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Where did you choose to move & why?
What do/don't you miss about OC?
Would you do it again?
Lisa, I know where you are coming from with these questions (OC...lol) but seriously, 'to each his own' would be a pretty accurate saying here.
What should matter to you is the reason(s) that is/are making you move out of OC/CA.
I was fed up with the ridiculous cost of housing and since I was ready to buy a house without selling my soul for it, I decided to go somewhere that I could actually afford a house (or a condo, etc.) even on my own single income.
I didn't pick Phoenix myself, I was thinking Dallas TX initially because years ago I lived there and I knew what to expect, sort of. I was clueless about AZ but my (evil) sister convinced me of it as being a good destination. So much for her sisterly love!
I am planning on relocating next summer because I didn't really like the job market in this town for my field, I know it is bad all over but the wages here really do suck even more mid-level IT jobs for seasoned pros. Also, majority of the jobs are contract only, a few are contract-to-hire which is generally a gimmick. Also not too crazy about the summer heat either. Anyhow, in short, I am not that happy here and want to try another place, perhaps Colorado. I was also considering Oregon but I changed my mind.
Anyhow, all that aside, Arizona is really not a bad spot, its close proximity makes moving easier and less expensive. After the housing bust, the SFR prices in most parts of Phoenix and Tucson has come down significantly, so if you got a decent job/income, even a decent size house would have a very affordable mortgage, unlike OC where those who purchased a home after 2001 are depressed with their mortgages and payments.
If you love the ocean/water and really cannot tolerate hot weather then Phoenix is not for you. You will hate the Summers, even if not at first, it will eventually get to you as it did to me (only after 2 summers)! It is dry heat, averaginf from 7%-20% average during the hot months May through mid-October, by June it will be reaching 100 degrees and will anywhere from 100 to 115 in June, this will continue till Mansoon hits, temperature will drop to high 90s, low 100s but the humidity will jump to 40%-60% which could make it miserable for some at that temperature/humidity. What really sucks is that in summer, during the day it is 107 at midnight it is still over 100 degrees!! The hottest time of the day in Phoenix: right before dusk, coolest day: right before dawn. By sunrise it warms up like 10 degrees in OC even on cold days, not here. Also it starts cooling off before sunset, not in Phoenix. You really must love heat if you consider living in Phoenix. I like sun and warm days but it was too much for me.
People are definitely more down-to-earth and sincere down here, no doubt on that except perhaps North parts of Scottsdale. I have run into people that are a lot more conceited and snobby acting than most any rich person in OC, quite a few pretenders too but overall it is not so bad. People rave about the quality of food and restaurants in Phoenix, I don't know, I don't eat out much but from what I experienced, it is not all that, at least not better than OC. Oc is a lot more crowded, more people, more cars and only several other metropolitan areas might match, so most other cities, even big ones like Phoenix will not seem that crowded. Phoenix is a sprawl-city, unlike OC where it is packed with little or no empty lots.
Cost of living is cheaper if you consider/include housing in the picture otherwise, it is a big bologna! Groceries shopping in Phoenix costs more than OC (I know hard to believe). Especially if you used Middleeastern/Iranian markets, you will be a bit disappointed with your shopping experience in Phoenix. Despite cheaper land/rent, all stores charge more here (plus 8.3% total sales tax) from grocery stores like Safeway and Albertsons to Trader Joe's and BestBuy, I did comparison shopping a year apart the same day in both places, hands down, most everything was anywhere from 5% to 20% cheaper in OC. So you will be saving a bundle from mortgage and property taxes if you lived in AZ instead of CA but both places have pluses and minuses that no one can possibly cover, everyone's take is going to be different. sorry for the long and possibly boring thread but here is a simple overview of cheaper things in both places that I personally know of:
Mortgage/Housing of a comparable SFR in a comparable area:
x3 more expensive in OC (due to that property taxes are also much more in OC)
What is Cheaper in Phoenix:
Gas, housing, property taxes, general repair charges (car, handyman), utility (water/trash/sewer).
What is Cheaper in OC:
Most groceries, utility (electric bill in Phoenix during the hot months could give you a heartattack! Even in months where no AC is used in my apartment it still stays around $50 where in OC it is $32 average yearround), general shopping and slightly the sales tax.
