Giving up on my California Dream, for now... :S

[CAVA1990]

I would suggest making more money. You'll find CA much more liveable on a higher income.

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

I would suggest making more money. You'll find CA much more liveable on a higher income.

The higher the income the worse it is! Paid over $44,000 in CA income taxes last year before the Prop. 30 tax increase. Taxes are a greater expense than housing!

Even if SF was the same price or lower than other places it would not compensate for the overcrowding.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by capoeira

The higher the income the worse it is! Paid over $44,000 in CA income taxes last year before the Prop. 30 tax increase. Taxes are a greater expense than housing!

Even if SF was the same price or lower than other places it would not compensate for the overcrowding.

My B.S. meter just tripped. Either you're pulling our legs or you're one of the world's worst money managers.

[dalparadise]

Originally Posted by loloroj

I am from the Bay Area, I went to school in San Francisco, that is my home city. So I have far more of an understanding of what has taken place in that town than you ever will have. The City is shutting down public schools, primarily because the gentrification of the town has made it impossible for families to afford to live in its confines. The city is divided into the ultra rich and the ultra poor, where Chinatown houses some of the poorest people in CA. The Bay is dead, that's why the fishing fleet is mostly gone, because pollution has destroyed a very vibrant part of the local economy. One of the saddest things was seeing boat after boat having a 'For Sale' sign simply because they can't make a living. Sorry, but you're one of those delusional posers who make their way to the cool, gray city by the bay every year, who take far more than they give, and destroy the environment which supports the whole thing in the first place. And it's no surprise that you work in advertising, the one business (only someone who doesn't understand real work would call it an industry) where delusional thinking makes others believe in nonsense.

You anonymously make broad assumptions about someone you don't know--call names, even--and accuse me of destroying the environment in San Francisco and expect to be taken seriously? Nicely done.

By the way, I'm neither ultra rich, nor ultra poor and I live a very comfortable life in the City. I initially took a 20% pay cut to come out to California and worked very hard to earn that back in six months.

Would you care to explain why you consider anyone who isn't from here is a "delusional poseur"? Is there nothing good in your California for people to seek? Is there nothing good in people who love California from afar and muster the means to seek their dream?

Or, are you just envious that you can't make it work? I'll resist making the same kinds of assumptions about you that you made about me. mod cutRegardless, I can't imagine why you would want to crap all over someone who is honestly not affecting your life in the least, despite your allegations that I and my like have somehow decimated the local fishing industry (that's awesome, by the way).

[socalbetty]

Why do you have to buy? If you want to live here that bad- rent. I understand that renting is not an investment, but if you really re-evaluate your priorities you can make it happen. Best of Luck

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by socalbetty

Why do you have to buy? If you want to live here that bad- rent. I understand that renting is not an investment, but if you really re-evaluate your priorities you can make it happen. Best of Luck

Neither should purchasing be. A house should be a home, not an investment.

[Ruth4Truth]

Nothing says you have to buy in CA. You can rent. Compared to salary, rents are reasonable. Salaries are much lower in the NW and SW, but rents are not that far from CA rents. From that perspective, CA rents are a bargain.

[Nicegurl]

I am a native Californian. I grew up in Los Angeles and now live in the bay area. Life hasn't always been easy here; but overall, California has been good to me. However, I had to live overseas for four years to truly appreciate my birth state. You CAN find affordable housing in the bay area, but you may have to look in Solano and Contra Costa Counties. Some areas are more affordable than others, so you would need to do your homework. Depending upon what type of job you are looking for will determine your employability here. If you really want to move here, you WILL find a way.

[Tomlcsc]

I could see how paying $44,000 in CA income taxes would be a hard pill to swallow.