My fellow Californians..Are you struggling with the possibility of leaving? (Sacramento: lease, mortgage)

[Spudcommando]

Originally Posted by junkman18

What is their to be in love with in California? Ca. for the most part is a cesspool and getting worse each day. We move out and don't miss a thing in California. Here car registration is $28.oo flat rate. and you can buy a nice home for 100G But you can pay more or less depends what you want. Get on the net and look at homes for sale in different states you can see what you can get for your money.

There's a lot more to quality of life than just the size of your home. I for one could never imagine myself in a place like Arkansas. For a college guy like myself, the lack of a REAL social scene would be enough to drive me insane. I'm sorry, California may have its fair share of problems, but I'll take its vibrancy and countless number of personal activities and job opportunities available in LA county alone over the small town vibes of Littlerock anyday.

Sure other states are "cheaper" at least in regards to home prices, but there alot more factors involved in choosing a place to live in than the square footage of a house. As I said, California has its fair share of problems, but then again, what area of the country doesn't? Please tell me, I would love to visit this garden of Eden that so many people have found after leaving CA. I'm sure Arkansas is a fine state, but what works for you doesn't necessarily work for someone else.

[junkman18]

Originally Posted by Spudcommando

There's a lot more to quality of life than just the size of your home. I for one could never imagine myself in a place like Arkansas. For a college guy like myself, the lack of a REAL social scene would be enough to drive me insane. I'm sorry, California may have its fair share of problems, but I'll take its vibrancy and countless number of personal activities and job opportunities available in LA county alone over the small town vibes of Littlerock anyday.

Sure other states are "cheaper" at least in regards to home prices, but there alot more factors involved in choosing a place to live in than the square footage of a house. As I said, California has its fair share of problems, but then again, what area of the country doesn't? Please tell me, I would love to visit this garden of Eden that so many people have found after leaving CA. I'm sure Arkansas is a fine state, but what works for you doesn't necessarily work for someone else.

I can understand that you are a College student and will be looking for a good job. But if you live to retire in California you may by then be thinking about getting out of their. And I am sure you know what Los Angeles will be like in 30 years. I was their 30 years before you and have seen with my own eyes what it has become. I hate to think what it will be like in the next 30.

I did say that you can buy a very nice home here for 100K that is true, But you can get a nice home for half of that or allot more it depends what one is looking for. The OP ask that and I gave a answer. It is not the size that counts

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by junkman18

I can understand that you are a College student and will be looking for a good job. But if you live to retire in California you may by then be thinking about getting out of their. And I am sure you know what Los Angeles will be like in 30 years. I was their 30 years before you and have seen with my own eyes what it has become. I hate to think what it will be like in the next 30.

I did say that you can buy a very nice home here for 100K that is true, But you can get a nice home for half of that or allot more it depends what one is looking for. The OP ask that and I gave a answer. It is not the size that counts

I agree. For me, moving isn't about buying a mansion in the boonies for $100k. Its about finding an area where housing prices are in line with the national average and it being possible to afford a modest HOUSE in a nice neighborhood without needing a creative loan to make the payment every month. Throw in the declining quality of life in the populated parts of the state and my decision of leave is just about made. I can't even imagine how bad it'll be in 30 years. But I know if I stay, I'll still be working to pay the mortgage and that's not what I want. I'd like to retire mortgage free.

[Paniolo Cowgirl]

I'm thinking of having a child and moving back to Hawaii.

[shannon94]

Bravo!! Escape!!! Bravo!!!

[thetalentedmisterdiamonte]

Originally Posted by Rewindmind

So after reading all the posts about getting out of California I am more confused then ever.
I had originally posted in July that I would like to move back to California. I grew up there (Mountain View). I would really like to move to Sacramento.

<sigh> After reading all of the posts about a mass exodus ... I am wondering...should I reconsider this?
My husband (who is a GM retiree) is resisting California...prefers Florida.

I think about all the bugs down there, the humidity and the high air conditioning bills. We currently live in Michigan and I hate humidity -- the summers here are in a word...gross.

So I have asked this question before...which would be a better place to land?
Additionally I am having a hard time finding a job in either place. I have sent numerous resumes to both Cali and Florida. I get a few bites, but when they find out I am still physically located in Michigan...the are not as enthusiastic.
Words of wisdom anyone?

Set yourself up with a rented mailbox at The UPS Store. For around $30, 40, or 50 per month, you can have a real address with a a unit number as if you wer eliving in a condominium or an apartment. It provides the impression that you'relocal as opposed to living in Michigan. Why they frown when they find out you're in Michigan and not in their backyard? The chances of someone picking up and moving all of a sudden for a job is are and if you don't like your new surroundings you'l most likely quit and move back.

