California people (Coeur d'Alene: mortgage, relocate, real estate)

[RCL]

Originally Posted by carolinajack

Skitow:

are you sure it is the ASIANS?? It seems to me that is it not the Asians but the liberals who have driven up the prices in California. From the leftist regulations on everything, to the affirmative Action crowd, to the Greenies, to the Yuppies in tech towns, to the Hollywood set. How is it the Asians fault, please explain.

It's not only the Asians, but also Indians, Middle Easterners, and Hispanics...or put in different terms, the influx of outside money is what started it all and now, zero interest variable loans are what has kept it up, along with specuvestors. However, things are adjusting again.

The overprice in CA real estate began (at least in the bay area) during the mid 90's when developers started studying living patterns of immigrants vs. those of Americans. Immigrants were coming and with 3-4 families buying a home together. They were already used to close living quarters and did not seem to adopt the American way of "give me lots of space".

The mixed blessing in all of it was that the immigrant population had discretionary cash and income (very hard working and very business savvy and when you have your entire family running a business you have a lot less overhead). However, as business savvy as they were, they did not have a clear perception of what a property's true value was. In other words, when a developer who was building new homes in 1994 for 165K...suddenly started selling the same homes in 1995 for 285K and up, these groups of people who were had the money and were eager to get their own property would just ante up the money, no questions asked...whereas the rest of the population knew that it was price inflation and would balk when a developer told them the price.

Shortly thereafter came the mid-90's and the dot.com boom occurred and next thing you know, 18 year olds with no education were getting jobs out of high school starting at 80K a year plus a few thousand options (which many of them netted big bucks on). In need of tax shelters (and with big egos) these kids started buying homes, along with thousands and thousands of workers who were moving to the bay area from other areas of the country (attracted by the high salaries for no- or low- education jobs) and soon, the demand overtook the supply. By 1998 a small two-bedroom home in Palo Alto was between 750K and 950K. In neighboring San Jose and the rest of Silicon Valley, things were a bit less, but by 2000 you still had the Silicon Valley median home price above 550K. When you consider that in 1995 the median home price was around 180K that is quite a jump. It continued to climb until about mid-2006. But now, it's undergoing a correction and people are starting to feel the pinch. I was just talking to an old neighbor tonight and she said there are a lot of homes for sale now and the average selling time is 90 days or more. Many have signs saying Price Reduced, and the home across from heres, which was completely remodeled inside and out, was on the market for a few months, then finally the seller had to reduce the asking price by 75K just to start getting any serious lookers. Finally sold but we don't know yet how much.

Some rode the thing up and got out with lots of money. However, that market is in the middle of a major correction now and there are a lot of people who, unfortunately, may lose their shirts. If they hold on to the homes they will probably be OK in the long run. But those who bought in 2005 or 2006 hoping to make big bucks by selling it 12-18 months later for 100K more are going to have it rough.

Personally, I'm inclined to want to see housing become more regulated in this country and treated less like a commodity. Housing is a basic necessity, pork bellies are not. In a perfect world, I guess, and there is no perfect solution. Who knows what will happen. If we go through a serious, long-lasting economic slump, then with all these balloon-payment loans due there are going to be many foreclosures. Will we see another government-mandated moratorium on foreclosures? Who knows.

[RCL]

Originally Posted by skitow

Hi. I swore I was going to out of this, but I'd like to comment on one thing you said. You may know that I live in CA, and that is what happened here. When I moved to Mountain View there were farms everywhere. At the end of the condo complex there was an onion farm. It smelled like onions only about 2 days a year when they harvested the crop. Everyone just laughed. Across the street was all open field. Cherry farms here, peach farms and grape farms there. It's all been sold to build condos. Same as Idaho. That's why a lot of people want out. This place sucks. I'd like to go target shooting again. The range was on top of a mountain. It's all houses now. They complained about the noise. The range was there first. Tuff luck. I don't like it just like you don't. That's why I wan't outta' here. See, we do have things in common. Hope you can keep your road. Take care, skitow.

Ahh, the good old days. When I was a kid we had a mini-farm in Hayward with chickens, rabbits and lots of fresh grown veggies. Yep, I remember those days when going down 880 (or 17, "The Nimitz" as it was called then) it was 2 lanes on each side of a beautiful oleander lined median and if you blink you would miss little towns like Fremont, Union City and Milpitas. You could get fresh anything back then and it was all raised locally, except for beef, which was just a little east in Turlock, Modesto and Manteca. Chickens/eggs/milk/cheese from Sonoma county, fruits and vegetables from many places. Hey they used to ride horses up in the hills above Dublin and Pleasanton. Tracy was a place you went THROUGH when you were on vacation to the country. Now, Tracy is just a cookie-cutter suburb of the Walnut Creek/San Ramon/Pleasanton metro area, aka McMansionville. And back then, BART was clean and you didn't see much litter or homeless in the City. So many great little holes in the wall, tiny clubs with home grown bands or micro-breweries, greasy spoons...most of them put out of business and shut down by greedy landlords who wanted to up the rents to 8000 a month to a dot.commer start-up. And now that it's gone belly up, where are all those little iconoclastic establishments now? San Francisco has become another clone of Anytown, USA. Still has beautiful sights yes, but compared to the way it was...can you say B.O.R.I.N.G.

