Palmdale area vs. SD County (hear me out haha) (San Diego: real estate, apartments)

[D-Doc]

Hi. I'm from SD County and right now I'm working at a shipyard. I pay about 1500 a month for a two bedroom (Vista) but they raise the rent about 100 bucks every year. Right now I'm making it ok as my wife is working as well but we'll be having our first child soon and that will make things a little tougher. There's a moderate amount of OT available at my company and the future prospects are fairly neutral (the company is huge though). I think I could make it work in the long-run but it's pretty tight.

Anyway, I interviewed for a position in Palmdale with a large Aerospace company. The pay will probably be about the same but the future prospects of the company seem much better, as well as the position itself for a variety of reasons. The obvious problem is that the job is in Palmdale. Now, this would be a fairly easy choice if the cost of living were a lot cheaper up there. I scouted out the area though and I was pretty saddened to find out that it really isn't. A (admittedly much larger) average home in a decent area seems to be in the high 300's to low 400's. That's doable for me but I'm not sure I could justify moving over there to pay roughly the same amount I'm paying in rent right now (in a nice part of Vista). I'm also not interested in living in some of the sketchier parts of Palmdale, which I understand has somewhat of a large crime problem. Another factor when it comes to buying is that any kind of real estate downturn will be a hell of a lot worse over there, I think, so I'd be reluctant to buy at all right now.

Basically the job seems better over in Palmdale but the cost of living won't be much different. I know it's a tough choice I'll have to man up and make but I'm interested in what some of you guys think.

[stablegenius]

dude I would not leave Vista for Palmdale ever. [mod cut]

[D-Doc]

Maybe so. The thing that got me is how expensive even Palmdale has gotten. I didn't expect that.

[HB2HSV]

A major difference is you will be owning a house with yard in Palmdale instead of renting in Vista. For $300-$400K you can buy a house in a NICE neighborhood. Today, you don’t need 20% down payment if you can qualify for monthly payment with this low purchasing price AND you’ll still get mortgage interest deduction, getting a refund back under the New Trump tax plan. Can you do the same in Vista? Owning a house build equity toward you & your wife’s retirement instead of building the Landlord’s wealth. What is a smarter move?

Most people who disparage Palmdale do not live here. In general staying WEST side of 14 freeway is a pretty solid neighborhoods. It will take you 10-15 minuets commute to Plant 42. We have a mall and more shopping in surrounding areas. Pretty much all major brand stores you can find here. As long you’re not commuting down to LA area to work, Palmdale is a pretty good choice with relatively lower cost of housing and with modern shopping conveniences.

You just need to think about what are your priorities at this stage of your life now both of you are expecting your first child? Will you be spending the money to buy the toys you don’t need, to impress the friends who’re really not? Or will you find a way so your wife can stay home raising your child/ children and build equity for your family?

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by garek007

Okay and to be 100% Fair I would move back to Redlands which without traffic isn't easy hour drive to the beach. But the reason I won't do that is because it is not an easy hour drive anymore. It should be but the traffic is so bad that is easily an hour and a half if not 2 hours to the beach from Redlands. So this is my point.. Palmdale geographically is not far from cool stuff but because of the traffic it is very far make sense?

So far I found the only time traffic is an issue is if you have to drive the 14 freeway during commuting hours to LA. I can get to LAX from here in one hour if I drive there at night or on weekend mornings. Same goes for places like Pasadena/ San Gabriel as we did last weekend. But if I try to drive to LAX during the rush hour it has taken me 3 hours to get there. The traffic starts to backup in Santa Clarita.

So if I was going to beaches it will be on weekends where traffic is less of an issue. As you know living in LA/ OC and I suspect SD as well, traffic is always a consideration when you plan to go somewhere.

Another thing, from Palmdale I can go to different beaches. I can go down to Santa Monica or further south, or I can go north to Malibu, Zuma, Oxnard/ Ventura. If you look at it on the map, it’s like a right triangle where Palmdale at the 90 degree Point with Long Beach at the bottom and Oxnard/ Ventura runs a diagonal coastline forming a triangle.

So I actually have more choices than you have if you stay in Redlands.

