The Truth about California from a former west coast Girl... (Santa Ana: cheap home, job transfer)

[skyway31]

Originally Posted by yukiko11

Prove it. But only if you have moved here recently which is what we are talking about. Don't tell me about you living in your paid off house in the valley or orange county that you bought 30 years ago. If you have a valid arguement, I am sure the people interested in this post will take your advice and I will agree.

LOL you're the one who made absurd assertions about EVERYONE and that there's not new housing. So, the burden of proof is on you.

However, I can offer a couple fun facts:
1) I make $48k. I live in a very nice apartment in Hermosa Beach, which is a very nice community. There are no roach issues and the crime here is among the lowest of any community in the country. So, in regards to your assertion that everyone in that income range lives in roach and crime-infested areas...you lose. Game over.

2) "Everything is 30-80 years old and no new housing" is such a worthless over generalization it's hilarious. First you'd have to support that with facts. And, for it to be relevant, said supporting facts would have to also show how OC and California have less new housing than other places. Certainly, anyone who drives through OC and down the 5 freeway would not have the impression that there are no ne houses. In fact, there is a segment of the population that thinks there is TOO MUCH new housing. For instance, many on this site have mentioned how they prefer the older, more classic San Clemente over the newer housing subdivision in the hills east of town. That's just one example.

*Oh, and I moved to California in August of 2002. And I've lived in several different places in that seven year period.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by yukiko11

I disagree. This last winter we had an extremely harsh niter which resulted in a lot of people being showed in. I live in a rural lake community, I was snowed in for 18 days and I drive a 4X4 but couldn't get out. The snow was so deep, I could not get to the road because my driveway is 200 ft long and when the snow plows finally came after 5 days the wall of snow across the drive way was 4 ft tall. It was so bad, the usual infrastructure could not support Seattle or our county. That is the first really impossible harsh winter I have ever experienced since 1991 when I first moved here.
There are definitely dark and rainy days, however my experience has been that they clan asst from about October to June. This month in June the weather has been clear and fair for the last 4 week. This is like the summer weather in July or August. Maybe the weather is changing in our favor. I hope those who love agree with me.
If you are willing to pay 300-400 K in N snohomish county where I live you can buy a 3-4 bd home built recently on a 1/4-1.0 acre lot or more. There are a lot of issues with the weather which can be drizzly and dark. You can research this on the Washington posts. However, You have to decide for your self if this place is for you.

I've post a lot in the WA forum and familiar with Thurston and Pierce Counties... don't forget in addition to Washingtonians being snowed in last winter... a few years back we had 30 days of straight rain in Olympia causing mud slides and even Amtrak rail closure...

No doubt about it... it's not unusual for CA transplants in Western WA to have issues with the weather... some of my native WA neighbors have retired to AZ and New Mexico... Often one spouse will love it and the other will despise it...

I love Western WA weather... snow, rain and all...

My previous post might not have been clear in that I am referring to reasons Mid-Westerners have moved to CA and not having to deal with winter weather was always in the top 2...

"Went to a wedding over the weekend and met a number of new Californians... most from the mid-West like Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Missouri and 2 from WA... common complaint about home was the weather... especially the never ending days of grey or shoveling snow..."

[Ludachris]

Originally Posted by Raelyn28

Therefore, I chose to post my thread and I don't regret the name I gave it. It is me and I am free and able to do as I please. Once again it is a free country so stop trying to change my thread or it's title... If those of you do not like the title than don't read it, skip it and read something else.

And I would skip it or read something else, but like you, I'm trying to be helpful to those trying to make an informed decision about the state. It doesn't make sense to not reply to a thread where outsiders are being led to believe one person's experience with Orange County should be seen as the "truth" about the entire state by way of the title.

I personally have no experience with living in Orange County. But since this thread is titled the way it is, I felt the need to chime in so that people who fail to see that this thread lives in the OC sub-forum might mistakenly think that this viewpoint/opinion is common throughout the state. And that would not be accurate.

[skyway31]

Originally Posted by Ludachris

And I would skip it or read something else, but like you, I'm trying to be helpful to those trying to make an informed decision about the state. It doesn't make sense to not reply to a thread where outsiders are being led to believe one person's experience with Orange County should be seen as the "truth" about the entire state by way of the title.

I personally have no experience with living in Orange County. But since this thread is titled the way it is, I felt the need to chime in so that people who fail to see that this thread lives in the OC sub-forum might mistakenly think that this viewpoint/opinion is common throughout the state. And that would not be accurate.

