Moving to LA, looking for affordable housing?

[littlelonghornfan]

It's all very tough I know. So far it's the ONLY job opportunity she's gotten. We still may not take it and just live on the streets of austin.. but we have to look into it nonetheless. And why not ask the good people of LA?!! I will try to find out more info and get back to you all. Thank you very much though for the responses. And just to add, the job is in 'hollywood.'

The side jobs are not a guarantee so we should leave those off the table and say we'd be living with a 10/hr budget. We'd be able to get help from family to start us off but how much, I do not know. A part time job will also be added as soon as one is found.

[EscapeCalifornia]

The cost differential between LA and Texas will be more than $10/hr. I hope you have a pile of cash to draw from.

[timelesschild]

So look for a studio apartment, pool house, or guest house, in Hollywood. There aren't that many pool houses or guest houses there (this is a nice name for a converted garage), but it's worth looking into, because you get a tiny bit of extra privacy that way.

You'll probably be looking at a 1920's apartment building, if you're lucky. Some of them are very attractive with lots of character! You can find them for $700 sometimes. Make SURE your parking and water are paid for, because that makes a big difference in a tight budget. And don't rent it until you see it, see the landlord, and verify the whole deal.

Groceries in Hollywood are CHEAP. There is a huge 99 Cents Only grocery store, as well as a huge Food4Less. Your utilities will be cheap too - no Texas-sized AC bills - as long as you make sure your water and parking are paid for!! Some buildings have wifi - worth asking - the landlords are dealing with the recession too.

Hollywood has very decent public transportation. There is the Red Line (Metro Subway train), as well as tons of buses. That might help you or might not, depending on your circumstances.

Hollywood is nothing like Texas - at least the parts of Texas I've seen - I know the recession is tough everywhere, but it seems like a stretch to move to a place unlike your home, just for a $10 job. If that's all you've got, though, pay attention to what I've said above and you might just make it work.

[bouncethelight]

timelesschild is right - that's exactly what you'll be looking at if you choose to come to LA. It can be done, and lots of people do it, but it's not as glamorous as you may expect when you think of Los Angeles.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by littlelonghornfan

It's all very tough I know.

As long as you're aware of that. Apparently the state added 4200 jobs in March but w/ more people seeking employment, the unemployment rate is now over 12%. Just a LOT of people to be competing with for job opportunities right now.

California's jobless rate hits high of 12.6% in March - latimes.com

[uptown_urbanist]

Many buildings in Hollywood don't come with parking. If you could live without a car for at least the time being you'd save a lot of money, which would make things at least a little bit more doable on that tiny budget. Hollywood on that price is going to be tough, although you might be able to find a relatively affordable studio. The pre-war buildings in Hollywood (or at least the ones I'm familiar with) generally come with most utilities (except for electricity and cooking gas) paid for, including heat (very likely no A/C, though).

You'll probably have an easier time finding cheaper housing if you go to east Hollywood or to Koreatown. Central Hollywood generally costs more than either of those neighborhoods.

I'll echo what everyone else has been saying: unless this is some sort of really spectacular job with real growth potential, or unless you absolutely have to be in LA and nowhere else will make you happy, you might want to seriously reconsider. Moving costs themselves can really add up, too, even if you're doing it on the cheap (and have little to no material things), and add in security deposits (perhaps on utilities as well as on the apartment) and you might decide that if it comes down to just the money that it's better to put that money towards living expenses where you are now while you job-hunt. If your family is willing to help out a bit you'd probably all get a better return for your money just waiting it out and job-searching in TX.

I love LA and people certainly can and do live on that income, but for most people it will require a lot of quality-of-life sacrifices. If you're not set on LA or on the job itself (which sounds like the case) I think you run a pretty high risk of being unhappy with the move.