What was about the same:
Most claimed their vehicle registration and insurance went up in AZ, that was not the case with me. It was about the same for registration and insurance for my truck was actually quite a bit cheaper.
Annoying things in AZ (for me):
~ Apartments are required to charge tax! It is about 2%, so a 800 /month rent will actually be about $816 /month.
~ Average city/freeway speed is 10mph lower.
~ Not as many cops around (a plus) but bunch of photo radar immobile or mobile through out the state, heavily in city limits. Posted speed limit will go from 65mph to 55mph out-of-the-blue for no rhym or reason and if you were driving 70mph thinking you were OK, you'd find out how wrong you were because you got flashed at one of those 55mph sections by the photo radar. Ticket cost: $184!
~ Almost everyone has a gone, most carry it on themselves where most should not even be allowed to own one. You could get shot, regardless of where you are driving for <insert your own retarded reason>!
Other than that it is decent place to live but again, not for me hence my near future plans to gtfo.
Imho, one thing became clear to me, there is no 'perfect' place, in most cases, 'good enough' suffices but if you are not that happy where you are, then move while and if you can. I didn't mean to bash either place but just wanted to give you my $0.02!
Where did you choose to move & why?
What do/don't you miss about OC?
Would you do it again?
We moved to Apple Valley after spending most of my life in OC. I love everything about OC, and would still be there if I were still working.
We chose this spot primarily because it is an easy hour drive back to visit friends and relatives in OC, which we frequently do.
The cost of living is better here, it's a slower pace of life for our retirement. Less traffic, clear sky's, it's all good....
I can't say I miss OC, because I'm a frequent visitor. Would we move again..?Absolutely..! We have the best of both worlds now.. We sold our Yorba Linda home for enough to pay cash for a nicer, bigger, newer home here, and had plenty left to invest... and we really like living in the High desert, so we came out ahead all around....
1. Be closer to family (Kids did nto know Grandma and Grandpa)
2. Find a more wholesome atmosphere to raise our children.
3. Get out of the crazy never ending rush rush rush lifestyle.
4. We were planning to move anyway and could not find a place that we liked without massively increasing our debt or massively downsizing our house.
5. Wife was bored to death with the OC weather.
6. Be closer to higschool/college friends.
7. Have some elbow room.
8. Better places to play for kids (i.e. forests, rivers, lakes instead of parking lots, tiny parks and streets)
9. Time for a change.
What we miss about OC:
Friends.
Our Church.
Outstanding dining options.
Civic involvement
Charity involvement/Service club.
Sunshine.
Mountains.
Beaches (not as much as mountains, plus we have prettier beaches here, just cold water)
Desert (esp. Joshua Tree)
Roads with no potholes.
What we do not miss:
Smog
Traffic
Rush rush rush all the time.
Plastic/pretentious people (we have them here, but only in certain locations which are easy to avoid).
Driving kids to school.
Santa Ana winds
Earthquakes
Constant noise.
Graffitti
Having to watch kids all the time.
Temperatures over 100 degrees.
Waiting in line.
We would probably move agian, but we would do things differently. We missed the timing on real estate by a few months and lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. We have sometimes regretted moving, but other times clearly see that it was the best choice for our family. It can be difficult during some months where we get almost no sunshine here, especially since I return to OC about regularly for work and get a short dose of sunshine. However that is mostly during certian months (Late Novemebr/Early december
Higher prices.
Self centered people focused on how important they are or how important it is to hurry and no awareness of other people around them. (We have some here too, but they are easily avaoidable).
Last edited by Coldjensens; 12-05-2008 at 01:49 PM..
Where did you choose to move & why?
What do/don't you miss about OC?
Would you do it again?
We moved to Denver cause out of all the cities my husband could transfer his job, that was the best. We moved cause we wanted to stop renting to own. We looked into it and I didnt want to spend on a condo what we could get a house with a yard for in another state for less.
Theres not a lot I miss. About everything cost money and if we would have stayed we would be broke. Im not a beach person.
