WI to CA 5 Person fam, 1 income - nuts?

[Donna7]

I'm glad to hear your uplifting comments. I'm 43 years old, recently talked with two old high school friends (both same age), both moved back to our home town in NE OH. One formerly lived in Costa Mesa, the other in San Francisco. I asked them why they moved back here since they both loved CA. Both said that it was due to wanting their kids to grow up near grandparents. The second person is a single dad with two kids. Anyways, both want to go back to CA. Maybe CA is as bad as some people say, yet, I know people that want to go back, and some that just moved there and say they really like it. Maybe it depends where you're coming from. Living in an economically depressed area as I'm living in, and experiencing a coorelating "brain drain" (as new college graduates are moving out of state to where jobs are), it isn't so grand either. For those that have found places that suit them better, more power to them. Thank goodness that we have choices in America and that there is diversity in geography, weather, people, etc.

[WNYerinSOCAL]

I would say you were crazy but everyone wants different thing out of life, so for your family it might work. We live on one salary of just over 100K and it is hard. We paid 360K for our house but it is over and hour from LA with no traffic, and it wld sell for at least 500K now. So 500K doesnt get you a lot here, maybe a townhouse in the areas you mentioned. Public schools are not great either or else you are in the more expensive areas. But it does have nice weather on the coast.

[Need_affordable_home]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

You can find a decent condo in a good school district in San Diego for ~500k easily, but I would think it impossible in the bay area.

The bay area is more expensive but you can still easily get a small 2 bedroom condo for half million. Of course affording something like that would take a dual high five figure salary minimum! You and your wife may have to work 50-60 hours a week at a high paying job to afford housing there!

[hnevarezjr]

Living in the Bay Area can be done with a salary of 150K. I was born in the Bay Area, but we moved to Arizona when I was 10 years old. I always wanted to return, and in 1997 we did. I am a father of 4 and my wife is a homemaker. I make a little under 140k a year and we are doing fine. Of course we had to buy a house in Antioch, which in 1997 was quite a bit cheaper than it is now, but for around 550k - 600k, you can buy a 2000 sq ft house in a nice safe neighborhood in Antioch. Hopefully you have some equity for a down payment.The schools are good, (a lot better than the schools my kids were going to in Phoenix). Antioch is on the delta, a well kept secret with hundreds of miles of waterways to go boating, fishing and skiing in. The Bay Area is a beautiful area and no mattter where you live, whether you want the city life of San Francisco, or the beautiful little towns in the rolling hills of Contra Costa county, or the coastal cities of the peninsula or living in Berkeley, you will enjoy the area, with all it has to offer. Keep away from parts of Oakland and most of Richmond though. I have been to many parts of the USA, and believe me, the Bay Area is by far the most scenic. Other than some parts of Europe, I can't imagine anywhere else I would rather live. If I can do it, you can do it. We still take our month long vacations to Spain every year.

[dusesean1986]

Hehe If you like big city...California has lots of people! You're income should be fine at over 100K, you can easily afford a nice location in California. If you were under 80K I would be concerned. The Bay Area is beautiful and so is San Diego, with places such as Santee and Poway. California has the best state weather in the United States hands down. Northern California is about an average 55 degrees in winter, while Southern California in Winter is about 65. The summers are dry, never humid. The more inland you go, the warmer it gets. The average summer high for a place like Santee is probably 90, because of its inland location, while San Francisco is about 75. If you decide to move to San Diego, say away from the 15 freeway at all costs. They are constructing major extensions on the freeway. Hope all goes well friend.

[reverendlee]

Originally Posted by eavonius

Hello,

I currently live in a rural area about 45 minutes out of Milwaukee, WI with my wife and 10yr, 7yr, and 3 mo. old children. I'm a software architect / manager at the higher end of the pay scale here with 2 years of school, 10 years experience, and 5 patents under my belt and started looking to relocate in January this year.

We visited some family in Berkeley in January, and got bit by the Cali bug (first time there) big time. Right now I'm making about 90k here (full time no contract - though been offered 110ish jobs here), and equivilent jobs in Cali seem to pay around 130-150 depending on where you go. I'm currently the only one bringing income into the house.

My wife and I are artistic types, I'm 30 and write songs, play guitar and drums etc. and she's an artist. We absolutely loved Berkeley, and also checked out SF itself quite a bit, San Mateo, Oakland, Alameda, and some of the other East Bay / Silicon Valley areas. I have never been to San Diego but lord, Cali is so much more our style than Wisconsin I can't stop thinking about wanting to be there (my wife and kids are excited too). The diversity would be such a welcome change from ol' whitey WI (as long as relatively safe areas) and I want to work in/near the city. My wife has always wanted to live somewhere where she can walk to grocery stores with local produce and stuff, from what I understand though that's more of a Berkeley thing so maybe she needs to cut loose of that to get out there at first.

What I'm wondering is - is it nuts to think of trying to move a family of 5 to this area, or perhaps near San Diego? I really like the idea of working in SF downtown, or the valley, or somewhere near San Diego. At the same time, a 500k house on 130-150 might be too tight (we aren't opposed to renting starting out, assuming we can get 3 bedrooms at least), and I don't see how I can afford 15k times two for private school if I can't find an area with good public schools.

We have looked at some of the further out cities from SF and SD (Antioch, Santee, etc.) however it seems like to move so far from our family here to be a far drive from the ocean defeats the point. We are SO sick of winter (30 years old personally and spent all of it in the midwest) and if we can find somewhere with doable housing, safe enough area, and access to the ocean and big city man we'd be there as soon as I can land something.

Any thoughts on our situation, my sanity, or other communities with some of what we're looking for would be so appreciated

Great board! Thanks in advance.

I am hoping to head the other way!! After 5 years in Southern California!!