Making it financially in CA (Irvine: apartment, to rent, insurance)

[nebulous1]

Can a single person make it in California? I keep reading about how so many couples cannot make it on a double income and have left or are considering moving. I am looking at moving there, because I have family in Southern CA and while I can make a decent income in the midwest, I am wondering how it would be out there. Since your housing is about double what it is here to rent, I know I would not make double my income out there.

So do single people get by out there? And no, I don't want a roommate. I like my privacy. Most folks my age are married anyway and I don't want to cross any age barriers.

What would be the minimum income one would need to get buy in OC?

[kturbe]

On the City-Data website it provides you with all kinds of cost of living information. But in answer to your question, plenty of single people make it in O.C. in fact close to 45% of the population is single.

[Soccersupporter]

Originally Posted by nebulous1

Can a single person make it in California? I keep reading about how so many couples cannot make it on a double income and have left or are considering moving. I am looking at moving there, because I have family in Southern CA and while I can make a decent income in the midwest, I am wondering how it would be out there. Since your housing is about double what it is here to rent, I know I would not make double my income out there.

So do single people get by out there? And no, I don't want a roommate. I like my privacy. Most folks my age are married anyway and I don't want to cross any age barriers.

What would be the minimum income one would need to get buy in OC?

It depends on what your looking for. My son still lives in SoCal and does okay. He makes about $50,000. He lives with 2 roommates in an apartment in a beach community although not real close to the beach. He drives a decent car and seems to have enough money to go out a few times a month. He won't be able to buy a home unless he marries up or the housing market turns into more of a mid-west type market (it won't). Like I said it depends on what you are looking for out of life.

[EscapeCalifornia]

As long as you only aspire to renting a one bedroom apartment, a single can do just fine here.

[mrlucero2002]

If you want to have a social life, spending money, and live in a decent area, you'll most likely need roomies. If you're young and don't plan on settling down anytime soon, come out and live the California experience. You'll love it.

But, I wouldn't advise you staying here if you decide to buy a house, get married, and raise a family. It will certainly take two incomes just to make the mortgage payment. You'll have to put everything else (groceries, fuel, clothes, date nights, etc...) on your credit cards.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by mrlucero2002

If you want to have a social life, spending money, and live in a decent area, you'll most likely need roomies. If you're young and don't plan on settling down anytime soon, come out and live the California experience. You'll love it.

But, I wouldn't advise you staying here if you decide to buy a house, get married, and raise a family. It will certainly take two incomes just to make the mortgage payment. You'll have to put everything else (groceries, fuel, clothes, date nights, etc...) on your credit cards.

And then hold on long enough for your house to appreciate at which point you refinance, rolling your credit card debt into your mortgage. Repeat until dead. Its the California way.

[nebulous1]

Originally Posted by Soccersupporter

It depends on what your looking for. My son still lives in SoCal and does okay. He makes about $50,000. He lives with 2 roommates in an apartment in a beach community although not real close to the beach. He drives a decent car and seems to have enough money to go out a few times a month. He won't be able to buy a home unless he marries up or the housing market turns into more of a mid-west type market (it won't). Like I said it depends on what you are looking for out of life.

I am 53 years old, don't want to live with roomies on a beach. I can't believe someone can't live on their own making 50K

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by nebulous1

I am 53 years old, don't want to live with roomies on a beach. I can't believe someone can't live on their own making 50K

You can certainly live on your own on that. But it won't be in much more than a 1 bedroom apartment unless you're sitting on a few hundred grand as a down payment on something.

[nebulous1]

Originally Posted by mrlucero2002

If you want to have a social life, spending money, and live in a decent area, you'll most likely need roomies. If you're young and don't plan on settling down anytime soon, come out and live the California experience. You'll love it.

But, I wouldn't advise you staying here if you decide to buy a house, get married, and raise a family. It will certainly take two incomes just to make the mortgage payment. You'll have to put everything else (groceries, fuel, clothes, date nights, etc...) on your credit cards.

I have been married and raised my kids. I won't be doing that any time soon.

[Soccersupporter]

Originally Posted by nebulous1

I am 53 years old, don't want to live with roomies on a beach. I can't believe someone can't live on their own making 50K

You can, it will just be difficult. Average rent in Irvine where I lived is over $1500 for a one bedroom and over $1900 for a 2 bedroom. Add a car payment, insurance, gas, food, entertainment. That combined with the fact that a single person with no house pays a lot of $$$ to Uncle Sam in taxes means $50,000 does not go very far in SoCal.