Just couldn't do it: return to CA (Palo Alto, Campbell: second mortgage, house)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 1.5 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Our New Mexico house was on the market for seven months. Finally, last week, somebody made an all-cash offer and wanted to move in by the end of Nov.
"Looks like we'll be celebrating Christmas in California", I said to my sweetie. "Do we really want to do this?" she asked.
Hastily, we made a list of the pros and cons of living just north of Albuquerque vs. those of living in Cambrian or Campbell. We were surprised to see that NM had many more marks in the plus column than did California.
So, we called our realtor and asked her to take the house off the market.
Our reason for wanting to return: to be close to family and friends.
Our reasons for staying: lower cost of living, better quality of life, beautiful weather, lots of culture, friendliness of the people, lower taxes.
Maybe we'll go through this exercise in two or three years, but for now, we're happy and hoping we made the right decision.k
Guess we'll have to be satisfied with flying out there every so often.
Our New Mexico house was on the market for seven months. Finally, last week, somebody made an all-cash offer and wanted to move in by the end of Nov.
"Looks like we'll be celebrating Christmas in California", I said to my sweetie. "Do we really want to do this?" she asked.
Hastily, we made a list of the pros and cons of living just north of Albuquerque vs. those of living in Cambrian or Campbell. We were surprised to see that NM had many more marks in the plus column than did California.
So, we called our realtor and asked her to take the house off the market.
Our reason for wanting to return: to be close to family and friends.
Our reasons for staying: lower cost of living, better quality of life, beautiful weather, lots of culture, friendliness of the people, lower taxes.
Maybe we'll go through this exercise in two or three years, but for now, we're happy and hoping we made the right decision.k
Guess we'll have to be satisfied with flying out there every so often.
Yeah, we went through a similar thing in moving back to CA from CO. We were coming back with eyes wide open and knew exactly where we wanted to land in CA to make living here a comparable or better quality of life than living in CO. For us that was Monterey.
When you know the pros and cons you have to really want to make things work in CA or it is not worth it, especially after leaving and enjoying other parts of the country. The main thing you come to realize is that no place is perfect. They all have their own set of pros/cons which you learn to accept - the good with the bad. But if you are constantly dwelling on the negative all the time then its time to leave or get a new perspective. Otherwise whats the point in staying?
I have a fellow co-worker who moved his family to NM ~ a year ago. But now he is thinking of coming back to CA at some point. Your story could be his. Do you live in the Mtns outside Albuquerque?
We're likely going to face the following situation. My folks have not been very strategic versus long term demographic trends and realistic long term retirement funding needs. They've stubbornly decided to remain in the home I grew up in and forgo the equity extraction they would realize moving away. If they live to be 100 they'll end up being a case of reverse mortgage (assuming the value holds) leaving nothing for other siblings of mine who have not been as fortunate as me. My wife and I are sticking it out here for the present (I still have good cash flow) but when the time comes to retire unless we hit a windfall we are out of here. If the health care debacle (rationing, especially for old folks) is realized we may exit the US. My folks apparently never thought any of this through. Oh sure we'll visit once in a while.
Things could have been very different if they had been less stubborn about clinging to the Bay Area that has changed so much around them and will chew them up slowly over the years. What a sad way to spend one's final years.
Our New Mexico house was on the market for seven months. Finally, last week, somebody made an all-cash offer and wanted to move in by the end of Nov.
"Looks like we'll be celebrating Christmas in California", I said to my sweetie. "Do we really want to do this?" she asked.
Hastily, we made a list of the pros and cons of living just north of Albuquerque vs. those of living in Cambrian or Campbell. We were surprised to see that NM had many more marks in the plus column than did California.
So, we called our realtor and asked her to take the house off the market.
Our reason for wanting to return: to be close to family and friends.
Our reasons for staying: lower cost of living, better quality of life, beautiful weather, lots of culture, friendliness of the people, lower taxes.
Maybe we'll go through this exercise in two or three years, but for now, we're happy and hoping we made the right decision.k
Guess we'll have to be satisfied with flying out there every so often.
Personally, I think the weather in CA beats NM, but that's just me. The rest of your list I agree with.
To your "pros" list I'd add that CA has a very financially unstable state government. I know NM is probably no great shakes, either....but it's almost assuredly better than what we have here (high taxes, mediocre/poor public services, and a state that is perpetually running in the red).
If you have a job that pays all the bills, I'd say you made the right choice.
