Looks like I’m moving...

[KneeBooted]

Well everyone, some exciting news for me and my immediate my family... It apppears 95% certain that I’ll be taking a promotion which will have me moving to California, specifically the Palo Alto or Fremont area, South Bay in general.

If this last approval goes through, I’ll be starting out there October 8, woohoo!

Haven’t made it public yet because there’s that 5% chance...

[Shyheels]

Sounds exciting! I shall keep my fingers crossed for you. 

[Cali]

Congrats on the possible promotion, but the real question is "Can you afford California?" 

[Shyheels]

I'm sure he'll be just fine. 

[Heelster]

Hope it's a big promotion with the cash flow to go with it. After my shopping adventures in the area, I can say the prices for living space are unreal.

The McDonald's dollar menu is the same if that's any consolation.

[SF]

Unfortunately, California is not as golden as it used to be....   Sad...

But welcome...   Smile...   sf

[Jkrenzer]

Good luck, I've turned down opportunities there due to the extreme cost of living differences were not worthwhile. Hope your new home and career upgrade work well for you.

[Shyheels]

Trying living in England. I recall visiting a friend in Hawaii once and commenting on how cheap everything was in the grocery store - and how his jaw dropped. 

[SF]

I am looking at Arizona, Nevada, or Texas....   All nice places.  KneeBooted, I will make you a nice deal on my pad here in the South Bay....  ha ha....

Seriously, good luck.  CA has become a horribly over populated, over regulated, over taxed place that still has some absolutely beautiful places (and the weather is nice).  Will be a nice place to visit.  Best to you and your family....   sf

[HappyinHeels]

KneeBooted,

You are in for a shock. The state I called home in 1981 and 1982 has 16,000,000 more people than then and housing, as a percentage of income, has increased 500% since then. I read an article within the last week that said many retirees and even tech workers are living in their cars as real estate has gotten so expensive relative to wages. I think many CA municipalities should be ashamed for managing the housing crisis so poorly. I just spent several days in CA in May and had to notice the effects of constant and intense traffic, the 30% premium on everything from gas to cars to many groceries. There is no state I'd rather visit than California. A recent survey of better than a thousand people in each state revealed a startling fact. California was ranked dead last in quality of life. The same state which once epitomized a great quality of life has changed drastically. Whether it is environmental zealotry resulting in no new dams having been built since 1976 despite a 300% increase in water usage, a failure to integrate legions of illegal aliens some of whom become everyone's problem as they join criminal gangs, a culture of chasing industry away with ravenous tax and spend policies the "Golden State" is not a place for anyone's golden years. There is a good reason the state never cracks the top fifteen of best states to retire to. Whether it's Forbes, Kiplingers, or Money magazine. Other western states which are considered tax-friendly are Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, and Washington. Nevada never makes the list, I suspect, because healthcare is below average outside the Las Vegas area. It is, however, a state free of state income tax. Texas, Wyoming, Alaska and Florida are the others. You'll ultimately decide what is best but there is a reason these jobs are available. Once you see just how insanely tight the housing market is you'll wonder exactly where you can live. Think of it this way. Let's say you sell your current Kentucky home at an average price of $240,000. Even taking a new salary of $200,000 you are faced with spending around $850,000 to $1M for a comparable house on the Peninsula or the area between northern San Jose and San Francisco proper. IF you apply the standard %20 down rules you will see you will probably come up short as your new mortgage will be 3-4 times what the Kentucky one was. CA real estate is simply on a price structure which seems insane to most. A conversation with a young man named Jamison as I walked through the old Presidio of SF gave me an idea of what was happening. A transplant from suburban NYC Jamison wanted to move into an apartment with his girlfriend of four years but stated for the fourth time in a month he was outbid for said apartment. The two main culprits are extreme cash from the Silicon Valley types or foreign money mostly from Asia looking for investment properties. The result is our own people are being priced out. You will not see that on the mainstream news but it is a reality in CA. The homeless population is at a level I could not have imagined years ago. I saw some areas in the Potrero Hill of SF which resembled conditions I have seen in Haiti, Mexico City, and around Cairo, Egypt. It will open your eyes!  I am not a CA real estate expert but rather I think my sample math will prove correct. The price you pay may actually be higher. Renting may be the only viable option. I try to be optimistic but I am always realistic. I may be missing some detail but I don't think a move to California is realistic for you. I would take a trip there and investigate it for yourself. There is no substitute for actual tmie on the ground. There are direct flights from MKE to SFO but I don't about Louisville. Check it out first.  I like the Bay Area and enjoy the natural beauty of California. I love the SF Giants and where they play. I do not love what California looks like in 2018. I trust what my eyes perceive and that my math does not deceive. Good luck and please tell us how it goes. HappyinHeels

