Relocating from SD to OC

[sd2oc]

hello all,

this is a great forum! i just discovered it today, and already it’s been a wealth of information. my husband and i currently live in carmel valley, but he recently started working in orange county and now we’re grappling with a few real estate questions. we’d love some input from the folks on this forum–thanks in advance!

here’s the deal: we purchased our home two years ago, and thinking we’d be staying for quite some time (great schools, lovely neighborhood, 5 minute drive to my husband’s then-office), made a large downpayment, got a 15 year fixed at 5.25% for the rest, and didn’t worry too much about the state of the market. as fate would have it, my husband was then offered a career opportunity too good to pass up–but in OC! he loves his new job, but the commute is tiring and we now need to decide whether to:

1) sell our current home in SD and buy in OC,
2) sell in SD and rent in OC,
3) rent out our SD home and rent in OC, or
4) stay in SD and commute to OC for the time being (and if so, for how long?).

although of course SD has been hit hard by the housing bust (or “readjustment” as some like to call it ;), our specific area has been cushioned somewhat thus far, and if we listed our home now, we would likely break even on the deal after commissions and closing costs. of course, i have no idea whether this will the case 6 months from now, 1 year from now, etc. given our situation, do you have any advice for us?

thanks again!

[SD Realtor]

sd2oc I believe the two events are independent and may be treated as so.

Let’s start with your home in CV.

What you decide to do with it depends on your outlook for San Diego housing.

– If you believe the market is going to bottom out soon and then appreciate then you may want to wait and hold on to your home and then sell when the market comes back up. (Personally I do not believe this is the case) If you do hold on to your home you can rent it out. Turning the home into a rental is an outstanding way to help shelter some tax expense. Note that once you do NOT live in the home 3 out of the last 5 years, you will lose the capital gains exemption once you do sell the home. Yet to be honest, I would not worry to much about that at this point. The real question is, given your mortgage payment, mello roos (if you pay them) and HOA (if you pay them) and any additional expenses like prop tax and insurance will stack up against rent. More then likely you will have a negative cash flow but how negative is something you would need to calculate.

– If you believe the market is going to go down and continue to go down for the next several years then it would be best to sell now. Personally my opinion for CV is that the market will go down there and it will then be flat for awhile and then start go rise slowly. I think that CV detached homes have held up quite well and the lions share of depreciation is ahead for these homes, not behind. I think that the area is susceptible to problems if we see disruptions in employment and/or interest rate hikes. Yet I don’t think it is something that will happen in the short run. However in the next 2 years it will be interesting to see where CV is at.

6 months from now? Well I don’t think things will be radically different but we will definitely be in a period where seasonally there are fewer buyers.

**************

As far as buying goes my advice, and I cannot stress it enough) would be to rent for awhile if you can. I think the OC is going to get hammered and it is perhaps even more stretched then SD is in the high priced home areas. I also think the OC is a year or two behind SD in the depreciation cycle.

**************

As far as staying home and commuting goes? Well… Does your husband take the train? I know it is kind of a chore but I think it is not nearly as taxing sitting on the train as it is sitting in traffic.

**************

Anyways not sure if I gave any definitive advice. My personal choice would be to sell CV, even if it means a loss, and rent in the OC… pocket cash and in a few years buy a nice big foreclosure or distressed property in Laguna.

SD Realtor

[sd2oc]

SD Realtor, thank you for your thoughtful reply! we only pay about $3K a month for all expenses associated with our home (and if we take into account the tax benefits, that number is even lower), so i don’t think we would have negative cash flow in renting it out. we’ve gotten quotes from a couple property management companies in the $3600-$4200/month range, minus 8%-12% for their fee). if i don’t have a rosy outlook as to the near future, however, does it make sense to rent out our home even if it generates positive cash flow for the time being? after all, rental rates could drop as well, right? and we might have a tougher time selling our home in the future, too.

on the other hand, selling our home now and then renting in OC (i agree with you about the market there, so i’d prefer not to buy for a couple years) means that we give up the tax benefits of home ownership. we already kick ourselves for not getting a bigger mortgage–i can’t imagine our tax liability if we had no home at all.

hence, our dilemma…

finally, yes, my husband does take the train, but he has to drive from our house to solana beach, take the train to irvine, and then drive to his office, so all together it takes about 2 hours each way. we would love to stay in san diego, but i worry that the commute will ultimately become unbearable (although my husband claims he’ll be okay if it means not having to leave–he loves sd so much!).

any additional thoughts? thank you again!

[SD Realtor]

Yeah I was gonna recommend the Solana Beach station… I kind of figured that commute would add up.. You pretty much summed it up well.

