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Old 07-03-2011, 12:25 AM
 
Location: Southern California
3,455 posts, read 8,344,935 times
Reputation: 1420

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Quote:
Originally Posted by ms-java View Post
My hubs and I will be relocating in October, my company is in Westlake Village. I have several questions I'd like to ask the forum. Any wisdom would be much appreciated!

First, a little about us: from northern Indiana (greater Chicago area), we aren't "small towners", plenty of big-city experience. Mid-30's early-40's couple, no children. We enjoy quiet, private living spaces. Our main concern is safety. Not too concerned about being close to nightlife, etc. we will seek out the fun places and get there. Unless my husband can find a job immediately when we get out there (I'm not counting on it) our monthly rental limit is $1500.

Ok, questions:
1. Why does everyone have fences around their houses? Chicago is a dangerous city, and nobody has fences. What's the story?
2. Cars - everyone keeps saying I'll have to get my car retro-fitted to CA EPA regs. Is this true?
3. Hidden costs - are there any odd taxes? I know what the CA state and Ventura county taxes are, but are there others? (not planning on owning a home)
4. Based on my criteria above (in bold), where do you suggest we live?
5. Can we really make it on 55K per year? (If hubs doesn't find a job)

I know I have other questions - but these are all I can think of for now!!! Thanks all!
1. Why does everyone have fences around their houses? Chicago is a dangerous city, and nobody has fences. What's the story? I don't know, hadn't noticed except for the ones that look like the ones I had also seen in San Antonio which I think are usually Mexican or Hispanic homes (they look more like gates). I grew up with a lot of fences in Illinois


2. Cars - everyone keeps saying I'll have to get my car retro-fitted to CA EPA regs. Is this true?
I'll let you know once I finally get my car officially registered after jumping through the many hoops. Btw don't store your car registration in your glove box...

3. Hidden costs - are there any odd taxes? I know what the CA state and Ventura county taxes are, but are there others? (not planning on owning a home)
There's a Ventura County Tax?

4. Based on my criteria above (in bold), where do you suggest we live?
I don't know where you could find a decent apartment for less than 1500 in a safe area. I tried. I'm not saying this to be a jerk. I really tried. You will sacrifice something either interior or exterior. I have noticed that quality triples between $1000 and $2000 regardless of the sq. footage of the apartment

5. Can we really make it on 55K per year? (If hubs doesn't find a job)
I couldn't. If I had no debts or bills, maybe.

Anyway, no California is pretty welcoming to people from out of state (one of the few places in the nation!). Plus, being from the midwest is a bonus. They think everyone from the midwest is nice. Unfortunatley many will also think you are naive and stupid and need to be shown the way...

Driving is better than Texas in that people tend to know how to drive better...but the roads are bad. Also, forget it when a lane is closed ahead or soemthing. No civility. In Chicago people will get in line and not cut ahead (mostly). Here everyone will jump into the lane that is closing cause it's moving faster, making the nice people in line wait 3 times as long because they cut in front.

There is a lot of good food.

Excellent thrift shopping in Ventura, never seen so many thrift shops on one street. Lots of them sell new and used stuff, it's pretty cool. I only wish thrift shops delivered. Haven't figured out how to get cheap furniture into my house, cheaply!

I guess, in my opinion this area just has a higher range of positive and negatives than most areas....the good is really good, the bad kinda sucks.
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Old 07-03-2011, 01:12 AM
 
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
12,460 posts, read 20,090,021 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rgb123 View Post
Haven't figured out how to get cheap furniture into my house,
cheaply!
IKEA Burbank Home page - IKEA
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Old 07-05-2011, 02:08 PM
 
Location: northern indiana
8 posts, read 12,351 times
Reputation: 10
Thanks, everyone for your honest answers. We will consider these as we make plans to find a place. I'm not excited to hear about rattle snakes.
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Old 07-05-2011, 03:14 PM
 
Location: Living on the Coast in Oxnard CA
16,289 posts, read 32,350,015 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rgb123 View Post
There's a Ventura County Tax?
There is a Ventura County Tax rate for sales tax. Currently it is 7.25% Which I think is the base rate for the state. I may be wrong. LA county has a differant rate and LA City has an even higher rate. You can check with the state and check out their tax rate schedule for sales tax.
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Old 07-06-2011, 03:17 PM
 
Location: northern indiana
8 posts, read 12,351 times
Reputation: 10
Here's something I expected to hear more about: wild fires and earthquakes! I'm not gonna lie, that does scare the heck outta me! More than rattlesnakes, even.
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Old 07-06-2011, 03:50 PM
 
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
12,460 posts, read 20,090,021 times
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Wild fires are only an issue if you live in or near the mountains. In terms of earthquakes, a major rapture in this fault:

New Madrid Seismic Zone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Would cause the same or worse damage (due to weaker building codes) in your current location than a major earthquake in Ventura County. Ventura County has no known massive faults and is pretty far from the San Andreas. The Oxnard plain would do the worst though, its soil is more prone to liquefaction.
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Old 07-06-2011, 04:14 PM
 
699 posts, read 1,344,917 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by user_id View Post
The Oxnard plain would do the worst though, its soil is more prone to liquefaction.
Not to mention the risk of a tsunami. Areas like TO are ~1,000 feet above sea level and far enough inland to be sheltered from that specific risk.
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Old 07-07-2011, 06:14 PM
 
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
12,460 posts, read 20,090,021 times
Reputation: 4365
Quote:
Originally Posted by OpenSky View Post
Not to mention the risk of a tsunami. Areas like TO are ~1,000 feet above sea level and far enough inland to be sheltered from that specific risk.
Oxnard and Ventura have low tsunami risks and most the residents have nothing to worry about anyways. A major earthquake in California isn't going to produce a tsunami.

Regardless, despite being fairly far from the San Andres there'd be a lot of damage in the Oxnard Plain due to the soil. But hey, your house may sink but at least you won't feel the earthquake as much!
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Old 07-07-2011, 09:51 PM
 
Location: Oxnard, CA
1,549 posts, read 4,257,905 times
Reputation: 1280
Quote:
Originally Posted by ms-java View Post
Here's something I expected to hear more about: wild fires and earthquakes! I'm not gonna lie, that does scare the heck outta me! More than rattlesnakes, even.
I've been here more than 10 years and have not worried too much about earthquakes or fires. Now I have felt many earthquakes but nothing too serious to scare me. Wild fires...I admit...when they do happen, the air quality becomes terrible and it's not unusual to see pieces of burned wood out floating around and on your car. It will be a lot of ashes for sure.

Salary wise...personally I don't think I could make it on $55K here and that's even if I didn't have any debt. Depends on how you can cut corners and make things work. I can't give up my luxuries!
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Old 07-08-2011, 10:44 AM
 
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
12,460 posts, read 20,090,021 times
Reputation: 4365
Quote:
Originally Posted by LadyKLO View Post
I've been here more than 10 years and have not worried too much about earthquakes or fires.
Yes easy to not be worried about earthquakes when you've never experienced a major one... They suck. And the "Big one" is going to be horrible, not so much in terms of property damage in Ventura County (there will be a lot) but in the loss of utilities for months, in particular water.
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