Anyone thinking of relocating out of SD? (San Diego, San Francisco: transplants, real estate market)

[NYSD1995]

well I bought my house in 2006, live in a little cottage, am not strapped for cash but definitely live frugally. We thought about moving away but there is a lot to be said about the SoCal lifestyle. I like the access to the mountains, the access to LA, the access to the beach, the concrete skateparks, the tech corridor in Sorrento Mesa... I could go on and on. I am originally from Long Island NY where home prices are just as high, houses are just as cookie-cutter and people are a lot more crabby.

[MAB]

I moved from San Diego to Yuma,AZ in 2005.
So far we love it,its a town of 100,000 people next to the colorado river.
Sure,summers are HOT,but we live only 2 1/2 hours away from San Diego.
Things I love about Yuma are,LOW crime,Low traffic,affordable,lots of activities,people are laid back here,did i mention affordable?
theres a lot of churches here,when you go to walmart,chances are you will run into coworkers or people you know.thats cool.
I have a better job here,than I did in san diego.
Also,you dont have to compete with 1000s of people for a good job.Word of mouth travels fast,and if you are a good worker,companies call you,asking you to come work for them.
Im into off roading,and here we have lots of open desert to go wheeling.
Theres fishing,golfing and bike riding to name a few activities.
As a matter of fact,my mom noticed that we live very well here,so she moved here 2 months ago,and so far she likes it.

[66.stng]

Originally Posted by sugarrush

Born and raised here, my family and I (husband and two kids) are ready for a change - sans cookie cutter homes, traffic, etc. We are looking into Washington. Why and where are other people thinking of moving to?

My Mom and I were thinking of moving to Rapid City, South Dakota. You can get a really large house on 4+ acres for a little over $200,000 and Rapid City has less than 70,000 people in the city. There's very little crime in SD, and the cost of living is 30% less than San Diego. We'll see after we head up there in April, after it thaws out.

Just the thought of no neighbors and no traffic jams makes me want to move tomorrow.

[Kaligirl]

This is so true.......This is it exactly Socketz!! "The housing boom somewhat created 2 classes of people in San Diego, actually 3"

You have describe it all.....let me add one more thing..... The people in number 1. Who bought before hand, if it was a starter home, there is no moving up, the family size has increase, but there is no expanding homes on tiny lots with HOA restrictions that forbid it. So it is too, I say that I am one of them, strongly considering and researching "out of state options".

For those of you looking to move here, let me say....there are wonderful people here, great communities you can find, awesome weather and not everyone drives poorly. But there is so much truth in what the people write here, of congestion and cost of living, that truly research the area and decide for yourself what is the acceptable trade off.

Good luck to you all, those coming and those going!

[Fresno_Ken]

I find the history of San Diego quite interesting as it was not until after WWII that the population of San Diego started to grow. Now just 50 years later it is the place I am always hearing people talk about as the place to live if you can afford it. My wife and I once wanted to move to San Diego. We would visit at least 5 times a year and loved the weather compared to where we live now, Fresno. But as our business has grown and we have made more money we have decided we want to increase our life style... moving to San Diego with the cost of living there, we would not be taking a step forward but really taking a step back. I still think San Diego is the best place to visit but my wife and I are looking for less crime, less smog, slower pace, affordable economy, and actual seasons.... Fresno seems to have either 100 degrees or fog. We are thinking northern Utah, around SLC. For what we could sell our home for in Fresno we could buy a house twice the size with land. The ecomony appears to be growing and the landscape is beautiful. And it is a full days drive away from my in-laws in Fresno! LOL I also like Boise, Idaho. Boise still has that small town feel (with many tiny towns near by) but has all the comforts of a large city (without the pro sports team like NFL or NBA). Just like SLC, Boise is 12 hours away from Fresno. Boise is known as "the city of trees".

If you are really looking to move, like across the country, I hear NC is awesome. I have had two friends move there in the last year and they love it. Another friend of mine is planning to move there soon. The cost of living is fantastic compared to California and again the landscape is just amazing.

