May 10, 2008 Ship of Thieves! Stealing the Magic..AGAIN!!! Panama Canal FL to CA!!! Part 5

[Jhalkias]

Westlake Village is in Southern California, part of the San Gabriel Valley. Figure on $750k min for a nice house. Guitar Center is big out here for musicians.

Yup - that's three times what I value my house at . . .

So do all of you out there make three times what we make in OH, or are you just three times more in debt?

 

[AuntyBrat]

Trust me . . . those thoughts already in my mind. (I'm a lawyer - remember?) Amy was looking at the area online. A house of similar size to ours, on a lot half the size costs THREE times as much!

Ah well, might be a good experience just to learn about it if nothing else.

And don't forget the weather...hot is really HOT out here!!!! 100+ for days at a time...

 

[Jhalkias]

And you will also have state income tax and the property taxes tend to be very high also. Again, cuts into your available income...just want you to know all the facts. $100k a year is barely middle income in California if you want to eat, live in doors and own a car that is not 10 years old...

Well that's encouraging . . .

So all your homeless make $90k/year?

 

[tink1963]

To all of my new California friends . . .

I just received some interest in my resume from a business in Westlake Village CA. The description seems to fit my qualifications extremely well – but CA is a long way from Ohio . . . Any thoughts on the area or the business “Guitar Center”?

Quite the humming place here in Scottsdale with their own brands and stuff, but the cost of living is quite different between CA and Ohio. Something you'll want to keep in mind.

John, I don't know that much about Guitar Center as a co. I do know that they are very well know here in the west. I will say a little about Westlake Village. I live about 20 min north in oxnard. Westlake is expensive. But then so is most of so cal. Median home prices start at about 750,000.00. The area has grown alot the the few+ years. There are quite a lot of major companys that call this area home. I work for a VW dealer and VW's western region office is located there. Living in the sunshine state has it's advantages. Mainly great weather. Also beachs, mountains. It is a place you can snow ski and surf in the same day if you want. But those of us who choose to live here do so with a price tag attached.

I guess you need to take a trip out here and check us out. Plus Disneyland is about an hour away.

 

[Jhalkias]

And don't forget the weather...hot is really HOT out here!!!! 100+ for days at a time...

Well, let's see . . .

100+ or -20 for days at a time . . . decisions, decisions . . .

 

[AuntyBrat]

Yup - that's three times what I value my house at . . .

So do all of you out there make three times what we make in OH, or are you just three times more in debt?

There is a reason why the foreclosure and bankruptcy rate is so high out here.

I make a decent income, and live in a manufactored home in a park. House is paid for, but space rent is over $600 a month. Average rent is going to run you $1500 a month for a 2 bedroom 2 bath and that is out here in the Inland Empire/San Bernardino County. Out there, double that at least!!!!

 

[AuntyBrat]

Well that's encouraging . . .

So all your homeless make $90k/year?

No, they live out here by me, and spend 2-3 hours a day commuting. And no, I am not kidding about the time commuting..

 

[Jhalkias]

There is a reason why the foreclosure and bankruptcy rate is so high out here.

I make a decent income, and live in a manufactored home in a park. House is paid for, but space rent is over $600 a month. Average rent is going to run you $1500 a month for a 2 bedroom 2 bath and that is out here in the Inland Empire/San Bernardino County. Out there, double that at least!!!!

You are all very quickly talking me out of even considering sending my resume for consideration . . .

 

[ibouncetoo]

Nice to know I'm considered one of the taller ones in this group. So let's do a roll call.

endkaos = 5'3"

ibouncetoo = 5'2 1/2"

 

[Jhalkias]

No, they live out here by me, and spend 2-3 hours a day commuting. And no, I am not kidding about the time commuting..

OK Laura, maybe I should put this another way . . .

Why aren't you moving to Ohio?!

