Move Dilemma - uproot everything for perfect weather and active life? (San Diego: sales, 2013)

[hitman619]

Originally Posted by MoveDilemma

Just saw these houses online on delsur living website. There are houses in delsur community starting in low $600K and low $800k. This community is 16-18 miles from La Jolla office. I see elementary school is Delsur elementary rated 10 on greatschools. What's the catch here?

Residence 3 - Prado At Del Sur - San Diego Home for Sale | Standard Pacific Homes

Del Sur Elementary is part of Poway Unified School district, one of the top School Districts in the nation.
That area along Camino Del Sol is still Building and is very Nice. Lots of canyons nearby so get use to living with animals

[eu4ea]

Originally Posted by MoveDilemma

Just saw these houses online on delsur living website. There are houses in delsur community starting in low $600K and low $800k. This community is 16-18 miles from La Jolla office. I see elementary school is Delsur elementary rated 10 on greatschools. What's the catch here?

Residence 3 - Prado At Del Sur - San Diego Home for Sale | Standard Pacific Homes

Hi MoveDilemma, good luck on your decision!

On the place you mention, there is a high MelloRoos. See https://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Diego/.../home/58881378 . Between Mello Roos and HOA, it is an extra $500 a month.

The other potential issue would be the commute time, especially depending on which part of La Jolla your husband would be headed to. He could be looking at 30-45 minutes.

I sent you a DirectMessage as well.

[MoveDilemma]

Just looking at numbers, if we go with a new house in a community like delsur , looks like we will still be able to have the similar financial flexibility we currently have i.e., one salary goes straight to savings a/c and other salary of $120K takes care of mortgage & living expenses. After maxing out 401K looking at take home pay of ~$5500

For a $800K house with 25% down payment on a 30 year mortgage , does the below numbers look correct? With no other debt after house payment we have ~$1300 left for food, utilities and so on... Looking at past one year spending trends on mint--- food, utilities, shopping etc , averages $2k a month at most. If not maxing out 401K , we will be fine living with just one salary and saving the other. We have been always comfortable with a mind set to not to think about second salary. If in case our child gets accepted to top private schools, we will need to dip into second salary for 2k to 2.5k a month.


Your payment
$4,161
P&I
$2,694
Insurance
$167
Taxes
$800
HOA
$500

[Pedro2000]

Originally Posted by photo4fun

I have a coworker who moved from Houston to SD for the exactly same reasons: weather, active life, top notch public schools. He doesn't regret at all.

I don't think anybody will regret it due to weather, but long term, it's not about regret, it's just about the fact it's not exactly a smart decision. You will have to sacrifice vacations, savings, space, and for some people, career growth. Most people just like to pretend this never happens, but it's the reality. And what happens if one loses half the the income? Happens all the time, in Texas, $120K per year with the savings they had is far more doable than SD. It might never happen, but it does now and again and places like SD on $120K per year are far different than Dallas.

The other sad truth is many companies in California are moving to Texas in one way or another. Nothing like moving to SD and wind up working for a company who moves everybody to Texas. Or doesn't move them and people are forced to relocate or find new jobs. This isn't just a San diego challenge, it's pretty much a California one.


In the long run, I think it's why people need to make SD be something it's not because no matter how you slice it, you will wind up having a far different lifestyle. And remember any of the $650K houses in good areas get bought quickly and sometimes for more than what is listed. That is the SD market for places with good school systems.

The reality in SD is that for most people, they will probably lose out on a few million extra in savings or retirement, go on far less vacations, live in a much smaller place with little yard, and most people don't even enjoy all the things SD has to offer anyway. It's like this dream place, but you talk to a lot of people who never even go to the beach or hike. It's almost like, you moved to SD to live out in Rancho Bernardo, go to work, go home, and just say you live in SD? Ok, I guess it was worth it then.

We can laugh at that statement, but it's the truth. And it's not really just a SD thing, more like many people like to pretend they will move and do all these things they never did back home. But they wind up doing the same things. I hear a lot of people brag about the "surf in the morning and snowboard/ski in the afternoon" and the truth is they do neither so it's kind of pointless.