I got weary of hearing people tell me "Why would you ever want to leave here? This is a paradise." Ha. Little do they know. We even had good roads back then. Rush hour was ONE HOUR in the morning and evening. You didn't get shot for trying to get to the bridge toll plaza one car ahead of another, and a parking place was something you could actually find. I guess when you're used to eating cement, a plateful of dung tastes good. But those people there now have no knowledge that there used to be a gourmet 7-course meal on that there plate. People are ecstatic that they can get to Tahoe on the weekend. Big deal, it's now a 7-8 hr drive because of all the traffic. I remember when it used to be a 3-1/2 hr drive...there was no traffic and you could go 75 all the way. So neener neener neener

I'm so glad I could grow up there when it still WAS a paradise. The old California. I love the memories I have. Unfortunately, memories are about all that's left. California was stolen and what remains is a low-grade imitation imposter.

[RCL]

Originally Posted by skitow

Hi, nice to meet you. I have'nt logged on for some time. I got tired of getting kicked in my pants LOL. In certain areas of CA you have no choice but to drive fast. Like ALL the highways. If everyone is doing 70, and you try to merge at 55 your taking your life in your hands. I drive the speed that the traffic is flowing. I have never flipped anyone off. Some nutcase may take that very seriously. Let me change the subject here please. I don't get it. If CA people move to Idaho and think everything sucks, why the hell did they move there in the first place?? A 10 year old kid would have the common sense to check it out before making a super life changing move like that. You must have a pocket of CA idiots that made the move all together. CA has plenty of them. The more the population grows, the nastier people get. I hate to say it, but this country is going to continue to grow andd there is nothing anyone can do about it. Change again. I know I could look this up, but what is a right to work state. What does that mean and how does it affect you? Lets all hope for a better year in 2007. Take care, skitow.

A right to work state means that even though unions are allowed, you as an individual have the right to work even if you are not a member of any union. Likewise, a company can not force you to join a union in order to get employment there and they can not require you to join even after you have been hired.

Unions are a mixed blessing. It's sad to say but in a global environment the union will soon be a thing of the past. Just think, if things continue to decline here in the US economy, and they get labor unions in China, those Chinese companies will have to outsource their labor back to the US to stay competitive because we will be the ones working for the low wages. LOL

Hopefully I will be worm food by then.

[shroom]

Originally Posted by RCL

Ahh, the good old days. When I was a kid we had a mini-farm in Hayward with chickens, rabbits and lots of fresh grown veggies. Yep, I remember those days ...

