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My family and I moved from Texas to California a few years ago for a job. Now, we will be heading back to Texas at the end of the summer after my transfer is completed. In the end, we were never able to accept the California home prices and what it would cost to stay here. That's not the only issue and the reason for the transfer, but it's one of the major issues. Further, being from Texas and knowing what you can get for the money AND in a good part of town just made it worse. However, we will leave California with a heavy heart. We've been accepted as part of our little community from the beginning and we've made many friends. Also, we will miss the stunning beauty of California and all that there is to do. If not for the job, we would've probably visited California at some point, but never would've thought of making a life here and I'm glad we made the move.
The funny thing is that I came to this thread as I contemplated returning to California one day. We've been in NorCal all this time, but always wanted to move to SoCal at some point as we enjoyed the short amount of time spent there. Chances are we will visit, but not return as we wouldn't want to uproot our family again. Whatever the future brings, I can say that, although I love Texas, California is a great place to live. We're going to miss it!
When people in Cal complain about the cost of living is the majority of the complaint to buy a house? What if someone doesn't want a house, is the cost of living justified by just renting moderately?
The complaints usually cover housing prices and rent. When we arrived we were expecting everything to be super expensive, but we found that the cost of living differences were mainly with housing, gas and extra state/local fees for everything from vehicle registration to grocery bags. Just like any other city, the further you are from the main hubs of SF, LA, etc., the cheaper it is to buy/rent a home. If you plan to rent, plan on paying more the closer you get to where everyone wants to be AND expect to pay more for less space. If you are OK with that, you're good to go.
The complaints usually cover housing prices and rent. When we arrived we were expecting everything to be super expensive, but we found that the cost of living differences were mainly with housing, gas and extra state/local fees for everything from vehicle registration to grocery bags. Just like any other city, the further you are from the main hubs of SF, LA, etc., the cheaper it is to buy/rent a home. If you plan to rent, plan on paying more the closer you get to where everyone wants to be AND expect to pay more for less space. If you are OK with that, you're good to go.
I forgot that Cal high about 9% state and sales tax which is high, but everywhere taxes are going up. What other state and local fees are there?
When people in Cal complain about the cost of living is the majority of the complaint to buy a house? What if someone doesn't want a house, is the cost of living justified by just renting moderately?
Well I guess if you want to rent apartments forever maybe there isn't much of a problem. Of course even our apartments are more expensive than a lot of places in Texas (and many other states)...but cheaper than cities like NYC,SF .
It seems most people do have a desire to buy a house though. Most people just can't afford a house in L.A a lot of people are living in homes that were bought for a fraction of current market price or they inherited the house. Especially in the most desirable areas the turnover of houses is pretty low.
Just because people are living in expensive homes it doesn't mean that they could ever afford the homes at today's market value.
You have to understand that for a Texan, we tend to know what we can get for our money and what I guess the "real" value of homes are. I know the factor of location, the number of people vying for the same apt or home, etc all influence the price but sometimes I think it's just ridiculous walking around Sunset Blvd and meeting friends who think their old school looking apartment complex with the thrift store furniture in the lobby is extremely cool but I guess if you think a complex straight out of Three's Company is what makes you hot stuff then you can have it. The rest of us know what we can get for 2000+k a month in Midtown Houston or downtown Austin. Their only counter argument is that "this is LA".
So there is this understanding that you're going to be downgrading in terms of living standards but the quality of life overall is pretty darn better if you have a stable job with decent pay. I feel like I have a better overall life in terms of exercise, things to do, access to opportunities, etc.
It's always best to start off at the bottom in a place like LA or NYC. I know people that came from Texas with the same showboat mentality, keeping up with the joneses we tend to have there and these girls had to make sure they had a killer looking apartment in a nice area and were stuck paying for a near 2k apt in the Valley on a mediocre salary. This person could not cut it and was sent home in a few months.
I really don't think it's just people from Texas that have this mentality.
I see ton's of luxury cars in L.A...I'm guessing a good percentage of them can't really "afford" the payments and are putting money towards a car to 'keep up with the Jonses" ...sure some are leases...but high end leases are also expensive and mean higher insurance.
I agree though there is definately a premium on nice/new apartments in L.A versus older ones.
Many Texas cities , the construction isnt that old because they deveoped after L.A did .
I bet many would be shocked at the prices of large NEW homes in Houston.
Take a look on HAR.com
I don't really totally get the statement that "you're going to be downgrading in terms of living standards but the quality of life overall"
Aren't living standards a pretty decent part of overall quality of life?..
I really don't think it's just people from Texas that have this mentality.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jm1982
I see ton's of luxury cars in L.A...I'm guessing a good percentage of them can't really "afford" the payments and are putting money towards a car to 'keep up with the Jonses" ...sure some are leases...but high end leases are also expensive and mean higher insurance.
I agree though there is definately a premium on nice/new apartments in L.A versus older ones.
