I Want To Move To California (Santa Cruz, Nice: for sale, loans, homes)

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by California-Secession

California is one of the greatest places in the world. It is never going to be any cheaper to live here than right now. Do not overthink. Pick SF or LA and go. Everything else will sort itself out. Just don't be afraid to live in a city you've never seen in the movies. If SF try Oakland (a truly beautiful and tragically underrated city) and if LA try Long Beach (in many ways like Oakland...less internal beauty but the beach makes up for it).

Flip a coin and GO, friend. Good luck!

P.S. Ignore the cynical posters. They are all out here because they did just what you want to do. Expensive? Hell yeah. But you are young and it doesn't matter. You can always leave if you hate it. There are people with less money than you who make it work. It is YOUR world. Go where you want.

Yeah, heck, dream a dream and go. Who cares if you end up blowing your savings, not finding a job, and maxing out all your credit cards just to survive right? F*ck cynicism!

[lrmsd]

Originally Posted by jennlw

Hey all!

I have always wanted to move to California but I have never been! Lately, I have been thinking about it even more and searching areas but I need help! I want to live close to a beach, I love the beach. I'm 23 and outgoing, so I like being active. I want to move somewhere that will fit me. I also like the city. I know California is expensive and I am by no means rich but I want to explore my options, big or small.

Can anybody give me some advice? I would REALLY appreciate it!

Thanks!
Jenn

Look at San Diego.
It's ideal for an outdoor life style, year round.
For your demographic and assumed budget, look at neighborhoods of North and South Park, Normal Heights, Encinitas and North Pacific Beach. [check craig's list for comparisons and photos for apartments in these areas.] It is do-able to find a studio or one bedroom in normal heights and north park for $800, though that would be the lowest you could possibly find in san diego, w/o roomates.

With even one roomate, your situation improves considerably: You can rent a decent/nice apt. or condo from between 1200 and 1500, for example. In fact, you can even look at Del Mar and Solana Beach, with a roomate, and pay 14-1600 for a two bedroom, split two ways.

Also check roomate listings on CL.

Other coastal areas of CA are higher-SD would be your best option, plus you would actually get to enjoy miles of coastline year round. SD is very safe for it's size, and is the cheaper of the 3 major coastal metro areas [SFO,LA,SD] in CA.

Gas is about the same as the east coast-particularly NY and MA, and in fact, in many rural states, gas can be high, as well. A car is pretty necessary in SD, though some do w/o.
But if you drive a toyota or honda, you tend to get better mileage, by far.

Food: I have NO idea WHY people insist on saying it's high. It is NOT.
I have lived in [for multiple years each]: MT,CO,MA,OR and CA (ten years here) and visited family in the following states multiple times: FLA,VA and DE,and food is decidely affordable in CA. You get year round produce for cheap. Very high quality of food compared to the other areas. And eating out is cheap in CA. Honestly, you can go expensive, but cheap meals in SFO where I lived, or SD/LA, are easily had. And good cheap food, too.

City/state tax is almost 10% right now.
Initial smog and car reg. will be an expense, as an out of stater. I don't have a quote off-hand.
And then you do smog every two years for $50, and annual car reg. depends on the value of your car. I pay $68 a year for a 1993 Honda accord. My car insurance is [for two cars-an older toyota and our honda] $80/month for full coverage.

That's it. Those are my expenses beyond food and rent, etc.

Utilities: we pay about $100 per month for a 2 bedroom apt. But we have no a/c or heat, so it never varies,year round. Most places in SD proper do not have a/c or central heat.

I honestly fail to see how this is so much higher than other places I have lived.
Car ins. was higher in CO, actually. And don't get me started on costs in MA. It's about twice as much annually.

Good luck to you; do not allow naysayers on CD forum to dissuade you. Be pragmatic and realistic, but also hopeful/focused.

[lrmsd]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fantastic

Yeah, heck, dream a dream and go. Who cares if you end up blowing your savings, not finding a job, and maxing out all your credit cards just to survive right? F*ck cynicism!

As my husband always says: Anywhere you actually WANT to live, is expensive.
You know? I mean,rural AL may be cheap, but anymore, anywhere that is desireable is expensive.

All of the previously cheap college towns or smaller cities, have been discovered and are on every annual list of AARP, Outdoor magazine, etc.

While real estate is still very high in CA, comparatively, other costs of living are not.
Calm down about foretelling people's financial and life ruin by their moving to CA.

Yea, you can be pragmatic, and then you can be melodramatic. Let's just stay focused on pragmatism.

I think people who are p'd off at their version of the CA dream, come to CD to vent that all over other's ideas.

