cali fever--ventura (Los Angeles, Oxnard, Thousand Oaks: apartment complexes, renters, HOA fees) - Ventura County - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

crazylilkelly · 09-09-2006, 05:59 PM

I was born in cali lived there til I was 8 & then lived in ventura for a few yrs after hs. I miss it soooooo much. I didn't take anyday I lived there for granted. My husband & i are in college now in IL but sometimes we really consider moving back. I'm going to be an RN & he a radiological technologist. is it manageable to live in say camarillo (3 bdrm condo) on the kind of money those careers earn in ventura? we were just soooooooooooooooo happy everyday that we lived out there & miss that happiness that only cali could give us.----- just curious what you all think. thanks

enlightenme · 09-09-2006, 07:33 PM

How long ago did you live there? Has it been recent enough that you are use to the high cost of housing that really seemed to escalate the last 5 years or so? I am not sure what those professions earn, but to live comfortably my guess would be about $90-110, 000 a year. I lived there for 10 years and loved it too, but I had to leave CA because I wanted to be a home owner. We were renters on about $95,000 a year and we were fine, but could never have afforded to own a house and have a baby. Condos in Camarillo start around $375, 000+ and about the same in Ventura. Keep in mind many of these condos listed are really old and would need to be updated and have monthly HOA fees to add to your mortgage. I say if you were really that happy in Ventura, you should try to move back. You can't really put a dollar figure on happiness, but you have to also consider you were at a different time in your life when you were loving life in Ventura. I loved everything about the area until I got married, had a baby and wanted a house. Then reality hit and I started hating the struggle to live in CA and grew resentful about how hard we had to work to just maintain as a renter. Having a baby put me over the edge when I realized to stay I would have to put him in daycare just to stay in a rental. But, none of that was the case when I was young, free, and single living in cute places with roommates!!! So, I guess what I am saying is you may enjoy it for a few years, but once you both want a family, it will become even harder to have it all in Ventura.

socalscott · 09-10-2006, 03:54 AM

Well, get yer butts in gear. Your combined incomes should get you plenty deep in debt. By the time prices drop you may have a little saved, but the banks will go back to sane lending. The helpful realtors won't have any hanging ropes to hand out with a smile.

Sorry 'bout that. Pretty much know what you both want down the line. If it's worth it, good luck. The weather here is just about right, ain't it.

BTW, I did looked at the cost of Chico, CA compared to Ventura cost of living. 30% lower and it's better still in outlying areas(i.e., Paradise).

crazylilkelly · 09-10-2006, 08:33 AM

thanks guys! we still have a while & who knows where we'll end up. i just know that's where we WANT to be. if the housing market drops remarkably in 5 yrs then we wouldn't hesitate but we'll see about that.

grimstuff · 09-11-2006, 11:30 AM

Why anyone would want to move to Ventura/Camarillo/Oxnard/Thousand Oaks/Simi Valley/everything else, is beyond me. I lived in Ventura for a year, then decided I didn't want to spend the rest of my life driving ten miles past all the subdivisions to go get a carton of milk

thinboy · 09-12-2006, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enlightenme

How long ago did you live there? Has it been recent enough that you are use to the high cost of housing that really seemed to escalate the last 5 years or so? I am not sure what those professions earn, but to live comfortably my guess would be about $90-110, 000 a year. I lived there for 10 years and loved it too, but I had to leave CA because I wanted to be a home owner. We were renters on about $95,000 a year and we were fine, but could never have afforded to own a house and have a baby. Condos in Camarillo start around $375, 000+ and about the same in Ventura. Keep in mind many of these condos listed are really old and would need to be updated and have monthly HOA fees to add to your mortgage. I say if you were really that happy in Ventura, you should try to move back. You can't really put a dollar figure on happiness, but you have to also consider you were at a different time in your life when you were loving life in Ventura. I loved everything about the area until I got married, had a baby and wanted a house. Then reality hit and I started hating the struggle to live in CA and grew resentful about how hard we had to work to just maintain as a renter. Having a baby put me over the edge when I realized to stay I would have to put him in daycare just to stay in a rental. But, none of that was the case when I was young, free, and single living in cute places with roommates!!! So, I guess what I am saying is you may enjoy it for a few years, but once you both want a family, it will become even harder to have it all in Ventura.

what about apartments? say 1 or 2 bedroom, what salary that would be consider as "living in confort"

also im going into the I.T area within a year

CBaillo · 09-12-2006, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grimstuff

Why anyone would want to move to Ventura/Camarillo/Oxnard/Thousand Oaks/Simi Valley/everything else, is beyond me. I lived in Ventura for a year, then decided I didn't want to spend the rest of my life driving ten miles past all the subdivisions to go get a carton of milk

What are you talking about? I currently reside in Simi. It's a nice quiet place to live, and nothing is more than a 5 min. drive away. Simi has a new major mall, and every major store in its city limits...so that statement kind of confuses me. And housing in Simi is actually quite reasonable given the current market.

enlightenme · 09-12-2006, 03:48 PM

"what about apartments? say 1 or 2 bedroom, what salary that would be consider as "living in confort" also im going into the I.T area within a year"

When I got my 2 bedroom apartment near downtown Main Street 5 years ago, I was paying $950 and only got my rent raised once, so when I left around 2 years ago I was at $1050. I would say average rent is about $1100 to $1600 for decent apartments and some small houses. Bargains can be found too. It is far cheaper than Santa Barbara where I also lived!! I personally liked living near walking distance to Main Street where the rentals are older and a bit funkier. You can live in apartment complexes near the newer Barnes and Nobles shopping center that have more amenities like gyms and pools. There are a fair amount apartments out near Victoria, Telephone and Telegraph roads and near the Government Center.

enlightenme · 09-12-2006, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CBaillo

What are you talking about? I currently reside in Simi. It's a nice quiet place to live, and nothing is more than a 5 min. drive away. Simi has a new major mall, and every major store in its city limits...so that statement kind of confuses me. And housing in Simi is actually quite reasonable given the current market.

If he is from SLO it is probably because it is less of a suburbia feel than down south. I sure didn't feel like what he described when I was living on the west side of Ventura, but I can kind of see it if you live out on the east end in Ventura. Simi and those other places are newer and have more of a strip mall, housing development feel about it more than San Luis Obispo anyway....I still like those communities, but that is coming from someone married with kids. If I was in my 20's I would probably think it was too much like living out in the 'burbs too and would prefer SLO. So much of where you want to live depends on where you are in life. Now that I am out of CA (which I would have NEVER even considered in my 20's) I am so much happier with an affordable house and a slower life. I would be miserable where I am now in NC if I was single.

CBaillo · 09-12-2006, 04:03 PM

Ya I hear you. We are actually looking around for places to leave CA for. We love it, because it's perfect for raising a family. Simi has good PUBLIC schools (I don't have to pay private tuition to get quality education), every modern amenity (Target/Walmart/Best Buy/Home Depot/a dozen major grocery stores/Lowes/Simi Towne Center), and above all compared to Los Angeles, and areas I grew up in...SAFE.

But the thought of actually OWNING my house outright with my equity in my Simi House, is getting more convincing every day. And as I've said before, in CA, no matter where you go, you only buy the peace, quiet, and safety for so long. The crap spreads.