People get into trouble and many leave SD within a few years because they don't accept reality. Your normal everyday life in Texas is probably going to be your normal everyday life in San Diego. Except in a smaller place with less money. So think of it in those terms. If you can accept that because you can visit the beach once every so often or hit up big bear a couple times a year, you will love it. If you pretend that you will live a far different lifestyle with less money available to you, you will wind up leaving or pretending SD is something it is not like many do. Nothing wrong with that, but they just refuse to accept the reality of the situation.

My opinion is that it makes no sense for most people that move and force themselves to stay in SD, but don't like the beach or go to the beach. It really becomes one of those bad examples of people not really moving to the right place. People can pretend it's not about that, but it really is. If you aren't and never were or plan to become a beach person, you're moving to a more expensive place just to say you live here and nothing more.

[ucctgg]

Originally Posted by MoveDilemma

....
Here in Dallas, one full salary goes straight to savings a/c.

The First time I read that I thought you were putting one full salary into a/c -- air conditioning!

[GuyInSD]

If you do decide to move here, stay within 5 miles or so of the coast (unless you like living where running an air conditioner is mandatory to be comfortable).

[MoveDilemma]

Originally Posted by ucctgg

The First time I read that I thought you were putting one full salary into a/c -- air conditioning!

[happyinca]

If you are OK with inland, and you said you were consider Poway. You can get a nice home for $600,000 and the schools are the top rated in the county. Your property taxes would be around $7,200 per year. Nice homes there and most won't have Mello-Roos and no HOA's. There are some mansions there and many of the Charger players live out there, but there are many homes in the $600,000 range.

Commute to/from La Jolla depending if it is "Downtown La Jolla" or closer to the UTC area would be about 30 - 40 minutes each way to/from work. You can also look at University City (close to La Jolla) but higher housing costs and schools are OK, not as good as Poway.

[tiforever]

MoveDilemma -
Dallas...yeah, I've been there. Yep, it's hot! I currently live in Suburbia outside of Memphis and OBVIOUSLY while I love my small town of 11500 that lacks several conveniences, our end game is not to stay here. It never has been. If you don't know much about Memphis, look it up. If the crime rates aren't enough to make you want to pack up your guns and leave town, the stifling heat and humidity are. Not to mention my husband works outside in it.

We have no family here, each are 5-6 hours away. They may visit once per year.

We have a nice, almost 3000 sq ft home in an outstanding neighborhood with children scattered throughout. My children's schools are exceptional. I work at a place that only exists here and it's great (but my profession is versatile). With all that said, when my husband mentioned CA, my first thought was "that is NOT where we had planned to go...EVER." Now that I've researched the area, I believe in my heart that we could make it work for all of us. The job isn't an issue, that is why we would be moving and the job is secured and open whenever he wants it.

At the end of the day, it's about what makes you happy. I left a career making a lot more money than I do now and have not looked back once. I should have done it sooner!

THIS is not where I want to live, yet we are obviously making the best of it and going through the daily motions. I expect nothing less if we end up in SD. Happy hunting!

[eu4ea]

Originally Posted by MoveDilemma

Just looking at numbers, if we go with a new house in a community like delsur , looks like we will still be able to have the similar financial flexibility we currently have i.e., one salary goes straight to savings a/c and other salary of $120K takes care of mortgage & living expenses. After maxing out 401K looking at take home pay of ~$5500

For a $800K house with 25% down payment on a 30 year mortgage , does the below numbers look correct? With no other debt after house payment we have ~$1300 left for food, utilities and so on... Looking at past one year spending trends on mint--- food, utilities, shopping etc , averages $2k a month at most. If not maxing out 401K , we will be fine living with just one salary and saving the other. We have been always comfortable with a mind set to not to think about second salary. If in case our child gets accepted to top private schools, we will need to dip into second salary for 2k to 2.5k a month.


Your payment
$4,161
P&I
$2,694
Insurance
$167
Taxes
$800
HOA
$500

I may be too much of an optimist, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I think it works. There are a lot of areas that I would think could have potential for you. As everyone has stated, you are going to get a lot less house (size, yard, quality), but you are getting land in a nicer place.

On private schools, there are some interesting lesser known options to consider. For instance,

Mission Bay Montessori (in University City, pretty close to La Jolla, actually)
Del Mar Pines (in Carmel Valley)

I am sure there are many other options as well, but both of these are 13k or less a year, with very high quality academics in my opinion.

There are a lot of very strong public schools around as well.

Maybe you rent for a year in an area who has public schools that could work for you while you get your bearings and decide what the best area is for you.