I left LA for Houston and realize what I lost! (real estate, refinancing)

[bophisto]

"With all that, I am moving to California in July and have a job that will allow me (without debt) to live there. Houston is a GREAT place to get your life together, pay things off and make something of yourself to move to a place of lower opportunities and higher costs."

Lower opportunities and higher costs... funny because it seems many people in L.A delude themselves into thinking that the higher cost of L.A means there are more opportunities.


Interesting concept that people would move to Texas because of lower costs of living but then move to L.A for a higher cost of living.

I know a lot of people from L.A are moving to Texas..but it would be interesting to get some kind of data on how many of those same people are moving back to L.A or CA...that data probably isn't out there though.

[timtemtym]

Originally Posted by bophisto

"With all that, I am moving to California in July and have a job that will allow me (without debt) to live there. Houston is a GREAT place to get your life together, pay things off and make something of yourself to move to a place of lower opportunities and higher costs."

Lower opportunities and higher costs... funny because it seems many people in L.A delude themselves into thinking that the higher cost of L.A means there are more opportunities.


Interesting concept that people would move to Texas because of lower costs of living but then move to L.A for a higher cost of living.

I know a lot of people from L.A are moving to Texas..but it would be interesting to get some kind of data on how many of those same people are moving back to L.A or CA...that data probably isn't out there though.

Absolutely. I got degrees and experience in areas that have vacancies that don't easily get filled and I am a certified Spanish translator so I have the ability to further make myself marketable in the LA area. The recruiter I spoke with told me that she has rarely, in her 35 years with the district, seen layoffs in my area and regularly travels across the country to find people with my qualifications.

For me, I'm choosing LA as the next place to go because of the weather and geography. There are endless trails, beaches, canyons for me to walk around and that's something I do daily and love. I'm not an actor and I don't really care about celebrity pop culture.

But I will always have Houston as home. It's a great city and, for a motivated, hard-working person, can offer a secure future.

[Raziel]

Originally Posted by malamute

So? Are you moving back to LA? Money isn't everything you know, if you love CA so much nothing is keeping you in TX.

This is interesting because if he purchases a home that will make it more permanent and potentially hold him back from returning to CA.

What's weird is, the OP mentions moving to Houston for a job opportunity making double his salary, he thinks the people are terrible yet calls this improved "quality of life"! OP, your salary has increased and your rent is cheaper but, that doesn't equate to a higher quality of life imo
Then to make things more permanent you're buying a 3000+ sq foot home to be rooted even deeper in Houston. Why do people do this? it sounds bassackwards if your happiness is compromised.

[Marv101]

ANY city you choose to live in (or move to) is going to have a few things that you just to put up with, and in Houston or the rest of Texas, that means summers that are miserably hot, but you will eventually get used to it, or you may not.

At leat the average working stiff can afford to buy a house in Houston, since zoning laws are nonexistent, as opposed to the rampaging regulators in Sacramento, and launching a busineess takes much less time when you compare the 'hassle factor' gap between the two states.

[SalParadise]

Originally Posted by Marv101

At leat the average working stiff can afford to buy a house in Houston, since zoning laws are nonexistent, as opposed to the rampaging regulators in Sacramento, and launching a busineess takes much less time when you compare the 'hassle factor' gap between the two states.

Zoning is directed at the municipal level in California, not from Sacramento.

The bigger challenge to LA's housing market is simply the natural barriers (ocean, mountains) and the fact that we are pretty much built out. The only vacant land left is in the high desert.

[BROWNPLAYBOY310]

As much as I love California the benefits of Texas outweigh the bad. I work 12 hour shifts, 4-5 days a week and have 2 children, so it's not like I would have a lot of time to go walking the canyons or the beaches. Also, now that I've bought a house my biggest monthly payment is going towards an investment rather than just paying someone else's mortgage. Along with the home my kids have more space to run around in the house (including their own play room), as well as a big front and back yard. In California I had a little 2 BR condo and the HOA wrote me nasty letters about my 2 year old crying (as if that's something abnormal). On top of all this is the peace of mind that comes with having a substantial savings and not living paycheck to paycheck. We can eat out weekly without having to worry about ordering the cheapest items on the menu or going over our budget.

Honestly, if I was still single and could have my current job I would go back to LA. But with young children Houston is much better. The kids really don't see the little differences between cities like we do. But they do see the change that comes with increased income and lower cost of living.

