85k -- can i make it in SD?? (San Diego, El Cajon: sales, 2009)

[JohnAlt]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

4x 80k income gets you 320k which will put you in a neighborhood where the average income is 40k... The nicest house in a total disaster neighborhood or a dump in Clairemont, or where I live, with crap schools and shopping carts on the corner, that is the conundrum of San Diego, that is why it is unaffordable. Neighborhoods with avg 85k incomes have homes that cost 600k.

This is the forum where people say you should shop at the 99 cent store to afford living here.. the same logic where people drive bimmers but in 1BR apartments.

Is Lemon Grove a "total disaster neighborhood" or are the homes dumps?

SDLookup.com | Lemon Grove Real Estate Market Overview


How about Santee?:

SDLookup.com | Santee Real Estate Market Overview


You need to do a little research on CURRENT market conditions. It's not 2005 anymore.

[JohnAlt]

Originally Posted by dweej

A mortgage of 4x annual income is too much for me to even consider or ever recommend for a family. Your mortgage+interest+taxes per month is going to equal almost 50% of your net income. How much does that leave for retirement savings per month? College savings for your kids? Disposable income so that you can actually enjoy your life and home? Spring break trip fund so that your kids can see more of the world than just SoCal? Emergency savings in case the primary income earner becomes ill? Music and sports lessons because they're not getting that in CA schools anymore? If the housing debacle has taught us anything, it should be that we should refrain from overextending ourselves financially just because we "can". That is why someone with financial savvy will discourage a family from moving here if their income will be $85K.

I was replying to a post where someone wrote that 85k is scraping by for a famly OR homeowner. I disagreed with that.

[dweej]

Originally Posted by JohnAlt

Is Lemon Grove a "total disaster neighborhood" or are the homes dumps?

SDLookup.com | Lemon Grove Real Estate Market Overview


How about Santee?:

SDLookup.com | Santee Real Estate Market Overview


You need to do a little research on CURRENT market conditions. It's not 2005 anymore.

I just looked at the actual homes listed for sale in the zip codes you provided. $320K for this? 9806 Bilteer, Santee, CA 92071 | MLS# 090043538 . With a main road running right next to it? No thanks. I'll pass.

[pll]

Originally Posted by sunrise101

I found this thread quite interesting as my wife and I have been discussing the same things for the past year. We have lived in San Diego for many years (my wife was born here), spent time in New York, Texas and several years in Hawaii. I am making around 80K now and all we can afford for housing is to rent a 2 bedroom condo. We are a family of 4 trying to stretch one income. We did choose to stay by the coast which has our rent around 1,850 per month but after months of research all we would save is a couple hundred bucks a month if we moved inland and the trade-offs are not worth that little difference for us. Our kids are safer and the schools are better. As far as "making it" on 80K per year....this all depends on situations. I know people whose parents set them up with a home years ago and have no payments of any kind...these folks will do fine with 80K. I know others who are single....they too will be fine. However, when you are talking about families with 80K in San Diego they will struggle no matter where they live unless they just rent forever.

We are tired of renting and throwing away money each month. Take it from us, 80K doesn't go as far as people might think here in San Diego. We are strongly considering a move out of state for this very reason. San Diego is a wonderful place to live and weather is awesome which no one will dispute....however, it is an extremely difficult place to raise a family as most folks here are so stressed out about money it takes away the enjoyment of living here. Just our 2 cents.

My husband and I both agree that the only people that should be living in CA at this time are people who make at least $150-$200k. Otherwise you don't stand a chance. Your quality of living will dimish significantly. I'm talking about living the American dream in CA which would require private school for the kids, living in a safe neighborhood (having a security system as well), being a homeowner, having quality transportation from all the commuting you will be doing and insurance for everything. Then food, gas,clothing and entertainment and medical.
We left CA when we realized that wouldn't be a possibility for us. I have relatives in CA now that are going through such painful times it's heartbreaking...but they will never leave. They don't want to live too far from the ocean. In the meantime they are struggling to the point where their marriages and family life is stuffering.
My sister and her husband are loosing their home and my brother and his wife finally were able to buy their first home. It was a foreclosure in NorCa. His wife just lost her job and I heard from a relative that they are afraid they will loose their home. I can't contact them because their phones are disconnected. I have told them continually that life can be easier if you take the risk and leave. The dollar will go further. They won't listen.

[pll]

Originally Posted by dweej

A mortgage of 4x annual income is too much for me to even consider or ever recommend for a family. Your mortgage+interest+taxes per month is going to equal almost 50% of your net income. How much does that leave for retirement savings per month? College savings for your kids? Disposable income so that you can actually enjoy your life and home? Spring break trip fund so that your kids can see more of the world than just SoCal? Emergency savings in case the primary income earner becomes ill? Music and sports lessons because they're not getting that in CA schools anymore? If the housing debacle has taught us anything, it should be that we should refrain from overextending ourselves financially just because we "can". That is why someone with financial savvy will discourage a family from moving here if their income will be $85K.

