Why is Arizona so cheap compared to California (Phoenix, Bullhead City: sales, credit)

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by Quirinius324

The main reason why people are leaving CA and the Northeast is housing cost. The median cost in NY is around $400,000, but $200,000 in most of the Sunbelt, and around $600,000 in SoCal. The permitting process is expensive and obnoxious for sure, but the main cost is the land itself. In most Sunbelt metros and the Midwest, the median lot is around $60,000, whereas it hits at least $200,000 in the Northeast and around $500,000 or more in SoCal. Unless those places entice people to live in apartments, and then clear out the regulatory/zoning impediments to building those apartments, then they're largely stuck. Check out the Lincoln Center for Land Studies for further information. https://www.lincolninst.edu/subcente...and-prices.asp

Oh, I see. You're one of those people-kennel advocates. Heaven knows there's plenty of them in the C-D Bay Area groups. "Tear down single family houses and build apartment blocks in their place."

As a person who is actually leaving CA, the reason is NOT housing cost. We can easily afford to live here. One reason is we're tired of being shoved around by progressive Democrat bullies and their loony policies.

Another reason is that I have a business I want to grow and I'm not going to do it paying $15/hour and a benefit load in California for what is unskilled manual labor.

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat

Oh, I see. You're one of those people-kennel advocates. Heaven knows there's plenty of them in the C-D Bay Area groups. "Tear down single family houses and build apartment blocks in their place."

As a person who is actually leaving CA, the reason is NOT housing cost. We can easily afford to live here. One reason is we're tired of being shoved around by progressive Democrat bullies and their loony policies.

Another reason is that I have a business I want to grow and I'm not going to do it paying $15/hour and a benefit load in California for what is unskilled manual labor.

Beside the minimum $15 an hour social experiment, they're trying to push this crap in Colorado, it's a left-wing idea that California would probably experiment also. It's basically a single player health system, that taxes 10% of your income.

Colorado to vote on single-payer state health-care system - The Denver Post

[Quirinius324]

All I'm saying is that you will eventually run out of land in any given metro area, especially if it's mostly single family homes. I have nothing against single family homes. I'd like to live in one myself someday! Add another 2-3 million people to Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta, and you'll see prices starting to rise there too. The desirable, reasonably close, land will eventually be used up, except for those who want to drive in from an hour and a half way. People COULD live in Poughkeepsie or Oxnard or Davis if they wanted to, but commuting becomes too laborious. With enough people moving in, that's the destiny of every metro area.

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by fluffythewondercat

As a person who is actually leaving CA, the reason is NOT housing cost. We can easily afford to live here. One reason is we're tired of being shoved around by progressive Democrat bullies and their loony policies.

Another reason is that I have a business I want to grow and I'm not going to do it paying $15/hour and a benefit load in California for what is unskilled manual labor.

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by Quirinius324

All I'm saying is that you will eventually run out of land in any given metro area, especially if it's mostly single family homes. I have nothing against single family homes. I'd like to live in one myself someday! Add another 2-3 million people to Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta, and you'll see prices starting to rise there too. The desirable, reasonably close, land will eventually be used up, except for those who want to drive in from an hour and a half way. People COULD live in Poughkeepsie or Oxnard or Davis if they wanted to, but commuting becomes too laborious. With enough people moving in, that's the destiny of every metro area.

Prices have already risen in Houston and Dallas. I built my house in the Houston metro in 2008, and it has risen at least 60% in value. One of the great things about Houston is that there are multiple job centers located in different parts of the metro....Downtown, The Woodlands, The Galleria/Uptown, Energy Corridor, Greenspoint/IAH, petrochemical plants, etc. Somewhat similarly re the DFW Metroplex.....Downtown Dallas, Las Colinas, Telecom Corridor, Alliance Corridor, Plano, Downtown Fort Worth, etc. In both metro areas, continued development isn't dependent on one central location as the only significant job center.

[jgustav]

Originally Posted by Quirinius324

I agree with some previous commentators that CA is too regulation happy, but the tax differences between CA and AZ are negligible, unless you're pretty well off. States generally get their money out of regular people one way or another, but the main difference is that places w/no income tax, like Texas and Florida, let the wealthy pay much less as a percentage than the rest of the states. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) (Full Disclosure: a liberal-leaning group).
For the bottom 80% of taxpayers, Californians actually pay less than Arizonans.

The main reason why people are leaving CA and the Northeast is housing cost. The median cost in NY is around $400,000, but $200,000 in most of the Sunbelt, and around $600,000 in SoCal. The permitting process is expensive and obnoxious for sure, but the main cost is the land itself. In most Sunbelt metros and the Midwest, the median lot is around $60,000, whereas it hits at least $200,000 in the Northeast and around $500,000 or more in SoCal. Unless those places entice people to live in apartments, and then clear out the regulatory/zoning impediments to building those apartments, then they're largely stuck. Check out the Lincoln Center for Land Studies for further information. https://www.lincolninst.edu/subcente...and-prices.asp

To say the tax differences between CA and AZ is negligible is incorrect, look at recent legislation like Prop 30 in CA supported by Jerry Brown which increases income tax marginal rates on the wealthy - 250,000+ for singles to 500,000+ married to 10.3%. Arizona's marginal tax rate maximum is less than 5% for all residents. The 9.3% marginal rate in CA also hits at lower tax rates, around 50,000+ for singles and 100,000+ for married.

