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Old 06-01-2008, 07:36 AM
 
5 posts, read 15,888 times
Reputation: 10

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Hi everybody,

We are a family of four considering a move from England to San Francisco or nearby in California. We're running away from UK taxes and the shrouded skies, to put it mildly. I know, I know, what a cliche.

Fortunately my husband can maintain his income/clients as a freelance translator while I find a job ...if that ever happens, by what I have read here and other forums! (Income has been around 100K USD for the past 2 years, but might be less this year because of the credit crisis as he works in the financial sector, closer to 80K).

We need realistic tips for renting something with 3 bedrooms in a safe area, near decent schools (do most people go to public or private schools?). We won't have a car, so probably need good transport nearby. Being a foreign freelancer doesn't sound like the kind of profile a SF landlord would be looking for, but we will have decent references from people in California and clients in the US and Europe. Does it make sense to create a company instead of remaining as freelancers?

We would also appreciate if anyone could give us an idea of the costs regarding health insurance, utilities bills, municipal and income tax, cost of food, schools, entertainment, etc. I appreciate these questions may be pushing it a bit in terms of the nature of this forum, so feel free to tell me so!

We'd be very grateful for any replies/rants/s******s.
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Old 06-01-2008, 10:30 AM
 
Location: San Jose, CA
7,688 posts, read 29,080,878 times
Reputation: 3630
If the schools are important I'll have to urge you not to live in the city of San Francisco. Yes, one of the best public high schools in the country (Lowell) is in the city limits, but it's open to students by examination only and they're very selective. Next best would be the schools in North Beach, but then you're talking $4-6 thousand per month in rent for a three bedroom flat. That may not seem too bad coming from London, but it is an extraordinary amount for the USA - $48,000 to $72,000 per year just to rent!

The good news is, the peninsula (San Mateo County) is ready to take you in even if you don't make a six-digit income, and in many cases the schools are actually better. San Mateo itself has excellent public access to San Francisco via Caltrain and the KX/MX express buses, is walkable enough to survive without a car, and it's possible to rent a house in the upscale San Mateo Park area for under $4,000.
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Old 06-01-2008, 03:26 PM
 
5 posts, read 15,888 times
Reputation: 10
Many thanks for your feedback, sonarrat. The school is very important for us, but more than the academic ranking what is most important for us are the individuals running the school and their philosophy. One of our boys is Asperger's (high functioning autism) and he definitely needs a flexible approach in terms of his education needs. He is very clever but can feel a little overwhelmed in certain environments. He's 5 and almost independent at school, he's doing great here and I am sure that with the right people he can do even better in the US as your country has more therapists, research and other things going on in terms of treatment...one of the big reasons we are thinking of moving there.

I've read some things about San Mateo County before. Any comments about the lifestyle would be highly appreciated.

But going back to the SF theme, here is the big question: is it possible to rent a 3 bedroom flat/house in a decent area for less than 3000 USD? (my husband said: "... or at least 2 bedrooms and a little hole that could do as an office?).
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Old 06-01-2008, 04:10 PM
 
Location: San Jose, CA
7,688 posts, read 29,080,878 times
Reputation: 3630
For $3,000 what you would usually get is two bedrooms and a large "living area" with a kitchen. Personally, I live in a one-bedroom apartment with one other person - I have the bedroom, he has part of the living area, and my two pianos are against opposite walls in a section I refer to as my "office" for tax reasons. In San Francisco sometimes you have to get creative. If that sounds doable to you then I would say go ahead and see what you can find.
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Old 06-01-2008, 04:19 PM
 
5 posts, read 15,888 times
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You see... that's why we want to go to San Francisco: People like you. We'll lower our expectations but keep our hopes high. Many thanks!
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Old 06-01-2008, 04:27 PM
 
Location: San Jose, CA
7,688 posts, read 29,080,878 times
Reputation: 3630
Best of luck. As far as taxes go:

Sales tax: 8.50% in SF, 8.25% in San Mateo county (all deductible from your state income tax bill)
Income tax: Tiered, up to 35% if you make $357K, plus up to 9.3% state income tax, plus a 15.3% self-employment tax for Social Security/Medicare if you are a freelancer. Employers pay half of SS taxes if you are employed by a company

Health care costs: around $200/mo/person depending on plan
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Old 06-01-2008, 04:46 PM
 
15,633 posts, read 26,151,738 times
Reputation: 30917
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiquitia View Post
Hi everybody,

We are a family of four considering a move from England to San Francisco or nearby in California. We're running away from UK taxes and the shrouded skies, to put it mildly. I know, I know, what a cliche.

Fortunately my husband can maintain his income/clients as a freelance translator while I find a job ...if that ever happens, by what I have read here and other forums! (Income has been around 100K USD for the past 2 years, but might be less this year because of the credit crisis as he works in the financial sector, closer to 80K).

We need realistic tips for renting something with 3 bedrooms in a safe area, near decent schools (do most people go to public or private schools?). We won't have a car, so probably need good transport nearby. Being a foreign freelancer doesn't sound like the kind of profile a SF landlord would be looking for, but we will have decent references from people in California and clients in the US and Europe. Does it make sense to create a company instead of remaining as freelancers?

We would also appreciate if anyone could give us an idea of the costs regarding health insurance, utilities bills, municipal and income tax, cost of food, schools, entertainment, etc. I appreciate these questions may be pushing it a bit in terms of the nature of this forum, so feel free to tell me so!

We'd be very grateful for any replies/rants/s******s.
Setting up a company does allow you lots of tax write offs, so it could be to your advantage. There are several ways to go about it and each one has it's advantages and disadvantages (incorporating VS LLC VS S-corp VS sole proprietor...) You should talk to a tax guy about this... they could guide you better than I could. Being an "independent contractor" as a freelancer would be, you are already part way there.

Our health insurance is one of our biggest expenses. Hubby and I own our own janitorial company, as owner operators (No employees) It's hard to find health insurance for very small companies of two, so our choices are very limited. But that's the way to go, because individual health insurance is WAY high. We are both 48, and we pay 720.00 a month for the two of us. Health insurance goes up usually 10-15% a year.

But because of the business, I believe it is fully deductible as a business expense at tax time.
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Old 06-01-2008, 05:05 PM
 
Location: SF Bay Area
2,140 posts, read 3,304,523 times
Reputation: 2788
I agree with the previous poster about SF schools. They have a lottery system, some schools are good, some aren't, too much to chance. Schools in Millbrae and Burlingame are very good from elementary through high school and the overwhelming majority of families use public schools (and move to Millbrae or Burlingame for the schools). Millbrae has a transportation hub (CalTrain, bus and BART).

Health insurance is high. For my family of 3 (two kids and myself) it's $646/mo for medical and $111 for dental.
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Old 06-03-2008, 05:07 PM
 
5 posts, read 15,888 times
Reputation: 10
Default Thanks for all the feedback

Hello,

We have been away for a couple of days, so hadn't had the chance to reply, just wanted to send everyone a quick thank you note. All the info has been very useful.
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