Considering Redding, CA (Sacramento, San Bernardino, Chico: renting, new house, unemployment)

[Sherbear59]

Do you like the Mistle Toe area of Redding or do you know about it? I hear it's very nice.

[Patagain]

Mistletoe... by sight.. looks slightly below middle class...... all depends what side of Mistletoe you are on, north side by freeway, newer community, say from the 80's, south side done back in late 40's too 50's.

You really have to come here, rent for about a year. Find out if you can find work, if you like the weather. I haven't read all the reply's, but ifyou don't like rain in the winter? Don't come here. We can get it by the bucket fulls. Rarely happens, but we can get 5" in one day here. Also, gets snow once in awhile, and melts off in a day... nice for a change.

But the heat. You hear every one talk about it. It does get HOT. In a 5 year period you will see several days in a row of over 110*.

the best advice I'll give you. Come for a year. Save your money, learn about the area, and make your choice. If you are selling a house to move here, don't blow that money on a new car, and fancy schmancy things. Keep it, invest it... and in a year, make your decisions......

I have lived here all my life.... the people that move here generally stay. We have the best in the world... even weather. No natural catastrophes except maybe fires in rural areas.

but work, is iffy. You are the victum of a small area, so work as you expect it may be scarce.

[Beth56]

Originally Posted by skitow

From what Iv'e read, Calis are not welcome in most states. I would like to move to OR, but don't want my property burned to the ground or my car trashed.

I've read several posts on this forum stating that Californian's are not welcome in other states. What is the reasoning behind this? How do they differ from anyone else from another state?

[skitow]

Hi Beth56. I have searched different states at length. Most people are helpfull, but some people hate Calis with a passion. The worst Iv'e seen is Idaho and Arizona. Iv'e read some seething posts by a few posters about Calis moving in and wanting to change things to their liking. Some Calis move in and brag of their riches. Iv'e stated before that when Calis move to a different state, they should keep quite, and try to blend in and accept things as they are. If you are a Cali, as I am, Check out your maybe new digs. If you can't accept the area for what it is, DON'T MOVE THERE!! Other states are afraid that they will become like CA. They don't want to become an overcrowded, drug infested, over priced state like CA has become. I read a post on the Idaho forum where a couple moved in and built a NICE home. They have lived there for 15 years and are still hated because they came from CA. May be a touch of jealously there. I don't know. I have to be honest here. The most anti-CA place Iv'e read about is Boise ID. Why other states tend to fit in is because they keep their mouths shut. That's my best guess. Excuse the typos. Stay safe,skitow.

[MajorHart]

Hi. I'm asking you this because you've been very helpful and informative and knowledgable about the Redding area.

A lot of people are leaving California because of the illegal aliens, the dangers but also the cost of supporting many of them.

I read about those people in Oregon and Boise, and even Oklahoma, where some said they wen there because of the new anti-illegal laws going into effect in 2008.

My wife and I love Redding but we are concerned both with the possibility of it being overrun with dangerous Illegals but also - won't Redding residents have to pay much higher taxes to cover the costs of the rest of California - as regards the illegals?

These are important issues that need to be covered in any analysis of a city.

I notice Redding says 5% hispanic - is that 2000 census and what % now?

My wife and I lived 12 years in California and 12 in Arizona and 1.5 in Albuquerque. In Tucson while out jogging in the early morning - we were rushed by 6 mexican men - we were very fit then and made it to the car just before they got there. IN Albuquerque, we were chased by 6 at a jogging track - where people rarely go out in the evening - it's just oo dangerous - even our gold's gym was a dangerous place and we quit it.

In Phoenix, a 40 person mexican birthday party erupted into a big fight and we and about 12 other White People and a terrorized Black family of 6 just got out in time.

I don't want to have to deal with this kind of thing. Has anyone else had similar experiences?

Will Redding taxes be raised to the sky to pay the bills of other parts of California?

