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My wife and I and our 2-year-old and 4-week-old are moving from Nyack, NY, to the LA area as soon as our house here sells. I'm a musician working more and more in TV and film projects, my wife hates the weather here, and we're both self-described "west-coast types". We've done a ton of research, been out there 4 or 5 times, and after all that, have decided that the likeliest place we'd be happy within a reasonable drive of LA is LAKE ARROWHEAD. The last affordable houses in CA, really good schools, clean air, beautiful, but up a very scary mountain road (worst in the fog), pretty isolated, and 82 miles from Burbank for all those high-level meetings I'm sure will spring forth for me immediately (now how do I make a winking smiley, oh - . We're also a little concerned that we're not a great match for what's a bit of a Christian Conservative church-based red-state culture, though we've really liked the people we've met there. We love Ventura, but refuse to pay $750k for a 1300 sq. foot ranch home that badly needs a scrape, and despite a LOT of research have failed to find anything else closer to LA that meets our needs (my wife is a clinical research director for pharmaceutical companies, so something within a drive for her would be great.) We'd love to live in a Woodstock-style community out there, and Ojai has been suggested, though that, too is far from the center of things. Given our situation, does anyone have any thoughts on this? Or can anyone suggest another area that has the attributes of Arrowhead but is closer to town? We intend to move out there and rent (now, a frowny face - ) for a couple years, partly because we believe there's an enormous bubble about to burst, partly to test-drive the move before we plunk down all that money...
My wife and I and our 2-year-old and 4-week-old are moving from Nyack, NY, to the LA area as soon as our house here sells. I'm a musician working more and more in TV and film projects, my wife hates the weather here, and we're both self-described "west-coast types". We've done a ton of research, been out there 4 or 5 times, and after all that, have decided that the likeliest place we'd be happy within a reasonable drive of LA is LAKE ARROWHEAD. The last affordable houses in CA, really good schools, clean air, beautiful, but up a very scary mountain road (worst in the fog), pretty isolated, and 82 miles from Burbank for all those high-level meetings I'm sure will spring forth for me immediately (now how do I make a winking smiley, oh - . We're also a little concerned that we're not a great match for what's a bit of a Christian Conservative church-based red-state culture, though we've really liked the people we've met there. We love Ventura, but refuse to pay $750k for a 1300 sq. foot ranch home that badly needs a scrape, and despite a LOT of research have failed to find anything else closer to LA that meets our needs (my wife is a clinical research director for pharmaceutical companies, so something within a drive for her would be great.) We'd love to live in a Woodstock-style community out there, and Ojai has been suggested, though that, too is far from the center of things. Given our situation, does anyone have any thoughts on this? Or can anyone suggest another area that has the attributes of Arrowhead but is closer to town? We intend to move out there and rent (now, a frowny face - ) for a couple years, partly because we believe there's an enormous bubble about to burst, partly to test-drive the move before we plunk down all that money...
Are you talking about California? "Christian Conservative church-based red-state culture" Are you sure you have been to CA?
Woodstock-style community??? Maybe in the Santa Barbara outskirts, but $750k ain't gona be a good down payment.
82 miles from Arrowhead will take you 3to4 hours on a good day, in the winter you better call in sick.
The last housing bubble was in the early 90's when 700k aerospace workers were laid off, that ain't gona happen again any time soon. The average house lost @ 10% in value then.
Hope it works out for you, figure on @$2800 per month for an ok house to rent, while you wait for the bubble to burst.
Hello GEOW62~
You should know that California's "sunny" reputation has been replaced by new euphemisms... namely "May Gray" and "June Gloom". These are new ways of saying "Smoggy" and "Effects of Global Warming". On the bright (sunny) side... July, August and September are solid "sunny" months, pretty much. I have lots of suggestions for you! First off, let me say I know a bit about the pharmaceutical/biomedical industries and their collaborations are certainly expanding here in SoCal. Amgen, Merck, Beckman-Coulter, Allergan, Roche - the trend is to develop near academic institutions. I am guesssing that your spouse's employment/income is somewhat key to your basic household expenses. In this regard, you would want her commute to be within the 30-40 minute range or less. If you have flexibility to travel to and fro, it is possible to reach downtown L.A. in an hour. I do it all the time as I have a penchant for going to the design district. It's truly all about timing. But, I repeat, you need to have the flexibility to travel during the non-peak traffic times. The broad area you are expressing interest in would encompass Loma Linda University, La Sierra University, Cal Baptist University, Cal State San Bernardino, UC Riverside and Redlands University. So, similar Arrowhead/Big Bear "Woodstocky" communities (sans the treacherous mountain drive) are: Mentone, Devore, Crestline, Yucaipa, Oak Glen, Cherry Valley, Beaumont. Closer to Los Angeles, but less "Woodstocky": Corona, Yorba Linda, and the La Sierra or Woodcrest areas of Riverside. You can expect to purchase a ranch style home on a nice sized lot within the $350-$450K range in nearly all of these. Rental properties may be harder to come by... but figure approx. $2,000-$2,300. There is not much industry in these areas. They are, I suppose purposely, almost exclusively residential, quiet areas. Expect to see horses, wild donkeys, rabbits, squirrels, possum (ugh!), trees with leaves that change with the season (for real) and generally wholesome, family-oriented folks. I've lived in this region of California over 40 years and am fairly familiar with the State as a whole. Best wishes and Godspeed to you and your family as you prepare for your relocation. P.S. I think the bubble is upon us too. My prediction is the end of 2007.
