Texas is the same way (except for the heat/humidity part). Extremely cheap housing and cost of living. Property taxes may be a tad higher but we don't have a state income tax.

And people from the north-east, California, and Florida are all moving to Texas.

Why not? A friend from college (from PA), single girl in her mid 30s, sold her house for 700+k in the city. Moved to TX, bought a new home with a small ranch and a couple of condos on the side of town as rentals. she's got income with no mortgage payments. make your money in CA and spend it somewhere else.

$1M...really? Not bashing your home (I'm sure it's nice) but I bet I could cut that number by 60%+ and have you in a similar home & neighborhood that is 15 minutes or less to the ocean. As nostatic mentioned in his home search thread SoCal is comprised of many housing markets. A couple streets in either direction makes a huge difference in price. I was in San Antonio TX last year and looked at some homes that were similar quality to mine and found the delta in purchase price to be relatively small...like $150K. Granted they were on larger lots...like 1-2 acre vs 15K ft/sq but that is just another trade off.

Granted many of your toys are illegal here anyway. Enjoy your pool - sounds nice. Wife and I are going on a date this Friday evening to Del Mar to watch the sunset with a glass of wine. :D

Emigration is the most sincere form of flattery.

Good news, we are number 48!

NY and NJ are even more Effed up than we are: Freedom in the 50 States | Mercatus

In Detroit its encouraged.

Actually, IIRC there is a net outmigration from cali unless you are counting illegals

I never intend to move from my "home" in Ohio farmland, but if I did, Arizona would be the winner hands down. I spent a short time there last fall and fell in love. I truly could not stand living in a housing development or city ever again. The loss of freedom to do what I wanted on my own land would feel like prison to me.

Interesting to note that those States that claim to be progressive are the least free.

Been there. Done that.

just stay down there, all of you

37 MILLION people can't be wrong.

"Nobody know da troubles I seen, nobody know my sah-row ..."

It must be a northern California thing. Here is their website.

Spare the Air
They literally have patrols out on spare the air days. If caught burning on a spare the air day, there are fines to be paid.

That is insane. Aspen Co. no less. I can't imagine this happening, but yes it does. My BIL just remodeled a house in Cal. built in the early 1900's, and yes, they were told no WB fireplaces.

There is too much of something here but it isn't on your list, and I can't say what it is without sending this thread to PARF!

No, but the numbnuts they elect sure can. And as long as the folks in LA and the Bay Area blindly vote "D" without paying attention, it will continue.

So we get mandated motion sensors in private bathrooms, but no budget.:rolleyes:

It depends what and how extensive the remodel is. when we get into a major remodel, I fight and listen to what the owner's needs are and arm wrestle the architects on such subject. We keep wood burning fireplaces on most remodels. Including the house down the street.

Native Californian here - my wife/sweetie, too. We pretty much like the place just like it is, though admittedly there are a few things I might change, should I be granted the power.

As for fireplaces, we burn our fireplace a whole lot every winter using wood from the family almond groves - hasn't been possible to cut wood in the local forests, though I used to do that too. Dunno about building a new fireplace. But so far, here in the Lost Angeles area, there seem to be few restrictions.

Fire places have to be frame out with lumber and line with a flue. No longer ca we build masonry fire place like we did 60 years ago due to earthquake codes.