My fellow Californians..Are you struggling with the possibility of leaving? (San Diego: low crime, landscaping)

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by CityGirl72

I have only been gone four years and visit every couple of months

OK... just checking

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Have you been to San Antonio? I once thought it would be a great place to live because of the cost-of-living and lower-priced houses. Then I flew to San Antonio to look around, and nearly all of the houses throughout the cities are real dilipatated!! I could suddenly and immediately understand WHY they were priced the price they were.

Like this one for $132k?



Single Family Home - 10935 Antares Forest, SAN ANTONIO, TX, 78239 - Realtor.com

[SSIwillbebrokeby2010]

Originally Posted by Judy & Randy

Back in the `70's my hippie sister lived in OC. They all bought into a soothsayer that said LA was going to slide into the ocean 1 year then, so she believed it, moved from her rental and drew all her $ out her bank and headed up to Atascadero. Of course it never happened, just like the big scare of what was going to happen on 1/1/2000. Remember ? To be quite honest, the older I get and live thru unexpected earthquakes, volcanic eruptions(Mt. St. Helens), etc. I've found the "experts" really don't know much more of this stuff than us. But if you want to believe it, go ahead.

Hi Judy & Randy, Aren't you glad your sister left San Diego for Atascadero since that huge fire in San Diego happened this year?

[katmehl]

Originally Posted by NorCalMan

Whatever you do don't move to Redding. If there ever was an anti-Christ of cities then Redding would be it. Californian's often joke about a town being the meth capital of the world. In Redding's case this is not joke. A lot of residents have "sum'r teeth". Sum'r here, sum'r there. The summers are brutally hot. Two summers ago a 121 degree reading was recorded at the airport. It gets hot early and stays hot late. Chico, may be a bit better than Redding but, again, it was once called the meth capital of California too. Plus, there is a big gang problem in Chico and a very large Hispanic population to boot. Paradise might be your best bet, they seem to be a little more refined than the other two cities. Don't know if the have a Trader Joe's though.

Redding doesn't need the people who are critical of the town, but move & take our jobs, then complain about living here! Go back to your own town & problems that you left it for!! We don't want you!

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by goodbyehollywood

California is a state for the rich, the entitled, the very young and the very poor.

I disagree with you on the young aspect. As much as I love this state (have been here since age 6; born in Dallas, spent 4 yrs of college in Boulder, CO) I can't imagine a young person being able to afford to stay here. That's the unfortunate part...it used to be that nearly anyone could afford a starter home in a decent neighborhood and move up gradually from there. Not a possibility for any of our kids. And the strongest reason that people remain where they are--with the exception of their job--is undoubtedly family and friends. It's going to be a huge adjustment for this next generation and, I can't help but thinking, an unfair one.

[goodbyehollywood]

I hear you, CA4Now, and yes, it is difficult for people just starting out to build a life in CA. My point was, that when you are very young-- say, right out of college-- you are willing to tolerate more. You don't mind having roommates so much or living in a small apartment that's not the greatest and scrimping on food-- it's pretty much what you're used to. But it gets old and when that happens, that's when the shine wears off CA.

Much of CA is like NYC-- you have to pay more for less in order to live there. The appeal of this fades for many, as years pass and one longs for things not easily achieved in CA.

Good luck to you, wherever you go (or stay)!

[abcde]

Originally Posted by dogmom

The grass is NOT always greener somewhere else. Hubby and I are native, i.e. born in SoCal, Californians and almost 3 years ago we sold our property in Newcastle (east of Sac) on 3 acres to move to southern Utah. Thought it would be cheaper to live here...wrong! We should have at least rented before we purchased a home..boneheads! This place is at least 20 years behind California in everything...the drivers are horrendous (open book test), weather is freakin hot in the summer (yes worse than Sac, does not cool at night, no delta breeze here) and freaking cold in the winter. It's dry, dry, dry, I don't think my skin will ever recover, everything is brown or red, very little green, stick trees in our area since it is newer. Not to mention the culture!

House is for sale, not sure yet what we are going to do, we can't afford to buy what we sold, but we could sure afford to buy in Lincoln, Roseville or Rocklin. Our son is in Lincoln. We are retired so don't need a huge place, and want to be close to shopping and activities. But I miss the Sierras and the relatively short drive to Tahoe, or the other way to the Bay area or even north coast.

Just have to sell....aarrghh!

Be careful what you wish for...

Wow, read this and it sounded like it came out of my mouth:

The grass is NOT always greener somewhere else. Hubby and I are native, i.e. born in SoCal, Californians and almost 8 years ago we sold our property in Palos Verdes, South Bay area of So Cal. Thought it would be cheaper to live here...wrong! We should have at least rented (for a few years) before we purchased a home..boneheads! This place is at least 20 years behind California in everything...the drivers are horrendous (open book test), weather too humid for me and the animals, parasites, wild pigs, bugs, fungus, mold, mildew!!! No infrastructure what so ever. Not to mention the culture (don't even get me started on this one)!

I can't wait to get back to CA, maybe not southern cal, too crowded now, but further north. Heck, at this point, I'll take anything on the mainland. I don't even care if our house sells, we bought it cheap enough in 2000.

[dogmom]

Originally Posted by abcde

Wow, read this and it sounded like it came out of my mouth:

The grass is NOT always greener somewhere else. Hubby and I are native, i.e. born in SoCal, Californians and almost 8 years ago we sold our property in Palos Verdes, South Bay area of So Cal. Thought it would be cheaper to live here...wrong! We should have at least rented (for a few years) before we purchased a home..boneheads! This place is at least 20 years behind California in everything...the drivers are horrendous (open book test), weather too humid for me and the animals, parasites, wild pigs, bugs, fungus, mold, mildew!!! No infrastructure what so ever. Not to mention the culture (don't even get me started on this one)!

I can't wait to get back to CA, maybe not southern cal, too crowded now, but further north. Heck, at this point, I'll take anything on the mainland. I don't even care if our house sells, we bought it cheap enough in 2000.

Sounds like you are in Hawaii??

[abcde]

How could I forget to mention the vog, and, of course, how expensive everything is because of the taxes and transportation costs? Warning to anyone with children - do not put them in the public school system.

But this is what the locals want, they don't want development here, and they will try to discourage mainlanders from transplanting here any way they can.

Yes, dogmom, Hawaii. You are lucky (or smart), at least you did not move that far from California, like we did.

[AZtoWhere]

I'm new to the board, but a Cali native who left in 1985 and unless I win the lottery, I have no hope of moving back home. It's too expensive. Even if my boyfriend and I sold both our houses, I doubt we could find a house we could afford with enough room for our dogs. Finding a house with land for our horses is out of the question.

They say you can't go home again, but I never thought it meant you couldn't afford to go home again!

I strongly suggest that if you move out of state and make a killing on the old house you sold, and the new house you buy, that you put the extra in savings, because if you decide to move back, you'll need every dime you have to get home.

The only thing more depressing than not being able to go home is that I still live in Phoenix and it's 110 outside and it's going to be in that neighborhood for the next 3 months before we drop down into the cool, refreshing 90s (yes, that was sarcastic).