Santa Barbara Relocation Help (Los Angeles, Santa Maria: condos, townhouse, public school)

[LadyKatie3]

Hello,
My husband is considering applying for a
science job in Santa Barbara, but not sure because of the high cost of living. We are a single income family and cannot spend more than 450k on a house. We have four small
Children and hope for more. Is there anywhere in commuting distance to SB where we could live or should we forget it?

[volosong]

To the south, Carpinteria. Depending on where the job is located, Ventura might be a possibility.

To the north, many who work in SB and are were priced out of the housing market commute from Lompoc, a few from Santa Maria. But, first look at prices in Goleta, (not sure if housing there falls within your parameters).

[mod note] Moved from the Los Angeles forum to the Ventura forum. Many who post queries about Santa Barbara county post in the Ventura forum. You will get more responses there. [/mod note]

[LadyKatie3]

Thank you for moving this, mod!
I tried looking on Trulia, and I had found Santa Maria.it looked nice and affordable but is it really a 1 hr 15 minute commute to SB? Is that normal in California? He would be working at Corning. We've already scratched Silicon Valley off our list for affordability issues.

[Coloradomom22]

Santa Maria to Santa Barbara is a very lengthy commute. 450k is not doable anywhere close. $750k gets you a tiny 1300 square foot dumpy house in Carpinteria if you are lucky to find one. There is a clean air express bus you can take from SM to SB that is $150 a month. But your quality of life with that distance would be tough. Do research on the realtor sites to get a feel for prices.

[volosong]

Originally Posted by LadyKatie3

Thank you for moving this, mod!
I tried looking on Trulia, and I had found Santa Maria.it looked nice and affordable but is it really a 1 hr 15 minute commute to SB? Is that normal in California? He would be working at Corning. We've already scratched Silicon Valley off our list for affordability issues.

Yes, from Sta Maria it would be an honest 1.25 hour commute . . . one way! A beautiful drive no doubt, but difficult solo. Despite the beauty of the hills/ocean, the drive will get old real quick. Lompoc is much more realistic as the limit.

It looks like there are two Corning facilities in the SB area, one near downtown SB and the other in Goleta. If your husband's work location is in the downtown location, then if I were you, I'd look to Carpinteria and Ventura, (or the towns near Ojai, but those might be too expensive). The drive from Lompoc to downtown SB would be difficult. Most of those who commute from Lompoc work in Goleta or at the University.

If your husband's work is at the Goleta facility, then you can scratch Carpinteria and definitely Ventura and look instead to Lompoc. And as I mentioned, take a quick look at housing prices in Goleta first. A Goleta home would work for either work location.

[LadyKatie3]

Hmmm..thank you, Colorado mom. I'm thinking maybe we should forget it re:
SB.
I'm sure it's a wonderful place if you can afford it. But I don't know how Corning scientists make it work.

[volosong]

Originally Posted by Coloradomom22

Santa Maria to Santa Barbara is a very lengthy commute. 450k is not doable anywhere close. $750k gets you a tiny 1300 square foot dumpy house in Carpinteria if you are lucky to find one. There is a clean air express bus you can take from SM to SB that is $150 a month. But your quality of life with that distance would be tough. Do research on the realtor sites to get a feel for prices.

My apologies for steering you toward Carpinteria. Just did a quick check of Zillow, and yes, housing is a lot more expensive than I remember. Condos and mobile homes are within your price range, but that would be difficult with four children, and the desire for more.

California is just really expensive, the main reason for making my retirement home is a different state. But I'm sure I will miss SoCal. There is a lot to recommend it.

[LadyKatie3]

Volosong, Galeta looks a little pricey for my 450k budget. Do you think Lompoc is a reasonable commute? My husband would be in the main Corning fab facility, which I presume is not the downtown one.

[LadyKatie3]

Thank you Volosong, I think SB might not work for us. I didn't wait for my husband to finish a PhD at harvard so I could live in a mobile home (-;

[DKM]

You could do it if you had to: pile into a townhouse or condo. No offense but that Harvard PhD doesn't seem to be worth much if 450 is your budget. You gotta start somewhere.... Its no different here than eastern Massachusetts for prices.

Don't live in Lompoc if using public school is your option. There are some townhomes in Buellton in your budget and that area is much nicer. You have to rearrange your idea about budget to make it work down here but its worth it. The things you can do with your kids around SB is amazing and year round. If he's working out by the airport in Goleta, that's a very reasonable commute for SoCal standards.