Paging Sassberto, 1AngryTaxPayer, SDurbanite, other SD residents (Los Angeles, San Diego: rent, HOA fees)

[jjbjjbh]

Need help from you guys please......

I posted a thread couple days ago but not many responses yet.....

Thought you guys would know for sure.......

I am a single divorced woman planning on moving either to San Diego or Los Angeles suburbs. I want to get a good handle on what my real expenses would be---- I currently live in the Philly area.

Can anyone please fill me in on what percent of your yearly income goes into the various taxes, such as Income (state, local), FICA, etc individually asuming the income is at $75,000 per year??(please don't group them as a bunch--thank you)

Rent for a detached home approx 2200 sq ft in a nice neighborhood with an average income of 100k a year?

HOA fees, range for Mello Roos, and any other hidden costs for a 400k home in a fairly nice neighborhood fit for a single old lady?

Also, any estimate of general monthly expenses, such as Utilities, Gasoline, Groceries, Phone, cable, car insurance, etc for a single divorced lady of 54 would be greatly appreciated----- especially water(I will be gardening ---vegetables, flowers, fruit trees, etc), sewer and electric bills including A/C.

I have a fairly new Mazda CX-7 bought in Dec 2008 ..... assuming I will need to register it in California, what would the total cost be, inclusive of all things such as license plates, whatever tests needed, registration fees, taxes, etc.?

I will be coming down in second week of August----what will the weather be like?? Which is the hottest month?

Thanks to you all in advance

[1AngryTaxPayer]

whoa.... I'll see what I can do in the next couple of days August is the hottest but not bad at the beach. I'm single family home in Bay Park so can't help with HOA but my friends pay around 3-5 bills a month.

[moved]

High speed internet with Cox Cable is $43 per month, basic cable is $14.99 per month, utilities will depend on your usage. Check some of the other posts related to moving for more expense information. I don't own, I rent, and make nowhere near $100k per year. There are numerous other posts asking for the same information, and you'll be able to find some of the answers in them.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

SDGE is about 200 for us and water is about 100 and we are billed for water bi-monthly. I'm still diggin. Family of 4 sometimes 5 mind you though. It was much less when I was single

[sdurbanite]

That's asking alot about some things I know nothing about It really depends on the lifestyle you desire. Here are some quick answers:

-I know nothing about mello roos since I don't pay them

-calculating taxes will take some time, perhaps someone out there knows of a website that does it for you?

-Check Craigslist for an idea of what rent will cost. It's all about location. Just saw a 2 BR in Coronado for $10,000, 4 BR in Pacific Beach for $3,800 and a 3BR condo in UTC for $2,000.

-Gas is about $3.00 a gal, I pay less than $100.00 in utilities for a 2 Bed house, phone/cable about $140.00 a month, groceries vary

-August is our warmest month, 78 degrees along the coast and about 88 inland.

Hope that gives you some idea!

[moved]

I have a one bedroom cottage, and pay around $20 for my utilities when it's warm outside, and around $80-90 when it's cold, and I don't pay for my water, it's included. My Cox bill is $59.93 per month, for high speed internet and basic cable. My cell phone with T-Mobile runs about $46 per month. Someone just recently posted a link to CA DMV, where you can calculate your vehicle expenses for moving. But in the end, it all actually depends on the lifestyle you live.

[jjbjjbh]

Wow---- thanks for the prompt replies you all. I knew I could count on you guys.

Lots of good info for me to get started with. I am surprised the cable/phone is quite reasonable. I pay 140/mo currently for cable/internet/phone combo ----basic cable, no frills. Utilities, except water, seems to be ok as well, considering no heating and minimal A/C at best.

The only area I am concerned about is the water bill. Having lived in Michigan for 27 years and near Philly for going on 3 yrs, water shortage has never been a concept I was familiar with. Being an avid gardener,
water usage would be one area I will probably have to compromise on in Southern California.

Is it just that water is too expensive or also that it is in short supply? If it is the latter, how are people allowed to have pools in almost every home? Hmmmm.

Anyways, thanx again and any more info you can share will be greatly appreciated.

[Encinitan]

Originally Posted by jjbjjbh

Wow---- thanks for the prompt replies you all. I knew I could count on you guys.

Lots of good info for me to get started with. I am surprised the cable/phone is quite reasonable. I pay 140/mo currently for cable/internet/phone combo ----basic cable, no frills. Utilities, except water, seems to be ok as well, considering no heating and minimal A/C at best.

The only area I am concerned about is the water bill. Having lived in Michigan for 27 years and near Philly for going on 3 yrs, water shortage has never been a concept I was familiar with. Being an avid gardener,
water usage would be one area I will probably have to compromise on in Southern California.

Is it just that water is too expensive or also that it is in short supply? If it is the latter, how are people allowed to have pools in almost every home? Hmmmm.

Anyways, thanx again and any more info you can share will be greatly appreciated.

"If it is the latter, how are people allowed to have pools in almost every home? Hmmmm."

Not everyone in San Diego has a pool in their backyard