And that is exactly why I'm here as well.

[BlaQyrD]

Now fpr someone living in Anaheim, those issues that are so minor compared to much worse things going on in California, well the country in that case. I moved from Chicago, to L.A. in 1988, i love the state. It has it bad and good like any other place. People seems to think, you wanna be safe, move to Malibu, Hell Malibu is not untouchable, no where is. I laugh at people i see on T.V new that say, this is not that type of neighborhood,. these things dont happen here, and you have some resident on the street, in a milllion dollar home manufacturing Meth in the House. It all about what your tolerence level is. Im use to the soond of gun shots on a daily bases, But i go on with my life, and be careful, and try not to Run in the direction of the gun shots to help anyone possibly getting shot. Traffic, Can't avoid, so you develop alternate routes, i drove from hawthorne to anaheim hills every morning up the 91 fwy my trip time was 45 mins, and 25 mins with a carpool. and that was at 7am. You have to adjust, you have to adjust to traffic, gangs, crime, smog...OMG. but i would trade your issues in a heartbeat...gotta take the good with the BAD.......or move to Artic Circle. no traffic there. Peace

[Donn2390]

Originally Posted by yukiko11

This is your chance to prove me wrong and actually, I would be happy if you would, because so many people on this site want to move to CA. But you have to have moved here within the last two years and you have to be earning wages I quoted of 30-50K/yr. Don't tell me about you living in your paid off house in the valley or orange county that you bought 30 years ago. If you have a current valid arguement, I am sure the people interested in this post will take your advice and I will agree.

Things were no different 30-50 years ago. Yes, I bought my first home for $27k, many years ago. Pretty cheap, huh..??
However, I was making $60 a week at that time.!! It doesn't matter how much a home cost, or how much you make, you can own a nice home if you want to. It means sacrifice and discipline. It doesn't matter how much you make, it matters how you use the money you make.
I sold my last home in the hills of Yorba Linda for $900k, and never made more than $50k a year in all my working years.. The YL home was owned free and clear. It can be done, it depends on the person and their sense of entitlement.. Some people expect things to be handed to them...
If you don't have the will and the gumption to do likewise, blame yourself, not Orange County, or California in general.
It was refreshing to find that, after living in and enjoying OC for over 50 years, I could come here and find out the "Real Truth" from a youngster who stopped by for a brief amount of time, and failed in their quest to live the good life...!
We would love for all those people who are unhappy with California, move to the location of your dreams. If you're happy where you now live, wonderful.. I suggest you limit your false information to the people on your present states web site... Some people prefer the truth....

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

...or shoveling snows

Have they stopped making teenagers? Besides, in retirement and with a well-stocked larder, a goodly supply of firewood and a back-up generator I may just wait 'til the stuff melts.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Donn2390

Things were no different 30-50 years ago.

Oh yes they were. Very different. I moved to Newport Beach in 1952 and lived there off-and-on (military family and in the military on my own) until 1974. In those days it was primarily young families, zero crime, clear skies, except during June Gloom, and you could see Catalina and Saddleback the better part of 11 months out of the year. In other words, from no to very little smog. The population spoke primarily English, the streets were safe for children and gangs were something from West Side Story, even in Santa Ana.

Orange County was covered with orange orchards with two lane roads between them being your primary way around. Conspicuous consumption was not yet in the lexicon, nor were McMansions. There was more agriculture than cement and with the possible exception of Tin Can Beach (Huntington) the beaches were clean and not too crowded even during Easter Week.

You may take some exception to the OPs original post, which I think could be helpful to many, but please don't compound it by saying it's like it was 30 to 50 years ago in Orange County. That's not even close!

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Have they stopped making teenagers? Besides, in retirement and with a well-stocked larder, a goodly supply of firewood and a back-up generator I may just wait 'til the stuff melts.

My guess it's a Worker's Comp or Tax Employment Issue

In seriousness... I've never had to drive to work in snow, sleet or ice and I imagine it can wear on a person overtime... not to mention slip and falls...

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

My guess it's a Worker's Comp or Tax Employment Issue

In seriousness... I've never had to drive to work in snow, sleet or ice and I imagine it can wear on a person overtime... not to mention slip and falls...

I've done it many a time. It would be different if I knew I had to do it five days a week. That can wear on you. Now I will be able to just sit back and enjoy the scenery. Where we're going we'll have four distinct and well-defined seasons, which we love, and none of them will be overly harsh.