Thanks for telling it like it is dweej. I wish more people would listen to people like you and Sassberto.
As much as we would love to live in CA our income will not allow us. We've grown accustomed to living a certain way outside of CA and would have to sacrifice too much to return. We miss our family in CA and the weather too but it's too risky to move back.

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by dweej

I just looked at the actual homes listed for sale in the zip codes you provided. $320K for this? 9806 Bilteer, Santee, CA 92071 | MLS# 090043538 . With a main road running right next to it? No thanks. I'll pass.

Like I said... 80k income you get to live next door to someone making 20k... if they are working at all... Nothing wrong with Lemon Grove or Santee... but you make 85k you are probably one of the top 1% income earners in those towns.

[Encinitan]

Originally Posted by pll

My husband and I both agree that the only people that should be living in CA at this time are people who make at least $150-$200k. Otherwise you don't stand a chance. Your quality of living will dimish significantly. I'm talking about living the American dream in CA which would require private school for the kids, living in a safe neighborhood (having a security system as well), being a homeowner, having quality transportation from all the commuting you will be doing and insurance for everything. Then food, gas,clothing and entertainment and medical.
We left CA when we realized that wouldn't be a possibility for us. I have relatives in CA now that are going through such painful times it's heartbreaking...but they will never leave. They don't want to live too far from the ocean. In the meantime they are struggling to the point where their marriages and family life is stuffering.
My sister and her husband are loosing their home and my brother and his wife finally were able to buy their first home. It was a foreclosure in NorCa. His wife just lost her job and I heard from a relative that they are afraid they will loose their home. I can't contact them because their phones are disconnected. I have told them continually that life can be easier if you take the risk and leave. The dollar will go further. They won't listen.

Just a dose of reality here: My wife and I don't earn 150K to 200K, but we own a 4 bedroom house in Encinitas (bought in 2008), and we have a really good quality of life overall (newer cars, family vacations, etc). Our kids dont' go to private schools, but that's only because our home school in the Encinitas district is really good. No reason to go private, we're already paying taxes for the good public school.
I guess what I'm saying is I don't understand threads on here like this one, where people make big broad sweeping generalizations about how no one can live on this, no can survive on that, and it's just silly. It's all based on personal finances, and everyone's situation is different. Bottom line: There are people who live in SD on a whole lot less than $85k. It's not impossible, and there's no reason for anyone to say it is.

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by Encinitan

Bottom line: There are people who live in SD on a whole lot less than $85k. It's not impossible, and there's no reason for anyone to say it is.

Yes, it's not impossible. And yes, it mostly depends on your personal finances.

I think the spirit of the questions is: can a person without substantial existing wealth (i.e. large amount of cash or home equity), live a middle-class family lifestyle (2 nice cars, nice house, nice area, good schools), on what is basically a middle-income in SoCal?

So the answer is yes, if you are OK with a condo or you want to live in Lemon Grove. Otherwise, you will need some cash from somewhere else to get into that middle or upper-middle -class rung.

There are many people who live on way less than 85k in San Diego. There are also many retired, military, and destitute people in San Diego.

[pll]

Originally Posted by Encinitan

Just a dose of reality here: My wife and I don't earn 150K to 200K, but we own a 4 bedroom house in Encinitas (bought in 2008), and we have a really good quality of life overall (newer cars, family vacations, etc). Our kids dont' go to private schools, but that's only because our home school in the Encinitas district is really good. No reason to go private, we're already paying taxes for the good public school.
I guess what I'm saying is I don't understand threads on here like this one, where people make big broad sweeping generalizations about how no one can live on this, no can survive on that, and it's just silly. It's all based on personal finances, and everyone's situation is different. Bottom line: There are people who live in SD on a whole lot less than $85k. It's not impossible, and there's no reason for anyone to say it is.

We lived in Encinitas for 5 years (Villiage Park) and left because 5 homes were broken into (drug related) within a year. We didn't want to raise our children in that environment. You can live in CA on 85k you just have to compromise and lower you standards in certain areas.

[Encinitan]

Originally Posted by pll

We lived in Encinitas for 5 years (Villiage Park) and left because 5 homes were broken into (drug related) within a year. We didn't want to raise our children in that environment. You can live in CA on 85k you just have to compromise and lower you standards in certain areas.

Man, I don't know who your neighbors were or what kind of stuff they were doing, but sounds like you were in a sketchy part of town. We live in a house in eastside Village Park and been here a year, and it's very quiet, very safe, very family oriented. Lots of families and older empty nesters. Generally speaking, Encinitas has a very low crime rate, although there are a fair share of car break ins and other property crimes committed here. Sounds like you had a bad and very unusual experience here. Sorry to hear that.