Lets talk about using the home as a rental. Not a bad idea at all if you make a few assumptions. First off, if you turn the home into a rental, I would make the assumption that you will indeed be keeping the home for a long time. I honestly don’t believe, (and this is ONLY AN OPINION, very speculative and not backed by any facts) that the market in CV will NOT be higher in 5 years from now as it is today. So that would presume that you would rent the home and it would continue to be a rental for you 5 years from now.

Also if you do rent the home out, you may want to use a property manager that gives you some options. Some PMs have a full service approach where they find a tenant from you, then they also maintain the home for you as well by taking a cut of the rent. Some of them have options where they just find a qualified tenant for you and put them under contract. Then you take over from there. You only get charged once which is nice. Depending on the quality of the tenant and the condition of your home, you may not need to give up so much of the rent to your PM. It is your call to make. Personally I don’t need or use a PM with my properties but that is me. Again, you need to measure your own capability.

As far as the tax liability goes, yeah I know that pain. Having rented the past few years I get killed on taxes and I hate it. However I think by only looking at taxes you may be missing out on the big picture. If you are going to do a correct calculation, you need to figure out how much you would be saving if you did sell your home. So no more property tax, no more HOA/MR fees, and you whatever cash you get back, you would be making a return (albeit a low one) on the money from the sale. Meanwhile, your cash is gaining interest, and it while it may be losing ground due to inflation, it will be gaining ground on housing. That is housing depreciation will be occurring faster then inflation, (hopefully). Otherwise those of us who are sitting on cash are indeed fools.

So the point is that in order for you to make a “fair” assessment of the sell now or not sell now decision, you need to run some numbers INCLUDING some possible future tax returns.

********

So here is a question… let’s say you kept this home as a rental and moved up there. Then let’s say you started to just stock up on cash. Save save save and keep saving. In a couple of years do you think you could afford to buy up there without selling your home?

SD Realtor

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

Look at it this way. You will own the SD home free-and-clear in 15 years if you hold it and rent it out. Since you have positive cash flow, a tenant will be paying for the remainder of the loan for you. My guess is that 15 years from now the price of that property will be higher than today. Seems like a good position to be in.

I would rent out your existing home.
I would also rent in the OC until :
a. You are sick of the OC and want to move back
OR
b. Get accustomed to OC after a couple years and buy into a market bottom there in 2010-2011.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

Look at it this way. You will own the SD home free-and-clear in 15 years if you hold it and rent it out. Since you have positive cash flow, a tenant will be paying for the remainder of the loan for you. My guess is that 15 years from now the price of that property will be higher than today. Seems like a good position to be in.

I would rent out your existing home.
I would also rent in the OC until :
a. You are sick of the OC and want to move back
OR
b. Get accustomed to OC after a couple years and buy into a market bottom there in 2010-2011.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

Look at it this way. You will own the SD home free-and-clear in 15 years if you hold it and rent it out. Since you have positive cash flow, a tenant will be paying for the remainder of the loan for you. My guess is that 15 years from now the price of that property will be higher than today. Seems like a good position to be in.

I would rent out your existing home.
I would also rent in the OC until :
a. You are sick of the OC and want to move back
OR
b. Get accustomed to OC after a couple years and buy into a market bottom there in 2010-2011.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

Look at it this way. You will own the SD home free-and-clear in 15 years if you hold it and rent it out. Since you have positive cash flow, a tenant will be paying for the remainder of the loan for you. My guess is that 15 years from now the price of that property will be higher than today. Seems like a good position to be in.

I would rent out your existing home.
I would also rent in the OC until :
a. You are sick of the OC and want to move back
OR
b. Get accustomed to OC after a couple years and buy into a market bottom there in 2010-2011.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

Look at it this way. You will own the SD home free-and-clear in 15 years if you hold it and rent it out. Since you have positive cash flow, a tenant will be paying for the remainder of the loan for you. My guess is that 15 years from now the price of that property will be higher than today. Seems like a good position to be in.

I would rent out your existing home.
I would also rent in the OC until :
a. You are sick of the OC and want to move back
OR
b. Get accustomed to OC after a couple years and buy into a market bottom there in 2010-2011.

[sd2oc]

thank you all for your insightful comments! in answer to SD Realtor’s question, if we rented out our SD home, moved to OC, and just started stockpiling money for 2-3 years, then yes, we would probably be able to afford to buy up there without selling our home in SD (this process would be accelerated in the event of more OC declines/slowed in the event of a faster OC recovery). Former San Diegan, you make a good point about us owning the home free and clear in 15 (now 13 =) years, and in the meantime having someone pay our mortgage for us while we still get to deduct interest and property taxes. do even the most bearish of bears on this forum think the house will be worth more in 13 years than it is now (independent of inflation, that is)?

[patientlywaiting]

sd2oc, take my opinion as a very bearish one.