Last edited by TriciaK57; 06-08-2006 at 11:07 PM..
Thanks for the replies; this board is a great resource for those of us fumbling in the darkness...
<<<Are you talking about California? "Christian Conservative church-based red-state culture" Are you sure you have been to CA? >>>
Not CA as a whole, of course, but the Crestline/Arrowhead community went 69% for Bush in '04 (this after about 52% in 2000). That, and the fact that most people will tell you that the churches up there are a heavy focus of the social fabric, is why I describe it as a "red state" (Arrowhead, not California). We're coming from a little town in NY that was one of the handful whose mayor performed gay marriages a couple years ago, where it's unheard of to see a Bush bumper sticker on a car. We're not as concerned about living amongst conservatives as we are concerned about living amongst liberal-haters (the Limbaugh/Coulter/Hannity crowd) and, as I've said, don't detect that up there so far...
<<<You should know that California's "sunny" reputation has been replaced by new euphemisms... namely "May Gray" and "June Gloom". These are new ways of saying "Smoggy" and "Effects of Global Warming".>>>
Not on the mountain; you sit up there looking down at the valley and the hideous brownish-grey cloud of pollution stops about a half-mile below your feet, rather amazing. And it seems to be gorgeous most of the year; you do get snow, sometimes a lot, but it goes away in a couple days (one of the worst things about where we are is that it sticks around for MONTHS).
<<<The last housing bubble was in the early 90's when 700k aerospace workers were laid off, that ain't gona happen again any time soon. The average house lost @ 10% in value then.>>>
The source this time is those nutty "interest-only" and other gimmick loans; 70% of the mortgages issued in the last 5 years are like this, where you pay only interest for 5 years, then it goes to an ARM. In today's climate, that means a boost of 60 to 100 percent on your payment, which is going to force a lot of homes onto the market; these people should never have qualified for such a huge mortgage in the first place, and on top of it have taken out huge lines of credit as their phony equity has soared. And we're starting to see the defaults, up about 60% this year and sure to rise. My personal opinion is that the whole housing thing is propped up by the old NASDAQ money as people speculate on a continuued rise, and it's going to crash similarly once people figure out that the ride is over and try to get out at the top, dumping a whole array of properties on the market at once. In any case we're confident enough that prices won't continue to rise over the next 2 years that we're willing to bet on it.
Tricia and Red have addressed your real estate concerns, I'll address your creative ones. Depending upon your success (large entertainment business income, not your wife's or even your combined incomes) you would find yourself drawn to Laurel Canyon, the umbrella name for the foothills along Laurel Canyon Blvd., between Hollywood and the Valley, that have these canyon houses and estates. It is the most comparable to a wooded, primarily entertainment industry enclave in L.A. It has a fine primary school up in the hills. You are also looking a million dollar houses if you want to buy into this area. And you won't find people talking politics, you'll find them talking about "my latest work." It's an interesting area to have retained a boho cachet even into the overpriced era.
The source this time is those nutty "interest-only" and other gimmick loans; 70% of the mortgages issued in the last 5 years are like this, where you pay only interest for 5 years, then it goes to an ARM. In today's climate, that means a boost of 60 to 100 percent on your payment, which is going to force a lot of homes onto the market; these people should never have qualified for such a huge mortgage in the first place, and on top of it have taken out huge lines of credit as their phony equity has soared. And we're starting to see the defaults, up about 60% this year and sure to rise. My personal opinion is that the whole housing thing is propped up by the old NASDAQ money as people speculate on a continuued rise, and it's going to crash similarly once people figure out that the ride is over and try to get out at the top, dumping a whole array of properties on the market at once. In any case we're confident enough that prices won't continue to rise over the next 2 years that we're willing to bet on it.
The 70% figure is a little high but, even if it was 70% of the loans in the last 5 years that represents less than 5% of the total homes. Most of the homeowners in CA have lived in their homes for longer than 5 years and have a lot of equity built up. Although there are a number of second and investment rental homes that have been purchased in the last 2 – 5 years with the rental rates where they are these homes are mostly even or positive cash flow properties.
