California & Texas (San Diego, San Francisco, Fresno: equity, relocate, real estate)

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by Au Contraire

I lived in northeast Dallas for 6.5 years, and recently relocated to Santa Barbara. Everything is much more expensive here - and I do mean everything, even things that don't make sense, like cans of soup and gasoline. Housing is stratospheric in comparison. However, it is so amazingly beautiful here that I am grateful on a daily basis that I have moved. The mountains and the ocean, the gorgeous never-to-be-developed coastline and the huge national forest and mountains really are breathtaking. It is impossible to be down here if you just go outside. Creation glows here. Texas does have some good qualities. It's very cheap living. Houses don't always appreciate. You can invest and ten years down the line find you've lost money. I'd never lived anywhere like that before! Be sure you get the history of the area in TX you're moving to before sinking in a wad of cash if you want your investment to grow. Texas never really got over being a separate country. Texans have an ornery sense of independence and most are very polite. Some rednecks are crude, but there are jerks everywhere. Nevertheless it's just not a beautiful place to live, any way you cut it. Wildflowers like bluebonnets in the spring are lovely, but overall you really have to stretch to see beauty in the Texas landscape. It's scrubby and spare overall and a lot of it is flat as a pancake. The weather is hard to take, with absolutely brutal summers and storms that are really dangerous.
California is expensive, yes, but I feel like I am in the Garden of Eden in comparison to flat ol', plain ol' North Texas. I'd never go back.

Well said comparing the two states. I've been away from CA for a long time but after reading your post, I only wish I could afford to return as your description doesn't sound like it has changed all that much from the late 70s.

Ahh dajammer. You are very wise and I'm guilty. I'm sorry.

[Roma]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

Roma, my ex-husband was from Ohio. No wonder I don't like the place!!! LOL

You are a wise women and I think it's safe to say that you are not alone!!!!

[Twinkle Toes]

KewGee, Roma and and any other fellow Californians who want to go back - we should all just pool our money and open up our own compound! That way we could all be there and everyone could afford it!!!

[Roma]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

KewGee, Roma and and any other fellow Californians who want to go back - we should all just pool our money and open up our own compound! That way we could all be there and everyone could afford it!!!

Great idea, I'm in. What can we name our new compound? Hmmmmm.....

1) Fools to ever leave but fools no more.
2)
3)

[da jammer]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

da Jammer, we'll stay on topic - promise!!!

Roma, my ex-husband was from Ohio. No wonder I don't like the place!!! LOL

oh I'm not worried about you wiley ole CD veterans getting spanked for venturing off topic...it's us newbies that gotta watch out for "da man"

and BTW I have an ex wife from Cali so it's no wonder that I.....what I mean to say is...well my point being....ahhh heck she is some cool peeps and we have gotten along very well all these years so my comeback stinks

[NewToCA]

Interesting thread, kind of follows in line with one we are having in the Sacramento section concerning why folks want to leave Ca. As a recent arrival at age 55, I am always curious as to the thinking of others.

As far as wandering off topic, I think it made your discussion interesting, and gave additional insights into the thinking behind the decisions you have made, or are in the process of making.

To get back to the topic for a moment, for $300K you can buy a nice home practically anywhere in Texas, but will be hurting in California. So I would vote Texas, absent any other alternatives.

But the reality is that you can always rent instead, or may have a financial situation which doesn't make buying in California so difficult. Given these potential variables, in leaving central Ohio we have chosen California.

[loveCali]

Welcome to Cali the beautiful! Hope you'll enjoy it.

[NewToCA]

Thank you, so far so good.

It is a beautiful state and we can't get over all of the places to go and things to do here. The variety is remarkable!

We have also had very good experiences with the folks here. I have read much about how unfriendly the folks are, but we haven't run into it at all. Contrary to what I think would be most folks perceptions, we have found the folks to be very open and receptive to outsiders, we feel very welcome. In moving to central Ohio about 15 years ago, we found many of the folks rather clannish to their groups and difficult to get to know. Eventually we were able to make friends and assimilate, but it took quite a bit of work to get folks to be engaging.

I guess if I had to summarize the "people" difference, I find folks here easy to speak with and generally very open, while I found that many folks in Ohio spoke "at" me instead of "with" me.

[Twinkle Toes]

People who have never been here or people who are bitter and hostile by nature are the only one's who seem to think Californians are unfriendly. They've apparently never experienced that laid back California style.

[skitow]

Sorry it took so long for me to reply about your little piece of heaven. Sounds like you found the perfect place. I switched to the new PC system. I'm finally back and cookin with the old setup. Ever been computercated? WOW! Hope you have a great life,skitow.