Los Angeles (Long Beach, Riverside, San Bernardino: environment, loan, relocating)

[RedNC]

Originally Posted by fastfilm

Yes you do, according to the banks who grant mortgages.

This web site is hardly a representative sample of the people owning or buying houses in LA or OC.

The $110,000 example you gave left out the down payment amount and any other money the applicant owed.

As I said the vast majority of people purchasing houses are trading up with enough equity to put over 20% down.

If this does not apply to you then you are in the minority of people purchasing homes in LA and OC.

[fastfilm]

This forum was contructed to educate people seeking to relocate, and this thread about Los Angeles. It's a given that most people online here aren't in the uppermost echelons of income, or else they'd just move to the best, safest parts of any town, where any sane realtor can advise. People here are comparison shopping, and those seeking to move here seem to be from all over the country, where the giant gains in equity may not be an applicable factor.

[RedNC]

Originally Posted by fastfilm

This forum was contructed to educate people seeking to relocate, and this thread about Los Angeles. It's a given that most people online here aren't in the uppermost echelons of income, or else they'd just move to the best, safest parts of any town, where any sane realtor can advise. People here are comparison shopping, and those seeking to move here seem to be from all over the country, where the giant gains in equity may not be an applicable factor.

Your pole doesn't seem to be working the "yes" is still showing "0".

[fastfilm]

Unless no one's voted "yes..."

[RedNC]

Originally Posted by fastfilm

Unless no one's voted "yes..."

I voted yes that's why I made the comment.

[fastfilm]

Well, I tried to be fair. I put "yes" first and "no" second, so my own economic status wouldn't seem to bias the poll. I just set it up the way City-data said. No techie hacker I!

[RedNC]

I’m just trying to be fair here. You are painting a one sided unbalanced picture of life in CA and LA. I’m simply trying to show that not everyone is living next to a ghetto, nor does everyone in CA moving up to a nicer house need to make a 6 figure salary.

My prior post stands as an example to anyone questioning how people in CA can afford the houses. If this doesn’t apply to you just say not everyone fits this example, instead of trying to discredit me or try to prove me wrong.

[fastfilm]

I'm not trying to discredit anyone. We both offer valid points for people checking this thread. I've "exalted" your reputation myself. But I have read here that most people consulting these forums don't consider a half million dollar house affordable. And most people asking questions here seem to have a very unrealistic idea about Los Angeles which is about forty years out of date.

[enlightenme]

Originally Posted by ralph

Ff you sound like you have problems. You hate LA because of crime and illigals. I can understand the crime but I live in Chatsworth and its not as bad as you describe. The Valley has its problems. To me you sound like a racist who has no clue. Since you have lived in LA for a long time maybe thats why. I know you want to move but the outside world has those same problems. If you find anywhere that don't have those two things you will not have to worry about traffic or smog since you'll be the only one. Do you stay home and hide? You sound so paranoid it makes you sound nuts. There are plenty of problems there but there are lots of good things to. If you dwell on the bad then life will suck. You just need to relax and go to the beach. Good luck.

It is actually quite funny that you described "FastFilm" as the one not having a clue because anytime I have read any of your responses I always think you are the one without a clue about the average person living in CA. I have read you tell people from out of state you can live in San Diego on $20K a year, I have read you tell someone they can buy a house in the Santa Barbara mountains for under $300K, etc. Your responses tend to be completely off base and more of a disservice to those seeking information about CA. It is very unrealistic to suggest to someone they can come to CA as a first time homebuyer and make a successful life here. I do live on over $90K and I have grown up here my whole life, but the only way I am making it is as a RENTER. Unless you were fortunate enough to have bought a home before the mid 90's or are rich, there is no way to start off in this housing market. There is the exception if you want your first home to be in a ghetto for around $300K, but that isn't "affordable" compared to most other states home prices. I support FastFilms posts and I think she is realistic about living life as a middle class person in CA. There is always the exception to every situation, but for the most part, it is a pure struggle trying to make a decent life in CA. Especially for those just starting out. Most people on this forum did not buy their homes when they where under $200K and now have $400K+ equity to buy wherever they want.

[Ms.Phitt]

It's very telling that people like GregJ and Ralph, who insist that people like FastFilm and EnlightenMe and myself are misrepresenting L.A., feel the need to get increasingly shrill and finally resort to personal attacks. Why does it need to get personal? We have provided research from newspapers and other sources, photographs of our neighborhoods, and personal accounts of crimes and other despicable acts perpetrated upon us by our neighbors. Like it or not, these are facts, and no amount of nasty insults on your part are going to change that. If you are like RedNC and your experience is different here, say so and present your evidence to the contrary.

So far, however, it seems to me that my original assessment is correct. We have 3 types of people here:

1. those who make over $100,000 a year, or already have a few hundred thousand dollars in the bank
2. those who bought their houses here 10+ years ago before prices skyrocketed, thus making L.A. housing costs within their reach
3. everybody else

I think what people like us are trying to get across, is that people looking for information in this forum:

1. are not going to be from group 1 because those folks can pretty much afford to live wherever they want
2. are not going to be from group 2 because those folks already live in this area and don't need an online forum to tell them what L.A. is like
3. are therefore going to be people with average incomes who do not live near L.A., and want to know what it would be like if they tried to buy a house out here today -- at today's prices -- and what the neighborhoods, schools, air quality, traffic, crime rates, and quality of life would be like if they bought a house in an area they could afford.

Targeting any group of readers other than the people who would actually be using this forum to get information about Los Angeles, however unintentional it may be, is misleading and doing them a terrible disservice. I say, give them the whole truth not just the feel-good stuff... otherwise CityData might as well be just another useless tourist guide website.