I dont miss the traffic
the bad air
the millions of people in a area not big enough for them
people thinking their better than you cause you dont drive a BMW
what can I say that someone didnt already say, theres so much to say about it
There is more I dont miss than do. Most of my family is there and some good friends. Thats all I dont have here.
For sure Id do it again, to have here what we could never have there.
I never lived in Orange County, but lived in Burbank and visited Newport Beach and Fullerton fairly often. I am now in Midwest, in a middle sized manufacturing town
I never liked Los Angeles. Too many mean people, crowds, hard to trust people. Somewhat of a predatory nature to it all, people will hustle and lie to you to get what they want. Over time it just wears away at you. Having said that , I briefly associated with some people on the outside near Ventura county, much friendlier. in general, when you got farther away from LOs Angeles, people are a little more normal.
So with all things being equal, if I had the cash flow and could live in a good area and work out of my house, I could see living in OC.
what I like about southern Cal is the sense of adventurousness in people: more entrepreneurial, people I thought were a bit friendlier than Los Angeles. More beautiful women as well. In the midwest there is a sense of clannishness or clique ness . .people will associate with the very same friends for a long time, not be open to others unless you are "one of them". In cali, more of a lets try it mentality. it takes a long time before some idea that originates elsewhere trickles in here.
I remember once wearing items of clothing and getting complimented on it in LA. One guy wanted to buy this shirt I was wearing he was so impressed with it (actually bought at a JC Penney overstock store in the Midwest) Another time I had this shirt which had a montage on it pertaining to the Soviet Union, in Cali I got compliments on it, in the Midwest people would try to start a fight over it. where I live is the only place where if people don't like what you are wearing, they will yell some insult from there car while they pass.
climate can be monotonous 70 and sunny all the time,but cold rain can be harsh to put up with in Midwest.
I really miss the double your coupons up to a dollar at OC grocery stores.
When you look out at night in OC and see the bright lights and and panoramic view, you can fell that this is place where anything is possible, where anything can be made real, where anything can be tried on
You can take the boy out of California but the California out of the boy.....
Where did you choose to move & why?
What do/don't you miss about OC?
Would you do it again?
Where did you choose to move & why? We moved to Del Mar (a suburb of San Diego). My husband's new job required he live in San Diego. The move almost cost us a divorce (seriously). I didn't want to move the 50 minutes south and uproot my family again (for the fourth time in 2 years).
What do/don't miss about OC? Do miss:
Friends
Everything close by
my children's school
my daughter's gymnastics
Don't miss:
plastics and pretensions
fakes
school tuition
Would you do it again?
Yes. Within three weeks, I couldn't remember why I opposed the move so much. Everyone we've met here is genuine and nice, truly interested in getting to know us and being friends.
We've contemplated a move back because I commute for my daughter's gymnastics and her hours are increasing (so I still spend 14 hours a week up there plus about 8 hours of driving) but I'd rather commute up and be extremely inconvenienced than move back!
Where did you choose to move & why?
What do/don't you miss about OC?
Would you do it again?
Moved to Kingwood, Texas (NE Houston). Initial reason was to have a house suitable for the size of our family, but not have a $5000 monthly mortgage anymore. But that alone would have never been a good enough reason alone to move. Another reason was to shed State income tax that obviously wasn't paying for our teachers or school district.
Both my wife and my salaries went up, the mortgage cut 60% for a home 3x larger with a property surrounded by beautiful trees and great neighbors, , daycare cut in 1/3, no state income tax, cost of living is decidely lower. Not utilities, but most everything else is 10-15% lower.
Honestly, I don't really miss anything so much that I pine over it. I live on the outskirts of a city of 4 million people here, no matter what I want I can find. I text my remaining family members almost daily and probably talk to them more now than before! I don't miss the 405.
I can count on one hand the things I miss, seeings snow-covered mountains once in a while is one of them. The smell of salt air is another. But I don't miss them that much. Asphalt freeways I miss, too. Damned these grooved concrete roads are so loud! haha.
But, I'd do it again.
It's easy for me to quantify the financial savings to you, but what I cannot tell you is just how much better life is for us here. I can breathe easy here. I live better PLUS I don't have that horrid dread in my stomach when time comes to make the house payment.
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