[quote=sdsurfer][quote=spdrun]So your argument mainly has to do with real estate costs. Why not just stay in CA and buy rentals in an area that has a more favorable buy-to-rent ratio, using the income from them to finance a better lifestyle in CA?
$350k of rental property (financed) should net you $10-15k/yr at least, putting a dent in that 1000 sf condo expense. Keep in mind that average house size up till the ’70s in America was about 1000 sf, so don’t discount living in that size home with a family (people do it all the time in New York).[/quote]
I was born in 77 so I didn’t live through them really, but that is an interesting point about the smaller home sizes. Maybe if more of us could accept a more reasonable existence we might actually end up with some money at the end of the month huh? It seems like all new homes are at least 3k sq. ft these days and 2500 ends up being the average when in actuality how many square feet do two people and a kiddo or two need? Thanks for mentioning that![/quote]
sdsurfer, your “friend” (david?) and his spouse could easily buy a single family home in San Diego County for ~$350K . . . yes, much bigger than 1000 sf.
Even if they DO surf, they can’t do it during the weekdays, anyway, while they are working and the kids are in school. There are PLENTY of surfers in SD County who live 25+ miles from their favorite surfing beaches and use them only on weekends and “staycations.” It’s really not that bad of a drive and parking is pretty easy at SD’s beaches for eight months per year. When the “zonies” infiltrate them the other four months, it is VERY hard to park for EVERYONE who doesn’t live within walking distance or ride the bus there.
“david” shouldn’t expect to be able to buy his first home close to the beach. Almost no one does.
It’s BS if one thinks there are no family-size homes available in this county for $350K which have access to acceptable to excellent public schools and even RV parking!
“david” should keep in mind that it’s not “cheap” to air-condition a 2800+ sf ranch nine months per year in AZ. Water is cheaper in NV but in AZ it takes a LOT of water to keep landscaping alive … hence, you see a lot of rocks in the yards instead of grass or ground cover.
And sdduuuude and other “experts” forgot to mention silverfish infestation … just another fun fact about living in the desert :=]
I’ve been all over Phoenix and the average size lot there is about 5000-6000 sf (same as SD Co), yes, even in the northern suburbs. Of course, there are enclaves of sprawling ranch homes on 1/3+ AC, but they are NOT in the “$350K” range.
And having towed a boat and a few trailers through there, I can tell you that the traffic can be “horrendous.”
And I don’t see “david’s” spouse making as much $$ in AZ as she does here due to a traditionally lower wage paid there.
Many of CA’s former telemarketers, order-filler operations and collection agencies, etc actually moved their entire operations to AZ in the last 20 years almost solely due to the lower prevailing wages there.
Not biased against Phoenix as I have never lived there. But I think your argument that you can’t find anything to buy for your family in SD County for $350K is disingenuous and a first-time buyer doesn’t need to concern themselves with stuff like teacher’s pensions, etc. Trust me when I tell you that your children will have acceptable to GREAT schools to go to right here in SD County and there are PLENTY of accredited state residents to apply for and fill ALL of the public school teacher slots which will be vacated by those many thousands of teachers retiring … and then some.
I’d be interested to know exactly where you have been shopping for a home, david, and why you think you and your spouse should give up good jobs to take the drastic step of “moving to Phoenix” instead of buying a place here in SD County.
