Final Decision - we are moving to SD (San Diego, Sacramento: sales, rental homes)

[tiforever]

I haven't been too terribly active on the forum in a couple of months because I wanted to wait until our trip was over to see if we are moving or not. If the trip wasn't good, then there was no need in more crazy research than I've already done.

We were smart, we rented a car and stayed in a hotel in Del Mar that was NOT on the beach. We chose Del Mar to stay because we were pretty confident from research that North County was better suited for us. We looked at neighborhoods that I'd seen from prior rental sites and took a look at current rental homes/neighborhoods to get a feel of what kind of area we can afford. Rancho Bernardo seemed like a good match prior to the visit and in fact, that's the same area (and Carmel Valley, I think) that really appealed to us.

So, in the next 9-10 months, we are getting everything prepared to sell, move, etc. Both of us will more than likely be taking travel jobs initially, (we have all the data on that, which is why we are moving). Basically, husband has a spot when he's ready. We have to figure out from a tax standpoint what's going to make the most sense. We will not be buying a house.

I was surprised to find the sales tax rate lower than our current one. State taxes are another story. We have a lot of research to do on the best way to go about that. We did go to regular places like Costco, Whole Foods and the grocery stores to compare pricing. We were shocked that many things were cheaper (including beer - yay)!

Pros: The weather. Wow. I had to wear long sleeves at night sometimes. I rarely wear long sleeves here, even in the winter. On our return home, we stepped out of the airport and melted on the curb. The traffic: my husband surprisingly loved the interstate drivers, as they all drive exactly like him. Gotta get there NOW NOW NOW. The culture is extremely mixed and I don't forsee an issue with that. We saw quite a bit of panhandlers, but that's not out of the ordinary compared to where I'm from. Your beggars are halfway decent.

Cons: You SD folks don't know the definition of "personal space," lol. It shows in everything. My husband is concerned with the density of the housing, but it was exactly what I expected. With that said, most neighborhoods we visited were very quiet. Our life in suburbia has spoiled us, but I don't feel like I have THAT much privacy even with ample room between neighbors here.

I will continue to post questions as I think of them and I'd like to reiterate that this forum alone has taught me or led me in the right direction more than any research I've done outside of here. Thanks again!

Old post: //www.city-data.com/forum/san-d...ks-lurker.html

[kettlepot]

Regarding personal space, meaning house lot sizes, when a 5000 square foot lot (sans house) is easily worth $250k and more like $300k, a 1/2 acre exurban estate with a 2500 sq ft house would cost $1.5m - $2m. Prices that high persuade people to forego personal space.

Regarding cheap booze, we have a powerful alcohol industry in California who have acquired a strong ownership stake in Sacramento. That keeps our alcohol taxes fairly low while other taxes continue to rise.

[Cardiff Kook]

A lot can change in 9-10 months. Hopefully you follow through with your plan. Good luck.

[tiforever]

Originally Posted by kettlepot

Regarding personal space, meaning house lot sizes, when a 5000 square foot lot (sans house) is easily worth $250k and more like $300k, a 1/2 acre exurban estate with a 2500 sq ft house would cost $1.5m - $2m. Prices that high persuade people to forego personal space.

Regarding cheap booze, we have a powerful alcohol industry in California who have acquired a strong ownership stake in Sacramento. That keeps our alcohol taxes fairly low while other taxes continue to rise.

I understand that, I assure you. That's our plan (but we only have 1/4 or slightly larger acre). Good news is that it's much less grass to mow, right?

Husband spent 2 years in SD while in the Navy, and even as someone who has never been (myself), I did notice the absence of a lot of green. Seems like the drought is hitting hard.

[malcorub16]

^^^ It has never really been green, no matter what time of year it is.

[tiforever]

Originally Posted by Cardiff Kook

A lot can change in 9-10 months. Hopefully you follow through with your plan. Good luck.

You are absolutely right about that. We figure if everything lines up and works out, it was meant to be. If entirely too much changes in SD or some terrible event happens here, we will re-evaluate. I just can't make myself rush to uproot my family across country. My husband's job is stable here, but the working conditions are getting worse by the month. If it changes too rapidly, at least we have a plan and will speed things up if necessary. If not San Diego, then we definitely have a plan B & C.

[luxelife]

Originally Posted by tiforever

I haven't been too terribly active on the forum in a couple of months because I wanted to wait until our trip was over to see if we are moving or not. If the trip wasn't good, then there was no need in more crazy research than I've already done.

We were smart, we rented a car and stayed in a hotel in Del Mar that was NOT on the beach. We chose Del Mar to stay because we were pretty confident from research that North County was better suited for us. We looked at neighborhoods that I'd seen from prior rental sites and took a look at current rental homes/neighborhoods to get a feel of what kind of area we can afford. Rancho Bernardo seemed like a good match prior to the visit and in fact, that's the same area (and Carmel Valley, I think) that really appealed to us.

So, in the next 9-10 months, we are getting everything prepared to sell, move, etc. Both of us will more than likely be taking travel jobs initially, (we have all the data on that, which is why we are moving). Basically, husband has a spot when he's ready. We have to figure out from a tax standpoint what's going to make the most sense. We will not be buying a house.

I was surprised to find the sales tax rate lower than our current one. State taxes are another story. We have a lot of research to do on the best way to go about that. We did go to regular places like Costco, Whole Foods and the grocery stores to compare pricing. We were shocked that many things were cheaper (including beer - yay)!

Pros: The weather. Wow. I had to wear long sleeves at night sometimes. I rarely wear long sleeves here, even in the winter. On our return home, we stepped out of the airport and melted on the curb. The traffic: my husband surprisingly loved the interstate drivers, as they all drive exactly like him. Gotta get there NOW NOW NOW. The culture is extremely mixed and I don't forsee an issue with that. We saw quite a bit of panhandlers, but that's not out of the ordinary compared to where I'm from. Your beggars are halfway decent.

Cons: You SD folks don't know the definition of "personal space," lol. It shows in everything. My husband is concerned with the density of the housing, but it was exactly what I expected. With that said, most neighborhoods we visited were very quiet. Our life in suburbia has spoiled us, but I don't feel like I have THAT much privacy even with ample room between neighbors here.

I will continue to post questions as I think of them and I'd like to reiterate that this forum alone has taught me or led me in the right direction more than any research I've done outside of here. Thanks again!

Old post: //www.city-data.com/forum/san-d...ks-lurker.html

Welcome to San Diego. Coming from Tennessee, you'll love the weather but you'll get less sized home in San Diego than you are used to in Tennessee. Over all, the beach culture is great and you'll love it. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Always Happy to Help. - philip / luxelife

[breeze823]

Originally Posted by tiforever

I understand that, I assure you. That's our plan (but we only have 1/4 or slightly larger acre). Good news is that it's much less grass to mow, right?

Husband spent 2 years in SD while in the Navy, and even as someone who has never been (myself), I did notice the absence of a lot of green. Seems like the drought is hitting hard.

san diego isn't green...to natives we see green and "seasonal" changes but to someone coming from tn, i imagine you will not notice the green haha..

[AADAD]

Remember "personal space" applies to driving also. San Diego drivers are some of the worst for being ON your bumper.

[hitman619]

Originally Posted by AADAD

Remember "personal space" applies to driving also. San Diego drivers are some of the worst for Driving 50 in a 65, and thinking its ok to do so.

I fixed it for you