[quote=sdrealtor]desmond
It wasnt meant to be a cheapshot and sorry if it was perceived as such. SD is an expensive place to live. Many of the best aspects of living here are very visible everyday but those things are not easily attained. It can be frustrating for people earning a good living that would afford a very nice lifestyle most places but a very pedestrain one here. I know plenty of people who left because what they wanted was out of reach for them here.[/quote]
Again, sdr, I think this is generational. What “baby-boomers” are willing to live in/with and what “Gen Xer’s/Yer’s” are willing to live in/with are two completely different animals.
A good example is, I don’t have to LIVE on Coronado to enjoy it (it’s about an 8-10 mi drive for me). Living affordably in SD County AND ENJOYING ALL it has to offer are VERY possible, IMO.
I think what you are try to say here (correct me if I’m wrong) is that many SD Co buyers only want to purchase in neighborhoods they can’t qualify for (because, in CA coastal markets, these areas have ALWAYS been “move-up” or “wealth” areas) and so end up leaving, thinking the grass is greener in TX (high property taxes), or MN (probably freezing 8-9 mos. yr), for example. Wanting what you can’t have (and don’t deserve because you haven’t yet “paid your dues”) is prevalent in EVERY RE market in the nation! Older baby boomers are willing to purchase, rehab (if necessary) and live in well-located older properties and most members of younger generations do NOT appear to be willing to do this.
I don’t see ANY DIFFERENCE WHATSOEVER in the degree of materialism in ANY of the states I’ve visited (about 20). Every American adult wants the best environment they can afford to raise their kids in, the best views, the richest soil, etc.
My many relatives’ (who reside in the southwest), may have the impression that I probably have this unmatched dream existence that they couldn’t even imagine themselves living in. However, my INCOME is lower than 90% of them. And my lot is smaller than 95% of theirs . . . lol!
It takes lots of $$ to maintain acreage or work livestock on your leased acreage. Often, when their lessees are out of town, THEY manage their lessee’s lifestock. Their values are different from ours and so their money goes into different things than ours does, i.e. tractors, horse trailers, barns, dog runs, corrals, hay, feed, workshops, outbuildings, etc.
The majority of folks in the “lesser-expensive-RE” middle of the nation ARE NOT LESS WEALTHY than San Diegans. They just utilize their wealth in different ways than we do.
In other words, it just APPEARS to us that they don’t have possessions that we consider the “trappings of wealth” when they show up at the airport to pick us up in Levis with dirt on them. But that big dualie pickup with gangster doors they’re driving with its dyed-to-match quad-horse trailer cost a fortune! Not to mention that their primary residence may sit on 80-160 acres with existing oil and gas contracts!
A family in SD County can have a moderate to lowish income and possibly qualify to purchase new construction in the far reaches of the county (or RIV Co) or purchase a resale close in. There are PLENTY of 25-75 year-old resales for sale RIGHT NOW in SD County, in EVERY price category. The younger generations are shunning them for the wrong reasons and then blaming their inability to qualify to buy a property on “rampant materialism” or “cost of RE” in SoCal.
So therein lies one of the “tradeoffs” I mentioned earlier on this thread. I understand exactly what y’all want. I urge you to GO to TX but plan to stay in the property you buy for at least 15-20 yrs so you will have enough equity to pay your RE broker at time of sale!! PAY the 2.75% of assessed value in property tax (no “Prop 13” there, either). WANT all that LAND you couldn’t have in SoCal?? Awesome . . . land abounds in TX. In many instances, you will haul out your own trash and have your septic tank(s) and leachfield serviced annually. No small expense there. Oh, and need a tornado rider? Yes and yes, for an extra $750 – $1,000 yr. premium. Think your water bill is high in SD?? Think again. Weed abatement in force in TX? Sure, regularly. The fines are stiff, but you got a tractor don’t you? If not, GET ONE ASAP and get to work! Or get yourself some cows or goats and don’t forget to wake up VERY early every morning to take care of them! That fancy SUV or beamer you were driving back in SoCal is of little use on your 12-mi-long dirt easement you are sharing with your neighbor. You should have sold it before you left CA cuz now you need a REAL pickup ASAP! And, better make sure all the fencing in the back of your land is constantly in good repair as there’s a river bottom down there that gets REALLY UGLY in a good rain and you don’t want any of your expensive livestock to drown.
The grass is not always greener for them after long-time San Diegans move out-of-state. When they try to come back after sinking all most or all of their $$ into property located in a state that they no longer want to live in, they come crawling back to SD as low-income renters who are several years older. I’ve personally been witness to this phenomenon time and time again. There is A LOT to consider before embarking on a life-changing move and most San Diegans I’ve seen who have been lured out-of-state by “cheaper housing” don’t consider everything they should before making decisions they very likely won’t be able to recover from.
BTW, I love OK and TX, but I love CA more. We take a LOT for granted here but one is not aware of this until they visit other states and stay with locals there :=]
