Reasons Not to Move To California (Fresno, Bakersfield: homes, schools, university)

[MountainGuy74]

I think the weather in Southern California is really pretty boring. I mean sunshine nearly every single day gets pretty dull. I'm fortunate enough to live in the San Bernardino mountains at about 5K elevation so we tend to get seasons here. Right now in late September we have cool weather.....mid 50's during the day and mid 40's at night. Down in the valleys it's in the 80's. Especially makes the upcoming Christmas season feel much more seasonal.

[CarawayDJ]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

On another thread I asked today if someone could make $90,000 and buy a home for $250,000 anywhere in the USA. Do you know of anywhere?

It came up because people keep saying they can't live in Silicon Valley for $90,000. I just wondered if that amount of salary is available somewhere else, with affordable homes. Is it really that the prices here are unreasonable in relation to salary or not?

Although I moved from CA, it wasn't because I hated CA. To answer your question, I doubt there is any city in America where there aren't plenty of people earning 90K+. I suspect you were alluding to comparative pay for a person in a given profession between two areas. Prices in relation to salary are indeed unreasonable in some parts of CA. For that reason CA ranks very low in housing affordability. I lived in Temecula, probably one of the best bargains for your money in CA. It was fairly reasonable there.

As for CA, I think it's a good place. However, everything that attracted me and most of the people living there has nothing to do with its politics/government, and everything to do with mother nature. I hear people rave about its liberalness as being a "plus", but that is not why most people live there. If CA had the weather and topography of TX it would empty in short order. But it doesn't, so it will always be attractive and always have a lot of people willing to live there.

[CarawayDJ]

Originally Posted by nullgeo

So a lot of folks say. Actually, what anyplace needs isn't political balance so much as just intelligent, rational leaders and electorate. No balance required by lunatics. (Cue the fringe-conservative Chicken-little rants ...)

"odd curve ball"? Nothing odd about life's curve balls ... they come rapid-fire, wicked, and near constant for many of us ...

Since there is no place with intelligent, rational leaders and electorate...I guess we need balance to keep things in check? Politics is basically the profession of manipulation and deceit to achieve a goal; getting elected. The electorate is becoming ever more irrational. There is a reason why the airwaves are flooded with half-truths and deceiving soundbites; they work. CA is no exception. We're talking about an electorate that basically ousted a governor over an increase in vehicle registration fees. An electorate that was more than willing to raise taxes on others, but rejected GMO labeling for fear of anything coming out of their own wallets.

No, politicians can't be trusted and the electorate is as whimsical as they get. In this environment, balance is a good thing.

[Mila518]

👏👏👏

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by CarawayDJ

Since there is no place with intelligent, rational leaders and electorate...I guess we need balance to keep things in check? ...

There's nothing "balanced" about any of it even when both parties are approximately even in overall representation.
Example:
the U.S. Congress

Lunacy rules.
Example:
Ted Cruz

[volosong]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

On another thread I asked today if someone could make $90,000 and buy a home for $250,000 anywhere in the USA. Do you know of anywhere?

It came up because people keep saying they can't live in Silicon Valley for $90,000. I just wondered if that amount of salary is available somewhere else, with affordable homes. Is it really that the prices here are unreasonable in relation to salary or not?

Of course places like that exist. I realize that my situation is a bit different, in that I'm willing to commute up to an hour one-way to my place of employment. My salary was around 90K when I purchased my home in Palmdale for $342K. It was a brand new house and was still in the framing stage when I purchased it. Nice house. The back yard overlooks the sixth hole of one of the local golf courses. That $342K house is expensive for this area, even ten years ago.

But, I have to admit that housing prices are pretty unreasonable if one wants to live within a very short commute of their place of employment with the type of salary you're talking about.

[volosong]

Originally Posted by MountainGuy74

I think the weather in Southern California is really pretty boring. I mean sunshine nearly every single day gets pretty dull...

Hey! We had some clouds the other day. Doesn't that count for something?


p.s. If I want rain, I'll move to Seattle or the Oregon coast. Perpetual sunshine is just fine with me.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by volosong

Perpetual sunshine is just fine with me.

This is a 'boredom' that many are just fine with.

[ARhodyInTheDesert]

I actually prefer Arizona's weather to the weather of coastal Southern California. If you've previously lived in a place with warm summer mornings and evenings, then you can most likely relate.

[nslander]

Originally Posted by ARhodyInTheDesert

I actually prefer Arizona's weather to the weather of coastal Southern California. If you've previously lived in a place with warm summer mornings and evenings, then you can most likely relate.

I have and I can't.