 

[tink1963]

Boy, you all make it sound that living in so cal is a prison sentence. I personlly love living here. I'm only 10min away from the ocean. I dont know about temps inland, but here on the coast we don't have many days over 100+ or even close to. Yes we do pay a premium to live here and no I dont make $100,000 and still am able to afford a nice 3 bed home in a gated community and still put food on my table and drive a newer car. Come on, it's really a great place to live. Oh and property taxes are deductable on your fed taxes.

 

[AuntyBrat]

OK Laura, maybe I should put this another way . . .

Why aren't you moving to Ohio?!

To quote Bowling For Soup:

'There's nothing wrong with Ohio....except the snow and the rain. I really like Drew Carey and I'd love to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.'

Actually, I plan on retiring out of the state. Right now I am looking at Tennessee, but am open to other states...

 

[AuntyBrat]

Boy, you all make it sound that living in so cal is a prison sentence. I personlly love living here. I'm only 10min away from the ocean. I dont know about temps inland, but here on the coast we don't have many days over 100+ or even close to. Yes we do pay a premium to live here and no I dont make $100,000 and still am able to afford a nice 3 bed home in a gated community and still put food on my table and drive a newer car. Come on, it's really a great place to live. Oh and property taxes are deductable on your fed taxes.

Not a prison sentence, but I could not even begin to touch a house in a gated community on the coast.

California is a great place to live, you just have to be realistic about it. And it is expensive...of course, compared to Silicon Valley or San Francisco, we look positively affordable!!!

 

[granmaz]

Are you nearly ready for retiring Laura?

 

[LiserAnn]

To all of my new California friends . . .

I just received some interest in my resume from a business in Westlake Village CA. The description seems to fit my qualifications extremely well – but CA is a long way from Ohio . . . Any thoughts on the area or the business “Guitar Center”?

Westlake Village is pretty, and....expensive. I have a friend who lives there. Guitar Center is a chain of stores, very popular. They're all over. I'm assuming the job would be at the corporate offices?

 

[LiserAnn]

Mark - 5'7"
Lisa - 5'3"
Ryan (almost 9) - 4'3"
Drew (5) - 3'8"

 

[LiserAnn]

Yup - that's three times what I value my house at . . .

So do all of you out there make three times what we make in OH, or are you just three times more in debt?

I wish...in Cal you have a lot of dual income households and it also depends where you live. I gave up my career to stay home with the boys, and with that decision went my six figure salary. So we moved inland to make up for the loss. We sold our small house in Orange County and bought a much larger house about an hour away in Riverside County. With the profit we made on our overpriced Orange County house, we were able to not only get a much bigger home but we also were able to put down a substantial amount. Of course, we used to be 10 minutes from the beach and now we're an hour away but it allowed me to stay home with the kids so we found it was a worthwhile sacrifice.

 

[LiserAnn]

Boy, you all make it sound that living in so cal is a prison sentence. I personlly love living here. I'm only 10min away from the ocean. I dont know about temps inland, but here on the coast we don't have many days over 100+ or even close to. Yes we do pay a premium to live here and no I dont make $100,000 and still am able to afford a nice 3 bed home in a gated community and still put food on my table and drive a newer car. Come on, it's really a great place to live. Oh and property taxes are deductable on your fed taxes.

I think California is a wonderful place. I like living here but I'm pretty positive we'll retire elsewhere, due to the increasing costs. And it's true, if you live on the coast, most days are cool but if you live inland....look to many 100+ degree days. That was perhaps the hardest adjustment for me when we moved to the Temecula Valley as I've always lived near a beach. I think it just all depends on what's important to you and of course, what you can comfortably afford.

 

[pjpoohbear]

Nice to know I'm considered one of the taller ones in this group. So let's do a roll call.

endkaos = 5'3"

I am offically average, grew 1 inch at age 21.....5'4" 3/4, The growth spurt at 21 confused my doctor.

 

[pjpoohbear]

And don't forget the weather...hot is really HOT out here!!!! 100+ for days at a time...

John, Amy might not be enthused about that...