California is a Failed State. Why Are You Still Here? (for sale, to rent)

[DabOnEm]

Originally Posted by apple92680

In my ideal world, I'd have the wealthier Red states like Texas, Florida and Georgia support the poorer ones like Mississippi, Oklahoma and Louisiana.

Let them support each other and get a taste of what it's like.

I'd let Blue state money stay with Blue states.

Yeah but it's nowhere near as lopsided as you're making it out to be, and the less federally dependent state is a red one - https://wallethub.com/edu/states-mos...vernment/2700/

[GBPACKERS1200]

I’m so glad I left California. It’s hilarious to see the posters on this forum and other places online continue to defend the draconian quarantine policies that have crippled the local economy in CA. Posting from their WFH jobs or retirement while sitting in their $1.2m home that’s appreciated 500% since they purchased.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by GBPACKERS1200

I’m so glad I left California. It’s hilarious to see the posters on this forum and other places online continue to defend the draconian quarantine policies that have crippled the local economy in CA. Posting from their WFH jobs or retirement while sitting in their $1.2m home that’s appreciated 500% since they purchased.

Yeah. We who remain are glad you left too

[Mike930]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Yeah. We who remain are glad you left too

I’m trying to figure out how working from home in a $1.2 million dollar house that has appreciated 500% is a bad thing.

[Finper]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Yeah. We who remain are glad you left too

Why are you saying “we”? . You haven’t lived in Ca for months or years.

[GBPACKERS1200]

Originally Posted by Mike930

I’m trying to figure out how working from home in a $1.2 million dollar house that has appreciated 500% is a bad thing.

My point was that the people in CA who supported and continue to support absurd lockdown policies are insulated from any negative economic impact due to their privileged position in society. You people are so disconnected from the reality that the average middle class person or recent immigrant to CA is facing.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by Finper

Why are you saying “we”? . You haven’t lived in Ca for months or years.

Yes, I’ve been gone since March 10th, to be exact. But my marina slips stayed behind and wait for my return. As they do every year when I leave for the summer. Not much new about me vacationing up in the islands.

[Racer46]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Yes, I’ve been gone since March 10th, to be exact. But my marina slips stayed behind and wait for my return. As they do every year when I leave for the summer. Not much new about me vacationing up in the islands.

Imagine if a million CA residents decided to buy boats, including veterans, and live in the marinas that you use, since it would be cheaper than buying a house.


A friend of mine did in Long Beach.

[nairbdes]

I'll try to sum up some of my own personal pros and cons having lived here in SoCal since I was born (am now in my mid 30s)

Pros, to echo what others have said here
• Strong job market (so far haven't been out of work longer than ~3-4 months at any time)
• High appreciation rate of home ownership (if you can own at least a condo, you'll benefit more than other states on appreciation)
• Family and friends all here
• Lots of things to do outside the house (pre-covid)... theme parks, food festivals, low humidity, mild climate most of the year

Cons
• Egregious homelessness, but I also see it pretty bad in Portland, Honolulu, and other places not just in CA
• To be more specific when we talk about cost of living, housing particularly is totally bonkers. Supply & demand yadda yadda, I get it. It's a con nonetheless for young families of any economic bracket who want to raise a family here if they didn't buy during specific economic windows of time. Conflict of interest between homeowners who want to keep equity up and renters who want to enter the market.
• Air quality in LA basin often isn't the best especially during wildfire seasons, which is now happening constantly
• High taxes on a lot of things that gets a little nuts at times compared to other states
• Too much traffic and too many people - this is pretty much not up for debate, everyone agrees

--

I know quality of schools seems to come up a lot as a con, but in my area we actually have good schools, but that does contribute to even higher housing costs as more people want to find these good school districts and live in them.

California is so divisive because how much you succeed in living here varies so greatly on individual circumstance. Of course someone who got a great deal on their home and either paid it off by now or pays a reasonable mortgage is going to love it here vs. the family who is still renting and can't pay top of the market prices. So there isn't going to be agreement on this in any uniform manner.

I do own here but got in the market ~2015 when prices were still reasonably lower than today. I sympathize completely with the crushing pressure on any kind of middle class with today's prices on homes. But if you can't make it, you're better off leaving here anyway - there's more people than the state can accommodate right now.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by Racer46

Imagine if a million CA residents decided to buy boats, including veterans, and live in the marinas that you use, since it would be cheaper than buying a house.


A friend of mine did in Long Beach.

Not a problem ... would never happen ... 99.9% of the population couldn’t ever handle the simplistic, minimalism required to live on a boat (Russian oligarch yachts excluded from generalization).

But that’s not the only way to get by, saving the interest on a mortgage while accumulating enough dough to pay cash price only if one chooses to buy a home. ... Then again, 99% of people aren’t willing to live simple enough to save by any method ... *shrug*. I couldn’t care less. Not advising. Just commenting: real estate isn’t the only way, nor the best or fastest, or easiest way to develop a good net worth nut.