Where to move in California with a Budget of (San Diego: real estate market, foreclosure)

[PalmerCO]

Hi all Me and my son and daughter are thinking of immagrating out to california in about 3 years time... when my son has finished his performing college. we live in warwickshire now in a town called coleshill and me and my son are just tired of the weather the hassle and fancy starting again i can see that there is nothing here for my kids i no that my son isnt going to stay in this country for too long anyway...

i am thinking to buy a house for about $500,000 - $700,000 i have never been out to the states so i no i must go on a holiday and see it all for ourselves but i dont no where to start we want to be by the beach in a good area with good schooling seen as my daughters in only 9yrs old and she will be old enugh to go to high school when we leave. and by L.A shopping and other stuff if you could can u tell mer about taxes and cost of getting started and the potential to start a buisness of my own with a guest house

PLEASE thank you

XXxxXX

[Jonotastic]

Sounds like San Diego would be the best area. You don't want to live in LA, traffic, pollution, crowded, charge for parking amost everywhere, I wouldn't want to swim in the ocean around LA either. Visit San Diego and the realtor can show you all the properties between La Jolla all the way down to Oceanside.

[PalmerCO]

thank you ..X

[PalmerCO]

can somone tell mer about the prices and the cost of getting started my biggest fear to end up with no money and stuck in the country with my kids, i own 3 cottages and have all of them as B&B is there much buisness out there for me start my own guest house or should i just look for a normal job.. and is there many universities or colleges that do Fashion and dancing as my son is a proffesinol dancer and wants elongate his course into a bachlors and he wants to fashion aswell???!!
XXX thank you

[Jonotastic]

B&B's are pretty big in California especially Northern California. However, we looked into it and the real estate prices in California are too high to make any worthwhile income, unless you can pay for the B&B outright (with cash).

I'd look into Carlsbad, CA - San Marcos, CA - Del Mar, CA - La Jolla, CA (expensive). They all have good school systems and are very nice areas to live around the San Diego area. The UC schools are great, I don't know how their dance programs are though, I think UCLA might have a good program. I moved around a lot growing up and always used www.greatschools.net to find good public and private k-12 schools.

[Pug Life]

Originally Posted by PalmerCO

Hi all Me and my son and daughter are thinking of immagrating out to california in about 3 years time... when my son has finished his performing college. we live in warwickshire now in a town called coleshill and me and my son are just tired of the weather the hassle and fancy starting again i can see that there is nothing here for my kids i no that my son isnt going to stay in this country for too long anyway...

i am thinking to buy a house for about $500,000 - $700,000 i have never been out to the states so i no i must go on a holiday and see it all for ourselves but i dont no where to start we want to be by the beach in a good area with good schooling seen as my daughters in only 9yrs old and she will be old enugh to go to high school when we leave. and by L.A shopping and other stuff if you could can u tell mer about taxes and cost of getting started and the potential to start a buisness of my own with a guest house

PLEASE thank you

XXxxXX

The cost of living in California is quite high and the possibility of starting a successful B&B are quite low. The only are where I think you could make it would be in the far northern part (Mendocino, Napa, and Humbolt counties) where there is a good amount of romantic tourism. You could not live in the San Francisco area without a good job (500-700k will buy you a 2-bedroom house in a mediocre neighborhood with bad schools), LA would have what your son needs, but your daughter would be forced to attend some of the worst public schools in America. Housing in LA is still pretty expensive too, but you could live in Riverside county and be able to afford it. San Diego is also quite expensive and you will only be able to get a 3-bedroom in an area with mediocre schools. As for the weather, San Jose, LA and San Diego are basically perfect all year long with mild summers and warm winters and basically no rain. San Francisco is far too expensive to consider, and the weather is a lot like London. The northern part of California is also cold and wet like England. Riverside is HOT in the summer, but really nice in the winter.

Also, state income taxes in California are quite high, as are the property taxes. Other expenses in California are also higher because of higher environmental standards and a high population. Good luck!

[PalmerCO]

higher than a posh area of britain cost of living here seems so high that no other country could
be any higher is things really as high in california than in parts of britain isnt petrol less n food expesnces and things a bit lower than here

OBAMA lol love him 1 of the reasons of wanting to come lol

anyway okai thnx i think ill look into san diego i tihnk my son want to go to FIDM college and do a course there i might look for a normal good paying job

as i am a housing officer here aswell as a succesfull landlord

well see lol hope for the best Xxx

[PalmerCO]

Carlsbad, CA - San Marcos, CA - Del Mar, CA - La Jollawhat are these areas like?
xx

[sav858]

I don't think the taxes can be any worse than the UK. Gas in America will always be cheaper than anywhere in Europe, currently its around $1.80 a gallon. And right now you can get a GOOD house in a GOOD area for $500-700k in either SF Bay Area, LA, or SD. Home prices have come down A LOT in CA recently, I would browse some real estate listings to see whats out there. $500-700K will put you in a good area with good schools in San Diego for sure. Even in LA or SF that can still get you a modest home in a GOOD area with good schools from what I can tell with recent home prices, the real estate market here is finally returning to some normalcy. Wait another year or two to buy and home prices will probably be even lower. Average home price in LA,SD, and the Bay Area is now $350K and under.

A lot of cities in CA have a ton foreclosure properties that can be bought for a pretty low price, so you could buy a few and rent them out.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by PalmerCO

Carlsbad, CA - San Marcos, CA - Del Mar, CA - La Jollawhat are these areas like?
xx

Carlsbad - upper middle class with good schools
San Marcos - middle class with decent to bad/ok schools
Del Mar - very wealthy with great schools
La Jolla - very wealthy with great schools

Probably couldn't get much more than a townhouse for $500k in Del Mar or La Jolla. $500K will get you a nice house in either Carlsbad or SM.