places we would choose to live if we left California would have taxes at least as high as here, so it wouldn't be a tax cost savings to us, in fact we'd likely pay even more taxes than here.

[MotleyCrew]

Originally Posted by family first

Anyone on the brink yet? If you are on the fence about leaving the state, where are greener pastures? What states, and cities/towns are you looking at for a relocation? When the state tries to find more revenues by taxing us into oblivion, what will you do? What will be the last straw for you?

We left for AZ in 05 and never looked back. I think this economic crisis and all the change taking place has quite a few people heading for higher ground. I wonder how the field of architecture is holding up in CA?

[nullgeo]

I moved to 24/7 view real estate years before the crash ...
doesn't take much to be happy when one owns N. America.

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

You are just flat out wrong here.

Many states have significantly lower overall taxes than California, especially when combining income taxes with real estate taxes (especially when looking at equivalent property prices).

Pretty challenging to define: "equivalent property prices", when California is so uniquely desirable, no? Comparing sq. footage and amenities between Santa Barbara and Detroit is just a non-starter, of course. To say nothing of the many folks who live happily, and affordably, in California without buying a house. I am certainly happy with my situation of non-ownership!

Originally Posted by NewToCA

We likely will stay due to extenuating circumstances.

Places we would choose to live if we left California would have taxes at least as high as here, so it wouldn't be a tax cost savings to us, in fact we'd likely pay even more taxes than here.

I think you have said it all here: places that compare to California are hard to come by -- and never cheap.

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by nullgeo

Pretty challenging to define: "equivalent property prices", when California is so uniquely desirable, no? Comparing sq. footage and amenities between Santa Barbara and Detroit is just a non-starter, of course. To say nothing of the many folks who live happily, and affordably, in California without buying a house. I am certainly happy with my situation of non-ownership!

I think you have said it all here: places that compare to California are hard to come by -- and never cheap.

Nonsense, on so many levels.

First off, why do you think the claim that California is so uniquely desirable is a certainty? What makes you so sure that many folks couldn't find as much, or more, happiness and contentment in other much less expensive places? Do you not realize that many folks absolutely love places near the Great Lakes, or some of the river cities in the Midwest, or places along the East or Gulf Coastlines?

You are only expressing your own point of view.

Millions of folks, likely 10's of millions of folks, would completely disagree with you.

[.highnlite]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

You are just flat out wrong here.

Many states have significantly lower overall taxes than California, especially when combining income taxes with real estate taxes (especially when looking at equivalent property prices).

Taxfoundation.org