Renting in the Seattle Area vs. Ventura or Santa Barbara Counties in CA (Olympia: real estate)

[txspamom]

We have 2 choices with my husband's company: the Seattle area OR the Santa Barbara/Thousand Oaks area in CA. He is a retail district manager so the district in California spans many cities.

We are a family of 2 adults, 2 kids ages 7 and 9.....we are looking to rent NOT buy a home. We saw plenty of decent houses on craigslist in the Seattle area....not so much decency in the California areas we are looking at!

My husband will be making about $82,000 a year and I will be making about $20-$25k a year there.

We are moving from Dallas....not by choice. Please don't tell me we shouldn't be moving out of Dallas -- it's not up for discussion, it will be one of these places so I really want to get your opinions to which one we will have a better quality of life based on our salary.

We can probably afford a rental house anywhere from $1600-$2100/month.

we have to make our decision quick! Thanks!

[scirocco22]

Can you be more specific, txspamom? What exactly are we supposed to be comparing between Seattle and Ventura County? ...cost of living, weather, style of living, leisure activities, etc.?

If you like relatively nice weather all year around and nice beaches on the Pacific, the Santa Barbara area is gorgeous. The Ventura county area is the typical middle-upper class suburbia with the related congestion.

I'm sure your dollar will go further in the Seattle area than in either Ventura or Santa Barbara counties.

[txspamom]

In CA, we were looking at the Santa Clarita area....yes, weather...style of living, crime, and leisure activities. All of that really. I know it is a broad question....just looking to get the most for our money but also a nice standard of living for a young family of 4.

[scirocco22]

I'm thinking that your dollar will still go further in the Seattle area than in the suburbs of L.A. Housing prices are still higher in the SoCal area.

As you know by looking over the threads here, the weather in Seattle is going to be wet and gloomy a good part of the time. SoCal is infamous for it's nice weather all year around. If you don't mind doing outdoor activities in damp cool weather, I'd say Seattle would be the best choice for most bang for the buck with a nice healthy lifestyle in comparing the two areas. But that's just my opinion.

[CityGirl72]

Santa Barbara is one of the most beautiful places in Calif

Since you are from a sunny state - I think it would be best to m.ove to another sunny state. The weather here is hard to deal with in the long run, and it can hinder your family time outside

I'm moving back to Calif because of the weather. I miss taking my son out to the park for more then just a couple sunny weeks of the year

[laviecharmee]

I live in Ventura and am thinking of making a move to Olympia because I can't afford to live here. My husband and I make around 80k (less then you but still not a bad income) yet we can not afford to buy a home here. I have been doing a lot of real estate searches online and for 225000, you can buy a 3 bedroom house in Olympia and you can only get a 2 bedroom condo in Ventura. As for rent, It is expensive here in Ventura and getting higher because demand is growing due to the housing market taking a dive. A 2 bedroom apartment in a decent neighborhood will run you about 1300-1500 and a house will easily be 2000+. If you are looking at the Santa Clarita area, it is a little off the beaten path and Filmore is a little less expensive and rural. Santa Clarita is an area that was hit by wildfires in the end of 2007 and is right by the I5 and Magic Mountain. The local paper runs classifieds online. Venturacountystar.com may help you get a better idea of rent prices.

Kim