[Shyheels]

Yikes!

[Cali]

I'm lucky to own a home in California, four blocks from the beach, 40 minutes to Silicon Valley. It's a million dollar dump, getting ready to rebuilt. It's "value" has gone up over 70% in 4 years. Tiny houses in my neighborhood rent for $3000+ a month.

Living in California is not for the faint of heart.

Edited August 29, 2018 by Cali

[SF]

Yikes is right!!   

HIH...  I was gonna post something similar, but did  not want to be branded as a ne’er-do-well...

Unfortunately your observations of CA, from the outside looking in are correct...   I’m currently selling my average, run of the mill tract home and am embarrassed to post the axing price here.....

Just living the CA dream.....   But the weather is nice.....

Knee Booted, don’t be discouraged, come take a look around and form your own opinion.....

Let me (Us) know what you think .....   Take care....  sf

 

 

 

[HappyinHeels]

SF,

There are many inconvenient facts for those who have ruled, and watched the destruction of California, which don't get covered in the corporate and slanted world of mainstream print journalism. I mean, when a life-long resident, tells you the way it is you have no choice but to take it seriously. What they are saying matches what you are seeing. Dividing the state into two or three different states is not so far-fetched after all. Retirees, in the final analysis, don't care much about idealism and rhetoric rather they will be attracted to those places which offer good healthcare, a decent quality of life, and a more sustainable cost-of-living.

Kneebooted,

Op-ed pieces aside I did suggest you take a trip to look around. This is the only way you can make a fair assessment. Weigh the positive (much milder weather, beautiful scenery, and lots to do against extremely high housing costs, very high income taxes, and intense levels of traffic. What you may end up doing is moving to a similar position in another state offering milder weather but reasonable costs of living. Or you may up renting in CA. Wait for the next housing crash in 2019 and then buy. Hop a plane and investigate it though. We'll stay glued to our forum for further details. HappyinHeels 

 

[Bubba136]

If you are looking for a place to retire or increase your business acumen or just for an improvement in your quality of life, I’d suggest South Carolina.  But then again, we already have more Yankees than the law allows and Besides, we’re trying to keep this place a secret.  Most of us do not want the problems that come with heavily populated areas.

[Shyheels]

From what I have seen in my visits there, albeit a long time ago now, both the Carolinas are lovely places. I especially liked Charleston, and what they called the Lost Counties in North Carolina.

[SF]

Bubba.....   I had to laugh at your “yankee” comment.  My family hails from very, very rural Alabama and I have considered locating there, I love the south, except for the humidity, yikes.  

I once mentioned my possible moving to AL and my Uncle, who I love and respect like my father looked at me and said (with a smile), “we really don’t need more Yankees around here.”  

