Relocation Questions.... (San Diego, San Francisco, Fresno: real estate, apartment, for rent)

[TXRyan23]

My wife and I have been thinking about relocating away from the South due to the lack of jobs and overall horrible economy.

We've mostly talked about Texas but have also been considering California but are unsure of which part of California would be good for us.

We're both college students and probably wouldn't be able to make a ton of money but we were just curious what the job situation looks like in any and all parts of CA, Is it as bad as people are saying it is ?

Are there reasonable or atleast comparable places for rent anywhere in CA ? ( Here you can get a 2BR/2BA 1200 sqft townhouse for roughly $700/mo. )

Is there anywhere that we could afford, find jobs, and and be safe ?

Any information you could provide would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

My wife and I have been thinking about relocating away from the South due to the lack of jobs and overall horrible economy.

We've mostly talked about Texas but have also been considering California but are unsure of which part of California would be good for us.

We're both college students and probably wouldn't be able to make a ton of money but we were just curious what the job situation looks like in any and all parts of CA, Is it as bad as people are saying it is ?

Are there reasonable or atleast comparable places for rent anywhere in CA ? ( Here you can get a 2BR/2BA 1200 sqft townhouse for roughly $700/mo. )

Where in CA do you want to live? It's a big state. If you want to live in the San Francisco area, LA, San Diego or many other places along the coast, a 2bd/2ba townhouse in a decent neighborhood will run you about $2000/month. You might get a studio in the $700 - $1000 range. However, if you want to live in the desert or out in the boonies, rents are considerably cheaper.

As for jobs, CA has an 8.4% unemployment rate and the economy is just as bad here as anywhere else. And the state government is about ready to go broke . Sorry to burst your bubble.

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by humboldtrat

Where in CA do you want to live? It's a big state. If you want to live in the San Francisco area, LA, San Diego or many other places along the coast, a 2bd/2ba townhouse in a decent neighborhood will run you about $2000/month. You might get a studio in the $700 - $1000 range. However, if you want to live in the desert or out in the boonies, rents are considerably cheaper.

As for jobs, CA has an 8.4% unemployment rate and the economy is just as bad here as anywhere else. And the state government is about ready to go broke . Sorry to burst your bubble.

It's all good, It's not a huge burst as it was just an idea. Our unemployment rate is close to 8% too and we're a state of roughly 6 million...

location doesn't matter but would prefer SoCal... thanks for the reply.

[TXRyan23]

Anyone else care to chime in ? I'm still around

[AKgirlinCA]

Do yourself a favor and pick any of the big cities in Texas...I'm fairly knowledgeable about the Dallas area which I would highly recommend due to low cost of living combined with a healthy economy and good paying jobs. The weather isn't bad either. It will be very hard for you to start out here....

[dweej]

Oh my gosh....I live in the IE (Inland Empire) and pay $1255 per month for a 2 bedroom apartment that's just over 1K sq ft. Not gated, old appliances, terrible drafts around the windows. The management is nice, but there is definitely nothing worth living in for $700 around here. I'm gonna hop on the Texas train for this one!

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by dweej

Oh my gosh....I live in the IE (Inland Empire) and pay $1255 per month for a 2 bedroom apartment that's just over 1K sq ft. Not gated, old appliances, terrible drafts around the windows. The management is nice, but there is definitely nothing worth living in for $700 around here. I'm gonna hop on the Texas train for this one!

I'm curious, If things are so expensive in CA, Why do people stay and continue to pay ?

I'm guessing the pay is atleast a little higher in CA vs. the rest of the country...

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

I'm curious, If things are so expensive in CA, Why do people stay and continue to pay ?

I'm guessing the pay is atleast a little higher in CA vs. the rest of the country...

You get use to it and it's a nice place to live with nice weather. I think wages are a little higher here to take into account the cost of living.

I don't really understand why so many people want to leave areas with low costs of living to move to California. California is not the "end of the rainbow". It has its flaws and the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. Never been there, but Tennessee seems like a nice place .

I agree with others about Texas being nice. I have been to Austin, San Antonio and Corpus Christi and they're all nice places.

[dweej]

Originally Posted by TNRyan23

I'm curious, If things are so expensive in CA, Why do people stay and continue to pay ?

I'm guessing the pay is atleast a little higher in CA vs. the rest of the country...

Ah, excellent question, grasshoppa'! Most people who continue to stay are one or more of the following: 1)Childless, 2)Chasing dreams of fame and fortune the Hollywood way, 3)Left liberals who benefit from the many state programs but don't make enough money to be hurt by having to pay into them, 4)Really enjoy fabulous weather and the sportiness that goes along with it, 5) Have family nearby, and 6) Haven't received a job offer in the new state where they'd rather be living.

As for us we are a 5 + 6 family, but as soon as we resolve 6, we will say good-bye to our beautiful-but-not-quite-worth-it home. We have friends all over this great nation and went to college and got married in Texas, so the personal ties and comfort of CA are just not as strong as they might be for some people, which makes it all the easier to leave. We don't hate it here and would stay if the schools were better, the commute was shorter, and there weren't so many hidden taxes and fees nickel 'n' diming us every time we turn around. We're just a little trapped at the moment because when you have kids, you can't just up and move halfway across the country without proper employment and residence already established. If I knew then what I know now (isn't that always the dream?!?! ), I never would have left Dallas. For some, the beaches and mountains are everything, but I would gladly trade them for a decent house with a nice yard for my kids to play in and have a dog, an elementary school that teaches art, music, and p.e. every week, and starts their gifted enrichment program in 1st grade. It all depends, I guess, on a person's priorities, and ours are not in line with what SoCal offers. We will enjoy what we can while we're here, but our fingers remain firmly crossed for that job offer....

Good luck in your decision!

[TXRyan23]

Originally Posted by humboldtrat

I don't really understand why so many people want to leave areas with low costs of living to move to California. California is not the "end of the rainbow". It has its flaws and the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. Never been there, but Tennessee seems like a nice place .

I grew up in Florida but always had a thing for California, Not really so much a " wannabe star " I just always thought it was really cool to be able to surf in the morning and ski in the afternoon plus alot of the stuff portrayed on T.V. like the glitz and glamour. I later changed my mind about California due to crime and gangs and of course, the cost of living. Not that I'm a criminal or anything but If I was ever placed in a situation where I had to commit a horrible crime, I wouldn't want to visit San Quentin. lol...

Florida really became California-like with the cost of living and real estate. I love Tennessee, Don't get me wrong I'd probably live here forever but the economy has really hit hard here and our family business went under and with the large migration of people from California and Florida to Tennessee, We have no jobs.

My wife has family in Fresno and has mentioned California on more than one occasion so I figured I'd check it out. I'm a pretty hardcore liberal and the thought of living in Texas on that front scares the hell out of me but at the same time, Houston is a great city and in alot of ways it really reminds me of Florida. I think we're probably going to head to Texas and try to finish school then who knows, maybe we'll head out to California and hopefully, by then... everything will be alot better economy-wise.