[allenk893]

Originally Posted by BROWNPLAYBOY310

As much as I love California the benefits of Texas outweigh the bad. I work 12 hour shifts, 4-5 days a week and have 2 children, so it's not like I would have a lot of time to go walking the canyons or the beaches. Also, now that I've bought a house my biggest monthly payment is going towards an investment rather than just paying someone else's mortgage. Along with the home my kids have more space to run around in the house (including their own play room), as well as a big front and back yard. In California I had a little 2 BR condo and the HOA wrote me nasty letters about my 2 year old crying (as if that's something abnormal). On top of all this is the peace of mind that comes with having a substantial savings and not living paycheck to paycheck. We can eat out weekly without having to worry about ordering the cheapest items on the menu or going over our budget.

Honestly, if I was still single and could have my current job I would go back to LA. But with young children Houston is much better. The kids really don't see the little differences between cities like we do. But they do see the change that comes with increased income and lower cost of living.

That's good you bought a house for you and your kids. Your doing a great thing. However, what you could do is visit LA all the time with your kids. I assume you have family there. There are non-stop flights to LA from Houston all the time. Save up and take the kids to California for every vacation to see their family. You don't have to leave LA behind just because you moved. As long as you family in certain locations, you always have a place to stay. The summer is the best time to do this.

Honestly, if I were you though, I wouldn't stay in TX at all. If CA was where my heart was at, I would have simply looked into another cheaper city in CA to move to like San Diego. Which, to me, offers a more family-friendly and better quality of life than LA anyway. Take it from my life experience, it is NOT worth it to stay in a place you don't feel comfortable in. Regardless of the economy, regardless of the job prospect, regardless of the money. You need to be in a location where YOU are most happy. And usually people from California do not find Texas to be up-to-snuff in that regard. I know this first hand because I lived there and had many friends from Cali. They all wanted to move back. lol. So my advice is, get out of your mortgage right now. Look into a transfer. Look into a city called Chula Vista. It's a suburb of San Diego. You will find MANY nice middle-class suburban homes for $350K and under. Everything you need is there. There are even nice townhomes and condos for less than $200K! That may sound hugely expensive after you've been living in TX but it's CA. Everything is expensive. It's not that much when you factor in the high quality lifestyle, near-perfect weather, and all the other amenities that comes with it. I'm telling you. This is your shot. Don't stay in Texas because it's going to irk the hell out of you years from now when you find out your still living in TX and have more years to come. It's not worth it. You may have to sacrifice some things but I believe it will be worth it in the end. You made a mistake. It's fine. We all do it. I just don't advise you or anyone else to wait years to correct it.

[BROWNPLAYBOY310]

I have family in LA that we visit, and I know San Diego very well. I got my BS at UCSD. One reason I couldn't move back to SD easily is my career. I'm a chemical engineer, if I were to move back to CA I'd most likely be working in the South Bay (Carson, Wilmington, Torrance) area. And as much as I like California I am MOST happy in TX because of the things that my extra $$$ can provide. I'm definitely going to retire there or in the South Pacific, but right now since I spend most of my time between my house and my job the state that I live in only really acts as a colorful backdrop. I am willing to sacrifice having a less colorful backdrop for a bigger bank account, more vacation $$, bigger home, early retirement, private school for my kids, etc. Sounds like we just place different value on what state we live in.

[allenk893]

Originally Posted by BROWNPLAYBOY310

I have family in LA that we visit, and I know San Diego very well. I got my BS at UCSD. One reason I couldn't move back to SD easily is my career. I'm a chemical engineer, if I were to move back to CA I'd most likely be working in the South Bay (Carson, Wilmington, Torrance) area. And as much as I like California I am MOST happy in TX because of the things that my extra $$$ can provide. I'm definitely going to retire there or in the South Pacific, but right now since I spend most of my time between my house and my job the state that I live in only really acts as a colorful backdrop. I am willing to sacrifice having a less colorful backdrop for a bigger bank account, more vacation $$, bigger home, early retirement, private school for my kids, etc. Sounds like we just place different value on what state we live in.

If that is what you feel, then by all means, I am happy for you. Do your thing man. But I don't know why you created this thread then if you are satisfied with your choice.

[BROWNPLAYBOY310]

Sorry, just had to gripe somewhere about how much I miss LA. Once I have enough equity in my home, and my wife becomes a nurse practitioner we will probably move back if I can find a job that pays the right $$. But until then I'm stuck in TX.