From Tx to No-Cal (Cupertino is where the job is)... (San Jose: apartment, rent)

[jondrethegiant]

So my company has job postings for the Cupertino area. I currently live in San Antonio, Tx. I applied today and will see what happens. I know you folks are probably tired of answering the same questions, but I didn't see any advice on the previous posts that applied to my situation.

It would be me moving over there first to set up and start work. Then I would send for my wife and son. Together we make about $95k a year here in Tx, and would probably take a pay cut taking the job there. So there's that.

We dont own a home here so I dont have any real financial nesting established. I am 31 years old and have been working in a major data center for the past five years and it would be at another data center doing facility engineering, ie. HVAC, electrical, controls. My wife is a residential property manager and has about 6 years experience in that.

I am getting a lot of heat from friends and coworkers about how expensive it is over there and how high the rent is. So I wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth.

So, Is it really that bad? Opinions and advice needed.

Thanks ahead of time.

[charmed59]

As your wife most likely will tell you, houses in Cupertino run about $3K a month in rent for a 3 bedroom 2 bath fixer. It depends on how big your pay cut will be. I'd guess she would be able to find a job in residential property management.
Schools in Cupertino are pretty good.

I guess I'm wondering why you would take a paycut to come here from San Antonio? There, on $95k a year you can live like a king.

[Azmordean]

Originally Posted by charmed59

I guess I'm wondering why you would take a paycut to come here from San Antonio? There, on $95k a year you can live like a king.

A million times this. I don't live in Silicon Valley now but have a job prospect so I've been doing a lot of research. Cost of Living there is INSANE. I live in the DC area - one of the most expensive areas in the country - and the prices here seem third world country cheap compared to the bay area.

Based on my research and what I want - I make about 75K here now - I likely won't move unless the offer is at least 115-120K in California.

For you, making 95K in San Antonio is pretty big money. In the bay area, you'd probably be looking at a 2br apartment if you're lucky for 2500+ a month and never really be able to afford to own a home.

Check this out. I ran a COL comparison and it states:

A salary of $95,000 in San Antonio, Texas should increase to $296,418 in Cupertino, California.

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

I think that's probably overstated, and if you're willing to have lesser housing, you could make a go. But I honestly wouldn't even THINK about moving unless you were getting at LEAST a $30-50K per year pay INCREASE.

[jaypee]

The move doesn't make fiscal sense.

[tilz]

Yes agree I'm afraid, I live in a 2 bed 2 bath apt and its $2400 a month and likely to go up soon. Plus you will be taxed more in CA on your earnings.

You would need at least $3.5-4k per month after taxes to pay rent/bills/gas etc and that wouldnt leave much for play !

[StandingRoomOnly]

I think it depends on what your plans are for the future...is this just a temporary, wanting to move someplace new to experience it and then move back to TX in a few years? What do you expect the benefits of moving here will be? For a temporary adventure (1-3 years) with a realistic view of not saving much (if anything) and only to experience a bit of adventure living someplace new it may be worth it for your family. It can be done on 95k for a family of 3...although may be hard for your wife to find a job. If you have a 'doable' income, you can get creative with where you live (cottage, in-law unit, etc) and you might just find a nice place (base) to explore more of CA with your wife and son. If budgeting and saving (not big spending) is NOT your thing, you shouldn't move here on your income. If you and your wife have thrifty spending habits, creativity and a sense of adventure I say go for it while you're young!

[easybay]

We moved from Houston to San Jose two years ago. I agree with what everyone else says and financially you would be crazy to move here. It will also be quite a culture shock moving from Texas to NorCal. If we had the opportunity we would move back to Texas in a heartbeat. We just miss the people and Texas hospitality so much. It's been quite difficult to break into the wine swirling "foodie" type groups of people here. We find it quite pretentious, especially with the tech types being so much smarter than us! No offense to all you NorCal's on this board.......just my opinion.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by jondrethegiant

So my company has job postings for the Cupertino area. I currently live in San Antonio, Tx. I applied today and will see what happens. I know you folks are probably tired of answering the same questions, but I didn't see any advice on the previous posts that applied to my situation.

