There seems to be a lot of confusion and manipulating to make points regarding Santee, Ramona, etc. They area my wife an I are looking at is Scottsdale which as my friend who lives in Arizona described it ” is the La Jolla of AZ”. Top notch schools, very nice. This move would be for a promotion which would result in a much larger overall Salary (almost double). The role is a sales manager with a four state territory versus a sales rep with a territory from 52 south to the border. My wifes current company (Sorrento Valley), the controlling share was purchased by a hedge fund a little over a year ago. While the pay is good the overall pay and quality continue to decline and the Vulture capitalist continue to pinch everyone to inflate their numbers and prepare to sale. Point is time here seems to be limited. The key components bearish gurl is not acknowledging are 1) the future of the CA school system and the state 2) That for $350 this is a house that doesn’t need work, is larger, and has high end finishes. To maintain our current Salary levels my wife would simply need an very modest paying job 50k which is very attainable since she has a college degree and a strong resume. You factor additional cost such as Gas (about 75 cents cheaper a gallon), taxes, etc. This is not even close to even with a home in Santee that will definitely need money invested. I applaud your efforts to try and make these comparable situations, but one offers financial stability and a stronger future for my children while the other offers better weather for 3 months out of the year. Yes I will miss friends and surfing, but I haven’t surfed every weekend since before my daughter was born and see my friend every other month. The drive is close enough we can leave early morning and be here by lunchtime.