| Topic Name: |
California back to Southeast? |
| Message Name: |
tough call |
| Date Posted: |
05/13/2005 |
| In Reply To: |
Family of four in our late moved to California last summer. We lived here in the 90s and made a lot of friends and truly enjoyed the Golden State. Returning has been great with regards to friends, outdoor activities, climate, etc. However the home prices are simply out of sight! In our particular area, north of LA we can't find anything decent under $500k. Rent is almost $2k for a two bedroom condo with the kids sharing a room. Our income is good, around $85k. We are making it fine but really want a home of our home and just can't make it happen in this price environment. Just got an offer in western North Carolina for about the same money where nice homes sell for around $150k to $175k. We keep trying to say that owning home is not that big a deal but it just seems that home ownership gives you that sense of being permanent which is something we just can't achieve here. Anybody else ever in this boat? By the way, we are not in television but work for an ad agency. Kids are not yet in high school but just a year away for one. |
| Message: |
Obviously the decision to actually move or not is yours. However, and not wanting to be rude, I make a heck of a lot more than 85K and I am strapped at times in this economic environment. I would get KILLED at the end of the year if I did not have the tax write off of the house. So, in sense, you're making even less.
I left here once for the same money I was making here. I went from barely making it to doing pretty well. That was years ago and it's even more expensive here now. I hated leaving socal life behind, but turns out they have lives elsewhere as well. Know this, if you leave you may never be able to afford coming back. I left never intending to come back but I did. For a lot of money that turns out to be barely enough.
I still look today at ways and places that will make my money go further. Eventually, one will appear and I might very well take it. But should I find that high paying job in a southern warm state I will keep my home here as an investment.
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