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Old 08-02-2014, 01:12 AM
 
23 posts, read 35,754 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by calicoastal View Post
Doesn't sound like a serious question. $200k net is over $16k/mo take home after taxes, does the OP honestly think she will be struggling?
Yes, I'm serious.

Growing up in SoCal, especially living in cities with heavily planned communities (aka "living in a sheltered bubble"), can really influence a person to have unrealistic expectations of what life is.

It's pretty spoiled down here and I noticed that NorCal is a lot less obnoxious about material things than in SoCl. It doesn't seem like it's a birthright in NorCal to have all Apple products, drive around in BMWs/Mercedes/Teslas, wear Louis Vuitton and Chanel purses on a normal basis, and live in a fancy house.

I'm hoping that by seeking people's insight and experiences, I can ground my expectations and prepare myself for the transition.

So yes, I can possibly see myself struggling if I'm not realistic with my understanding of the housing situation up north.

Thanks for your concern. Any advice will be appreciated.

Last edited by Ahiko; 08-02-2014 at 01:48 AM..
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Old 08-02-2014, 01:20 AM
 
23 posts, read 35,754 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry Siegel View Post
$200K net is a nice living almost anywhere, and the Valley is full of software-engineer couples - but when you see a ramshackle 1950's ranch house for sale in Palo Alto for $1.8 million, it's kind of understandable she might ask!
Yes, that example is one of the reason why housing up there doesn't make sense to me.

Down here, you can manage a nice 4 bed/2.5 bath home for $600,000 in a gated planned community with a good school system and still be good driving distance to 4 CA public universities (although traffic to OC can go from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, but it's expected in SoCal).

It will take a while for me to wrap my mind around how similar homes are practically twice the cost and sometimes not even as nice.

But I'm willing to gather as much information as possible so I can find the best compromise with my future projected income and my needs in a house.
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Old 08-02-2014, 01:26 AM
 
23 posts, read 35,754 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ccm123 View Post
She is also from "the" OC (Orange County), so it's a valid question, I believe.
Yes, thank you.

I noticed NorCal people make fun of us for adding "the" in front of our freeways and our counties!

It's a social norm (disease) to aspire to live in these cookie cutter planned mega community cities. Once we look outside of the OC bubble, it's kind of a culture shock that our lifestyle may not be possible everywhere.

Can't have everything!

But I do love NorCal. I'm gonna be so happy to take the Bart and to not have to suffer SoCal's awful commute.

Last edited by Ahiko; 08-02-2014 at 01:44 AM..
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Old 08-02-2014, 01:35 AM
 
23 posts, read 35,754 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ccm123 View Post
You could live pretty well on that income. Palo Alto is similar to some neighborhoods in OC. Look into Los Altos, San Carlos, Burlingame, also.
Will do. Thank you for the tips!
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Old 08-02-2014, 01:38 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by capoeira View Post
Pleasanton and San Ramon are the areas in the East bay most to those. Most communities on the peninsula are older and are not planned developments like Irvine or Chino Hills.
Thanks! That was one of my hunches, but it helps to hear it from someone familiar with the area.

Quote:
If you are making only $200K income it would be difficult to even buy the average dumpy 1000 sq. ft. hovel in places like Burlingame, Menlo Park or Palo Alto. Here is an example Menlo Park home for just over a million.

Example house Menlo Park

I would not call this living comfortably. To live comfortably on the peninsula in an excellent school district one probably needs an income of at least $500K.
Maybe I should push the boyfriend to go for his Master's then. JK We may never get to $500K income, since software engineer salaries up north tend to cap around $120-150k, unless we head into upper management, where we'd need to go back for our MBAs if we want to pursue that.

I lived in Daly City before I moved to SoCal and I wouldn't mind the area. It's pretty well-located, too.

While writing this, I may even consider renting a house/condo until the future children go away to college. I noticed my parents want to just sell our Chino Hills house now that my brothers and I are all moved out. I wouldn't want to hastily buy property only to want to sell it when the children leave. It makes more sense to me to keep property within the family and pass down as an heirloom if it's nice enough. Or earn rent off of property.

Maybe eventually buy myself a nice house/condo later on in life when I have more saved and hopefully the housing market will be better. Hmm.
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Old 08-02-2014, 01:41 AM
 
23 posts, read 35,754 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulemutt View Post
Two software engineers living on the Peninsula? Boy, not sure that's ever been done before
I hope there are! I could use their expertise!!
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Old 08-02-2014, 01:43 AM
 
Location: Near L.A.
4,108 posts, read 10,804,487 times
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Short answer: Yes. Just as long as you aren't making a middle American wage doing y'all's work.
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Old 08-02-2014, 08:43 AM
 
Location: East Bay, San Francisco Bay Area
23,544 posts, read 24,041,250 times
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I lived in Southern California for 20+ years, so know the area well. In fact, a few of those years were in OC (North OC - Brea, to be exact). Pretty similar situation as yours. I moved from the Bay Area to SoCal for college (UCLA) and loved it there so much, that I stayed.

The situation with the big difference in housing prices is really rooted in the different economies of the two areas. The median incomes of both areas are very different.

I think you will love the Bay Area, welcome! We love well educated professionals.

The commute is no picnic here either, but much better than most of SoCal.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ahiko View Post
Yes, thank you.

I noticed NorCal people make fun of us for adding "the" in front of our freeways and our counties!

It's a social norm (disease) to aspire to live in these cookie cutter planned mega community cities. Once we look outside of the OC bubble, it's kind of a culture shock that our lifestyle may not be possible everywhere.

Can't have everything!

But I do love NorCal. I'm gonna be so happy to take the Bart and to not have to suffer SoCal's awful commute.
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Old 08-02-2014, 08:46 AM
 
Location: East Bay, San Francisco Bay Area
23,544 posts, read 24,041,250 times
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Really, the only areas I would completely avoid on the Penninsula would be: East Palo Alto and San Bruno.
There are other cities with pockets of marginal areas, but coming from SoCal, you would be able to quickly recognize those areas with a "drive by" (no pun intended).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ahiko View Post
Will do. Thank you for the tips!
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Old 08-02-2014, 09:19 AM
 
Location: SF Bay Area
2,206 posts, read 3,361,673 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ccm123 View Post
Really, the only areas I would completely avoid on the Penninsula would be: East Palo Alto and San Bruno.
East Palo Alto, yes, it should be avoided. But avoiding San Bruno? San Bruno is entirely safe. The most undesirable area (east of El Camino) has the planes going overhead and mixed housing (small old apartment buildings next to old homes, with a random nice remodeled home mixed in). But it's not unsafe. Lots of younger families with kids mixed in with older folks live there. Anyhow, I doubt the OP will plan to move to San Bruno (or this particular area of San Bruno). The downtown area on San Mateo Avenue is also very much improved.
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