Tell me more about the job market please! (San Diego: car registration, insurance)

[Desertdarlene]

I think your chances of finding work in the area is pretty good here in San Diego County provided you go through all the hoops to get your California license and other things. But, one thing I have to warn you, the cost of living is a lot higher here and the pay really doesn't compensate for it. You will get more for your earnings outside California. I'm not saying that you won't live well here with your line of work, but you will get more bang for your buck somewhere else.

Accounting, in general, is doing better in terms of the number of openings compared to a lot of other types of jobs, but it's not exactly "easy" to get a job here.

[odannyboi]

Don't worry about the money and COL and all that stuff. As a CPA, you'll be guaranteed atleast 6 digits.

You are still in your 20's (maybe single?). Live somewhere fun while you can.. you have about 40 more years to make "real" money.

[Cardiff Kook]

the cost of living is higher in San Diego than Washington DC? I thought DC actually had a slightly higher C.O.L

[deuce35]

Originally Posted by GMUAlum08

the cost of living is higher in San Diego than Washington DC? I thought DC actually had a slightly higher C.O.L

Your right, the C.O.L is higher in DC than it is in SD, I was going over different scenarios and found this out the other day. The housing is about the same, if you have 500K you can find a decent sized house in Bethesda or the suburbs to the north of DC but finding a house in a good area in DC with 500K is almost impossible. Again ALMOST impossible!

The overall cost of living is slightly higher in DC and I mean by a few thousand dollars. Thats one of the reasons I first started thinking of moving, but I hear buying a home in SD without making at 150K for couples is impossible...

By the way good luck GMU, I've gotten tons of emails from people moving from the DC metro area to San Diego and Los Angeles, again good luck my man, I'm looking to land in the Clairemont Area...or wherever I find a job first!

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Originally Posted by deuce35

Thats one of the reasons I first started thinking of moving, but I hear buying a home in SD without making at 150K for couples is impossible...

What do you mean? Its most definitely possible for under a sub 150k couple to live fairly well out here.

If you are basing your expectations on folks that are truly middle class that bought a home they could not afford, then you would be right. However this isnt 2005 anymore and home valuations are getting more in line with incomes. For all of the half million dollar+ homes available, there would have to be a sizeable industry to fill them as they are all over the county.

I dont see that happening any time within at least the next 5 years easily.

[deuce35]

Originally Posted by shmoov_groovzsd

What do you mean? Its most definitely possible for under a sub 150k couple to live fairly well out here.

If you are basing your expectations on folks that are truly middle class that bought a home they could not afford, then you would be right. However this isnt 2005 anymore and home valuations are getting more in line with incomes. For all of the half million dollar+ homes available, there would have to be a sizeable industry to fill them as they are all over the county.

I dont see that happening any time within at least the next 5 years easily.

Really? Well hell thats good news for me than, in some of the other threads i've read that even in this current climate a couple would need 150K to buy a home and live comfortably.

The only real thing anyone thinking of moving should be worried about should be finding employment...

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Originally Posted by deuce35

Really? Well hell thats good news for me than, in some of the other threads i've read that even in this current climate a couple would need 150K to buy a home and live comfortably.

The only real thing anyone thinking of moving should be worried about should be finding employment...

Yeah, its when you are adding kids to the mix that 150k makes a lot more sense. As a couple however, 150k is NOT comfortable if the both you like getting spa treatments every weekend and eating out every night.

This is also assuming you have zero debt besides the mortgage. If you throw in the BMW car payment x2 then yeah, the 150k pot gets slimmer. Moral of the story here is, come with a clean slate and decent job and you are smooth sailing for under 150k easily.


Keep in mind, the one thing that is never calculated is the amount of free time there is to do for things outside that really dont cost anything. On the east coast or colder weather climates, homes are certainly larger, but considering you are living in the darned place for 8 months inside, it makes more sense. Same thing with shopping or eating out. Lots more money spent from cabin fever or sheer boredom because quite frankly thats all there is to do outside of your home.
The lifestyle change in terms if $$$ can never truly be quantified or compared with climates unlike this one.

[Cardiff Kook]

i think as long as you are a couple that 1) makes 5,500 - 6,000 AFTER taxes 2) Don't have more than $500 monthly debt 3) Don't have kids, should be able to buy a $450,000 home with with a 10% down payment and live comfortably

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Originally Posted by GMUAlum08

i think as long as you are a couple that 1) makes 5,500 - 6,000 AFTER taxes 2) Don't have more than $500 monthly debt 3) Don't have kids, should be able to buy a $450,000 home with with a 10% down payment and live comfortably

Right, it all depends on your overhead and resistance to it. Most people plan on having a 30 year or 15 year mortgage and those are national interest rates anyway, so location doesnt matter as much. Right now "borrowing" money for a mortgage is pretty cheap right now by historical standards and good on paper so long as your are financially secure. The idea that "I will always make more money" should not be a top tier in a financial plan because quite frankly, you dont know that, no one does. Hoping for it is great though, it will only help more AFTER you made sound decisions based on now. Struggling in life sucks for anyone at any income level, so why bother? Industries these days can change pretty quickly and what was hot 10 years ago may be near obsolete. Its best to know that ahead of time

IMHO the math will work out about the same in any state for the most part with some minor differences here and there with tax levy's state by state. It's almost a waste to even chase state taxes etc etc to see where its "cheapest" to live and so forth. Because ultimately it will get balanced out somewhere else. Its usually never apple to apples with taxes per state.

What you may pay for in heat in the winter out east will be offset by something like auto fees attached to registration every year or water rates increasing in San Diego.
Its just always better to get an idea of COL and then just round up. I mean is it really a deal breaker at the end of the month anyway?
If so, then it may be wise to really look hard at what you are spending if $10 or $20 differences in utilities are making or breaking your budget.

[Cardiff Kook]

just curious, what are the auto fees for registration?