Whats with all the discouragement? (Los Angeles, Santa Ana: unemployment, neighborhood, places to live)

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

For those wanting to come to California not all results will be the same. Some will find the utopia that they heard about in some other part of the world. Others will come here and the disappointment will be blasted across this forum.

At some point we will hear about the success and the failure of those that came here to the Golden State. With the successfull I hope that we would hear that they came with the resources to get by untill they could make it here, or that they showed up with a job and that things are good for them. For those that failed and left I would hope that they would also offer some advice, that you may want to have something to fall back on, some resources to get by on or a job before you get here.

Hopefully a few years from now this will have changed and the economy will have hopefully picked up and people can just show up and land that dream job. For now at this point in time that is not the case.

[ladoll]

Your pictures are very biased. Having grown up in the Chicagoland area, I can tell you not all of Chicago looks like the picture in which you posted. Is there some truth to it? Yes, however, you can find pictures like that for a lot of cities in California.

I think people on these forums just want to bring a realistic view to a person who wants to move to California. Especially when they come in with some crazy expectations like wanting to find an apartment on the beach for $500, but oh, they don't have a job yet (that's just an example). A lot of people who want to move to California and yet, have never been here, have some false ideas on what California is really like and I think a lot of the people here want to bring some realism to that person's ideas. The economic situation out here is tough (though not the worst in the country) and anyone who comes here without a job thinking they can afford to live on the beach has another thing coming.

That's just my opinion. Believe me, this board is NOT bad at all! I sometimes go on the LA community forums on Yelp! and they are much worse. People there essentially tell the person asking for help on moving to California (LA in particular) to get bent and that the "city is closed" and tell them they're going to "ruin LA." This board is at least helpful if they aren't always encouraging.

[LaDominadora]

The reality is that anyone planning to relocate to Cali needs to be able to generate an annual income of about $200,000. California is NOT a cheap place to live. Even properties in the ghetto here are expensive.

California is a state more suited to movie stars or other highly paid individuals. If you are VERY wealthy you can live in a beautiful oasis of palm trees, swimming pools and beautiful weather. If not affluent be prepared to live in an overpriced dump. There is no way of putting it mildly.

I work for the government. Every day I get frantic calls from stressed out taxpayers trying to survive in a brutal economy. People out here are literally losing their minds because of the recession. As I have stated, it is NOT cheap to live here.

I am a native of St. Louis, Mo even though I have resided in Cali for over 30 years. Before the move, I believed that ALL of California was like Beverly Hills, Malibu or Bel-Air only to move here with my family and find out that the neighborhood we could afford to live in was a relative dump. Even the home I own now is a small older bungalow. If I was back in Missouri my house would sell for peanuts.

If you want to move here make sure you have lots of money. The recession is hitting HARD out here. If you are not well-paid then the reality will be that you will be living in an overpriced dumpy area. I love Northern California but the reality is that it is very expensive to live here. The weather is beautiful and nice most of the year but you need money to live here.

I don't discourage anyone from moving here but do understand that unless you plan on making a high six-figure or even seven figure salary or plan on making it big in the movie industry or professional sports, you will have a hard time making ends meet here on just a "regular" job. When I was back home a few months ago, the people there looked so relaxed compared to the average Californian who is trying to survive a recession in a high income state.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by LaDominadora

I believed that ALL of California was like Beverly Hills, Malibu or Bel-Air.

Even NorCal?

[LaDominadora]

Originally Posted by majoun

Even NorCal?

When my mom decided to relocate to Cali (to escape a bad marriage) her initial plan was to move to LA but she scrapped that idea once she experienced the hellish LA freeway system so she contacted a high school friend who lived up North and decided she liked the small size of the Bay Area much better.

But like most people who live outside the state, I thought that everyone in Cali lived in big mansions and drove nice cars and that the streets were paved with gold - and it is for those of VERY high income.

I've grown to love the Bay Area cuz it does have it's own little charm. Also I can afford to live here and even own a home here (even though its small) because my mom purchased the property back in the early 80s when the property was relatively cheap by California standards. However, in the past 10 years, affluent gay and lesbian San Franciscans fleeing astronomical property costs discovered my little "jewel" of a neighborhood located in East Oakland and have been snapping up homes like hotcakes turning what was once a working class neighborhood into a relatively upscale area.

[RedJacket]

Originally Posted by LaDominadora

Even the home I own now is a small older bungalow. If I was back in Missouri my house would sell for peanuts.

Before this sub-prime housing crisis hit, I'd look at prices of homes in CA and just shake my head.

1950s 2-bedroom (1000 sq ft) ranch homes that were not very appealing to say the least, were on the market for $400,000. I was flabbergasted at the price of homes in CA.

A house that was selling for $500,000 in CA would sell for $150,000 to $200,000 where I live -- which is Milwaukee. Granted, CA has a beautiful coastline and some great weather, but you certainly have to pay a premium to live there and enjoy it.

[LaDominadora]

Originally Posted by think first

Before this sub-prime housing crisis hit, I'd look at prices of homes in CA and just shake my head.

1950s 2-bedroom (1000 sq ft) ranch homes that were not very appealing to say the least, were on the market for $400,000. I was flabbergasted at the price of homes in CA.

A house that was selling for $500,000 in CA would sell for $150,000 to $200,000 where I live -- which is Milwaukee. Granted, CA has a beautiful coastline and some great weather, but you certainly have to pay a premium to live there and enjoy it.

Even with the crisis, property values are not going down that much - at least compared to the rest of the nation. To take advantage of foreclosed properties you still need to come up with several hundred thousand. If a person has about $200k saved up he can purchase a home that would have cost him nearly a million dollars a few short years ago yet is now around $600k. This may sound expensive to persons who don't reside in the state but owning decent property in California is a prime investment. Most of the homes in the SF Bay Area are primarily older homes but some of them are located in prime neighborhoods and are relatively attractive homes. You can't beat Northern Cali weather and if you are fortunate enough to be able to afford to live here the lifestyle can't be beat.

My house is nearly 100 years old and until recently was in very poor condition (foundation shot, plumbing and electrical outdated) and the repairs weren't cheap.

Fortunately the home was a family home purchased back in the early 80s when properties in the "flatland" neighborhoods were reasonable by California standards. My "reward" for holding on to this shack for a long period of time is that even with the recession I can still make a profit off of it when I sell it because the neighborhood has undergone massive gentrification and is now really sought after.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by LaDominadora

The reality is that anyone planning to relocate to Cali needs to be able to generate an annual income of about $200,000.

I'd bet a person with $100K income (heck make it $99K so I can write a two figure income) and $80K down payment and a stay at home wife and two kids could live in a beautiful home with very good school districts and save for retirement and two college educations in Southern California.


Here are some nice SFR 4BR homes that recently sold for the mid $400Ks.

21311 Bishop, Mission Viejo, CA 92692

53 TRADITION Ln, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 | MLS# S606393

25361 NAVAJO Dr, Lake Forest, CA 92630 | MLS# S579280

[Jay100]

Originally Posted by Charles

I like these realistic shots better


















How many places have a Taco Bell that looks this good?

Because for every one of those nice suburban pictures, there's a gang of these guys right around the corner trying to bang in the burbs.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Jay100

Because for every one of those nice suburban pictures, there's a gang of these guys right around the corner trying to bang in the burbs.

And for every one of those gangs, there's a bunch of these guys keeping those gang guys out


http://www.ice.gov/images/news/newsreleases/articles/090225fresno2_lg.jpg (broken link)