Moving to Thousand Oaks!!!

[RoaminRebel]

Originally Posted by FreeSpirit2219

LOL...There's a place to eat at every block here, so you can't go hungry.
But seriously I have to agree with you that there are a lot of restaurants on the Boulevard.

(by the way), I love your handle! Very clever in deed.

Meat Locker on T.O. blvd FTW!!

The posters are all right. There are very few places that really impressed me that I've lived or visited but the TO/Westlake is one of them. The weather is gorgeous, it's not too hot like in the Valley and doesn't get the Marine layer coolness like the beaches. There are numerous beautiful trails around the area with some that lead to breathtaking vistas. It's a planned community, so we don't have the over development generally associated with SoCal. Crime is extremely low.

The Cons are that the real estate prices are stratospheric. Its been called a baby boomer tomb for a reason - many of them bought into the houses when they were still affordable and its locked out much of the younger populace. I noticed that the OP was in 2007, that was the height of the bubble out here.

Since then, unfortunately many of the major employers in the area have significantly trimmed their labor force. BoA, Wellpoint, Amgen, Dole, Baxter, now defunct Countrywide, have had major layoffs through the years and some defense contractors have closed their facilities altogether. I've known several small business owners who had to close shop as the professional community shrank or adjusted their spending habits. Nearly all the office parks have vacancies and many bars and nightclubs have closed.

[Mr.Bungle]

I used to like the meat locker. Then I had real BBQ. I can't get over their super tough tri tip.

[Cheektowaga_Chester]

Originally Posted by Mr.Bungle

I used to like the meat locker. Then I had real BBQ. I can't get over their super tough tri tip.

I rarely order tri tip in a restaurant. It's too easy and much cheaper to make it myself.

[user_id]

Originally Posted by RoaminRebel

I've known several small business owners who had to close shop as the professional community shrank or adjusted their spending habits. Nearly all the office parks have vacancies and many bars and nightclubs have closed.

Real estate has increased over the last few years which isn't consist with the idea that businesses in the area are cutting back, etc.

I saw a lot of small businesses close between 2008~2011, more often than not they are older businesses with outdated business models and the people were just calling it quits after many years of business. A few years ago commercial brokers were begging for tenants, but things have started to heat up over the last year or so. Not perfect, but the desperation is gone.

[RoaminRebel]

Originally Posted by user_id

Real estate has increased over the last few years which isn't consist with the idea that businesses in the area are cutting back, etc.

I saw a lot of small businesses close between 2008~2011, more often than not they are older businesses with outdated business models and the people were just calling it quits after many years of business. A few years ago commercial brokers were begging for tenants, but things have started to heat up over the last year or so. Not perfect, but the desperation is gone.

There are other reasons why real estate can increase other than a real economic recovery. Especially if equity firms have bought homes in danger of foreclosing in bulk and held on to them as rentals thereby preventing an adjustment in supply.. Combine this with extremely low interest rates and there's your increase.. We all know what happens when things "heat up"..

[user_id]

Originally Posted by RoaminRebel

There are other reasons why real estate can increase other than a real economic recovery. Especially if equity firms have bought homes in danger of foreclosing in bulk and held on to them as rentals thereby preventing an adjustment in supply.. Combine this with extremely low interest rates and there's your increase.. We all know what happens when things "heat up"..

Its not just house prices that have increased, rents for both residential and commercial properties have increased as well.

Over the last couple of years I haven't seen anything that indicates that businesses are leaving the area, instead the opposite, the commercial real estate market is starting to improve. After a few years of a hiatus, there have been a number of commercial projects over the last 2 years or so as well.

Though I think you can blame some of the recent craziness in the residential market on interest rates, government policy, etc......the area seems to be gentrifying as well.