cost of living in the oc (Fresno, Sacramento: real estate, apartment, rent)

[londonman]

Hi
my perception wether right or wrong of living in the oc , laguna hills thousand oaks , is that it is very expensive - ive been looking into moving there for a while now ,
now moving there and buying a house would not be a problem financially but i do not want to move there to find that everything is so expensive - can you survive or live comfortably there on 40k a year there? with family 2 kids? what kind of salary would one need to be pulling in to pay the bills and rates excluding mortgage/rent as i have already accounted for this

[yukiko11]

Ok, so, if you want to live in OC I am assuming you have 600,000-1,000,000 or more cash to buy a house or you inherited a property.
Utilitiy rates are about the same as in other areas, but water is a little more expensive and if you have air conditioning, you have more electrical expense.
Auto insurance is very expensive, especially when you first get here and the rates are based not only on your driving record, but the distance you travel per year.
Real estate taxes are also expensive. My friend paid 367K for her 1 bdrm home on the edge of OC and her taxes are 5K/yr
Food is about the same cost as other places and if you use outlet stores and farmers markets you can actually save.
Entertainment is extremely expensive and every venue is crowded and sometimes the hassle isn't worth it.
However, there are all types of local events like arts and crafts shows that are fun and free.
If you live simply, you can afford to live there if you have the initial cash to invest, but you know, there are a lot of other places in the world to live, if you have that much cash and be a lot better off.

[AKgirlinCA]

$40k per year in OC is NOT going to cut it, especially if that is supposed to support a family. Look more inland, maybe even the desert areas like Palm Springs....

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by londonman

Hi
my perception wether right or wrong of living in the oc , laguna hills thousand oaks , is that it is very expensive - ive been looking into moving there for a while now ,
now moving there and buying a house would not be a problem financially but i do not want to move there to find that everything is so expensive - can you survive or live comfortably there on 40k a year there? with family 2 kids? what kind of salary would one need to be pulling in to pay the bills and rates excluding mortgage/rent as i have already accounted for this

40K with 2 kids? You gotta be kidding. That would be enough for a single person to live in a studio apartment (or rent a room if he/she actually wants to save some money).

Even the cheaper inland areas are not that cheap (Riverside, San Bernardino, Palm Springs, Sacramento, Fresno, etc). The cost of living in the inland areas is still well above the national average.

But with 2 kids, that is going to be miserable.

By the way, Thousand Oaks is not in Orange County. It is further north, in Ventura County...although a 40K income with 2 kids would not be a good existence in either place.

I would say 80K would be the absolute MINIMUM income here with 2 kids. And even at that level, you're probably going to be renting an apartment/condo.

[RobE]

40K in a decent area anywhere in California is pretty much impossible. For that kind of money, maybe somewhere in the South or Midwest.

Even renting with a family that size in CA would be a pretty tough row to hoe.

[Central Illinois 1]

I noticed that your handle was "londonman". Are you from the UK? If so, is the 40K income you mentioned in British pounds or in US dollars? If it is the latter, Orange County living is almost certainly out of reach. If it is the former, you might be able to purchase a very modest home in certain parts of the county (NOT anywhere near the beaches) as long as you don't have any other major debt.

[jc76]

Originally Posted by RobE

40K in a decent area anywhere in California is pretty much impossible. For that kind of money, maybe somewhere in the South or Midwest.

Even renting with a family that size in CA would be a pretty tough row to hoe.

Bring your 40K to our oppressed state and live like a king! We are like the Mexico of the U.S. minus the sunshine and warm air.
I'd say if you have a kid, or kids, or any kind of family and only make 40K not to waste your time and money in CA...anywhere decent in CA anyways. The state is out of it's mind with housing and rent cost, though my dream of living there is alive, it seems to be shrinking with all I read here.
Good Luck to you. I don't mean to sound so negative but it seems that negative is all I hear about California lately. Sucks too because it's many of our dreams to live there and it don't look like it will happen for many of us.

PS- I always thought "The OC" was south of LA??? Better do my homework

[yukiko11]

The OP said he was not worried about the cost of housing, only living in OC. I thought at first, that it would be possible, but if the property is worth 1,000,000. The taxes could be about half of that income and living would be impossible. I am sorry, OP. That is not enough to live in OC.

[macsret]

jc76, where is your opressed stated? Not getting smart with you, just asking a REAL question

jOE

Originally Posted by jc76

Bring your 40K to our oppressed state and live like a king!

[londonman]

i was under the impression you can buy houses in laguna hills for 400k?? im looking to buy house out right so no morgage needed - my earnings will still be in uk pounds but i was just trying to gage what kind of salary would be needed