How do people survive? (Los Angeles, Long Beach: rental, appliances, house)

[sean1the1]

Originally Posted by timtemtym

I moved from Texas 7 years ago. Never in my life have I met so many people with no job, no skills, half a degree, etc... Lots of people here are living off their parents' money. They do not care how high rent goes or what things cost. They are 20's 30's 40's 50's and still no need to work. This city is a magnet for them.

There are also the people living well above their means. I live in an old 60's style complex with no amenities. There are many families crammed into one bedroom apartments. The apartments are older and not so nice (I am out of here in one more week!!! yay!). Yet what do they drive? The parking garage below me is filled with brand new Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, etc...

Last night I came home at 9 and this brand new top of the line Lexus pulls in to the spot across from me. An older couple gets out. They are both very well dressed and look like they belong up in the hills. They share a one bedroom with their two teen children.

Why on earth they would spend that much on their outward appearance and as little as possible on their home is beyond me. It's not like they are out a lot. I see the dad smoking in front of the building at all hours and the mom bogarts the small, inadequate laundry rooms (too many families living in one bedrooms means I never do laundry here).

Priorities are effed. But that is how a lot of people choose to live. I'm cashing out and heading to Orange County next week- median rents are higher there, but the places are newer, nicer, and roomier.

The thing is if these people had it together you know what would happen to the cost of living? It'd rise even more than it is now. It sounds crazy, but you should thank those folks for taking advantage of let's face it wasted space. I wonder how many empty rooms we already have here,. The most efficient way to address these issues is to utilize this space. Think of just how many homes where there's just a couple or a widow with plenty of room. SFHs take up enough land it's time we utilize them fully. It's funny homes got bigger when people started having less kids. This is also one great thing about high COL it makes you really start to think about our habits that ultimately are destructive unnecessarily. Using more room than you need is a bad thing anywhere not just here, but the price here causes folks to actually act on it. I took living in Santa Monica where a 2 bedroom old ugly home can cost you $2 million to really become aware of just how little spac is sufficient for me.

For the OP, LA was the first city in America to evolve around the automobile, winch has been the preferred method of every American city that has grown since. Being the most congested city in the world that evolves around the vehicle means vehicles have HUGE meaning to your average person. If you're sitting in traffic and miserable having a nice car makes it much more pleasant. Plus LA is one of the very few places where one can maintain a clean car year round putting huge emphasis on cleanliness, and shininess. I'm a car guy so I thank God for the same things you and other's are complaining about. I love it for the same reason these individuals buy these vehicles because they look beautiful, sound great, and are extremely comfortable. If you're commute is hours long why not be comfortable? Not everyone is riding nice though I'm West LA most are the cars are beautiful, but everything East of Western AVE tends to be normal or low end vehicles. Again, cities with beaches and alot of sun tend to have a lot of nice cars Miami and south Florida is the other place in the country with the best vehicles. It seems like everyone has a range Rover or other cars winch if you've ridden in before are extremely comfortable and fun to drive making traffic not that bad for someone like me


Also the fact that there are so many people making it employs that it's doable. You probably just haven't found out how. You have thousands of undocumented immigrants who move here every year and can provide. It'd be wise to see how they do it the vast majority live in apartments dramatically Below market rate. As someone else said Garages!! Just about every home has a garage, and in LA they're rarely used for cars. In my neighborhood most homes have garages outfitted as apartments some are actually nice, but all are much cheaper than market rate. LA has a massive underground we have a huge illegal population and many who only associate in this group as well.

[saybanana]

LA min wage is over $13, and will soon be $14 this July. That almost double the national average. And while it seems that rentals are expensive based on the prices that people see, it isn't what the vast majority of people pay.

In LA, over 70% of the rentals are under rent control. Most people stayed there for decades and their rents are way below the market value. Rent control only goes up like 3% a year.
Lately the newest built units are luxury units that fetch a lot of compared to older units. So the prices you see $1700 for a studio are often in these new units. You dont find many older units as people tend to stay put because they wont find a better deal anywhere. So most the units are newer types built in the past 10 years rather than the cheap 30-100 year old apartments. And those while still high are much cheaper than brand new units.

But in the huge metro. Some areas are cheaper and some places are more expensive. Boyle Heights and South LA are cheaper than Pasadena, Glendale, Valley. While places like DOwntown, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice are the most expensive for a similar type unit. People dont often look for a rental in South LA but thats where the cheap rents are and if you on min wage looking for a place, thats where to look, not the most pricey, trendy neighborhoods.

It is like people who want to live in NYC, and think Manhattan and see the prices and their jaws drop. But ask New Yorkers and they say look in the bronx, brooklyn, queens, or even Jersey and thats where the cheaper rentals are. Same thing in LA. Plenty of cheaper places if you look. People hustle and thats how they survive.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by saybanana

In LA, over 70% of the rentals are under rent control.