It would be me moving over there first to set up and start work. Then I would send for my wife and son. Together we make about $95k a year here in Tx, and would probably take a pay cut taking the job there. So there's that.

We dont own a home here so I dont have any real financial nesting established. I am 31 years old and have been working in a major data center for the past five years and it would be at another data center doing facility engineering, ie. HVAC, electrical, controls. My wife is a residential property manager and has about 6 years experience in that.

I am getting a lot of heat from friends and coworkers about how expensive it is over there and how high the rent is. So I wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth.

So, Is it really that bad? Opinions and advice needed.

Thanks ahead of time.

YES, it really is that bad, especially if kids are in the picture. If you didn't have kids and didn't plan on having them I'd say "go for it". But this area is VERY expensive, mostly because of housing costs, but taxes, groceries, gas, and everything else are higher, too. I just had my rent jacked up on my studio apartment to $915 a month and that rent is still below market for this area (not a fancy place either...no washer dryer on site, no pets, no dishwasher, older building, etc). Cupertino rents are generally higher than in San Jose because of the good school district there.

Other than the weather, your everyday life here would be more stressful and of lower quality than where you are now.

[tyrannosaur]

I live in Cupertino, moved here 3 months ago, and so far my family love it here.
The #1 challenge to live in this area of the bay is the housing cost, it's just unreal compared to the rest of the country. Not just expensive, but also the condition of the house for the price, means if you want a decent condition and sized house, you have to pay even more!
My family moved here on our own decision after lived in the Mid-West for the last 15 years, and not for job reasons, but to take another life adventure and to experience the good weather and multi-cultural environment.
Sure rush hour highway traffic is bad compared to mid-west, parking spaces are scarce, lots of foreigners (mainly Hindu and Chinese), living cost is high, real state is crazily expensive and would probably get worse (just track the prices on internet) and not only Cupertino but the entire Peninsula/south bay.
Sure neighbors might not be as initially friendly as back in Mid-west, no one came to us when we moved here, so after 2 weeks we went to all the neighbors. Some reacted warmly, some did not, neighbors are as friendly as back in Mid-west but they just might not come to you at first.
But the amenities in the area and vecinity are amazing. Santa Cruz beach and SF bay and even Monterey bay for day trips, live in Cupertino and drive or walk a few blocks for all the daily needs and schools and work (compared to having to drive a good distance for anything back in the mid-west), variety of restaurants, and the GORGEOUS weather to enjoy outdoor often.

[80skeys]

Originally Posted by jondrethegiant

So my company has job postings for the Cupertino area. I currently live in San Antonio, Tx. I applied today and will see what happens. I know you folks are probably tired of answering the same questions, but I didn't see any advice on the previous posts that applied to my situation.

It would be me moving over there first to set up and start work. Then I would send for my wife and son. Together we make about $95k a year here in Tx, and would probably take a pay cut taking the job there. So there's that.

Guy, if you do this you'll be one of the only people in the whole country who move here and take a pay cut instead of a big pay increase. I'm not kidding. You need to talk to your industry contacts and find out what the average salary is for your job in Silicon Valley. Go on salary.com and glassdoor.com and see if you can find your job title. You need to move here with a pay hike, not a pay cut.

I am getting a lot of heat from friends and coworkers about how expensive it is over there and how high the rent is. So I wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth.

Housing (rent, properities) are extremely expensive here. I pay $1850/month for a 950 sq foot two-bedroom apartment in Sunnyvale. I locked it in last year. Current prices are higher. And this is by no means the top. Cupertino is even more expensive.

Other things that are expensive here are gasoline and anything having to do with automotive repair (the standard shop rate is around $100/hour.)