[JayCT]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

I'm not sure you'll find Cali to be any cheaper, though. Sure, the warm temps are nice and the beach is there, but taxes are high there as well. Not sure what their property taxes are like since Proposition 13 was enacted, but they hit your wallet in other ways.

True and living near the shore is super-expensive and very crowded with a lot of traffic. Can't argue with the weather being warmer but there does seem to be issues there with droughts and wild fires. And don't forget the earthquake risks. Sorry I don't mean to demean your plan to move but I just want to point out that nowhere is perfect. Jay

[FutureTown]

Not to mention that land and house you get for maybe a couple ten thousand less is garbage compared to what you get in even Fairfield County.

How can people spend ~500k on a house and not even have a proper driveway to park your car???? This boggles my mind, lol! You'd get so much land with that much all across CT (cept for Lower FFC)

[Aquaboy]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

I'm not sure you'll find Cali to be any cheaper, though. Sure, the warm temps are nice and the beach is there, but taxes are high there as well. Not sure what their property taxes are like since Proposition 13 was enacted, but they hit your wallet in other ways.

CA is a huge state and there lots of less-expensive areas away from the coast. I had a 3br house in the Sacramento suburbs that probably cost less than a similar home in Newington or Manchester. With Prop 13 RE tax was very reasonable.
Not everyone here lives in LA or SF!

[FutureTown]

Yeah, but, in comparison, Sacramento area has higher crime than Newington or Manchester, and temperatures don't blaze to the first level of Hell, either.

Still hasn't beaten the drought argument which will become seemingly more important the ways things are headed. Texas as well suffers from this issue. Longer droughts mean higher prices for many commodities.

I should add that I actually was considering moving to Sacramento. As a young fella, I wouldn't mind the change. But, I do think there is more prestige to Connecticut over Sacramento. I'd rather raise a family here as well.

[Aquaboy]

Originally Posted by FutureTown

Not to mention that land and house you get for maybe a couple ten thousand less is garbage compared to what you get in even Fairfield County.

How can people spend ~500k on a house and not even have a proper driveway to park your car???? This boggles my mind, lol! You'd get so much land with that much all across CT (cept for Lower FFC)

Homes on my street are 250-280K, most have 1/3 to 1/2 acre. Thats not far from Lake tahoe. Are you watching lots of HGTV these days?

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by FutureTown

Not to mention that land and house you get for maybe a couple ten thousand less is garbage compared to what you get in even Fairfield County.

How can people spend ~500k on a house and not even have a proper driveway to park your car???? This boggles my mind, lol! You'd get so much land with that much all across CT (cept for Lower FFC)

I have in-laws who live there, and I don't think you can find any house for $500K in the Bay area. Condos are running $600K+ even in the "less" desirable areas (e.g. city of San Jose), and $1M+ in areas such as Mountain View and Menlo Park.

Agreed the weather is good there, but I no longer hear about people moving there for the weather, it's usually for opportunity (to work in the high tech or bio sectors). There are a LOT cheaper places to move to for the weather!

[Aquaboy]

Originally Posted by FutureTown

Yeah, but, in comparison, Sacramento area has higher crime than Newington or Manchester, and temperatures don't blaze to the first level of Hell, either.

Still hasn't beaten the drought argument which will become seemingly more important the ways things are headed. Texas as well suffers from this issue. Longer droughts mean higher prices for many commodities.

I should add that I actually was considering moving to Sacramento. As a young fella, I wouldn't mind the change. But, I do think there is more prestige to Connecticut over Sacramento. I'd rather raise a family here as well.

All good points. We lived in the suburbs; not much crime on my street. And yes it does get hot!
I did the West Hartford thing for 23 years. I did my time.

[hyechica]

if you find an apartment with heat and hot water included your heating costs would not go up as its covered with your rent.

i live in a one bedroom with hubby we pay around 781 a month for rent we have heat and hot water included, our electric bills are around 40-50 a month in the winter and around 50-70 a month in the summer. in an apartment they shovel for you so you would not have to

in some parts of the you get lots of snow i live in middletown ( Middlesex county) but used to live in central ct and we get a lot of snow

[CSD610]

Originally Posted by SyZ

I've always loved the architecture and scenery and landscaping of 'back east', but I've lived a very sheltered life and haven't traveled really anywhere. I've spent 26 years in LA and 4 years in the Bay Area, but the majority of insurance jobs are in Hartford, and I've always wanted to live somewhere in New England, so...

How bad will it be? Are we talking like, 24/7 heating ($$$$), getting up 20 minutes early to shovel snow and make sure my car hasn't died, then suffer on the freeway for 2 hours to get into town?

Are there any nice areas nearby? If I don't want a commute would I need to live S / W / N / E of town? Is the food going to be as good as the Bay Area? Is the cost of living going to be the same, if not worse? Are there any major insurance companies outside Hartford in the surrounding area that might be better suited to me?

If you lay in the snow, ice and cold for extended periods of time naked you will eventually die from the cold.
Otherwise you are over reacting and should probably stay where you are.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

I have in-laws who live there, and I don't think you can find any house for $500K in the Bay area. Condos are running $600K+ even in the "less" desirable areas (e.g. city of San Jose), and $1M+ in areas such as Mountain View and Menlo Park.

Agreed the weather is good there, but I no longer hear about people moving there for the weather, it's usually for opportunity (to work in the high tech or bio sectors). There are a LOT cheaper places to move to for the weather!

I'm 4th generation Oakland California native and a quick check shows over 200 homes in my city under 250k

Oakland California has some of the best weather in the country based on the number of heating and cooling days per year...

Also Oakland is in the Heart of the expensive SF Bay Area and only minutes to downtown SF and served by all forms of transportation... world class port... western terminus for rail plus Oakland International Airport...