Thanks
MajorHart

[MajorHart]

Except for the occasional tornado (which doesn't seem to scare off the locals) there's a lot of jobs in the Norman area - lots of casinos too, and the land and housing are cheap. Lots of lakes and prairies and rolling hills and 45.9 average temperature in January.

The only lacking things I know of are - no real mountains and the tornadoes - which I am afraid of - although I've lived in OK before and now live in Missouri and have never actually seen a tornado. Norman is 40 miles from Oklahoma City, has 100,000 or so and has a number of smaller communities near - Noble, Newcastle, El Reno, Shawnee.

Housing and property costs are significantly below the national average - there are a lot of good jobs in the area, as well as in OKC for those that want to live there or drive there.

Temps are not as hot as Redding - with 80 degrees average in July. In the city-data.com of OKC (which covers Norman and Moore areas) - there's a lot of californians moving there.

MajorHart

Originally Posted by notmeofficer

My plans are pretty simple

We want to develop our acreage here in Redding and take the money with us,, it would be irresponsible to leave such an asset on the table.. Im retired .. my earning power is done unless I want to work again doing something else.

Development of rural acreage is VERY difficult in this county if you need secondary access. The county hides behind this as a way to control growth,, Ive been battling them for 5 years now... neighbors wont cooperate.. so I have to wait for a developer to push a road through my area... its getting closer.

Im ambivalent about this.. I dont like unfettered development myself.. its what I am leaving California to avoid.. but Id be crazy to leave the potential dollars... so I will continue to try for it

We are looking for the following
Clean, safe, rural... nice small town...good medical (as we age we all look at this).. within two hours of a good airport... decent weather with little or no snow.. somewhere where it is green.. preferably in physical flora and fauna and secondarily in attitude.. yes I know.. tall order.. We dont like nuke power states and that cuts a lot of potential places out (We havent completely ruled out Ark).. We are used to the coast.. some of the Oregon coast looks good to us... but it comes with a California price tag.. there is no free ride

I could care less about "cultural diversity".. Ive had that experiment forced down my throat my whole life in California and Id prefer to live in an area where AMERICANS live.. I could care less about the color of their skin but I do very much care that they are citizens of this country

Ive lived in several states including on the east coast.. I do not like the east coast or south

For me.. and remember I come from a background that has seen the worst of what California has and I am defiantly affected by those experiences, California while having huge potential also has huge problems facing it. They aren't anything that every other place in the US (I mean that is pleasant to live in) isn't also facing... but it is the speed at which California is being overwhelmed by too many people, too much regulation, and too much abuse of its resources that I seek to get away from.

We have no boundaries.. we have even looked at other countries.. we traveled to many.. finding most of the ones to the south banana republics and to the east third world like.. all facing what we face.. but at a step lower in quality of life... even in these places money can only insulate you..

Nirvana is elusive,, but I know we will find it
but we will make some compromise....
for... there is no perfect place
.

[MajorHart]

Originally Posted by kettlepot

Redding has some fog, but it is nothing like the fog that forms in the San Joaquin Valley where you can't see more than 2 car lengths in front of you.

Coming back from Stockton one night a coyote collided with my mazda and ripped the fog lights right off.

Someone driving a semi got hit by a train as they tried to cross a fogging track.

That part I can do without. <G>

[joshndeb]

Originally Posted by iCalifornia

Hi Everyone.

I live in the border of Los Angeles and Orange County.

We are a family that is moving to Redding early next year. How hard it is to find a job there in the funeral business?

To give you a hint, I have been serving the Death Care industry for 13 years, but lately I only do administrative work. Nothing to do with taking care of deceased loved ones.

I would also like to get out of the Funeral Home setting and may be work in an administraive type of job, office work... or maybe a certian type of home-made media (videos and photo resotoration).

We have been getting the hint that find a good 3 bedroom apartment is easy and affordable. Am I right?

Thanks.

I've lived in Redding my entire life, excluding a few months away for school.

Look at yellow pages for funeral homes in Redding. Allen and Dahl is a big one in town.

3 bedroom apartment might be hard to find. But there is a good supply of 3 bedroom homes for rent. Depending on location you can expect to pay from 900-1500 month (rough range).

