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I agree with that, but then why do you and others keep saying that the only livable option is to buy a single family home? You also stated that no one can "settle down" in the Bay Area, and of course I disagree because "settle down" includes renting, in this area. Maybe you (plural) should reduce the intensity of the rhetoric a bit?
Most americans consider "settling down" to include the ability to own their own home, condo, whatever, not sharing a room with their dad while living on min wagee like you are, with no goal or options of a romantic partner. The op was very clear on what they want and, per usual, you waste everybodys time with your bs. Have you trotted out your "everyone should be comfortable in a space the size of a submarine.. because i was" line yet? And what ever happened to perma bear?
Location: "Silicon Valley" (part of San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA)
4,375 posts, read 4,067,341 times
Reputation: 2158
Lol my love life has nothing to do with my current living arrangement.
You don't have to own to settle down. Lots of people rent their entire lives. As long as the rent is in your budget it is not an issue.
You can buy a condo for 300k or so if you have a 100k income.
But you guys say thats not "livable" or "2 bedrooms isn't family sized".
I just find the complaining about CoL fom people who make ten times what I make to be very annoying. I'm sorry but 100k is NOT "struggling".
And yes, housing is equally expensive in other desirable areas such as New York and Paris. Yes, the Bay Area AS A WHOLE is comparable to Paris
.
And yes, many people other than me live here in the Bay Area eith roommates. Even if they are 50. If you make under 100k your options are live with roommates or move to a less desirable area. I'm not leaving, because I grew up here. So roommates it is. There is nothing shameful about that and pathetic attempts to change my mind will not be successful.
Location: "Silicon Valley" (part of San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA)
4,375 posts, read 4,067,341 times
Reputation: 2158
I doubt you could buy a condo in Sausalito on 60k but you can rent with roommates. You might be able to buy a one bedroom, I guess. I'd rather live with others, myself.
If you could not pay that, you should have lived with roommates, that would have lowered your rent.
But at 71k, your weekly pay should be about 1800, making that 1800 rental price to be about 25% of your monthly pay. So you should have been able to afford it.
It wasn't that I couldn't pay it...rather I WOULDN'T pay it I did afford it, it just wasn't worth what I was paying .. to me anyway. Yes on roommates, many people do just that. Not for me. Not to mention 300 SF is not a roommate sized apt.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fumbling
Really nice to see updates from people over the years. What general part of northern CA are you now and is the job the same kind of job you had in Sausalito and Moab?
I am in Tehama County. Same job type yes, overall I enjoy the slower pace and warmer people. Pros and cons of course.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 04kL4nD
Are you for real? Nobody cares how little you make and how low your rent is. You need to find something better to do with your time than rehash the same tired schtick. The OP doesn't even live here anymore and you're trying to convince him could have lived here more cheaply?
Kind of my reaction, but I have read a LOT of similar generalized comments so I thought I would reply. In fact in my original post someone commented there was no way I could afford to live there... if I had taken that advice I would have missed out on what was a great experience.
[quote=likealady;45040015][quote=Zamdrang;45025039]I lived in a 300sf studio. Rent was $1300 the first year, $1500 the second, and the lease renewal for 2016 was $1800.
Quote:
Holy cow.
I see I haven't been imagining this.
Interesting to hear this. I mostly think Californians are kidding themselves when they talk about the slower pace of life. Compared to what? I found the East Coast relatively chill except for NYC, DC and Boston. CA isn't cheap unless you're way out in the boonies. The high taxes and outrageous housing prices make every day a hustle out here, imho. Because if you're not hustling to get a raise, make a career jump, or taking a side job, you're going to get pushed out. It's a sad reality I don't think is talked about enough here.
Thankfully there are pockets of the Bay where American normalcy still somewhat exist, albeit at a price.
Nope you aren't..lol.. the stories are all true and even worse in SF. It's quite the place, what is required to survive there is absurd to me. I do realize jobs pay more, but overall it felt like a place with a lot people living beyond their means. Not to be high an mighty, its just my perspective of my finances and how I spend my money. To each their own. I had neighbors paying 1K more than me for barely double the space. Sure I "afforded" it, but it's simply a matter of whether you value living there enough for the price of admission. I don't, but obviously millions disagree with me
I didn't mean to sound too negative about the people, I did meet some nice people. But what I described above was my typical experience. And you are right, there is nothing slow paced about the Bay Area, you do have the beautiful public open spaces and the coast which are great. If you have never lived anywhere else or in cities that don't have that, I can see it being quite appealing. I enjoyed it while I was there and it IS remarkable how Marin has kept developers out...so cool. But when compared to the wide open spaces of the American west where I have lived the majority of my life, the few pockets of public lands in the Bay Area, while beautiful are just islands in a sea of humanity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
I'm sorry to hear about your experience, OP. As a born-and-raised Bay Area-ite (who has been an "expat" from the Bay for quite awhile, but continues to touch base there annually), I don't experience the weirdness you have. But that's because everyone I know there has grown up there; they're not newcomers who wear their address like a badge, which sounds like what you ran into. I'm including the north Bay when I say that.
