Any Californians miss the ocean and mountains? (Houston, Dallas: home, theater)

[love roses]

Thanks for saying that tstone. As a former Houstonian, I agree. Houston is by no means Bible thumping and narrow minded, unless you're somewhere way outside the city limits. The geographic beauty thing is subjective. I lived in Clear Lake and thought the areas around the creek and Lake were pretty nice. I like the pine trees around magnolia. Agree that the flatness isn't all that exciting. Thought the big trees in Rice Village and West U. were kinda nice as well. Texas is definitely not for wimps and is nothing like California, thank heavens!

[Soccersupporter]

Originally Posted by white rob

You say people leave California because they get priced out. But it's only temporary and they will all go back?

For the most part, if you leave California for affordability reasons, there is very little chance you can afford to move back later. Generally, prices in California appreciate faster than in the rest of the country, especially Texas. There is the occasional exception: Austin has remained strong, while California's central valley has tanked. But in general, it's very hard to move back to California if you left the state for financial reasons.

One last quibble: "Austin, Houston, SA and the metroplexes are the only cities that are on the affordability radar for californians"? In disucssions I had with other Californians considering a move, no one was clamoring to get to Houston or San Antonio. The most common cities I heard mentioned were Austin, Denver, Portland, Seattle. (I was in NorCal. Preferences in SoCal may be different. I would think an L.A. resident would be more open to Phoenix or Dallas than a Bay Area resident.) You may counter that Portland and Seattle are not affordable, but they appear affordable to many Californians.

I think Californians like planned communities like the ones in Keller. They are a lot like Irvine, Mission Viejo and other master planned communities in SoCal. I lived in the community of Woodbridge in Irvine CA. It is one of the largest HOAs in the US and has many ammentities.

We moved to Keller to buy a large new home that we could never afford in CA and to be near our future grand baby coming in April.

We love it in Keller and would not think about moving back to CA unless the housing market took a 60%-70% drop. Even then I am not sure we would move back. We have a beautiful home that we paid cash for on a large lot in Keller. This same house in SoCal would sell for over four times what we paid for our house here in Keller.

[Soccersupporter]

Originally Posted by newinkyle

Displaced SoCalifornian (born and raised) and quite content. Beaches, ocean breezes, and mountain views.... those are nice things, but we're just not sold on appearances alone. Quality, affordable real estate and a better lifestyle for our family made it very easy for my husband and I to decide to leave SoCal.

Southern California. I am a true native. Seriously though, in it's present state, what's the hype? Not the people. We knew way too many superficial individuals who were constantly trying to convince themselves and others that they were bigger than life, high and mighty like their ridiculous, lifted, tricked out trucks and SUVs. We got sick of the scene, the absurd real estate market, and the rude "me me me" materialistic people.

We're not just "handling" it right now in Austin, we're enjoying and loving Austin.

Ditto for us. We lived for 28 years in Irvine CA. We had a few close friends but not many real neighbors. Our neighbors here in Keller are wonderful and it is like going to another country compared to the hustle and bustle of SoCal.

I have friends that live in Bee Caves in Austin. We considered Austin but our daughter lives and teaches in Fort Worth so we wanted to be as close as we could without living in Fort Worth proper. Keller is just remote/rural enough for us but still with all the conveniences and great shopping nearby.

You won't hear any complaints from us, we love Texas.

[Soccersupporter]

Originally Posted by texastea

That's how I feel, Phish. I even found things to love about Pearland (South Houston) when we lived there

I have a question...we lived in Southern Cal in the 80's and we couldn't even SEE the mountains (or the sky for that matter) 'til October and the Santa Anna's blew out the smog. Is it still like that? I remember flying into Ontario airport and not seeing anything until we got under that thick "cloud." We drove into the mountains A LOT so we enjoyed being in them....just couldn't enjoy the VIEW of them most of the time.

I have been working back in CA for a couple of months helping my soon to be ex-employer finding my replacement. Flying into John Wayne Airport so many times has really made me aware of the smog, even in the fall. It is really bad. You don't see the mountains very often anymore but they are beautiful when visible, especially with snow caps.

[Soccersupporter]

Originally Posted by Jazzedforhim

I say, be thankful you have sold your home. After six months of trying we have not sold and the Texas job has had to move on. Seems we're stuck here in Cali for now. I agree with an earlier poster...who has time to enjoy anything here when you're working like a dog just to have the basics. Sheesh!

