The California Dream Is Gone (apartments, home, to buy)

[Donna7]

Originally Posted by Roma

Aren't you sweet Donna7, Oh, and I remember you are in Ohio. That is where my husband and I are originally from. Have you heard of Granville? Anyways, Yes the dream is still there in California for the taking. My taking, dang nab it! Someday, I tell ya, someday.
No, we have not given up on it yet! It just might have to wait for awhile. My husband tells me "patience my dear, patience".

I do hope that you get back to the place where you can live your dreams; life is really much to short to wait for "someday isle"; this just my opinion though. I haven't heard of Granville; I am from the NE OH area; Akron/Cleveland; have lived here since we moved from Eastern Europe in 1968. We lived in Orange County CA in the early 1980's. Most of my best friends live in San Diego; one couple that works with me and is a very good friend lives in Elk Grove, CA (Northern). I do wish you and your husband a speedy move back to CA when it's time for the both of you.

[Spudcommando]

The California dream gone? No, it's just changed, just because the definition of the dream has changed quite a bit since the 50s does not mean that it's gone. It's still alive and well, and I hope to achieve it after college.

[Sorcerer68]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

It's funny to me how everyone talks about the "California Dream" like it was just 1958 and we're all going to work at Rockwell or Boeing. That was fifty years ago!

That "California Dream" died in the 70's along with most of what people seem to consider "the good ol' days" all across the country. The new "California Dream" involves high paying tech jobs and immigrants from all over the world looking for a new life. California cities look pretty much like any growing, thriving city in the country or even the world. That has it's drawbacks, but the alternatives (rust belt decay for example) are much worse to me.

Maybe it's time to face reality that SoCal is never going back to the way it was, it's just going to get more dense, more people, more expensive, more traffic. Either you accept it and learn to make your own place within it, or you leave it all behind, but pining for the old days is a surefire way to end up bitter.

Ahhh, people who would rather complain than do something about their problem. Yes, my grandparents told me of California in the Good Ol Days, it hasn't been like that in my lifetime. Our cities had a destiny to become huge and there was no way around it. People pining for open fields of whatever should be happy to know that there are plenty...in the boonies. Most of the people whining haven't ever moved anywhere else. I wish they would. I did and discovered what a wonderful place I left. I'm so glad to be back. The person who wrote the article should do something to better himself or he's got options...I know of a great Victorian fixer in Cincinnati for $50,000.

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by shannon94

I love San Diego...and I understand why you stay.( I don't understand spending 400k on a house in Rolando.....lol....but I understand why you stay.) (That wasn't meant to be rude)

Well, you are right... it's outrageous. I don't dispute that.

But before I bought my house here I looked at other places too - LA, NYC, Boston. And it's not like it's any better in those places. 800sf walkup co-op in a "Rolando-esque" Brooklyn neighborhood with 900 neighbors and 400/mo CC's anyone? The housing costs issue is not isolated to CA and is in fact a global issue. Rather than waiting on the world to come around to meet my needs I decided to suck it up, work harder, and earn more money instead. Texas and the midwest is just not for me, and life is too short to be in a place you don't want to be.

[LDDiamondGirl]

"People pining for open fields of whatever should be happy to know that there are plenty...in the boonies. Most of the people whining haven't ever moved anywhere else. "

Yes, the Boonies. My mother used to say that. If she were alive she'd be astonished to see that I now live in the Boonies.......according to what she used to call the Boonies. SLO county. Clusters of small coastal ag towns, lots of open fields, cows, farm animals, empty beaches, miles of open road on Hwy 1. No street lights, dusty unpaved roads all over and dilapidated properties in mixed use neighborhoods. An industrial metal farm building next to a house where 3 families are crammed in and 6 cars are parked on the property next to rusting piles and garbage cans. No zoning (I think they call it codes here). Live and let live.

And it's $500K for a crap hole here, too. It's a million for a tool shed anywhere else in California, so this is the Bargain Boonies.

My mom would be laughing if she were alive. Laughing in disbelief that, after growing up in the nice beautiful culturally diverse and sophisticated suburbs of Cleveland, I would want to live in the Boonies like this.

Hard to believe that trailer parks could be so unaffordable.

But my husband and I are suckers for the weather. Now we're going to put ourselves in even more debt and try to move out of the Boonies and into Santa Barbara where we can try to have somewhat of a life in California which remotely resembles the way we were brought up in Ohio.