But please let us know where in NorCal you finally settled and found to be a good environment for you. This info will be very helpful for others considering NorCal, the north coast, and other NorCal locales. A lot of negativity is tossed around here about north-NorCal on this forum, so it would be great to hear from someone who found a niche there and loves it. I'm glad you found the right place for yourself. Please share.
Yes I did run into that badge of honor thing lol... its all good, to each their own. No need to feel sorry for me, it was a great experience, I will miss the food, and the weather most of all, but also the culture and energy....I was never bored! It was just not a good fit for me personally. Its all subjective of course.
I am in Tehama County. You are correct about the negativity... this area was absolutely trashed by everyone I mentioned it to in the Bay. It was so bad I was almost convinced I was making a mistake! From the red necks, gangs, drug dealers, meth heads, crime ..you name it...very little positive to say. There are those types of people here sure(funny enough last time I check SF is full of them too) But I have found it slow paced, friendly, cheaper and beautiful. Most every direction is absolutely beautiful. I find Redding to be a nice town, Chico as well. The Mt Shasta area is amazing. And if you need a city fix Sacto is not far, and the Bay is only a few hours away. It is not perfect, the food stinks in comparison, and it does get damn hot..but I have a 3 bdr 2 Ba house with a 2 car garage and a huge yard, for hundreds less than my shoe box in Marin. And best of all I have yet to sit in traffic
It wasn't that I couldn't pay it...rather I WOULDN'T pay it I did afford it, it just wasn't worth what I was paying .. to me anyway. Yes on roommates, many people do just that. Not for me. Not to mention 300 SF is not a roommate sized apt.
I am in Tehama County. Same job type yes, overall I enjoy the slower pace and warmer people. Pros and cons of course.
Kind of my reaction, but I have read a LOT of similar generalized comments so I thought I would reply. In fact in my original post someone commented there was no way I could afford to live there... if I had taken that advice I would have missed out on what was a great experience.
I lived in a 300sf studio. Rent was $1300 the first year, $1500 the second, and the lease renewal for 2016 was $1800.
Nope you aren't..lol.. the stories are all true and even worse in SF. It's quite the place, what is required to survive there is absurd to me. I do realize jobs pay more, but overall it felt like a place with a lot people living beyond their means. Not to be high an mighty, its just my perspective of my finances and how I spend my money. To each their own. I had neighbors paying 1K more than me for barely double the space. Sure I "afforded" it, but it's simply a matter of whether you value living there enough for the price of admission. I don't, but obviously millions disagree with me
I didn't mean to sound too negative about the people, I did meet some nice people. But what I described above was my typical experience. And you are right, there is nothing slow paced about the Bay Area, you do have the beautiful public open spaces and the coast which are great. If you have never lived anywhere else or in cities that don't have that, I can see it being quite appealing. I enjoyed it while I was there and it IS remarkable how Marin has kept developers out...so cool. But when compared to the wide open spaces of the American west where I have lived the majority of my life, the few pockets of public lands in the Bay Area, while beautiful are just islands in a sea of humanity.
Yes I did run into that badge of honor thing lol... its all good, to each their own. No need to feel sorry for me, it was a great experience, I will miss the food, and the weather most of all, but also the culture and energy....I was never bored! It was just not a good fit for me personally. Its all subjective of course.
I am in Tehama County. You are correct about the negativity... this area was absolutely trashed by everyone I mentioned it to in the Bay. It was so bad I was almost convinced I was making a mistake! From the red necks, gangs, drug dealers, meth heads, crime ..you name it...very little positive to say. There are those types of people here sure(funny enough last time I check SF is full of them too) But I have found it slow paced, friendly, cheaper and beautiful. Most every direction is absolutely beautiful. I find Redding to be a nice town, Chico as well. The Mt Shasta area is amazing. And if you need a city fix Sacto is not far, and the Bay is only a few hours away. It is not perfect, the food stinks in comparison, and it does get damn hot..but I have a 3 bdr 2 Ba house with a 2 car garage and a huge yard, for hundreds less than my shoe box in Marin. And best of all I have yet to sit in traffic
Tehema is a cool place. Chico and Redding are both close by. The Mendocino Range (Mendo National Forest) on one end of the county, Mt. Shasta and Lassen are both close and are amazing (I love the Cascades), and the Trinity Alps are right there - some of my favorite CA playgrounds in those places. Certainly one of the better parts of the Central Valley.
Glad you're enjoying it (despite its shortcomings...of which all places have some!).
BTW, there are no affordable condos in the Bay Area. Have a good night -
Gosh there are a lot of blanket statements made on CD - in dozens of different forums - that are just plain false. Makes me chuckle every time! In post 44 Zamdrang indicates he picked up on these kinds of statements early on:
"Kind of my reaction, but I have read a LOT of similar generalized comments so I thought I would reply. In fact in my original post someone commented there was no way I could afford to live there... if I had taken that advice I would have missed out on what was a great experience."
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I did afford it, it just wasn't worth what I was paying .. to me anyway. Yes on roommates, many people do just that. Not for me. Not to mention 300 SF is not a roommate sized apt. 