Sadly saying bye to Austin...for now.

I feel for you. We were about to take our home off the market when we got 3 offers. We sold for less that we wanted but felt we needed to get out before the housing market just collapsed. Our old house in CA has lost $80,000 in value in just the 7 short weeks we have moved to Keller.

One good thing about the CA market is if you stay long enough you will probably make a lot of money. We felt that after 26 years in the same house that it was time to take our money and run.

Keep up the faith, your day will come. You will be able to cash out and move to a place where your house is your home and not an investment for the mortgage strapped people.

[socrates1234]

Originally Posted by white rob

You say people leave California because they get priced out. But it's only temporary and they will all go back?

For the most part, if you leave California for affordability reasons, there is very little chance you can afford to move back later. Generally, prices in California appreciate faster than in the rest of the country, especially Texas. There is the occasional exception: Austin has remained strong, while California's central valley has tanked. But in general, it's very hard to move back to California if you left the state for financial reasons.

One last quibble: "Austin, Houston, SA and the metroplexes are the only cities that are on the affordability radar for californians"? In disucssions I had with other Californians considering a move, no one was clamoring to get to Houston or San Antonio. The most common cities I heard mentioned were Austin, Denver, Portland, Seattle. (I was in NorCal. Preferences in SoCal may be different. I would think an L.A. resident would be more open to Phoenix or Dallas than a Bay Area resident.) You may counter that Portland and Seattle are not affordable, but they appear affordable to many Californians.

A scary point that moving out of Ca. is a one way ticket financially for most people. Even if they bank proceeds, indeed the liklihood of catching up with appreciation is lost forever. There are two different aspects to this. If you sold a home in Cali, perhaps you would be harder pressed than a renter, because you may one day decide to move back and not be in the game anymore per home purchasing, whereas you once had a home. A renter who never owned, and moved to Austin because of unaffordability issues would prob never have owned in Cali anyway, and was out of the game already. That person also is very unlikely to move back to Califoria. Only former Cali homeowners can possibly feel any remorse about being out of the game of going back and buying a home in California forever. I would venture to say that most of the former owners could prob care less as well, and won't want to go back. Prob 90% of the folks that moved to Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Oregon, Colorado and Washington since '89 stayed put, and could care less about going back......oh well for the 10% who want to but never can.....you can't have everything, especially in today's housing market!
http://users.adelphia.net/~jimscomp/Arnold.JPG (broken link)

[socrates1234]

Originally Posted by tstone

A Californian complaining... big surprise! Um, did anyone warn you that Texas is NOT for wimps? Why did you move to a place that sucks so bad anyway?

Hot weather, I agree. That's why God made water.

Lack of geographic beauty, I definitely agree. SE TX got the short end of the stick in that department.

But bible thumping and narrow minded? This is one of the least judgmental cities in the state. Where do you live -- Liberty? Conroe? How very kind of you to paint all 5.5 million of us metro-dwellers with your broad, brown-covered brush. You should really live in the Waco or Fort Worth areas before doing something like that.

I would say that Texas is very much Bible Belt. Many of the large television ministries are based there, like Hagee and such, and don't forget that Bush got a lot of his Christian right support from Texas.......That being said, I would not say Houston is as much bible-belt as DFW or the rest of Texas, nor is Austin. The state as a whole is almost what you could call the cornerstone itself of the bible belt, as most of the mega-ministries, including the famous ones syndicated on national TV, are located in Texas.....lil' Austin is just a little oasis in a vast sea of reactionary conservatism.....and always was
http://www.pulpit-pimps.org/images/Hagee/Hagee.jpg (broken link)

[austifornian]

If you really believe this, the answer would be to hold and rent your CA property and buy smaller in TX. That way you have an investment that tracks with the CA market.

[austifornian]

Here is a fun little fact for you: There are more mega-churches in CA than in TX. Don't kid yourself. the california coast is a little island of progressives is a big sea of CA conservatives and that coast starts north of OC.

[Huckleberry3911948]

the bad news, i am ashamed to say, i dont go to the beach much and i live 12 miles from it.
the good news,
per the soothsayers, 2012 oct the coasts will disappear so you will maybe have beach front property. im taken swimming lessons and i guna buy some fins.