Average rent is probably around 1,200 month.

What is it that is drawing you to the area? There is a lot of recreation around Redding. 1 hour to Mt Shasta for skiing and hiking, 30 minutes to Lake Shasta, 20 minutes to Shasta Dam,

Hardly ever any traffic in Redding, save for South Bonnyview, and Cypress Avenue, Dana Drive, during the "Rush hours".

You are never more than 10-15 minutes from your destination in Redding, it is criss crossed by major freeways.

Airplane travel is not always easy as there is only a small muni airport in town. Most major flights are made from Sacramento (2.25-2.5 hours South) or San Francisco (4-5 hours Drive).

Redding Muni does connect to San Francisco though.

You will hear some locals complain about the job situation, but that is because they are not very motivated, go getters. There is a lot of money in this city. A lot of retirees come here because this is where they used to vacation during their summers.

Yes the summers can be brutal, but you get used to it. It's hot. BUT IT'S DRY HOT. It makes the lakes and mountains around here a great retreat area.

The northern California Coast (Eureka area) is about 2.5-3 hours west, so on the brutally hot days (110+), you'll hear of many residents headed for the coast.

The area is great for families. There are a lot of homeschool families in the area. There are many great Bible teaching churches in the city. This is an area where you CAN get by with a single income. There are A LOT of stay at home moms in Redding.

But, it is CA. Politically Shasta county is conservative, infact most of the state (county size wise) is conservative, but all of the politics are controlled by the larger "liberal" cities (Bay area, and So Cal.).

Suffice it to say thought that you would not be the first to transplant from So Cal or Bay Area to Redding area. That is the largest source for our population growth in Redding. A lot of people get tired of the "Rat Race" in the bigger cities and move up to the Redding area.

[joshndeb]

Originally Posted by MajorHart

Hi. I'm asking you this because you've been very helpful and informative and knowledgable about the Redding area.

.....

Will Redding taxes be raised to the sky to pay the bills of other parts of California?

Thanks
MajorHart

Yikes that must have been scary to been chased like that.

Redding has some Hispanic population, but I would guess it to be close to those old census numbers. The city is mostly white. There are some Asian influences but again, it is a very small number. If I had to guess, I'd say the Native American population is the biggest "minority" in the area.

In regards to the tax thing.

I don't know what local city government taxes are used to be sent out to other communities in the state. I think the only effect you might see is that STATE monies that once came to the local city of Redding coffers are no longer available because they are bailing out other STATE programs/efforts.

City of Redding and Shasta County are managed pretty well. You do have some controversies about development in this town. Some are stanch opposers to any growth, others are so insensitive to the area, they'd like to pave it all and turn it into a So Cal city. Thankfully the councils seem to find a good balance between the two.

Lifelong Redding Resident

[MajorHart]

Yes it was very scary - we were running 3 - 5 miles a day and if we hadn't seen them in time and raced to the car, we wouldn't be here now. I think these were just illegals and not gangs - can't say.

In Albuquerque, we were jogging on a high school track and had to race into the building to get away. We had a Chrysler Cordoba and they took a second look at it as it looks a lot like a monte carlo which they favor - then they jumped out and started running after us.

I've lived around Indians alot - Tacoma, Oklahoma, Tucson and never had any problems with them. We used to have the Indian Police check us out when we were birdwatching on the Papago Reservation - after they knew what we were doing, it was okay. Also, no problems ever with Asians - although I haven't lived close to any - just knew them from work.

I read the other day that Arnold is going to have to float some loans because the state budget is way out of balance. It all started with the enron thing, I'm sure but now the resident with jobs have to pay the bills of those without jobs.

We lived in California 12 years - Sacramento, Fresno, Stockton, Paso Robles, San Diego and often went to Redding on weekends from Sacto - to watch birds. It's really beautiful and we enjoyed working the jolly green giant flea market too. We used to come down to that from Medford.

Thanks for your response.

John Hansen majorhart@sbcglobal.net