Was a funny moment...  After the fact I was pretty sure he was joking - maybe.....  ha ha.    Take care, sf

[HappyinHeels]

SF, Bubba136, Shyheels;

My youngest brother lives in Charlotte, NC and runs his own cleaning business. When I was in Charleston in 2013 I spent the weekend at his house and we had the whole NC/SC comparison conversation. Income, sales taxes, insurance premiums, real estate taxes are all uniformly lower in S.C. It is rated a very tax-friendly state for retirees. Along with Pennsylvania it is one of the very best states for retirees in general in the eastern half of the USA. Florida, while highly rated for retirees, is having many different sorts of issues. My brother in Charlotte moved from FLorida because they could no longer stand it. It has some of the most beautifully-landscaped interchanges I have ever seen. The people are as courteous as you have heard. HappyinHeels

 

[Shyheels]

Interesting. I have a friend in the US who is casting about for a good state in which to retire. I shall mention SC to him!

[Bubba136]

4 hours ago, Shyheels said:

Interesting. I have a friend in the US who is casting about for a good state in which to retire. I shall mention SC to him!

By all means mention it to him.  Actually, this is my wife!'s home. She was born and raised here.  I lived and was raised all over the world.  But, once I was medically retired from the military service we moved back here to live.  Tell him to look it one the internet.  Most communities have their own websites.

The state is a very good place to retire.  Excellent quality of life.  Good weather for the most part.  Hot as hell near the coast and the humidity is bad for three months a year in the "low country."  On the plus side, your finances go a lot further here and the cost of housing is reasonable.  This whole area is vary business friendly.  

 

 

[Cali]

Sat on the beach until 7:20 pm tonight, 68 degrees, no wind, no humidity, watching the sun set, listening to the live music playing down the beach, but no whales or dolphins or porpoises tonight......just saying...

Oh, I'm planning on retiring here.

[Shyheels]

If you're already there, grandfathered in as it were, why not?

[Bubba136]

68 degrees at 7 pm a little chilly for that time of evening at Myrtle Beach in late August.  Otherwise same conditions apply.  Any way you cut it, Life's good!  

[Shyheels]

Over here 68, or 20C, is considered a fairly warm summer’s day, verging on hot. As an Australian, that continues to amaze me...

Edited September 1, 2018 by Shyheels

[Puffer]

On 8/29/2018 at 8:00 AM, SF said:

... I’m currently selling my average, run of the mill tract home and am embarrassed to post the axing price here.....

 

A log cabin, I assume?

[HappyinHeels]

No, just missing a letter. I think, however, when Kneebooted sees the price of real estate in the Bay Area he will likely axe any idea of buying a home. HinH

[Heelster]

6 hours ago, HappyinHeels said:

No, just missing a letter. I think, however, when Kneebooted sees the price of real estate in the Bay Area he will likely axe any idea of buying a home. HinH

I'll agree to that. Just small rentals are way out of the ball park. My daughters 900 sq. ft. apartment in Sunnyvale is $3100.00

[SF]

And come November, things will just get even better......   Just watch....    sf

[Shyheels]

I'm assuming your not referring to the weather....

[KneeBooted]

Wow, so many responses in my absence!

First off, I want to say that I welcome any and all feedback, regardless if it is providing pros or cons.

@SF I am actually looking in the Palo Alto area. Where exactly in South Bay are you? I have no problem adding on a commute.

@HappyinHeels I actually have been out to the Bay Area multiple times for work. Before I made the decision to accept the job offer, my wife and I took a long hard look at what finances will be like. In the beginning, it will be tight until we get established. I have looked and know that I cannot afford any reasonably comparable home to what we have now. We are exploring the manufactured housing option, as the mortgage payment combined with space rent is actually cheaper than some rentals.

Some of the times I have been out there, I’ve had locals talk to me about how bad the housing is.

Out of respect I hope no bashing occurs, but I work for Tesla, a company which people say has been one of the companies responsible for the housing increase.

My wife and I have had multiple discussions as this is not actually the first job opportunity to take me to Cali. The first one was a clear no-brainer that it wouldn’t work. This go around, they met me at 90% of everything I was looking to get.

My wife and I have both lived in the Louisville area our entire lives. It will not be easy adjusting especially with a one year old.

But there are positive outlooks, and I know I’m not there forever. If it doesn’t work out, we can always move back.

The way I look at it, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Plus I’ll probably get more heeling in thanks to the great weather!