Getting out of Cali

[Craig234]

Where is Scaramento ... North Korea? Some people need to learn how to spell.

Wow, all that for a transposed c and a in Sacramento?

Idiot.

 

[Craig234]

I'm a native too. Even with a supermajority they (state government) can't do anything useful with the state budget. Instead they only seek to impinge on my rights and raise taxes. But this isn't P&N so I'll stop.

Well, I don't know what you're talking abut except that some people always think their taxes are too high.

In fact, just saw a quote from Grover Norquist.

He said he has great job security, because people for some causes are out of work after progress on their causes, but there are always people who think taxes are too high.

 

[Baked]

Not so smart when you make over 100K and can't save up enough money for a down payment on a house in Cali. My property tax is roughly 10% of my property's current value. I pay $2K/month for mortgage + HOA right now. I don't make a lot of money, but I get by. Car's paid off long time ago. I pay for electricity, fios/tv/phone, CC bills and gas monthly

 

[NutBucket]

HOA is your fault Baked

 

[RichieZ]

See, that's crazy. How are people getting these mortgages if there isn't that many people with HHI of over 200k?

why would you need a HHI >200K to get a mortgage on a 750K place?

 

[SSSnail]

why would you need a HHI >200K to get a mortgage on a 750K place?

Well, assuming you put 20% down, your mortgage would be roughly $3,650/mo. That's $43,800/yr. Net.

If you don't make that much, you're probably looking at having Ramen for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. And, you'd have phone books for furniture.

 

[RichieZ]

Well, assuming you put 20% down, your mortgage would be roughly $3,650/mo. That's $43,800/yr. Net.

If you don't make that much, you're probably looking at having Ramen for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. And, you'd have phone books for furniture.

so here's the math on my place in SF that I bought last oct. Cost more than 750K, I put down more than 20% and borrowed 615K for 30yr fixed @3.2%. My monthly payment is $2,659.68. In fact when you include property tax and HOA minus the income tax write off my all in is ~$3,400. I make >100K but a fair amount less than 200K, money really isn't an issue as you describe it above.

 

[SSSnail]

so here's the math on my place in SF that I bought last oct. Cost more than 750K, I put down more than 20% and borrowed 615K for 30yr fixed @3.2%. My monthly payment is $2,659.68. In fact when you include property tax and HOA minus the income tax write off my all in is ~$3,400. I make >100K but a fair amount less than 200K, money really isn't an issue as you describe it above.

Weird, when I plug in 615K/30yr/3.2% the mortgage calculator spits out $3,426.20/mo. That was with property tax and .5% PMI but not including HOA.

You're just awesome, I guess.

 

[RichieZ]

Weird, when I plug in 615K/30yr/3.2% the mortgage calculator spits out $3,426.20/mo. That was with property tax and .5% PMI but not including HOA.

You're just awesome, I guess.

why are you including PMI if the assumption is the person puts down 20%? also property tax in SF is 1.1691%, I think most mortgage calculators use 1.5%?

but anyways we're talking about a monthly nut roughly in the same range once you include HOA, I certainly don't have the disposable income I used to have but its not like its some kind of hardship vs renting. for comparison purposes the 1bdrm down the hall just rented for 3,500 with parking. I own a 2bdrm, if I rented out the second room i'd come out ahead

 

[Cyco]

I was stationed in California for about 8 years over 2 tours. Yeah, fuck (central, or what many call north, but not so much north, think around (nut)Sactown) California.

 

[ringtail]

``

 

[raildogg]

Was born and raised in California. Lived there for the first 31 years of my life but moved in 2007 to North Carolina. Still miss California every day and wish we never left.

Why do you feel this way?

How is Norther California like in terms of living? Sutter County? Yuba City?

Seen some photos and it seems like a quiet place. Mixed bag in terms of houses, some low, some high.

 

[Kadarin]

This is way too damned crowded to enjoy.

 

[RossMAN]

Not so smart when you make over 100K and can't save up enough money for a down payment on a house in Cali. My property tax is roughly 10% of my property's current value. I pay $2K/month for mortgage + HOA right now. I don't make a lot of money, but I get by. Car's paid off long time ago. I pay for electricity, fios/tv/phone, CC bills and gas monthly

and of course your annual CostCo membership

 

[BoomerD]

Why do you feel this way?

How is Norther California like in terms of living? Sutter County? Yuba City?

Seen some photos and it seems like a quiet place. Mixed bag in terms of houses, some low, some high.

Those are both pretty rural counties. Close enough to the city (Sacramento) for convenience...far enough for comfort. Both will have relatively high crime rates per capita...but not as high as many major US cities.

VERY ag-related counties...lots of ag-related jobs.

http://www.city-data.com/city/Yuba-City-California.html

 

[trmiv]

Why do you feel this way?

Because I miss my home. I miss seeing the places I grew up with, my friends, the rest of my family (my parents moved with us, but my brothers and sisters are still in CA), the places I liked to eat. I miss being able to drive to Disneyland for the weekend with my wife, having a ton of stuff to do that didn't involve driving two and half hours. There's just a ton of stuff I miss, things I didn't appreciate until they were gone. Yea it's expensive to live there, and like anywhere else California has its problems, but it will always be where I feel at home. I've been in NC for 6 years and I still feel like I'm visiting. I doubt that will ever go away.

 

[Cyco]

Those are both pretty rural counties. Close enough to the city (Sacramento) for convenience...far enough for comfort. Both will have relatively high crime rates per capita...but not as high as many major US cities.

VERY ag-related counties...lots of ag-related jobs.

http://www.city-data.com/city/Yuba-City-California.html

Also Beale AFB, where I was last stationed, is near there. After living in Yuba City for 5 years, it looked a lot better in my rear view mirror when I moved away last year.

 

[EagleKeeper]

San Diego - mid 80's

$100K according to a realtor would get me a cardboard shack and tin roof in a canyon 20 miles from work.

Guy I knew put an option on a house being sold by lottery.
$350K; by the time construction started three months later, the places the next block were at $425K

 

[CountZero]

I've been in NC for 6 years and I still feel like I'm visiting. I doubt that will ever go away.

I moved from Seattle to Dallas and lived there for 5 years and had that exact same experience. I always felt like I was visiting. Basically the entire time I lived there I mentally had one foot out the door. It wasn't my intent when moving there but it just never clicked.

Recently moved to the bay area and while it doesn't feel like home yet I have the desire to actually own a home of some sort. That never happened in Dallas. Of course I don't have quite enough saved for a down payment just yet but I'm working on it.

Broader point being what makes one person happy isn't universal and there isn't a place on this planet that doesn't have a long list of pros/cons that will have different weights for every person. Even at a gut level some places will feel like a place you could call home and others won't; I'm not sure that can even be changed.

 

[randomrogue]

The problem in California is that you have very few options:

1. Buy a cheap place in a shitty place. You can get $200K homes in Sacramento. I didn't particularly enjoy months of over 100 degree weather and near freezing mornings during the winter. Then you might find yourself commuting to the Bay to have that decent job. No thank you. One of the worst places I've lived for quality of life unless you ski several times a week. Same goes for other hot and miserable places.

2. Buy expensive

3. Get lucky and get a a cheap foreclosed place. If you have realtor friends you might be able to pull this off. You can get some nice $400,000 places for like $250,000 but it's super rare.

Too many McMansions. Why do we need all these 2300+ square foot places everywhere? Housing could be much more affordable. Consider this when you look at home prices. Are you only looking at giant homes? Do you really need a 3 car garage and a couple thousand square feet?