himom Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Hello SoCal Peers: I'm reaching out to anyone who has experience doing an east coast --> west coast relocation; have an incredible opportunity in south bay and need to get some 'real-world' advice on what is actually possible vs. our prelim number crunching. I've known that the real-estate market there is inflated, but a 3/2 ranch that needs some serious updating for 850K....??? It's enough to scare us out of the decision. It seems like the average salaries in the area would not support this; is it that most people rent and don't own? My main question is this: what is a reasonable base salary for living close to where you work...not so remote that the commute is beyond 'reasonable' (my family and I try to live a relatively low carbon lifestyle, so long commutes and the cheaper housing that goes with it are a no-no). My potential offer is in the ~135-150 neighborhood, which is quite comfortable by east coast standards but may not be enough for a mortgage (and other monthly expenses) in an area with fine schools for our son. As I said earlier, the opportunity is world class and would be a positive professional move, just not sure if the financial is there to back it up. I may be wrong about the scale of economy out there and will need to slap myself, therefore any advice would be appreciated!! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 The job offer sounds extremely nice. That should be enough to get something decent for your family. You mentioned 'our son' so that sounds like you have a spouse who either works (brings in more money) or stays home to do kidcare (saves money on daycare), or with an older kid you could have the other person work AND the kid OK during the day. I haven't done that move. I'm a SF native stuck in NY because I married a New Yorker. You can get a NYer out of NY, but it takes explosives and heavy equipment. However, try contacting Scott Baumberger. A few years ago he moved from NYC to San Diego and appears to be doing very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
himom Posted February 21, 2007 Author Share Posted February 21, 2007 Hi Ernest, Yes, we have a 6 month old and it's never too soon to figure out where the best schools are, especially for an all-expenses-paid relo. Currently, I have my own design firm (had a partner who left the company, so now it's just me and an intern designer) and my daily schedule is flexible, so my wife and I do the 'tag-team parenting'. If we were to do the relo, my wife would stay home, so only the one income. Just got some encouraging news from a friend who is a mortgage broker in the area, so it sounds extremely doable. I think it will be hard to let go of the freelancing lifestyle, as I am basically an 'unfunded' serial entrepreneur, but with a consistant paycheck, benefits, etc, etc, it may end up being a well needed sabbatical. I will connect with Scott as well. As always, thanks for the advice!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 my wife and I do the 'tag-team parenting'. Take it from a freelancer with kids of 12 and 5 years--it get's old. You think the tag-team is a great solution, but it is not sustainable. Or your marriage won't be. And then it would just get worse. The offer sounds too good to pass up. Unless you have to sell your soul for the job, go for it. You can always go back to being a consultant later. Having the uncertainty of payments and work schedules when you are trying to raise your son is a distraction at best, unwelcome stress most likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Cassil Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 (my family and I try to live a relatively low carbon lifestyle, so long commutes and the cheaper housing that goes with it are a no-no). I grew up a couple hours from LA but I traveled there plenty. How long of a commute are you willing to tolerate? Public transportation is horrible in So-Cal and every commute is going to take a while. Unless your willing to shell out BIG $$$. So the offset in increased salary may not lead to a better lifestyle. To be honest, if you aren't willing to do a long commute in the range of an hour + So-Cal may not be for you. I haven't done that move. I'm a SF native stuck in NY because I married a New Yorker. You can get a NYer out of NY, but it takes explosives and heavy equipment. I didn't know that. For some reason I had you pegged as a native NYer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 For some reason I had you pegged as a native NYer. Blasphemy! You've heard me speak and still think I'm from NY? I have maintained my California passport my entire life. The sun is supposed to set over the ocean, not rise over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Cassil Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Blasphemy! You've heard me speak and still think I'm from NY? I have maintained my California passport my entire life. The sun is supposed to set over the ocean, not rise over it. Well, I guess I thought you were from manhattan or something. I'm actually from the part of California that no one wants to admit they are from... the central valley. I willingly gave up my passport about 13 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Well, I guess I thought you were from manhattan Naw, that's my wife's problem--she's born and raised in Manhattan. Not like Zha-Zha and Park Avenue, but its true that NYers think the world beyond Manhattan is a vast wilderness. But back to Aaron--something my wife says is 'money can only buy you a lifestyle'. So look at the lifestyle you would have. Maybe you end up with a small place closer to work, and resolve to spend a lot of your family time outside. That's what SoCal is for. Get a Prius, give away most of your accumulated junk, find the life that's best for your family. Have you been watching "Life with Ed" on HGTV? Be creative and openminded about housing. Property taxes are a particular weirdness in CA, so always ask about it. Considering the enormity of a cross-continent move, why not pack the wife and baby onto a plane and hit the coast to get a good feel for things. Get west coast friends involved. People like to help others look to move to their area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