California used to be great..... but CA is broke, over populated, and perfect if you want to be robbed or have your car stolen. Then there is always the couple of hours you get to spend stuck in traffic. :-)

Well, not sure I helped any. But wanted to add my thoughts! LOL

Ken

[Jaded]

Originally Posted by sugarrush

Born and raised here, my family and I (husband and two kids) are ready for a change - sans cookie cutter homes, traffic, etc. We are looking into Washington. Why and where are other people thinking of moving to?

I am a native Californian and have lived in the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, SF Bay Area, and now live in San Diego. I have never been poorer in any other area of California than I am in San Diego.

The climate is great, the city has a lot to offer, but for me, it is a bit overrated compared to the cost of living here. Actually, I think it is less the cost of living and more the lack of decent salaries. I think of San Diego as pretty much a retirement/tourist locale.

It is a nice place to visit. But I don't think I'd move back.

I was considering San Antonio, TX, but my better half was offered a position in Phoenix instead, so, here we come Valley of the Sun! I know it gets very, very, hot during the summer but I'm hoping that growing up in the Inland Empire will have prepared me a little bit for it.

For what it's worth, I agree with the "classes" that the housing boom brought to San Diego. And even though the market is slowing, I am on my way out...and doubt that I'll miss it.

[socketz]

"The climate is great, the city has a lot to offer, but for me, it is a bit overrated compared to the cost of living here. Actually, I think it is less the cost of living and more the lack of decent salaries. I think of San Diego as pretty much a retirement/tourist locale."

This has been my point all along. While the weather here is world class and the people some of the best, the lack of higher paying jobs has really held things back. Now don't get me wrong, there are a handful of 6 figure jobs here (still not enough for the cost of living), but they are not plentiful and most are very niche. I guess that we need more corporate HQs than what we have.

To be honest, I have friends that have made more in equity on their home in the past 5 years than they did at their day job. All have been spending the equity like madman on things like pools, wall-2-wall granite, cars, etc, so the 'illusion' of wealth is definitely there.....but I think you'd be suprised to find that most San Diegans save very little and live paycheck to paycheck.

Ironically, where I'm going in Dallas, everyone thinks that we make 'bank' in San Diego because our COL is so much higher...not the case at all....there is much more money to be made in a city like Dallas.

[MAB]

Originally Posted by Jaded

I am a native Californian and have lived in the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, SF Bay Area, and now live in San Diego. I have never been poorer in any other area of California than I am in San Diego.

The climate is great, the city has a lot to offer, but for me, it is a bit overrated compared to the cost of living here. Actually, I think it is less the cost of living and more the lack of decent salaries. I think of San Diego as pretty much a retirement/tourist locale.

It is a nice place to visit. But I don't think I'd move back.

I was considering San Antonio, TX, but my better half was offered a position in Phoenix instead, so, here we come Valley of the Sun! I know it gets very, very, hot during the summer but I'm hoping that growing up in the Inland Empire will have prepared me a little bit for it.

For what it's worth, I agree with the "classes" that the housing boom brought to San Diego. And even though the market is slowing, I am on my way out...and doubt that I'll miss it.

Well,Im glad Im not the only one who feels like that.
Like I said, before,I moved out and have not missed SD one bit..
I actually make more money at my job in Yuma and during the summer,if we feel like going some place cool.
Then we take a 2 hour drive to san diego(where I still have family)

It does get very hot in the summer,but its not as bad as some people think.
As a matter of fact,its kinda cool that during the summer months,you can go to the store or to a park at 9PM wearing shorts and sandals.

[johnmarg]

Having lived in Arizona, I can tell you the heat is brutal. You can say all you want about dry heat,but its murder. Doesnt cool off at night either. Its the worst I have ever experienced including Florida. I am sure you have all been to Palm Springs in the summer? Well that heat is Yuma. Its like people in Seattle trying to make other states believe it only drizzles so its not so bad. Trouble is, it drizzles all the time. I am not relocating. THis is heaven. What good is a place if you are indoors for months on end.

[Donna7]

Johnmarg, where are you living now? By the way, I agree with your last statement. Too hot or too cold - for a long, extended period of time - not fun. It gets to you. I think the too hot would get to me more than the too cold though - I honestly just can't hack that.