Why did you...or why do you want to move out of California? (Mesa: income, income tax)

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

You have no clue what your home buying dollar can get you in the desert, Nita.
I'm thinking you'd be surprised.

You are right, but under 50,000 for something most of us would want to live in? Which desert?

Nita

[10ofus]

Originally Posted by JetJockey

But if your 'freedom' to be irresponsible destroys an entire species, pollutes a lake or ruins someone else's property (like what was done when my parents neighbors dumped used oil on his property and it flowed down to my parents garden ruining a good solid half acre of veggies.... Hey, it was his property, right?) the where do we draw the line?

I'm definitely not a 'rabid environmentalist' but I have noticed that a lot of people are stupid and selfish. As long as it's good for them, screw everyone else, and they will take the rest of us with them. Personally, I'm not okay with that.

As you may note in my previous comments, "environmentalism" often has very little to do with taking care of natural resources -- it is a political movement. Of course we need to have guidelines, and consequences for those who abuse them. But regulating everything we'd like to do is not right. Most people are reasonable. One person is not going to "destroy an entire species" and there are already ordinances, etc., designed to keep one person from destroying another's property. Anyway, this could be a long, ongoing debate, but I really don't like debating online. I respect your concerns. I hope you understand mine.

[MotleyCrew]

Originally Posted by CArizona

Why do you want to move out of California? If you've already moved away what were your reasons for leaving California? Just curious...Thanks.

Business and income taxes. We also saw the train coming with the budget crisis and believe that the people of California will soon be paying even higher taxes. Only the very rich and very liberal will survive in the future CA

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by jbunniii

What's the ratio of median house price to median income?

The national ratio is about 3.6: median household income is about $50k, median house price around $180k. (Even that ratio is high by historical standards, indicating likely further correction.) Even a $200k house is expensive if it's situated in an area where household incomes are much below $50k.

Ah, but what happens a lot is some fellow sells his half paid for 600K house in the Bay Area and then buys a similar house here for 250K-cash. No house payments makes up for a drop in income.

Originally Posted by nmnita

Even small towns in Ca are a little different, (overall) than living in the small towns of the south or mid-west and are more expensive. A 200K home in say, Paradise Ca would be about $125,000 in many places outside California. That is just one example, plus lower taxes in other states. So it is a combination of cost of living and political atmosphere that drive some out of California.

Nita

One factor that people fail to take into account when looking at the cost of houses is property taxes. In CA it is 1% of the purchase price, plus a very limited yearly increase. I talked to a fellow in another state and he was paying $8000 a year on his 175K house.

[BlackShoe]

Originally Posted by nmnita

You are right, but under 50,000 for something most of us would want to live in? Which desert?

Homes along the Salton Sea are reputed to be very inexpensive. That is the good part. The bad part is that living in this area is mostly only for the brave and eccentric.

[calispartan]

The economy is freaking terrible!!!!

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/8369/1olt6o.gif (broken link)

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by nmnita

You are right, but under 50,000 for something most of us would want to live in? Which desert?

Nita

The high desert, Western Mojave. Example: My godson has 2 kids now and needed more room. In late 2007 they bought a place in a nice little neighborhood in Lucerne Valley, a solid 3Br 2BA concrete block construction, knotty pine paneling, detached garage, on 3/4 acre with fenced yard: $39,500

I'd live in it without hesitation, and same goes for you. The climate might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it wouldn't bother me. I'm no stranger to heat, and would welcome the chance to see some snow in Winter.

[jbunniii]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

Ah, but what happens a lot is some fellow sells his half paid for 600K house in the Bay Area and then buys a similar house here for 250K-cash. No house payments makes up for a drop in income.

You don't have to sell me on that idea - I'll probably end up doing something similar within the next 10 years or so, except I might bypass the part about buying a house in California at all and just use my cash savings. (Not sure a still-very-overpriced California house is going to be that great an investment anyway over the next 10 years.) Ideally I would like to end up somewhere that California "equity locusts" haven't yet driven up in price, yet without a completely inhospitable climate.

Good point regarding property tax too.

[Ziasforever]

When you move out of CA, leave some of those ideas y'all have there. Like hating guns, fiscal conservatism and that illegal immigration is ok. The rest of us folks here in normal land don't really like your ideas, although we might like you.
The people that are leaving CA for the reasons mentioned above, I don't blame you for leaving either.

If you're looking for solitude, then ND or SD is calling your name!

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by Ziasforever

When you move out of CA, leave some of those ideas y'all have there. Like hating guns...

I'm a native Californian and I love guns. In fact, I like to use them to shoot morons who make idiotic statements like the one I quoted.