[sassieb75]

Funny we are actually considering moving BACK to California. We miss my family. We visit twice a year. I have so many friends out there that are having kids and I want to share in that. Cousins getting married and having babies, younger siblings growing up and Im missing that. My kids are missing that too. AZ has been affordable but now with the housing market in dire straits, being that my husband was in mortgage, we aren't in that great of a situation anywhere! We would just rent, and of course we would both have to work. But, we get to be around our family, and have friends to hang out with. It hasn't been exactly EASY making friends here. People are so closed and money focused out here. Im not saying that it's a whole lot different than Cali, but the area Im from (Santa Rosa) is much more laid back and people are very warm and friendly. Maybe we wont be able to retire there, and we may move somewhere else someday. But in the meantime, I want my family to be a part of my children's youth. I don't want them missing too much. ANOTHER thing, my husband grew up in Tennessee, I saw some posts about life being better out that way.....what a culture shock!! We just buried my husbands Father...would you believe in his hometown, the "blacks" are NOT buried with the "whites"...they are buried in the back of the cemetary down the dirt road!! I was appalled!!!!!!!

[K-Luv]

This thread is about people who are considering leaving the state-I find it amusing as to how many people try to convince them to stay. If you moved away, and it didn't work out for-fine, it is only natural to want to go back to what you are familiar with (which is why, I assume, that most Californians move to Arizona, Texas and Florida-the states in the Union that are perceived to be most like California).

If someone wants to leave a state, or city-for what ever reason-that is their business and why some take offense to this is baffling. No one is sh*t talking you personally because they don't like Sacramento, or California.

[seashell]

Sure, we'd all love the ocean view, the sunshine, a fabulous steady income without having to work etc. But of course that's not possible for everybody. Be realistic about your life. Move somewhere else and vacation here. It is truly the best way.
As for states, and I have done considerable research on this subject: here are some good choices to consider: if you like big bodies of water, consider the great lakes. If you need culture, consider other great cities across the country. If you want a little mountain place, look at the mountain ranges across the country. If you like to travel, move to a modest place and put your time and money into traveling and enjoying that rather than struggling to make ends meet so you can "live in paradise". It's not paradise if you're working your butt off and spending lots of time in traffic.
There are lots of comments on affordability here but I ask you to think through something else: overcrowding. There is not enough water- I mean, wake up there's a crisis coming at you like you have never imagined.
The infrastructure is poor, housing expensive, schools mediocre. Is it the CLIMATE you love? The sunsets? Do you love the traffic, the lines, the crime, the stress?
Think through what it's really like where you live. To help you think this through, try the following:
Two columns: pros and cons.
Pros would be: what is perceived as being on permanent vacation here because of the ocean and the sunsets etc. Very nice.
The cons would be the stress from the economics, overpopulation, bad or soon to be gone water, trash, crime, etc. Yes, there's crime and stupidity and thuggery everywhere but- big but- California is particularly weird. Some areas are so corrupt it staggers the mind. Some places live with such craziness and this I Want Mine attitude. Overall, in California there is simply not enough community, REAL community. And all that that implies.
If you move to a colder or warmer region, keep in mind that it takes your blood about a year to acclimate.
Next, write down your top 3 or 5 "deal breakers". You absolutely will not, say, live with a mosquito problem. Or high temperatures all 12 months. Or without The Ocean. That narrows down your list of possibilities.
And take the phrase "I LOVE it here!" and put it into exactly WHAT it is that you so love. And what it is that you truly dislike. Cost of living? Rude people on the freeway? Having no time to enjoy this place? Be honest with yourself, then think it through from the points listed above. Good luck!! There are so many wonderful alternatives to California. You may be in love with what is termed the Collective Community Memory, which is often manufactured, rather than the reality of where you really are.
Here's a true example of collective community memory: San Diego has an aggressive tourism industry. People get great packages to come here. So they come here, rent a red convertible and live it up on the beach for a week. They think, WOW! I could live here! They take home the real estate glossy magazines, dream, sell everything and stampede out here. In about three years, it seems statistically, that dream has not been realized. They're not living in their dream home. They're living in substandard tract housing. They aren't living it up on the beach. They're struggling to make ends meet. It's crowded, it's hostile, it's dog eat dog. There's too much crime, you ARE in a big border town with all the ugliness that generates in the human spirit. You become depressed. But you dig in your heels because you think you can't find another place with a climate like this, you say. Well, your climate is about more than the weather. It's the quality of your life. And there are simply too many people, not enough decent paying jobs and too few resources to go around.
If you've bought into this dream and you need to get away, then get away. Find your wonderful place near a body of water, in a city, a smaller town, in the mountains or countryside, and go there. You'll have a better life than the substandard one too many people have chosen here.

[cityx]

Aahh!! Can we please bury this thread already?