what?

Naive?

I don't live there, I have no idea what it costs to live there. For example, do you know what it costs to live where I do? How could you. WOuld it shock you that on 50k a year you can live fine here? Obviously you don't have the benefits of other locations e.g. beach, etc.

I'd ask that you consider my post - I obviously don't think that amount would be enough based on research on sites such as www.realtor.com. What I see are house notes that push the bounds of any budget, and these are DUMPS I am talking about.

So I appreciate you right to your opinion, I'd just appreciate you including some advice that is actionable (not insulting) which was the point of my post.

At this point here is what I've learned:

1. I can live on that, just not as well as if I were single and not 'at a high level' e.g. top subdivision, area, etc.

2. I need to plan to be near work as the highway's are backed up well before (and after?) traditional travel times

3. I need to realize that I won't have room for extra debt not related to house, etc as my house will be the main expense I have

4. I need to plan to step down lifestyle wise from what I have here

So that doesn't seem like someone who is naive to me, it seems like someone who is trying to leverage the knowledge of those that know more.

would it be bad to rent? Maybe I could rent and just defer more to savings? do people expect RE to rise as much in the next 10 years as it has in the past 10?

rent. It isn't rocket science. No, the market will not rise over the next 10 like it did over the last 10. If so, then the place will empty out because no one could afford to live here.

If you can't live on $200K/year in LA then you have lifestyle problems. But don't expect to buy a 2000 sq ft house on half an acre and have a short drive to work.

I was thinking more of 1000SQ, 2 car garage, fixer upper. That was my 'hope'. But I guess it will be renting. But hey, at least the air is really clear there...

my god...i make $35k...$72k between my wife and i and i do just fine in North Jersey....guess my california dream move is over

Nick

I think Cali is more expensive that NYC. It is all relative based on what you want. I want to have a simple, clean and modest but comfortable house with a place to put a couple cars and a small yard that is within 30 minutes of my job. I don't need to have the biggest, best, most 'chic' house.

Maybe the houses I'd want are not on the websites I am reading that make me think that I can't afford the place?

nope...they don't exist. Sorry, that was 10 years ago.

And I'm about 8 miles from my job, which takes 30 minutes coming home.

My old house is in a nice neighborhood, 2 car garage, 9K sq ft lot (one of the biggest in the neighborhood. Peaked at $1.5M in Oct of '05. Is probably worth just north of $1M. You can pay a bit less for a smaller lot and a fixer, but not too much. Condos in my neighborhood are going for over $700K. I prefer to rent for $1600/mo. 2br/1ba 1 car garage.

Depends on your expectations. It is crowded, expensive, and a pita to live here. If you want a nice house and a nice lot and a nice life, best look elsewhere.

hmm, I will have to really think over what you said. Need a job in the midwest? ;-)

nope. I love CA. I was born here. If I move it would be to HI or another country.

But I can telecommute...what's the gig? ;)

There are some interesting lofts going up for sale downtown that were discussed in a different thread... that is if you don't mind the urban environment and sounds like you don't. If you find work downtown you wouldn't have to commute and there are lots of great restaurants and entertainment in the area.

I leave my house at 6:30 am and get to work at exposition park twenty miles away around 7:15 - 7:30.

Keep in mind Nostatic and Wayne live in beach cities $$$$$

Uh, so do I but I bought in a long time ago from family at a dicounted price.

I wish, then I'd move too. But you know, it is sounding more and more like unless we go back to NYC, we may say in the middle of the country, we are just too young to have started out before the big rise in RE values.

I don't mind renting if I can defer enough to savings to off set the cost of not owning and having the tax benefit, etc. But what do I know, I am naive :rolleyes:

I wouldn't mind that at all! thanks for the point, is there a website you know of about these?


My aunt had an acre in La Jolla she got in the early 50's... sold it in the late 80's when she retired, got a condo then, now it is worth nearly a million.

I envy the lifestyle on one level but I struggle with how people make it work as I think I am reasonably successful but still don't see the math adding up relative to being able to save enough and build equity.

Great posts fellas thanks, you've broken my OT cherry :D

How could you not afford to live in a state when you would be making more than 90% of everyone else in that state?

where did you get that stat?

Well, if my parents former home is any indication, easy! They got it for 132k. Now it is work a million.

Don't commute. Seriously. I used to commute to Glendale every day (about 35 miles each way) and it was pure hell on earth. If I didn't have a motorcycle I could count on to give me the advantages of (1) lane splitting and (2) car pool lane useage, I'd have quit that job and run away screaming long before I did. There are/were two ways to deal with a commute:

1. Leave VERY early. As in, before 6:00am. On the days I drove, if I was underway (not just walking out the door, but actually in the car driving) by 6:00am, it'd take me about an hour to get to work. If I waited until 6:05, it'd take an hour and a half to two hours (sometimes more).

2. Get a motorcycle.

3. Telecommute.

4. F*ck the whole mess and live close to where you work. As in 3-5 miles MAXIMUM.

good points

Do you seriously doubt that if you make $250K, you'd be in the top 10% of wage earners in California?

What he said... if I were moving here knowing what I know now I would find a job THEN look for housing near the job.

I have no idea what people make there. I have some friends who make less, some that make more, etc. I really don't want this thread focused on that. What I was trying to do was determine based on my goals of a simple, comfortable, small is ok home, what could I expect. I have not researched incomes in the area. I also know that we don't have kids and plan to in the coming years so that will represent further change and expense.