That figure seems way too high.

Finding out if your apartment is under rent control is easy. If you do not live in Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, or the city of Los Angeles, the answer is no. These are the only cities in Los Angeles County that currently have rent control laws on the books.

A guide to rent control in Los Angeles/How the local laws work and what they mean for tenants:
https://la.curbed.com/2018/6/4/17302...es-rules-guide

[Veritas Vincit]

LA is doable for just about anyone who isnt mentally ill in a severe fashion or hopelessly addicted to narcotics. Whether it is *worth* doing it is a different question. Its a great area, but whether slum living is acceptable or not is a question different people will answer differently. People of a first world background tend to want better and they might need to move elsewhere at this point to make that happen.

[EA]

Originally Posted by Veritas Vincit

LA is doable for just about anyone who isnt mentally ill in a severe fashion or hopelessly addicted to narcotics. Whether it is *worth* doing it is a different question. Its a great area, but whether slum living is acceptable or not is a question different people will answer differently. People of a first world background tend to want better and they might need to move elsewhere at this point to make that happen.

Yeah that's where I'm at. I live in a big house in a nice area for a reasonable price.
It would cost me 5 times as much to have the same quality of life in LA. I'm not sure it's worth it.
BUT one of my kids will be 18 soon and the other shortly after. At that time I could deal with living in a small place to have the weather, scenery, and water.
I really like Vegas, but I like water and I like cool nights.
My income is capped in Vegas. I can't really expand what I do any more than I have.
In LA I can expand more and charge more as well.

[walker1962]

Originally Posted by timtemtym

I moved from Texas 7 years ago. Never in my life have I met so many people with no job, no skills, half a degree, etc... Lots of people here are living off their parents' money. They do not care how high rent goes or what things cost. They are 20's 30's 40's 50's and still no need to work. This city is a magnet for them.

There are also the people living well above their means. I live in an old 60's style complex with no amenities. There are many families crammed into one bedroom apartments. The apartments are older and not so nice (I am out of here in one more week!!! yay!). Yet what do they drive? The parking garage below me is filled with brand new Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, etc...

Last night I came home at 9 and this brand new top of the line Lexus pulls in to the spot across from me. An older couple gets out. They are both very well dressed and look like they belong up in the hills. They share a one bedroom with their two teen children.

Why on earth they would spend that much on their outward appearance and as little as possible on their home is beyond me. It's not like they are out a lot. I see the dad smoking in front of the building at all hours and the mom bogarts the small, inadequate laundry rooms (too many families living in one bedrooms means I never do laundry here).

Priorities are effed. But that is how a lot of people choose to live. I'm cashing out and heading to Orange County next week- median rents are higher there, but the places are newer, nicer, and roomier.

I was good with your observations until the end when you said "Priorities are effed. But that is how a lot of people choose to live. I'm cashing out and heading to Orange County next week- median rents are higher there". That statement just doesn't jibe with what the OP's observations about people living above their means in SoCal. You think the O.C. is that much better? Think again!

[walker1962]

Originally Posted by Marie Joseph

So out of curiosity--

My current place is 4 bedrooms with a garage and is 3800 sq feet near the water. I pay $850/month which is considered on the high end here.

What would something like this cost out in LA?

WTH do YOU live!? $850/month for a water=front home much larger than average size?

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by uglybanter

I may decide to move to Los Angeles and I may decide to send you my resume....which has nothing to do with landscaping, gardening, or mowing lawns but I'm a fast learner and a hard worker with an emphasis on customer service lol

Hi, I am no longer in that business. Was fun while it lasted but with age things change.


I still own 2 Corporations in CA, but they are technology oriented and no openings at this time.

[EA]

Originally Posted by walker1962

WTH do YOU live!? $850/month for a water=front home much larger than average size?

Profile says Western PA. Which makes sense. My dad bought a big house with horse stable, giant shop, and 7 acres of land for 30k in Western PA.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I don't know anyone that lives on minimum wage. Even a 20 something without a college degree could find more money that the minimum wage. We have a 21 year old working for us that makes $26 an hour working 40 hour weeks. Then again he knows how to work in a Hospital Facility.

Working Uber or LYft is a second job, although some use it as a primary job. Many around here work more than one job. When I was in my 20's I worked three jobs.

Another 20 something that works for us works 11pm till 7:30am here. He has a second job somewhere else, and he sells stuff at the weekend swap meet.

Had a friend growing up that used to work two jobs and moved to another state. He ended up getting a second job there while just about everyone he knew only worked one job. He was used to working two jobs. Only thing is, out here he needed to work two jobs, out there he made extra money.