wanting to leave san diego..... (Redding, Brentwood: mortgage, relocating, real estate)

[tobyandcasey]

just dont know where to go.

My husband and I are san diegans, east county born and raised. We lived in Hawaii for several years (stationed there) and now that my husband is out of the military and we are back home, we have realized that we can not make it out here! So we have decided to move out of San Diego, but we dont know where to go from here.

We thought about Redding,CA but with not knowing anyone and no family near by, we would have to pay for daycare. Then we thought about Nevada or Arizona, because of the high demand for my husbands line of work (HVAC) but he decided that he wants to be in law enforcment now, so there is no point in moving someplace because of a job that he doesnt plan on making a career. Now we are considering Washington, but I have only ever visisted, and though he did live there for a few years, it was soo long ago and he was so young that he doesnt really remember what it was like.

So now we dont know what to do. I know that everywhere you go, the minimum wage will change, therefor we have to go somewhere where we can still make decent money and not struggle doing pretty much the same things we are doing in San Diego. That is why we thought of WA. My SIL lives out there and loves it. She said that the COL is so much cheaper and there is no state tax and higher minimum wage. I know that if we moved out there, then I would have a definite job no problem starting at $9.50, but my husband may have a harder time. And with him being the main "bread winner" in the family, we really need his income. I dont think $9.50/hour can support our family alone.

Anyway, what are your guys' advice on all of this??

[blueyes721]

I lived in CA (LA and SD) for 53 years. My husband and I recently moved to Franklin, Tennessee...20 minutes south of Nashville.
We have had an incrediblly wonderful experience. Middle TN is a wonderful place. WE also have the benefit of no state taxes...mild weather with all seasons and rain!! woo hoo!
The people here are very friendly...southern hospitality in the truest sense.
Jobs are plentiful and the real estate market is booming.
If you want any more info...feel free to PM me.
I lived in CA my whole life........and don't miss it one bit...we made the right move!

[CAtransplant]

Hello,
we moved out of CA for similar economical reasons and regreat it very much! We visited Charlotte,N.C. and loved it. Climate is mild, real estate is reasonable and people are friendly. Now, if you really want to live in a big home where your salary can suffice for more than just basics, then Texas is the state to be. Renting a large 2 bdr/2 bath in decent area is $650/month! Your husband is in AC industry? Wow, Houston would not be on the map without AC, even the underground parking structures have it.
Let me warn you about Texas though. It is definitely NOT a pretty state, weather is miserably hot and humid, full of bugs, and has no scenary. On the other hand, people are very nice, food is delicious and cost of living is low.
We will once again move either back to CA or try FL. It's simply too boring and unattractive here in Texas, but that's just us.
Hope that helps and good luck!

[305guy]

I lived in Raleigh, NC and it has very low pricing for housing. Great for families, weather is nice (4 seasons), and not too cold. It is not too exciting but not too boring. I'd say it's ideal for families.

[Diane Giam]

There are Alot of Californians here in the Nashville/Brentwood/ Franklin area. There are also some large companies that hire HVAC Maintance men. I use Hiller and the last man that was here for our tuneup relocated from Florida, and before that NJ.


Diane G

[austin_or_sd]

I moved to Austin from San Diego a little more than half year ago. I went through a big struggle for the move. My move was partially due to a job. After half year in Texas, I think I made the right decision. While I really miss the San Diego weather, I think life is much easier here in Austin with much more affordable living. I sent the picture of my house that I recently purchased to my friends in San Diego, they are all in awe. I could only get a 2 bed condo in the terrible Mira Mesa area with the price I paid for a brand new house with nearly 3600 sqft. Life is full compromise. You gain something, you loss something. It depends on the stage of your life is in. If you are a young guy and like to surf, stay in San Diego. If you are up there for a family and want to afford the main caregiver to stay home, then Austin might be a good choice for you.

[jksouthbay88]

Me to.To expensive;not a great place to get your moneys worth.

[Sassberto]

It really depends on what you are looking for. Most people who leave SD and SoCal in general do so because they want to own a large home. As a renter I am not sure if the differences are so big it is worth it. SD is a good value as a renter, generally.

I would not consider a 500 dollar monthly difference in a rental 1BR apartment to be worth relocating for, but a 2500 dollar difference on a mortgage for a larger home in a better area is definitely worth consideration.

Food, clothes, entertainment, gas, heating costs, these things have a tendency to average out nationally with some things higher and some things lower depending on where you are. It's housing that is the big expense for most people, in particular the cost of for-sale housing.

If I was to relocate to a lower-cost area, it would probably be Seattle or Denver, both quite a bit cheaper than SoCal but not enough for me to really consider it seriously. Anywhere else and I worry I would be trading quality-of-life at the expense of cost-of-living. I would probably just end up choosing another expensive city with higher salaries (NYC, Boston, Washington DC, LA, etc.

[Moondogger]

It's tough I know. Before moving out here obviously I was aware that the cost of living would be higher but I had no idea that the salaries would be so low. Even when I got here and started looking for jobs and saw the lower salaries for the same type of work I was doing back home, some recruiter would tell me that there were high salaries to be had it just depended on what type of job and in what industry. But now I can really say that San Diego is one of those cities where employers definitely use the weather to their advantage and decide to pay you with 'Sunshine Dollars'. I use to hear that term used in South Florida as well but San Diego especially when it comes to housing is a lot more expensive. On top of that are all the taxes. They tax the hell out of you out here. It seems like there's a tax for everything and if there's not one now they're probably in the process of making one up.

I guess in the end, if the salaries were the same as other cities like Boston or NY everyone would move down here. I guess there has to be some filter in place to keep from overcrowding. I dunno but in response to your question most people that I've heard leave here are going to places close by like Phoenix, Vegas and San Antonio. I'm renting right now but I definitely don't want to do that forever and in a years time or so when property values start to supposedly go down considerably it will be interesting to see what I would be able to afford and if I can't I guess I too will have to move on like everyone else.

[LHudson]

Sorry, but not all of Texas is ugly. Austin and the surrounding area is georgous. The Texas hill country is breathtaking and the piney woods of east Texas are beautiful.