[JB316]

It sounds like you have a choice to make. Do you want to become a home owner or is living in an apartment good for you and your family? Also, you could easily find a house in the low 300s in a pretty reasonable part of Palmdale or Lancaster. The area is definitely different than the SD area, but it’s still a cool area to explore and experience. You can always move back to SD once you are more financially secure and established in your career, no?

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by D-Doc

Hi. I'm from SD County and right now I'm working at a shipyard. I pay about 1500 a month for a two bedroom (Vista) but they raise the rent about 100 bucks every year.
Anyway, I interviewed for a position in Palmdale with a large Aerospace company. The pay will probably be about the same but the future prospects of the company seem much better, as well as the position itself for a variety of reasons. The obvious problem is that the job is in Palmdale. Now, this would be a fairly easy choice if the cost of living were a lot cheaper up there. I scouted out the area though and I was pretty saddened to find out that it really isn't. A (admittedly much larger) average home in a decent area seems to be in the high 300's to low 400's. That's doable for me but I'm not sure I could justify moving over there to pay roughly the same amount I'm paying in rent right now (in a nice part of Vista).

You're not comparing apples to apples. Renting vs. buying is not the right way to compare things. To make a logical comparison, you either need to compare renting in Vista to renting in Palmdale or buying in Vista/SD to buying in Palmdale.

Let's look at the second part first -- buying in Vista/SD to buying in Palmdale. You cannot buy a single family home in a family friendly neighborhood for $300,000 anywhere in San Diego County. Even the $400,000s likely won't get you into a decent single family home in a family friendly area of the same size and quality as it will in Palmdale.

So, in terms of buying a home, you'll always be behind the eight ball if you stay in Vista vs. moving to Palmdale, unless you expect to be earning a lot more money down the road here.

You're not a parent yet, so you don't yet fully realize how much adding a child to the mix will change your need for space. Once your first child is born, you will quickly discover that you need and LONG FOR more room, a yard, and easy access to your car, all things that a two bedroom apartment just aren't going to offer. If you have additional kids, things will get even tighter.

You may be comfortable in a two bedroom apartment in Vista right now, but it's highly likely that your two bedroom apartment in Vista is going to start to feel pretty cramped as you raise your child (and possibly additional kids). Inevitably, that is going to increase your cost of renting in Vista/SD.

So, if you aren't interested in owning a home, take this into account when comparing Vista with Palmdale. What does it cost to rent in both places? Could you rent a three bedroom apartment or a single family house in Palmdale for about what you pay in rent for a two bedroom here? What will it cost to rent a three bedroom or a single family home in Vista/SD as your family's need for space expands? How much will your rent go up here each year vs. there?

Finally, it sounds like you've decided that you will be much happier in the job in Palmdale. That is worth considering in addition to living costs.

I'd put my wife in the car for a long weekend and go look at some of the houses you can afford in Palmdale. Then come back and check out what similar prices will buy you in Vista/SD.
Do the same with rentals in Palmdale, comparing what your rent money buys there to here. Imagine bringing your baby home and raising your child (or children) in the different options.

There is no right or wrong answer, of course. That's for you and your wife to decide. But, make sure you are comparing apples to apples when you're considering how and where you'll be living in both locations.

Good luck and best wishes for your family!

[D-Doc]

Thank all of you for the great replies. It's a tough choice. I think it would be wiser to rent for a bit (if only a few months to a year) before buying, should I move up there. I'll need to continue looking but it seems like the average rents West of the 14 are in the 2000 a month range. Even East of the 14 the average looks about 1800. I suppose it's because there are more houses listed than apartments. Forgive my ignorance but that's just the most shocking thing about all of this. I was wrong to assume it was so much cheaper up there. Having more space is great but it looks like my rent bill would go up about 500 bucks no matter what.

[HB2HSV]

Just a quick look on Zillow there are several rentals from $1,200 - $1,700/mo. ALL on the west side, all at least 3 bedrooms, some with 3 bathrooms. You currently have a 2 bedroom in Vista?

So there are something within your budget here. You just have to look.

[NJ Brazen_3133]

What about homes in nearby Mojave, Rosamund, or California City? The commute should not be so bad.