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Alternative suggestion for you. You are only young, footloose, and fancyfree once in your life. Why not go some place neither of you has ever lived before? After all it's only for 2 or 3 years. If it's an armpit you can leave. I would decide which one of you have the best job skills/is the most employable and decide go to the place that has the best career opportunity. Here's why.
1) You are trying to build up as much money as you can for the future. Go where the money is.
2) The best thing a young couple can do is learn to rely on each other, not family.
3) You can't pick your relatives. They will be a PITA. Give yourselves the gift of freedom!
4) Have an adventure. Go someplace new!
OP, you are in a great area. There are people from the places you've listed who are trying to move to Texas for the better economy. I strongly suggest staying put. Family can come to you!
California has a much bigger economy than Texas, and it is growing faster. Take Texas' economy, add 50%, and you're right around the size of California's economy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Meemur
You have to be strong and positive: "The ecomony is great: move here!" "The weather is great: move here!" "The live music is second to none!"
Keep repeating these statements. It is possible to get them to move. It just takes lots of time and persuasion.
As for CA, don't be an idiot. People are LEAVING there for the Midwest so that they can afford homes. Colorado is now full of dopers. It's not a place you want to raise your wee ones. I left Ohio for Des Moines. I wish I had moved sooner. You really don't want to move east of the Mississippi for any reason right now.
Go take some vacations in those places. You'll see. CA is lovely, but unless you have the sort of career where you make a ton of money, it's not for you. In fact, most places with decent weather year-around are going to cost too much.
As I understand it, Austin is getting pretty expensive these days for housing. California, like elsewhere, has more and less affordable places.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jame22
I really do want to move somewhere else. I love Austin but at the same time I really enjoy getting out and experiencing new areas. California definitely isn't my first choice due to all the reasons posted in this thread but I'm more than willing to give it a go and see what happens. My girlfriend's Aunt has an empty house in Beaumont so we could most likely stay there in case of an emergency.
There is a lot to like about the Golden State. It is like America, only more so.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jame22
I went back to Ohio this past Thanksgiving and I really enjoyed the weather. For the most part it was cloudy and in the 40's and 50's. I didn't mind it at all. Maybe that would change if I was there the whole winter..IDK. I do feel like I would regret moving back to Ohio but not necessarily because of the weather.
I've been to Sacramento and I loved it! We stayed in an Air Bnb pretty close to downtown and went white water rafting on the American River. My girlfriend thinks it's too quiet but that doesn't bother me at all. I love all the trees in the city and the proximity to Napa Valley, SF and the mountains. With all that being said it is far from her family and it would be harder to find jobs.
I do want to leave Austin just for the sake of experiencing a different region. Outside of Houston I'm not really sure what cities are popular for my field. I know Denver used to be but I'm sure that things are getting pretty saturated up there now.
I am definitely in it for the long term and she is too. We've been together for a year now and we're planning on getting engaged as soon as next summer.
Sacramento has a pretty booming economy. It is home to myriad government offices and organizations that engage them--I think you mentioned you are in a government temp job in GIS for utilities. Due to size, population distribution, and geography, there is no other State with comparable infrastructure challenges. Sacramento would undoubtedly have opportunities.
Sacramento is not the Bay Area or greater LA. It is sleepier (probably sleepier than Austin). It gets hot in the summer. But it has its charms. There is a lot of construction underway, and the Capital is evolving.
If you ever want to have kids, SoCal is not the place to move. You will put it off until you are too old. I have seen young people petrified at the prospect of losing the wife's income or spending it all on child care.
I agree...I lived in socal for a few years and made a decent salary I guess but I knew I wasn't going to be able to purchase a house. That was ok with me, the beach and outdoorsy culture were worth it. You have to take a realistic approach...if your main priorities are a nice house in the burbs with super amazing schools and a new car (which is all fine) socal is probably not the place for you depending on salary. The Sacramento area is cheaper compared to southern california but I'm not sure if your budget would allow for home ownership with those prices or not.
Depends on your lifestyle too
Many people say its expensive living in California
But there are many things to consider
I own a cheap economic car ( still nice)
Have no debt ( i don't want a house or children)
Health insurance i don't have to pay ( government job provides)
Most expensive thing probably is rent which is at an okay rate for me but after that not much
Cheap cell phone plan
Cook at home
All consider i don't really live an expensive lifestyle
No city is perfect thou
Live within your means and
Pick your poison
OP, you are in a great area. There are people from the places you've listed who are trying to move to Texas for the better economy. I strongly suggest staying put. Family can come to you!
This. OP try to take your girlfriend to Ohio for a trip. She may rethink after that. My vote is to move up to Ohio.
She's already been there. She didn't hate it but she doesn't want to live there due to the weather and job prospects
A couple of things.
1) If you are in such a specialized field that you can barely find a job in a relatively large, diverse state like Ohio, you are probably going to be limited to a small handful of areas. If you don't like those areas, do something to broaden your career.
Is she in some sort super career only available on the coasts and the NFL cities in the interior? What does she do and how much is she earning?
2) SoCal is going to have a massive amount of traffic, high cost of living, etc. CA also some of the most varied geography, climate, and cultural offerings of virtually anywhere in the country. I would try it out for a year or so and see if it fits.
3) Other than southern CA, southern TX, Florida, and a few parts of the coastal South, winters are often grey, gloomy, and suck anywhere in the country. OH is not the Arctic. I live in Tennessee - a "Sunbelt" state. It has been a warm winter, but mostly rainy, cloudy, and grey. It's really no sunnier than my last three winters in Indiana.
[quote=Jame22;46888944. We're really researching the Oceanside-Escondido areas. Maybe things will be better there. Of course it will be harder to find jobs.[/QUOTE]
Now you are talking about an area that I am very familiar with, North San Diego County. I lived there for 30 years. It was a fantastic place to live quite a few years ago, but is now as crowded & expensive as San Diego proper. It's really just a suburb of San Diego, a huge urban sprawl.
You mentioned Beaumont...that area is basically the desert, don't know if you're aware...nothing wrong with desert, but is that what you're looking for? Plus, you most likely would have a looong commute to work.
BTW, I have a young relative who lives in a Dayton suburb. He is blue collar, hs grad, wife is SAHM, they have 2 kids. They have a huge, very nice house & the public schools are decent. He would not survive, even by himself, on his salary in CA, & certainly not own a home. However, when I visited in winter, it was bitter cold & I remember that the snowflakes coming down weren't white, they were yellowish-brown, so I'm guessing that is air pollution. Also, they lead a very simple life, but are happy with it.
I also have a young relative living in CA's Bay Area. Both they & spouse have postgraduate college degrees & both make 6-figure incomes. Yet, they have given up on buying a house as they can't afford to...the reason being that even a ratty, 1960's tract house on a tiny lot in a crappy neighborhood is now over $1 million, with crazy bidding wars. For now they are ok with that, because they do not plan to have children &, when not working their butts off, go traveling the world.
So...different priorities. Unless your gf is REALLY close to her relatives, the move makes no sense. I think your gf is homesick, but the CA she misses no longer exists. I know this is the case because I'm a SoCal native & spent all but the last 6 years of my life there. I loved my state & never thought I would leave, but I did.
I hope it all works out for you.
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