[quote=davidaaronhart…]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.[/quote]
Sounds like you have already made a decision to take the new job and move your family, david.
I’m going to take umbrage with what I believe are “misconceptions” posted here about the apples-to-apples comparison of $350K houses (IF they exist) and “school quality” between the two locales of Scottsdale and (North)east SD County (emphasized above):
david, why don’t you show us Piggs a link to $350K “sample property” that YOU would place an offer on in Scottsdale. Is it actually a house … or a condo? If a house, is it a 4-5/3/3’s with a pool as you described here? And is it completely ready for you to move into at COE? And do you propose to park your boat on a $350K property in Scottsdale? 🙂
How much does dry boat storage cost in the PHX area?
It is not “3 months out of the year” that the “weather is better” in SD v. PHX. It’s more like 9-10 months out of the year.
Re: your new “four state (sales) territory,” in the higher-paying job you are thinking of taking: Could that possibly be AZ, NV, NM and TX?? Have you driven any of these dozens of lonely roads, david? Do you realize that on many of these roads that there are no services whatsoever for a 100+ mile radius? How do you think you would like being alone for hours on end in 100++ degree heat in the middle of nowhere? Have you ever followed commercial vehicles for 75 miles or more where it was too narrow to pass? Have you ever driven through 100 mi long Indian reservations? Have you ever pumped gas with flying black beetles all over you, your vehicle … and the gas pump the whole time you’re parked in the fuel bay? And, I’m assuming you speak Spanish??
Just wondering ….
Re: your the “$50K” job you think your spouse will “easily obtain” in PHX: Don’t you realize that there are many thousands of people with “strong resumes” and even “graduate degrees” all over the country who can’t find work for even $25K annually? Many with likely decades more work experience than your spouse? Do you realize that PHX is traditionally a lower-paying area than SD?
I don’t think you will be able to “maintain your current salary levels” and live in AZ in the way you are dreaming of.
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And we haven’t even addressed here if david and his spouse will be leaving relatives behind in SD.
Note: this post really isn’t about david’s “choice” anymore. It’s about all ALL Piggs who think the “grass will be greener” for their families (pun intended) if they relocate to what they perceive to be a “cheaper locale.”
SK, can you chime in here and tell us what this young family can buy for $350K in Scottsdale proper (or within its so-called “acclaimed” school district)?