... I'm so glad I could grow up there when it still WAS a paradise. The old California. I love the memories I have. Unfortunately, memories are about all that's left. California was stolen and what remains is a low-grade imitation imposter.

~~~~~
So very true. Hey RCL, do you remember Casper's and the Union Ice plant? We used to play in the "snow" at Union Ice, especially in summer!

I'm a rare Californian - well, former Californian now. I'm 3rd generation; actually, 3rd gen from SF. I grew up in the then dinky town of Danville - pop 1800, which I think included peoples' dogs and horses. There were no stoplights, one stop sign, a hitchin' rail in front of B of A, a volunteer fire dept, and a freight train that rolled through town almost daily. Anyone could wander at any hour without fear. Neighbors helped neighbors. When kids got into mischief, their parents always knew about it before the kid got home. And the kid had usually already been disciplined by teachers and/or neighbors and/or shopkeepers before even making it home. We used to ride horses through neighbors' ranchlands; ranchlands that are now wall-to-wall cookie cutters and a maze of paved streets. We also rode on 680, down to San Ramon and Dublin or up to Walnut Creek, before 680 even existed. BART didn't exist either. Blackhawk Ranch is where we scared the heck out of cattle when racing our parents' cars on back roads - not an exclusive upscale enclave. My Dad worked in Hayward and would make it home, door-to-door, in 30 minutes. I went to San Jose State before PCs or "Silicon Valley" were even an amoeba of thought in anyone's mind; when the orchards still existed, the canneries were still active, the airport was a small muni airport, and SJ pretty much ended at Blossom Hill Road. Sigh.

I, too, love the CA I knew in my salad days. For whatever reasons, CA is not what it was and it will never be the same again. I mourn its passing. I think many "old timers" and "boomers" from CA are yearning for the lifestyle it provided 40, 50, 60 years ago. I think we, the "boomers", have finally realized that the most important things in life are not things, and that's why so many are looking to escape the madness that has overtaken our once great state. We cannot recapture the time of our childhood; but maybe, just maybe, we can find a place similar to how it used to be. If found, when found, we can set down new roots in a safe, sane, calm spot, before we get planted the final time.

I've been gone from CA since '93; I'm still looking for a dinky little town like Danville in the '50s, but fear it doesn't exist. So if you see me checking out your state, your town, don't castigate me simply because I'm a Californian. I am NOT today's Californian; I am Yesterday's Californian. I am not there to change anything. Rather, I am there because I'm hoping that your town will be close to my "Danville of the '50s". I suspect the same is true for many, many others.

[mrvgs]

Hello to fellow Bay Area folks on the forum. I am new here and I have grown up in Castro Valley. I had a home in C.V. until my divorce and can in no way afford a home here on my own. I am looking for a small town to retire to and from what I have heard about Idaho sounds good. mrvgs.

[SandyCo]

It's fascinating how so many people in the rest of the country think that Californians are all a bunch of complete wackos!

I'm a native Californian; I've lived in So-Cal my entire life. However, I am not a "keep up with the Joneses" kind of person and never have been. I don't wear designer clothing, don't own any jewelry (can't stand the feel of anything but clothing around my neck and on my wrists!), and couldn't care less about the whole Hollywood mentality. I hardly ever watch T.V. except for local news (and I use the word "news" loosely, as most of it doesn't even resemble news anymore!). I think most reality T.V. shows are useless and boring. See how politically incorrect I am?

By the way, California is a huge state. The attitudes up north and in the interior are far different from the liberal cities along the coast. Please don't lump us all together!

Are there fake people here? Of course there are. I've rolled my eyes at many a conversation I've overheard from people in the film industry - the ones who are name-dropping constantly, etc. Yuck! But there are also a lot of hardworking people who are down to earth and sincere. I would say "middle class", but the middle class is rapidly shrinking, since we can't even get a toehold in the housing market these days!

Give ex-Californians a break, please! We should be judged as individuals, not as merely "crazy Californians".

[glad I dont live in Ca]

Originally Posted by SandyCo

It's fascinating how so many people in the rest of the country think that Californians are all a bunch of complete wackos!

I'm a native Californian; I've lived in So-Cal my entire life. However, I am not a "keep up with the Joneses" kind of person and never have been. I don't wear designer clothing, don't own any jewelry (can't stand the feel of anything but clothing around my neck and on my wrists!), and couldn't care less about the whole Hollywood mentality. I hardly ever watch T.V. except for local news (and I use the word "news" loosely, as most of it doesn't even resemble news anymore!). I think most reality T.V. shows are useless and boring. See how politically incorrect I am?

By the way, California is a huge state. The attitudes up north and in the interior are far different from the liberal cities along the coast. Please don't lump us all together!

Are there fake people here? Of course there are. I've rolled my eyes at many a conversation I've overheard from people in the film industry - the ones who are name-dropping constantly, etc. Yuck! But there are also a lot of hardworking people who are down to earth and sincere. I would say "middle class", but the middle class is rapidly shrinking, since we can't even get a toehold in the housing market these days!

Give ex-Californians a break, please! We should be judged as individuals, not as merely "crazy Californians".

Hey I like nice people ,dont get me wrong, I dont mean to lump you all together. But It seems you are well aware of what I am talking about. So many obnoxious "liberal" (whatever they really believe) "know-it alls" , materialistic and arrogant ( thinking the rest of the country is full of ignorant rednecks). I get so tired of their "cool" "modern" b.s. Hollywood ugly style of acting that it just gives Americans a bad name. They remind me of New York people who are even more "with the times" because they live on the beach and it is "cooler" now to live there. I am sure most people would recognize very well the "stereo-type", but stereo-types come from somewhere.

[burdell]

Originally Posted by glad I dont live in Ca

Hey I like nice people ,dont get me wrong, I dont mean to lump you all together. But It seems you are well aware of what I am talking about. So many obnoxious "liberal" (whatever they really believe) "know-it alls" , materialistic and arrogant ( thinking the rest of the country is full of ignorant rednecks). I get so tired of their "cool" "modern" b.s. Hollywood ugly style of acting that it just gives Americans a bad name. They remind me of New York people who are even more "with the times" because they live on the beach and it is "cooler" now to live there. I am sure most people would recognize very well the "stereo-type", but stereo-types come from somewhere.

So, the stereotype of beach-living 'know-it-all' Californians is OK with you but the stereotype of ignorant rednecks isn't?

Kinda brings to mind another stereotype of the narrow minded and intolerant.

[glad I dont live in Ca]

Originally Posted by burdell

So, the stereotype of beach-living 'know-it-all' Californians is OK with you but the stereotype of ignorant rednecks isn't?

Kinda brings to mind another stereotype of the narrow minded and intolerant.

[proeye]

Originally Posted by burdell

So, the stereotype of beach-living 'know-it-all' Californians is OK with you but the stereotype of ignorant rednecks isn't?

Kinda brings to mind another stereotype of the narrow minded and intolerant.

What the heck are you talking about? Clearly, you took these words completely out of context.

Read it again...

"arrogant ( thinking the rest of the country is full of ignorant rednecks)"

Glad said that there are arrogant people out there who think everyone else is a redneck. Where do you think the term "fly-over country" came from? From the arrogant West Coast and East Coast people (don't take this one out of context as well).

Not everyone is arrogant but they are out there.

What I've noticed is that people who scream intolerant are the same people who tend to be the most intolerant. Otherwise, why would these people spend so much time pointing out other people's supposed intolerance? Think about it...

Just trying to add some perspective...