Nation wide the single-family-home prices are projected to rise @ 3.5% between now and June 2007. The double-digit gains may be over, but a crash like you are hoping for and the media is trying to heat up is unlikely. The houses are taking longer to sell, but the prices are holding firm in most areas of CA.
There is precious little land to build on and no limit to the amount of people willing to move here. It’s a supply and demand thing. There are a lot of buyers out there now that are sitting on the fence waiting for everyone to drop their prices so they can pick up a bargain, but so far the prices are holding up. Only time will tell what happens, but the media and some academics have been predicting a bubble bursting for over 5 years now. If you had sold 5 years ago (as a couple of friends of mine did) you would have missed out on a hefty appreciation. These people will have to either pray that the bubble bursts or pony up the appreciation they lost to get back into a house.
As fastfilm has said Laurel Canyon, Hollywood or anywhere in the general area would be the best place for someone with your political leanings. You may want to stay away from Orange County.
If you are looking for affordability, Laurel Canyon is certainly not within your range. The foreclosure rate here in CA is currently through the roof. Guess where the highest rate is? Los Angeles and Orange Counties! It still holds true that most people live pay check to pay check or are only "wealthy" on paper. Things are going to change. I still say stick with those small townish areas I mentioned before until your "entertainment" dream boat actually sails in. P.S. Other areas to consider: San Timoteo Canyon and Reche Canyon
Sounds like you're talking about New Paltz's mayor, Mr. West. He was working his original job as a painter when I was in the area - I've spoken to him several times in the past for college thesis papers and he's a fine human being using political position to make a difference for the better. Woodstock and other hamlets and towns in the Mid-Hudson Valley are unique and nothing quite compares to the area you'll find in southern California. Think Mohonk Mountain House - you won't find that setting in CA. Think Olana in Greenport on the Dutchess County side of the Hudson on a spring or fall day looking toward Ulster County on the other side of the river up toward those Catskill mountains - surreal! There's a reason Frederick Church chose to build his home(s) there when he could have lived anywhere, and even though he spent much time in Mexico during his later years, he loved the Hudson Valley above all else in his world travels. Having lived in both areas myself, I know that you'll never capture the essence of where you're leaving for where you're going. Take each on it's own terms. It's a cliche but there's much truth in "You can't go home again" - not in physical terms of course, sure you can go back and visit, but something essential changes about the place(es) you leave. Be sure you're ready to start a new life somewhere else so different, if you two are young enough to start over, and have adventurous spirits - you'll do fine, I wouldn't do it just to make more money and to escape the cold. I know several people who went to the LA/Orange area to live, and returned several years later. Take each place on it's own terms and remember four or five visits to SOCAL will not tell you what day to day life is like in any community there. One reason travel abroad is so alluring to tourists, is we see new things, experience different feelings to new stimuli - but these are not the feelings shared by regular residents. Kind wishes to you both.
We have property in the Catskills.. not far from Woodstock.. in Neversink County.. our place has been in my family for 150 years..its called Wintoon... we are very close to Woodstock
There is nothing like it here in Southern California.. not the community,, not the deep green forests.. not the lifestyle
California is not laid back anymore.. thats long since been replaced with too many people vying for too little resources
You might find this in some northern California communities,,, but they tend to be more rural.. perhaps Weaverville or somewhere in the central Redwoods... but So Cal... no way
As said.. the road in and out of Arrowhead is choked with traffic... tourists form L.A. looking for a little bit of sanity or green...and not finding it.. only to be looking at each other
There is a Wyntoon here in Northern California.. owned by the Hearst Family.. it is in some respects like our Wintoon.. but the community isnt anything like Woodstock.... that dream.. is long dead here in California at any price
There are places in California of beauty... of alternative thinking.. or gentile life... they tend to be very expensive... for in California if you want sanity and sanctuary... you have to pay for it...
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. We're also a little concerned that we're not a great match for what's a bit of a Christian Conservative church-based red-state culture, though we've really liked the people we've met there. We love Ventura, but refuse to pay $750k for a 1300 sq. foot ranch home that badly needs a scrape, and despite a LOT of research have failed to find anything else closer to LA that meets our needs (my wife is a clinical research director for pharmaceutical companies, so something within a drive for her would be great.) We'd love to live in a Woodstock-style community out there, and Ojai has been suggested, though that, too is far from the center of things. Given our situation, does anyone have any thoughts on this? Or can anyone suggest another area that has the attributes of Arrowhead but is closer to town? We intend to move out there and rent (now, a frowny face - 
) for a couple years, partly because we believe there's an enormous bubble about to burst, partly to test-drive the move before we plunk down all that money...
Nyack to LA