himom Posted February 21, 2007 Author Share Posted February 21, 2007 I grew up a couple hours from LA but I traveled there plenty. How long of a commute are you willing to tolerate? Hi Brian, I'd certainly like to try to live in somewhat close proximity to the office -- I think it might be feasible just from our preliminary MLS searches. Of course, seeing something online is one thing, seeing the context of what surrounds it is another. I've been using Google Maps to scope out the locations; the listings don't tell you that the awesome house with a pool for an incredibly low 669k backs up to an off-ramp on the 405.... Nonetheless, I think we'd be willing to tolerate a bit of a drive, perhaps I'm wondering if we should try to rent first prior to buying. Any advice on a good family-friendly area closer to the coast? South Orange County would be too far, I think.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
himom Posted February 21, 2007 Author Share Posted February 21, 2007 Have you been watching "Life with Ed" on HGTV? Absolutely! I love that show - as a militant recycler of all things, early adopter of the CFL (yeah, the light is nasty and my wife secretly changes them out with Reveal bulbs when I'm not paying attention), and -homeowners association be dammed- I am going to put up that wind turbine....Funny you mention that. Considering the enormity of a cross-continent move, why not pack the wife and baby onto a plane and hit the coast to get a good feel for things. Get west coast friends involved. People like to help others look to move to their area. We're absolutely going to do this. I also want to check out the corporate culture in the office -- make sure that I'm not getting into a 'greener-grass' situation; do a late Friday afternoon drive-by (non-Compton style, mind you) to see how many cars are still in the parking lot; see where families are hanging out; where the good markets are located; I call this softening up the LZ. I'm hoping there are enough positives to outweigh any negatives of congestion and the sheer density of humanity. Btw, I might add that my wife is from Sonoma County and this would be a great stepping stone in that direction at some point in our future.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJLynn Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Maybe by the time you get there, regular light bulbs will be illegal in CA and it won't be an issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy L Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 Regular light bulbs will soon be illegal in australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Hunt Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Funny, its going to take the goverment 5 years or so to change the lightbulbs in parliment house JHV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernest Burden III Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 its going to take the goverment 5 years or so to change the lightbulbs in parliment house If they have light bulbs that will last five years, maybe parliament should stick with what works. I'll leave to other, funnier, people to ask and answer 'how many Australians does it take to change a lightbulb'? I started my career working for an Ozzie so I'm not going to make the joke. In fact, right now I'm working for an Australian that is a friend of my first boss. This guy took over my job when I left. Did I mention how much I love Australians? And California? They're actually quite similar. My beloved memories of Eucalyptus from San Francisco are actually nothing more than your common Australian Gum tree. How's that for a full circle post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Hunt Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 We Ozzies get everywhere:D I would definitly recomend renting before buying. Having changed cities and countries 4 times in the last 7 years (SA to London to Melbourne to Brisbane), it takes time find and get to know the different areas. Good luck JHV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
himom Posted February 24, 2007 Author Share Posted February 24, 2007 I would definitely recommend renting before buying. Good advice; doing my due diligence on the housing market there and it seems that everything is extremely overvalued. Why would I want to take out a mortgage on a very modest home (in need of updates, I might add) for 700k plus the outrageous monthly property taxes when the valuation is so fluid (or so according to the predictions that the housing-bubble is about to burst)? I think it may be sage advice to sit back and wait it out for a year or two, just to mark the local trends. We'd be in a much better position to buy at that time anyway. Anyone know of any good cities close to the coast, good for families, and perhaps pedestrian friendly? I've checked out Huntington Beach -- that's about as far south as I can easily consider.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Cassil Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 Huntington Beach is what first popped into my mind before I even got to reading it in your post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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