Please help me urgently make the right job choice! (Houston: calculator, salary)

[Jonathz]

I would say the California Company is not giving you a good offer at all..Your CA offer is around 110K... which I would say is a below average offer especailly you said you have several years of experience. On top of that, you have to pay the CA state tax which is around 9.6 %, and everything is more expensive in CA, gas, restuarant, even supermarket

[4decision]

Originally Posted by Malvie

My friend would be trading a 2br 2ba 2 (deck) parking space paid-for high-rise condo on the 26th floor with a skyline view in a "name" building on Turtle Creek (value arguably $750,000; was over $1m at one point) for a 1 br 1 ba surface parking similar-in-nature condo on the 6th floor or so (but with a Pacific view) directly on the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica---for almost triple the price. Quick commute to LAX. Jog on the beach every day (he's a big jogger). Lots of friends still in the area. Nothing (in either his or my opinion) beats sitting on the beach under a palm tree with a good bottle of California red watching the sun sink slowly into the Pacific...

But,C no new car. He has a nice 5 year old BMW, but it'd have to last. No big expenditures until place is paid for (we're all 55 now). No "extras". 10% instant pay reduction due to Cali hutincome tax, plus increased cost of practically everything else. Maintenance fee on the new place - 4 times that of the old place.

You can sneak on the back roads to LAX, but if you try to go ANYWHERE else you're on the Santa Monica, the 5, or the 405, creeping along even at 3:00 am. The "High Five" in Dallas has nothing on the "Orange Crush".

And (here it comes), he says that, if possible, the idea that the women he'd be looking at in LA are even quicker to check the bank balance first than the Dallas variety. He's experienced ghat first-hand.

He says, in effect, he'd be going from being "comfortably well-off" here (his term) to being Joe-******* rhee.

But, there are those cool Pacific breezes....

So it's totally intangible.

I looked at it a few years ago when I was unemployed. If things get rough again with the employment picture here, I may look again (I can transfer to the Brea office easily enough, for a job/pay reduction). I'd have to give up my nice house here for a crummy apartment there, but it's cooler.

Malvie, you almost made me pack up and go back to California, I was staying in a luxury hotel by the yacht dock in Santa Monica way back in summer 1998 on a business trip there at UCLA. Then I decided to take a job offer in the next summer 1999 in the Silicon Valley.

[4decision]

Originally Posted by Malvie

My friend would be trading a 2br 2ba 2 (deck) parking space paid-for high-rise condo on the 26th floor with a skyline view in a "name" building on Turtle Creek (value arguably $750,000; was over $1m at one point) for a 1 br 1 ba surface parking similar-in-nature condo on the 6th floor or so (but with a Pacific view) directly on the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica---for almost triple the price. Quick commute to LAX. Jog on the beach every day (he's a big jogger). Lots of friends still in the area. Nothing (in either his or my opinion) beats sitting on the beach under a palm tree with a good bottle of California red watching the sun sink slowly into the Pacific...

But,C no new car. He has a nice 5 year old BMW, but it'd have to last. No big expenditures until place is paid for (we're all 55 now). No "extras". 10% instant pay reduction due to Cali hutincome tax, plus increased cost of practically everything else. Maintenance fee on the new place - 4 times that of the old place.

You can sneak on the back roads to LAX, but if you try to go ANYWHERE else you're on the Santa Monica, the 5, or the 405, creeping along even at 3:00 am. The "High Five" in Dallas has nothing on the "Orange Crush".

And (here it comes), he says that, if possible, the idea that the women he'd be looking at in LA are even quicker to check the bank balance first than the Dallas variety. He's experienced ghat first-hand.

He says, in effect, he'd be going from being "comfortably well-off" here (his term) to being Joe-******* rhee.

But, there are those cool Pacific breezes....

So it's totally intangible.

I looked at it a few years ago when I was unemployed. If things get rough again with the employment picture here, I may look again (I can transfer to the Brea office easily enough, for a job/pay reduction). I'd have to give up my nice house here for a crummy apartment there, but it's cooler.

Malvie, you almost made me pack up and go back to California, I was staying in a luxury hotel by the yacht dock in Santa Monica way back in summer 1998 on a business trip there at UCLA. Then I decided to take a job offer in the next summer 1999 in the Silicon Valley.

[4decision]

Originally Posted by Jonathz

I would say the California Company is not giving you a good offer at all..Your CA offer is around 110K... which I would say is a below average offer especailly you said you have several years of experience. On top of that, you have to pay the CA state tax which is around 9.6 %, and everything is more expensive in CA, gas, restuarant, even supermarket

Absolutely and I like many others have to downgrade personal living standards in order to save more. I might stay here for awhile to see if it is indeed much better in terms of job security except the hot humid climate.

[Malvie]

Originally Posted by 4decision

Malvie, you almost made me pack up and go back to California, I was staying in a luxury hotel by the yacht dock in Santa Monica way back in summer 1998 on a business trip there at UCLA. Then I decided to take a job offer in the next summer 1999 in the Silicon Valley.