Many Texas cities , the construction isnt that old because they deveoped after L.A did .
I bet many would be shocked at the prices of large NEW homes in Houston.
Take a look on HAR.com
I don't really totally get the statement that "you're going to be downgrading in terms of living standards but the quality of life overall"
Aren't living standards a pretty decent part of overall quality of life?..
If I may explain. I used to live in midtown Houston in a nice luxury apartment that only cost 800 bucks a month and I got a good deal on it. It was new, in the thick of it all, and came with a garage. The swimming pool did not look like a motel pool and the structure of the building didn't look like it was made in the 70s. The gym was amazing and had all the latest features. I was living the typical 40k millionaire life with a room mate. But the downside is that there is literally not that much to do in Houston outside of eating, drinking and going to the mall/movies. The parks are all flat and offer nothing to explore, as was said earlier by someone else the majority of the land is privately owned so you're pretty much trespassing anywhere you go. The beach and the lakes are too far. The city services suck and offer no major free events that sponsor a lively thriving art, music, and film scene. Most of the events in Houston regarding the thriving art scene are sponsored by foundations, rich donors so it has a really corporate feel to it and you mainly read about it in the "society" pages of 002 Houston Magazine. There is little to no civil engagement in Houston. In my first six months here in LA, I joined the local neighborhood council and was able to meet the Deputy of City Planning (a field I am interested in pursuing) and the city attorney. I am surprised at the level of opportunities and access one has to city officials in Los Angeles. I've also met three councilmen and all of their staff. I was lucky to meet the local dogcatcher in Houston. Houston is a closed political circle. The concept of a "neighborhood council" or "local empowerment" is alien and would be seen as utterly ridiculous to Texans.
So far at free events I was able to meet three celebs and at free lectures at the local universities I was able to meet my all time favorite movie director. I literally have met my idol and am rarely star struck anymore.
I didn't even mention the variety of food, the museums, the educational opportunies and how seriously the universities actually take the local CCs and how developed their departments are in certain fields.
All that and more is what I got out of LA. The downside is that even though I make more money than I did in Houston, and this income would put me in a nice home and a very decent car to keep up with the joneses, in LA I feel as though I am always scratching by. It's pointless to keep with any joneses because you cannot compete with the ultra rich which are very prevalent and are open with their wealth. In Houston, the idea of what is wealthy is skewed because the super duper rich hide out in their little enclaves do what is considered rich in Houston is technically "upper middle class". I guess here it's known that you can party at Bar Marmont all you want, you're not in the Hills (or in the Chateau) partying with an insider so what is the point? Just be who you are and quit fronting. It just makes it too obvious.
I mean if you don't mind going to work, coming home and repeating the process until the weekend where you get wasted and on Sunday you go the mall after church, then Houston is the prime place for you. If you want more out of life, then go to LA. The drop in living standards is worth it for the ample opportunities to really improve yourself in the long run.
In a high cost of housing area, you are obviously going to have more welfare and government assistance. Everyone doesn't earn enough at their mediocre jobs to afford the cost of living.
I don't think tons of Texans are moving back. The Texas economy is full of inequity itself. 25% of Texas resident have NO health insurance and the state could care less. Good ole boy politics. Some people with higher education and better sources of income live decently there, and others just get by.
California has more red tape and too much bureaucracy. And many large companies are trying to bust unionization, and operate businesses in low cost of living right to work states, or send jobs overseas, all which hampers states such as California.
There is always going to be movement of people from state to state, not necessarily related to job growth.
In a high cost of housing area, you are obviously going to have more welfare and government assistance. Everyone doesn't earn enough at their mediocre jobs to afford the cost of living.
I don't think tons of Texans are moving back. The Texas economy is full of inequity itself. 25% of Texas resident have NO health insurance and the state could care less. Good ole boy politics. Some people with higher education and better sources of income live decently there, and others just get by.
California has more red tape and too much bureaucracy. And many large companies are trying to bust unionization, and operate businesses in low cost of living right to work states, or send jobs overseas, all which hampers states such as California.
There is always going to be movement of people from state to state, not necessarily related to job growth.
In Houston there is Section 8 discrimination in higher cost areas. Blatantly too. So you will not see people on welfare living in nice housing. Which is a bummer since that makes inequality even worse.
I met a girl from Seattle in Houston who was upset because of how low people in Houston felt about Section 8 and how she had a really hard time looking for a place when she moved to Houston because of the stigma around Sec 8.
The social, city, state and even local services suck big time. Not that LA is better but Houston and Texas safety nets and programs are horrible. We're lucky the State did not secede because without the Federal Government Texas would be a wasteland.
Slums are real deal slums, not working class neighborhoods with bad people living in them like in most LA ghettos.
The inequality I think is worse in LA though as far as just income goes. Way more people are just struggling to get by as LA is a way more working poor class town than Houston is.
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