Sales taxes are also high in CA which was increased by Prop 30 in a "temporary" increase for school funding that is now looking to be extended by an additional proposition. CA also has the highest gas taxes in the nation, I have seen $1 per gallon differences in gas prices between CA and AZ when I visit AZ.

I plan on retiring in AZ to get a greater than 50% reduction in my marginal tax rate, not to mention lower gas prices.

CALPERS and the CA state teacher union pension are still not being funded properly - check on the following link from the LA Times, hardly a right wing news source.

California pension funds are running dry - LA Times

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by jgustav

To say the tax differences between CA and AZ is negligible is incorrect, look at recent legislation like Prop 30 in CA supported by Jerry Brown which increases income tax marginal rates on the wealthy - 250,000+ for singles to 500,000+ married to 10.3%. Arizona's marginal tax rate maximum is less than 5% for all residents. The 9.3% marginal rate in CA also hits at lower tax rates, around 50,000+ for singles and 100,000+ for married.

Sales taxes are also high in CA which was increased by Prop 30 in a "temporary" increase for school funding that is now looking to be extended by an additional proposition. CA also has the highest gas taxes in the nation, I have seen $1 per gallon differences in gas prices between CA and AZ when I visit AZ.

I plan on retiring in AZ to get a greater than 50% reduction in my marginal tax rate, not to mention lower gas prices.

CALPERS and the CA state teacher union pension are still not being funded properly - check on the following link from the LA Times, hardly a right wing news source.

California pension funds are running dry - LA Times

I completely agree about all the ridiculous legislation enacted in CA by the liberals/socialists. The tax rates are higher than AZ (although not the highest in the nation), the cost of living has become outrageous in many areas, and there have been so many senseless laws that restrict personal freedom & business opportunities. No wonder so many people & businesses are wanting to move out of CA. Such a shame because it's a beautiful state with so many things to see & do.

If you're planning on retiring in AZ to have a lower tax rate, you can lower your property taxes even further by living in Sun City or Sun City West. Those areas have some of the lowest property taxes, and it's largely because of no school taxes (there are no schools or school districts since they're age restricted communities). This alone makes life much easier for the senior citizens who live there.

[Packard fan]

Originally Posted by jgustav

To say the tax differences between CA and AZ is negligible is incorrect, look at recent legislation like Prop 30 in CA supported by Jerry Brown which increases income tax marginal rates on the wealthy - 250,000+ for singles to 500,000+ married to 10.3%. Arizona's marginal tax rate maximum is less than 5% for all residents. The 9.3% marginal rate in CA also hits at lower tax rates, around 50,000+ for singles and 100,000+ for married.

Sales taxes are also high in CA which was increased by Prop 30 in a "temporary" increase for school funding that is now looking to be extended by an additional proposition. CA also has the highest gas taxes in the nation, I have seen $1 per gallon differences in gas prices between CA and AZ when I visit AZ.

I plan on retiring in AZ to get a greater than 50% reduction in my marginal tax rate, not to mention lower gas prices.

CALPERS and the CA state teacher union pension are still not being funded properly - check on the following link from the LA Times, hardly a right wing news source.

California pension funds are running dry - LA Times

Agreed and HOW!

I live in Bullhead City across from Laughlin, Nev. which is about 25 miles from Needles, Ca. Needles is basically dying cause of its state's insane laws and regulations which are pushing many people AND businesses to move just across the river in Mohave Valley and Ft Mohave, Az which are between me and Bullhead.

[elkotronics]

The government in CA is doing it on purpose. Don't you see it? If you have the money and income to stay you can stay. Otherwise - get out of her, if you don't want to share in her plagues. Californication is condemned to die a grisly, ugly death that is prophesied. Get out of California now. I'm warning you!

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by RMESMH

Prices have already risen in Houston and Dallas. I built my house in the Houston metro in 2008, and it has risen at least 60% in value. One of the great things about Houston is that there are multiple job centers located in different parts of the metro....Downtown, The Woodlands, The Galleria/Uptown, Energy Corridor, Greenspoint/IAH, petrochemical plants, etc. Somewhat similarly re the DFW Metroplex.....Downtown Dallas, Las Colinas, Telecom Corridor, Alliance Corridor, Plano, Downtown Fort Worth, etc. In both metro areas, continued development isn't dependent on one central location as the only significant job center.

Let's tell the WHOLE story. Houston is also a boom and bust town. When oil prices are booming as they were prior to the last 12 months, everything is great and prices are soaring. Then, oil tanks for a while and a good portion of the area is facing foreclosure.