Oh, I have days when I'm ready to sing "California Here I Come!" When it's 105 air temp with 80% humidity in Houston, even the 405 starts looking good. I lived near Hancock Park (LA); it was expensive then but even with the collapse it's outrageous now.

Then rationality takes hold....and I stay right where I am.

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by 4decision

Absolutely and I like many others have to downgrade personal living standards in order to save more. I might stay here for awhile to see if it is indeed much better in terms of job security except the hot humid climate.

Imagine that you have already made the decision to stay in Texas and evaluate how you feel.

Then do the same as if you already decided to move to California.

That might give you clues...

[4decision]

Originally Posted by Malvie

Oh, I have days when I'm ready to sing "California Here I Come!" When it's 105 air temp with 80% humidity in Houston, even the 405 starts looking good. I lived near Hancock Park (LA); it was expensive then but even with the collapse it's outrageous now.

Then rationality takes hold....and I stay right where I am.

The California Dreaming lyrics always got me the same "here I come" spontaniously whether I was thinking of the icy cold Houston this early Jan (i was still in the Bay area), and now oven baking hot and humid outside. Weather is just one of the best natural things besides the mountain by the ocean scenic views. Heck SF by early evening this hottest time of the year is chilly, cooler on hilltops overlooking the gorgeous GG bridge, not exactly "warm" like the song lyrics, lol. Yeah I moved back to Houston because I could afford to pay off the house now I want to go back out there... What am I thinking?!?

[Malvie]

Originally Posted by 4decision

The California Dreaming lyrics always got me the same "here I come" spontaniously whether I was thinking of the icy cold Houston this early Jan (i was still in the Bay area), and now oven baking hot and humid outside. Weather is just one of the best natural things besides the mountain by the ocean scenic views. Heck SF by early evening this hottest time of the year is chilly, cooler on hilltops overlooking the gorgeous GG bridge, not exactly "warm" like the song lyrics, lol. Yeah I moved back to Houston because I could afford to pay off the house now I want to go back out there... What am I thinking?!?

I'm with my friend Topaz; imagine that you've made the decision to stay in Houston. How do you feel? Now imagine you've made the decision to go to Cali. How do you feel?

When I was looking at going back 3 years ago, I determined that if I were going to live there (and work in Brea), I was going to live where I could see the freaking ocean. I wanted to live in Venice or Santa Monica or somewhere.

I found an apartment in Venice, 1 br, 1 ba, walkup, 2nd floor, view of the water (between two buildings) from living room, otherwise about the same "luxury" level as my college apartments, for almost exactly twice what I pay for my 4 bedroom 3 bath 2 car garage 2500 square foot home in Houston (did I mention the huge deposit for the dogs? I have 3 Border Collies and where I go they go).

I'm glad I got to stay here.

I get to "California Dreamin" ever so often---then I snap out of it.

[4decision]

Originally Posted by Malvie

I'm with my friend Topaz; imagine that you've made the decision to stay in Houston. How do you feel? Now imagine you've made the decision to go to Cali. How do you feel?

When I was looking at going back 3 years ago, I determined that if I were going to live there (and work in Brea), I was going to live where I could see the freaking ocean. I wanted to live in Venice or Santa Monica or somewhere.

I found an apartment in Venice, 1 br, 1 ba, walkup, 2nd floor, view of the water (between two buildings) from living room, otherwise about the same "luxury" level as my college apartments, for almost exactly twice what I pay for my 4 bedroom 3 bath 2 car garage 2500 square foot home in Houston (did I mention the huge deposit for the dogs? I have 3 Border Collies and where I go they go).

I'm glad I got to stay here.

I get to "California Dreamin" ever so often---then I snap out of it.

If I was in Cali (or have stayed) I would feel so wanted to go back to Houston for good. I'm very happy at where I'm now. It is just the urge inside me challenging if I WANT to do it all over again even it has been only a few months since I left. This time is even better with more income (salary and rental). I wouldn't mind moving back if the hiring company gives me more in total compensation package to make me totally happy.

[4decision]

Originally Posted by Malvie

I'm with my friend Topaz; imagine that you've made the decision to stay in Houston. How do you feel? Now imagine you've made the decision to go to Cali. How do you feel?

When I was looking at going back 3 years ago, I determined that if I were going to live there (and work in Brea), I was going to live where I could see the freaking ocean. I wanted to live in Venice or Santa Monica or somewhere.

I found an apartment in Venice, 1 br, 1 ba, walkup, 2nd floor, view of the water (between two buildings) from living room, otherwise about the same "luxury" level as my college apartments, for almost exactly twice what I pay for my 4 bedroom 3 bath 2 car garage 2500 square foot home in Houston (did I mention the huge deposit for the dogs? I have 3 Border Collies and where I go they go).

I'm glad I got to stay here.

I get to "California Dreamin" ever so often---then I snap out of it.

I used to live in O.C near Irvine which was newly developed, a very nice area! Several miles drive to the Pacific coastline. I know the Brea area too with many new houses. "California dreamin.." lol