If you have a job that pays all the bills, I'd say you made the right choice.[/quote]
I should have mentioned that I am retired and living on roughly $71k a year.
In 2003, I sold my 1,000 s.f. Eichler matchbox in Palo Alto for $750k and paid off all debts, including a second mortgage that provided for my son's college education.
I moved to Placitas, NM, where I bought a 3,100 s.f. home on 1.5 acres, with incredible views of the mountains, coyotes, rattlers, bobcats, and other critters. I pay $1,300 a month and have no debts.
I enjoyed living in the Bay Area. It changed a lot, though, and has become too expensive for many retirees like me to stay. Being a teacher and single parent, I struggled financially for most of the 40 years that I lived there.
As someone on this thread says, no one place is perfect. I think I've found a place that is 'right', however.
If you have a job that pays all the bills, I'd say you made the right choice.
I should have mentioned that I am retired and living on roughly $71k a year.
In 2003, I sold my 1,000 s.f. Eichler matchbox in Palo Alto for $750k and paid off all debts, including a second mortgage that provided for my son's college education.
I moved to Placitas, NM, where I bought a 3,100 s.f. home on 1.5 acres, with incredible views of the mountains, coyotes, rattlers, bobcats, and other critters. I pay $1,300 a month and have no debts.
I enjoyed living in the Bay Area. It changed a lot, though, and has become too expensive for many retirees like me to stay. Being a teacher and single parent, I struggled financially for most of the 40 years that I lived there.
As someone on this thread says, no one place is perfect. I think I've found a place that is 'right', however.[/quote]
Sounds like you're comfortable where you are. I wouldn't rock the boat.
You know how I feel about your staying in NM. I agree with everything you are saying. We do love it here in AR and had some problems with living in NM, but it has so many pluses as well. Of course we are close to family here, that does make a difference.
As for the weather, I can't imagine anyone not loving it in NM. You have all 4 seasons, it is never really hot (I don't think many people realize what the weather is like in the middle and northern part of the state) We loved all the sunshine, the cool winter but golfers could still golf because it was nice in the sun and yet there was just enough snow to make it feel like winter and the cool summer nights.
Yes, maybe someday you will again want to return to Ca but for now, you are doing what makes you happy and I applaud you for it.
I'm not sure why you didn't make that list BEFORE putting it up on the market in the first place (I'd be irked if I was that buyer), but whatever. Nothing illegal about that, impolite maybe, but totally legal.
We made a very detailed pro/con list before leaving the Sout Bay Area in CA. We weighted every factor for +/- 1,2,3... Things like having work and family nearby were most heavily weighted (+ or - 3) and QoL factors like weather and traffic were right in the middle. Creature comforts (like proximity to Trader' Joe's) were weighted just one point. In the end, moving away won by a narrow margin (+2, I believe) but we have immediate family and friends in both places, so if we were looking at someplace without that we probably would have stayed. I think the need for that cannot be understated, but if you've been in NM for a while perhaps you've met some good new friends and have learned to live without all your family close by. Hopefully. You probably made the right choice in the end. May it continue to go well with you.
Last edited by treedonkey; 11-25-2009 at 11:40 AM..
I'm not sure why you didn't make that list BEFORE putting it up on the market in the first place (I'd be irked if I was that buyer), but whatever. Nothing illegal about that, impolite maybe, but totally legal.
We made a very detailed pro/conm list before leaving the Sout Bay Area in CA. I weighted every factor for +/1 1,2,3... Things like having work and family nearby were most heavily weighted (+ or - 3) and QoL factors like weather and traffic were right in the middle. Creature comoforts (like proximity to Trader' Joes) were weighted just one point. In the end, moving away won by a narrow margin (+2, I beleive) but we have immediate family and friends in both places, so if we were looking at someplace without that we probably would have stayed. I think the need for that cannot be understated, but if you've been in NM for a while perhaps you've met some good new friends and have learned to live without all your family close by. Hopefully. You probably made the right choice in the end. May it continue to go well with you.
I will only speak for myself, yes, I am sure, if I were the buyer I wouldn't be too happy. It happened to Pat and I once, many years ago. The lady changed her mind 1/2 through escrow, but these things happen. As for friends, of all the places we have lived in this wonderful country, we never had as many really good friends as we had in NM.
I am sure the OP feels bad about backing out, but we have to do what is best and sometimes it isn't always popular.
Nita
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $53,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 1.5 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
