California affordable housing at all time low

[Ultrarunner]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune... sounds like you are taking a pro-active approach in dealing with it.

Today, more than ever, I think the real difference is that it costs a lot of money to have a family and raise children. If both parents work, day care can easily cost $100 per day in parts of the Bay Area, yet if both parents don't work, how is a family supposed to buy in a neighborhood with good schools? It is a real catch 22...

Raising kids cost more in just about every way as compared to just a few years ago. In my grade school days, not that long ago, well ok, a while ago... parents would volunteer to drive kids to sporting events. One of the Moms was a stay at home with a big Station Wagon. Everyone wanted to ride with her and we could fit the whole team of 12 kids in that car.

Sometimes after a game, Coach would let everyone pile into the back of his pick-up and buy ice cream... coach would probably go to jail today for that... I think it is called "Child Endangerment"

Today, you would probably need at least 3 cars just to transport the team. I'm not saying this isn't a good thing, just that it is one more small reason that costs continue to escalate.

Hey, we all used to walk to school and some of us had 30 or more blocks to walk. I don't work with anyone that would let their kids walk 5 blocks, let alone 30...

My folks saved a lot of money, we had no cable, (I still have never lived in a house with cable), no Internet, no home alarm system, no gardeners, one telephone, one TV and no Cd's and Ipods to buy. It cost a lot less and we were happy just playing stick-ball or shooting hoops.

I made money mowing lawns in my neighbor hood starting at age 8 at .25 per lawn and managed to bank $5 each week. This afternoon at work, some of the staff were talking about the outrageous prices gardeners were charging. I was definitely persona non grata when I suggested their kids could cut the grass and get paid for doing it. In unison, I was told it is much to dangerous... and we were talking about teenage kids!!!

[Oceangirl]

Haha,

I hear ya on a lot of points, Yeah I used to mow lawns, clean houses, walk dogs and babysit to make my money. I also picked berries and veggies and apples as a kid too. You thought you were tops if you made $20 per day back in the late 70's. I was a hard working kid, always looking for work.
I also suggested that teen kids might actually do some kind of real yardwork and got the same attitude, NOT MY PRECIOUS BABY OH NO!! Not these little buggers zip by on their skate boards and scream move it lady while rocking to their Ipods. I know my girlfriends kids wouldn't now a days real work to save their hides. Nope, they have to have band practice, play dates, extra school becuaser by GOD they MUST be in the right college, if any one can afford to send them anymore. I have given up askind anyones children if they want to help me clean house for $8 an hour. They are so lazy they can't even show up on time. And then they act like you are asking oh just tooo much to like vacuum the house completely or maybe help with the windows.

I remember the piling in of kids after a game too. It was fun. It may have been dangerous, we has pizza after game, I even remember riding the back of a truck without restraints. Oooh spooky.

I am glad I don't have children today, when do you ever have time to be with them anymore? Unless you give up everything like cable, we had 6 channels before pay tv, one tv, one stereo radio, and you have to cut down vacations,and now it is a pure necessity to have a computer for your kids or they won't learn as well, or have the edge or become part of the real world.

I don't know, all I wanted growing up was a nice town to live in, a good paying job that gave us a house, a car and a few niceties and a vacation or two, but mostly I wanted a nice town to live in. Now everyone is spread apart, no one is kind to one another anymore, you don't know the person waiting on you at Costco because there are too many working there and no one the same ever. My mother knew all the cashiers and banktellers on first name basis for years and people seemed like their blood pressure was lower. I live in a small town that is being just overwhelmed by fairly well off or down right rich Californians and they are bringing in their get out of my way attitude and hurry up I have IMPORTANT things to do. Why in HELL did you move here and build that 6,000 sq foot home anyway? And now they feel they have to tell EVERYONE ELSE how to live their lives, what cars to drive, where to go and what to do. There is a neat bumper sticker many of us like to display that says, "we don't care how you did it in California".

Well maybe it will all blow up and reset itself again. Looks like the housing bust is the beginning of the cracks in the wall. I keep asking my husband, the Wall Street Journal reader, what happens when people just stop trying to own houses? All they do here is build houses like crazy. Due to the boom they are cutting the prices on them becaues there are too many here. But hey you have to buy one for no less than $300,000 or you get a dump. Someone told me today that things are great here, there is new industry! Great jobs. What? I asked what great jobs, I am looking for one. I was quoted, Home Depot, Costco and WalMart. Well for $8 an hour you sure can't buy a $3K home. Oh no I was told, management jobs there. I said, I worked at Costco. There are 7 management jobs, the rest are just boxing jobs. Oh yeah I was told but it's $11 an hour, and I replied, yes and if you just hired on they lay you off for 4 months out of the year for the first 3 years. So it's still an $8 an hour job really. Geez is that all I have to look forward to here, great jobs for the big blood sucking megacorps? And 5 of my favorite little town shops are gone, they gave up, cannot compete.

Oh and as for Watsonville, sure houses are slightly less there, only $3k for a 700 sq foot place or smaller. Look it up! Even the Wall Street Journal had an article about it.

Ah well, good luck to any new home buyers and parent, I am glad I am not in your shoes. Get good costly educations so you can compete and pay off that $120K student loan.

[NDA]

Houses aren't unaffordable in a box. People price their house for what they want to sell it for and the people who are willing to buy, buy it. I blame buyers for being willing to pay extremely high prices for homes.

[beenplacesdonethings]

I just had to jump in on this subject since I will be moving back to Southern Cali this summer from Birmingham, AL. My reasons are many....aside from the near-perfect weather to the exciting lifestyles. Southern California ranks #1. I have lived in Central Cali, Europe, Hawaii, the Southern United States, and I have traveled to many parts of the world, and at the end of the day nothing compares to the vibration of Southern Cali. I must admit that the ultimate reason for moving back are my family, friends, and root are deep there.

[MOONLIGHTING]

Wow I am from Birmingham, AL and I currently live in Western Kentucky. Let me tell you I don't like it here at all.

I have the same view as you do about California I spent 20 years there of my life. I have now accepted a new job and will be moving back. Sure I expect it to be tough. After living in several different states, for me all roads still lead back to California...