[quote=masayako][quote=flyer]All good points, so it boils down to where you want to be, and only you can answer that question.

We also live in other places, but still keep our dream home here. Granted, if you waited to purchase your dream home or other properties until now, they, and taxes, are going to be a lot more expensive than they were in the past. Meeting the requirements to keep a tax base in another state or country is something you might want to investigate. There are (legal) ways to have the best of all worlds.

We also have lots of family here, kids, friends etc., and take care of several family members who need care, vs. placing them in facilities. We have them taken care of in the way we would want to be treated, and are glad to do it. A few hugs a day means more to them than any amount of money every could.

Even with the best diet, exercise and mental health aspects of life covered, when you see how life can change on a dime wrt one’s health, it’s clear that making the most of what you have each day is the best way to go, and I wish you the best in your quest.[/quote]

Thank you so much for the advice. My in-laws will go with us if we decide to move out of CA. They are being very flexible. I completely agree with you that it boils down to where you want to be and what we are willing to scarifice (friends in CA etc). It’s so hard.[/quote]

Glad to know my thoughts were helpful, but please, don’t construe them as advice, because it’s best that you make your own decisions. That said, here are a few more thoughts:

I think the reason you are having such a hard time with this, is that you really do feel a strong attachment to CA and all that only it has to offer, yet, you also feel pragmatically compelled to evaluate the financial realities of staying in CA.

One thing you might want to consider in order to find your answer, would be to look for your dream home both in CA and elsewhere, and then, let that choice guide your decision to stay in CA or move. This may sound esoteric, because it is, but I feel the home is an expression of the soul that fills a space that nothing else can fill, so making that your guiding factor would seem to make sense.

If you find the home and location you can’t live without in CA, vs. elsewhere, run the numbers long term, and even if the home is more than the equivalent elsewhere, including taxes, property taxes, etc. if you feel you can afford it, it would seem you have your answer. Other than what you wish to leave to your family and/or friends, leaving multiple millions on the table would not seem necessary. Again, just my thoughts.