A 23 year old young woman may simply want to check out the scene for a couple of years...It IS possible to do that, w/o ruin, and w/o lifelong goals for moving here.

btw, I know firsthand about costs of living in CA, and I fail to see the point of saying 'it's too expensive for you'. Just give the info that may be helpful-ie,areas where OP might want to be, w/cheapest possible safe options. Let OP do the rest of the work.

[lrmsd]

Originally Posted by blauskies

That's what a 1 bedroom goes for here at a minimum, usually more and that will often get you a room above someone listening to Salsa style music, in California that would be more along the lines of Mariachi.

Um,NO.
A one bedroom in san diego can be had for 700-800. IN fact, the complex I previously lived in in normal heights, next to kensington and hillcrest, had bungalow style-we lived in a two bedroom with our child,for 985/month. The jr. one bedrooms went for 700,one bedrooms for 800. It was gated and had laundry on site, walking distance to shops and park.

North Park is also an option for this rent.
And no, we did not have salsa music.
Get a clue before posting categorical statements.

Are one bedrooms for 700 all over the place? No.
Are they in LA or SFO? No.

But, OP asked where in CA.

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by lrmsd

As my husband always says: Anywhere you actually WANT to live, is expensive.
You know? I mean,rural AL may be cheap, but anymore, anywhere that is desireable is expensive.

All of the previously cheap college towns or smaller cities, have been discovered and are on every annual list of AARP, Outdoor magazine, etc.

While real estate is still very high in CA, comparatively, other costs of living are not.
Calm down about foretelling people's financial and life ruin by their moving to CA.

Yea, you can be pragmatic, and then you can be melodramatic. Let's just stay focused on pragmatism.

I think people who are p'd off at their version of the CA dream, come to CD to vent that all over other's ideas.

A 23 year old young woman may simply want to check out the scene for a couple of years...It IS possible to do that, w/o ruin, and w/o lifelong goals for moving here.

btw, I know firsthand about costs of living in CA, and I fail to see the point of saying 'it's too expensive for you'. Just give the info that may be helpful-ie,areas where OP might want to be, w/cheapest possible safe options. Let OP do the rest of the work.

I know you're a woman, and therefore more prone to emotional outburst which explains your post.

But when it comes down to it, fact usually trumps emotion, which is why many of the greatest logicians in history have been men.

Bottom line: If you're moving to a coastal area of California, where rents are generally high, without a job, and "am by no means rich", you are probably jumping into financial disaster.

[conc1]

Originally Posted by nmnita

yes some good advise: no, you do not want to move to Ca right now unless you have thousands of dollars saved, a job lined up and a really good work background in a field that is in demand. Are you prepared for renting a 1 bedroom apt for about $1000 or more a month?

NIta

Are you nuts? You want to move to California when everyone who lives here wants to leave here.
California has high taxes, high rent, lots of regulation, big government, no jobs. Do you want me to go on?

[californio sur]

Originally Posted by conc1

Are you nuts? You want to move to California when everyone who lives here wants to leave here.
California has high taxes, high rent, lots of regulation, big government, no jobs. Do you want me to go on?

No, but just go if you like. Someone will most definitely take your place in California in a heart beat.

[ladoll]

I think the most important thing for you to do is actually visit the state and see the areas you are considering moving to. You may not actually like it as much as you think you will. ETA: Not saying you will hate it, but at least you will know.

Also, it would behoove you to either get employment lined up or have SOME way of supporting yourself. If you come out here with hardly any money and no job, you're going to be in for a really, really hard time.

[nmnita]

Anyone who wants to move to California needs to read the posting today from "can't find a job" or the one yesterday from the guy who moved to Ca from Seattle. To those who love Ca, that is wonderful and I can see why you do, but to encourage a young person, especailly a person without a good employment background to even consider moving to Ca right now is almost unfair.

The interesting news: the Op has never come back. I think she was having a dreammy moment, maybe more a day dream. We all love to dream about what might be, what could be and what might have been.

Nita

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Anyone who wants to move to California needs to read the posting today from "can't find a job" or the one yesterday from the guy who moved to Ca from Seattle. To those who love Ca, that is wonderful and I can see why you do, but to encourage a young person, especailly a person without a good employment background to even consider moving to Ca right now is almost unfair.

The interesting news: the Op has never come back. I think she was having a dreammy moment, maybe more a day dream. We all love to dream about what might be, what could be and what might have been.

Nita

A young friend of mine recently moved to California without any precious plans, found a job (low paying but still), found a place and is quite happy to be on the coast.
Not everyone lives in your reality and to discourage anyone from following there own inner compass is "unfair" and just 'cause the o.p. is not posting doesn't mean that she/he has not been back.