Cost of living LI NY vs OC.. (Irvine, Orange: for sale, to rent)

[MDtech123]

I'm planning to move with my fiance from long island NY to Orange County. We are somewhat familiar with the area, she was raised in Laguna Niguel and came to NY at 15 and we have visited a few times since then. Besides house prices what other things should I take into account when comparing cost of living?

A little background on us: I am a financial analyst, about 2 years out of school, and she is an RN about 1.5 years out of school, so we make a decent living, but still not enough to own the kind of house we want in a good area. I figure salaries will be about the same in OC, property taxes are about 7 to 10k in a good neighborhood in NY, and her uncle pays $5500 in RSM, so im guessing thats the norm in OC. Correct me if im wrong but my perception of OC is that as long as I live south of Irvine, there really are no "bad" areas. We are looking to rent for a year or so and eventually buy when prices start to level out (need to be near 350k).

I know im all over the place here but any guidance would be appreciated. What else am I missing as far as cost of living differences???

[bhcompy]

for one, gas prices in california are typically higher than the rest of the nation.

as far as south oc, there are areas of san juan capistrano that wouldnt be desireable i would say.. not everything is as pristine as the outside world may think

[MDtech123]

Thanks, anyone else have any knowledge of the cost of living differences??

[antibes]

Originally Posted by MDtech123

Thanks, anyone else have any knowledge of the cost of living differences??

NY and SoCal is about the same. Its pricier in the south, as you probably already know. Only thing you get more for your monies, is that the same amount of rent in NY as you pay in CA, gives you far more floorspace in CA! And parking is generally not a huge problem as well.

Good luck!

[AKgirlinCA]

I would think your utility bills would be cheaper. Depending on how close to the coast you are, you can get away with little to no A/C in the summer and depending on how "warm" you like your house in the "winter" you may not need to use heat. I've also heard little things like movies are cheaper here than NYC. I believe a movie is around $11 now out here. Things like cigarettes are cheaper here too...so I've heard. I don't smoke but if you do that could save some $$$....

[recycled]

I agree with Akgirl, utilities in CA should be much lower than LINY if you open these things called windows after the sun goes down in summer and let the cool breeze in that comes along most of the time. Heat can also be kept to a minimum December to March by simply putting on a sweater indoors or letting the sun shine in the south facing windows.
Property values will be about as high in OC as many parts of LI, and rents will be similar (high). If you buy a home, property tax rates in CA are typically lower than NY. Property tax rates are generally a bit over 1 percent of assessed value in CA, whereas LINY can be much higher in some towns. Homes for sale under 350K south of Irvine would be pretty scarce, even now with prices much lower than 1 or 2 years ago. You can find condos and townhouses, but not much selection of single houses at that price, at least in Lake Forest where I live.

[RedNC]

The cost of living will be about the same. Houses will be higher if you want to be anywhere near the beach.
I would be taking a crash coarse in Spanish, especially your fiancé since all her patients will only speak Spanish.

[NYSD1995]

Property taxes are 1% of purchase, unlike LI's extortionary tax assessments. Purchase prices will be a touch higher, however.

Schools are spotty and even many so-called "good schools" are not comparable to good LI schools... be careful if this matters to you. The schools here have serious challenges and only the wealthier areas can afford the amenities that you would take for granted in much of LI. Southern CA is not nearly as socioeconomically homogenous as most of LI is.

South OC is almost all nice but in general you will find that in older areas, homes might not be as well-kept as they would be in a similar area of LI (I think mostly due to the lack of weather-created maintenance)