We'll probably invest our money in a **** rental property and get a tenant to live in it, and then rent a nice place to live ourselves.

Is that the New California Dream? I don't know, but we made a deal with the Devil when we moved out here. We thought it would be worth it to have the
Ocean breezes, Sunshine and blue skies, and no Frontgate mosquito zappers that come with a mortgage just to have a meal outside with a light on.

Was it worth it? We'll see.

[calicoast]

My husband and I live in the same central coast CA town where we were both born and raised. My kids attend the same schools I went to and we all wear shorts and T's year round (well, most days). I love it here and I love to hear from people that love it here too. The CA dream, or any dream for that matter, is what you make it. Sure, I could move somewhere and have a gigantic house so I feel like I am getting more for my money but that is not my dream. I am grateful to live in a quiet, peaceful community with great schools, cool people, and unbeatable weather!

[Phillip099]

If you want cheap and beautiful and California and no vehicle smog checks the sky is so clean and are interested in such things as wildlife, hang gliding, skiing, four wheeling then take a look at Modoc County, North of Alturas with incidentally the #1 rated elementary school in California at New Pine Creek (elev 5000') with the post office 100' north of the State Line in Oregon. Of course jobs are scarce unless you go into ranching but you can go shopping tax free in Lakeview, Oregon 15 miles north or even get a job there. There are a few houses for sale or you can build to suit, because you can buy a 2 acre ag plot for about $15,000 or less, or larger plots at better prices and get abundant water at about 200' and labor is cheap. This is alfalfa country.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by james203

my family & i moved to ca from pa in 1-78.my father rented a brand new single story 3 bedroom/2 bath house in upper loma linda for $400.00 month.it was not expensive to live here & orange trees were everywhere.fast forward 29 years.that exact home is now renting for 1600.00 month.the orange trees are thinning out & homes are being built everywhere.the dmv is screwing us blind & were taxed big time.the cost of living is VERY high & im having trouble making ends meet.state tax was 6% in 1978 & now its 8 1/4%.ca is a VERY greedy & selfish state & such rude people.....wow !

Hold your horses. $400 to $1600 29 years later is only an average increase of about 4.9% per year.

Also, I don't think food is taxed. (I think it is in Alabama.)

[sheri257]

This is the problem with the California "dream".

People seem to forget what the word DREAM means ... which, by it's very nature, has nothing to do with reality.

Does anyone in their right mind really expect the most gorgeous state in the union and world's fifth largest economy NOT to cost more? C'mon.

Or ... do you suffer from delusions as well?

Because I read these posts and people seem to expect to be able to buy ocean front property on middle class incomes ... and then bemoan the fact that it's not gonna happen.

Like duh ... what did you expect? It's California ... for crying out loud. Did anyone really believe that the population wouldn't grow here? Or was everything supposed to stop just because you live here?

If you don't like it then there's plenty of other mediocre places that you can move to.

But I suspect that you DO like it ... you just don't want to pay for it. Well ... join the club ... obviously nobody wants to pay for anything these days.

So, go ahead ... buy into the cheaper states. As the old saying goes ... you get what you pay for.

[katie45]

Originally Posted by sheri257

This is the problem with the California "dream".

People seem to forget what the word DREAM means ... which, by it's very nature, has nothing to do with reality.

Does anyone in their right mind really expect the most gorgeous state in the union and world's fifth largest economy NOT to cost more? C'mon.

Or ... do you suffer from delusions as well?

Because I read these posts and people seem to expect to be able to buy ocean front property on middle class incomes ... and then bemoan the fact that it's not gonna happen.

Like duh ... what did you expect? It's California ... for crying out loud. Did anyone really believe that the population wouldn't grow here? Or was everything supposed to stop just because you live here?

If you don't like it then there's plenty of other mediocre places that you can move to.

But I suspect that you DO like it ... you just don't want to pay for it. Well ... join the club ... obviously nobody wants to pay for anything these days.

So, go ahead ... buy into the cheaper states. As the old saying goes ... you get what you pay for.

At one time, and not that long ago, people could buy a home in CA that was in line with their income (aka affordable), since there was a healthy range of housing prices. But those days are gone, thanks to the Speculators that hit CA in the 70's, and thanks to the rest of the population who jumped on the bandwagon to see how quickly they could make a profit by selling their home. Good old Greed...does it every time.

Just curious, what other states have you lived in that you consider "cheaper", and what is your first-hand experience in those areas, what are the pros and cons of living there.