Moving to SF from Houston, TX - confused on comparable cost-of-living (San Jose: rent, to buy)

[tikkasf]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Yeah, that's what the OP wants. To give up a nice place in TX, maybe he even rents a small house, to move to SF and live in a room, like a student.

Give up the "rent a room" schtick. Just stop. It has nothing to do with what the OP is looking for and the info he's requesting. It's off-topic, and your schtick just gets old and tiresome.

Yes Ruth.....I believe OP salary is going to be well over the $12 hr...............

[jade408]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Tikka, you're calculating from gross income, not net. That's not a good idea, is it? OP needs to know how big a bite taxes will take out of his gross.

It sounds like a pretty sweet deal if he's been told to name his price. IMO, he should kick it up toward $110K, ballpark, if employer would go for that. OP, you can bring costs down by living in the East Bay (Berkeley, Oakland, El Cerrito) and taking transit to the city. I'm just mentioning that, because we don't know how flexible your employer can be with the pay scale.

Oh, wait. OP said he wants to be able to save $2000/mo. on top of his expenses. Good luck, OP. Dream on. Take a look at Craigslist rents in Berkeley ("north Berkeley", & "Elmwood" , for starters) and El Cerrito, to get an idea of rents there compared to SF. You'll find El Cerrito to be a little cheaper than Berkeley. Both are on the rapid transit line to SF.

$110k isn't even close. State income tax is way more here. OP is going to take home about 60% after taxes. So really he needs to increase his salary by like 75-80% to get close to making the math work.

[Chuck5000]

Jade408 is correct.

So many people just think moving somewhere more expensive like the San Francisco Bay Area is about covering higher housing costs plus maybe higher taxes.

It's also about having the headroom to save properly, wisely, necessarily, for retirement (you better start in your 20s unless you're either on a "proven" career rocketship trajectory or inheriting millions), a downpayment on a future home, rainy day in case of unemployment, fun stuff, vehicle expenses, and if you have kids, day care, college, plus medical savings, other lifestyle stuff.

There's plenty of financial advice online about how much people need to save. Or, don't save at all, and just party.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by jade408

$110k isn't even close. State income tax is way more here. OP is going to take home about 60% after taxes. So really he needs to increase his salary by like 75-80% to get close to making the math work.

Are you still with us, OP? I bet your boss won't be able to do this. You'll have to re-calculate, figuring in El Cerrito rents (across the Bay), or something.

[neutrino78x]

Originally Posted by Chuck5000

So many people just think moving somewhere more expensive like the San Francisco Bay Area is about covering higher housing costs plus maybe higher taxes.

It's also about having the headroom to save properly, wisely, necessarily, for retirement (you better start in your 20s unless you're either on a "proven" career rocketship trajectory or inheriting millions), a downpayment on a future home,

If you're moving to a densely populated and highly desirable area, you're not buying a home. Unless you count a condo in a building containing other condos a home. Or if you consider a rented dwelling to be a home. I consider them homes, but they aren't "single family house in an excellent school district" which is what most of you mean when you say that. In the world's great cities, such as Paris, London, New York, and San Jose, most of us live in shared housing (condo owners share the building with owners of other condos who also live in the same building). To own a SFH in places like these is very expensive and not common.

If you wish for me to regard your position as being correct, Chuck5000, then explain how the majority of us live here, since the majority in the region make under 200k, and will never afford to own a SFH in an excellent school district in the Bay Area. By your logic, I should be homeless, living on the street, since I make less than 200k. Because those are the two choices: either you own a SFH or you're "living in poverty". There's no acceptable form of housing other than the SFH. If you can't afford that then you can't afford living here.

Or maybe people on here who make excellent salaries are just being ridiculous. I still think it is a form of bragging for many people. "oh, I live here but you can't afford it! I'm special because I can afford it!". Well it's not that special. I make 1/5 or 1/10th what most posters make, and I can afford to live here. The CoL is high, yes. But all that means is that your housing expectations have to be lower. It doesn't mean you're a homeless bum if you make less than 200k.

[neutrino78x]

Originally Posted by tikkasf

Yes Ruth.....I believe OP salary is going to be well over the $12 hr...............

Then he can afford to move here and live here. Perhaps not buy a SFH in an excellent school district, but he can live here.

What I'm complaining about is others claiming that you shouldn't move here unless you make 200k. MANY, MANY people live here who make FAR less than that.

And no, the people who make under 200k are not paying 3k in rent to live here. We pay 1/3 of our monthly income.

[tpooo]

Originally Posted by neutrino78x

Then he can afford to move here and live here. Perhaps not buy a SFH in an excellent school district, but he can live here.

What I'm complaining about is others claiming that you shouldn't move here unless you make 200k. MANY, MANY people live here who make FAR less than that.

And no, the people who make under 200k are not paying 3k in rent to live here. We pay 1/3 of our monthly income.

The OP stated he wants to MAINTAIN HIS LIFESTYLE AND SAVINGS RATE. The answers here reflect this.
I do not understand why you would but forth a lifestyle such as your own when the op clearly stated that is not what he wants.

To maintain his lifestyle the I think he needs around $230,000 as reflected in this cost of living calculator

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

[tpooo]

Originally Posted by neutrino78x

Or maybe people on here who make excellent salaries are just being ridiculous. I still think it is a form of bragging for many people. "oh, I live here but you can't afford it! I'm special because I can afford it!". Well it's not that special. I make 1/5 or 1/10th what most posters make, and I can afford to live here. The CoL is high, yes. But all that means is that your housing expectations have to be lower. It doesn't mean you're a homeless bum if you make less than 200k.

You housing expectations don't have to be lower. You can do what the op is doing and increase your income to a level that allows you to have the lifestyle you want.

San Jose does not rank with New York,Paris and London.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Are you still with us, OP? I bet your boss won't be able to do this. You'll have to re-calculate, figuring in El Cerrito rents (across the Bay), or something.

Unless you have a compelling reason (i.e. Family or job situation where the best opportunity is in the Bay) to live here, it really isn't worth it if you have a decent to big salary in a lower cost of living area.

If the OP gets here and makes $120k, his quality of life is going to be significantly worse. He'll feel poorer than he is now. $200k here is about $90k in Texas.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by jade408

If the OP gets here and makes $120k, his quality of life is going to be significantly worse. He'll feel poorer than he is now. $200k here is about $90k in Texas.

What do you think, OP? Let us know how negotiations turn out.