You’ve hardly paid anything to principal so to me, it’s not beneficial to hang on to the house. I believe that houses in Carmel Valley have another 30% more to drop.

The only reason you would be cash flow positive is because you have a large down payment. If you cash out, you can invest the money other places and make it grow.

15 years from now, prices might just be the same they are now.

You cannot deduct interest expenses on a rental against ordinary income. Of course, interest expenses would offset your rental income. When you depreciate your rental house, you defer taxes but you have to recapture depreciation upon sale. Talk to your CPA.

[sd2oc]

patientlywaiting, i appreciate your bearish perspective! it’s true our mortgage is so low only because our down payment is so high. i find it ironic that although my husband and i didn’t make some of the typical mistakes of bubble buyers (i.e. buying too much house with too little down, utilizing exotic loan structures, etc.), we still were pretty idiotic (i.e. playing into the fear that if we didn’t buy now we would eventually be priced out of the market, getting a 15 year fixed when we’re 29 and 30 years old, and of course, reversing the standard 20/80 downpayment/mortgage breakdown). good point about the tax rules concerning rentals, as well!

[sd2oc]

patientlywaiting, i appreciate your bearish perspective! it’s true our mortgage is so low only because our down payment is so high. i find it ironic that although my husband and i didn’t make some of the typical mistakes of bubble buyers (i.e. buying too much house with too little down, utilizing exotic loan structures, etc.), we still were pretty idiotic (i.e. playing into the fear that if we didn’t buy now we would eventually be priced out of the market, getting a 15 year fixed when we’re 29 and 30 years old, and of course, reversing the standard 20/80 downpayment/mortgage breakdown). good point about the tax rules concerning rentals, as well!

[sd2oc]

patientlywaiting, i appreciate your bearish perspective! it’s true our mortgage is so low only because our down payment is so high. i find it ironic that although my husband and i didn’t make some of the typical mistakes of bubble buyers (i.e. buying too much house with too little down, utilizing exotic loan structures, etc.), we still were pretty idiotic (i.e. playing into the fear that if we didn’t buy now we would eventually be priced out of the market, getting a 15 year fixed when we’re 29 and 30 years old, and of course, reversing the standard 20/80 downpayment/mortgage breakdown). good point about the tax rules concerning rentals, as well!

[sd2oc]

patientlywaiting, i appreciate your bearish perspective! it’s true our mortgage is so low only because our down payment is so high. i find it ironic that although my husband and i didn’t make some of the typical mistakes of bubble buyers (i.e. buying too much house with too little down, utilizing exotic loan structures, etc.), we still were pretty idiotic (i.e. playing into the fear that if we didn’t buy now we would eventually be priced out of the market, getting a 15 year fixed when we’re 29 and 30 years old, and of course, reversing the standard 20/80 downpayment/mortgage breakdown). good point about the tax rules concerning rentals, as well!

[sd2oc]

patientlywaiting, i appreciate your bearish perspective! it’s true our mortgage is so low only because our down payment is so high. i find it ironic that although my husband and i didn’t make some of the typical mistakes of bubble buyers (i.e. buying too much house with too little down, utilizing exotic loan structures, etc.), we still were pretty idiotic (i.e. playing into the fear that if we didn’t buy now we would eventually be priced out of the market, getting a 15 year fixed when we’re 29 and 30 years old, and of course, reversing the standard 20/80 downpayment/mortgage breakdown). good point about the tax rules concerning rentals, as well!

[patientlywaiting]

sd2oc, take my opinion as a very bearish one.

You’ve hardly paid anything to principal so to me, it’s not beneficial to hang on to the house. I believe that houses in Carmel Valley have another 30% more to drop.

The only reason you would be cash flow positive is because you have a large down payment. If you cash out, you can invest the money other places and make it grow.

15 years from now, prices might just be the same they are now.

You cannot deduct interest expenses on a rental against ordinary income. Of course, interest expenses would offset your rental income. When you depreciate your rental house, you defer taxes but you have to recapture depreciation upon sale. Talk to your CPA.

[patientlywaiting]

sd2oc, take my opinion as a very bearish one.

You’ve hardly paid anything to principal so to me, it’s not beneficial to hang on to the house. I believe that houses in Carmel Valley have another 30% more to drop.

The only reason you would be cash flow positive is because you have a large down payment. If you cash out, you can invest the money other places and make it grow.

15 years from now, prices might just be the same they are now.

You cannot deduct interest expenses on a rental against ordinary income. Of course, interest expenses would offset your rental income. When you depreciate your rental house, you defer taxes but you have to recapture depreciation upon sale. Talk to your CPA.

[patientlywaiting]

sd2oc, take my opinion as a very bearish one.

You’ve hardly paid anything to principal so to me, it’s not beneficial to hang on to the house. I believe that houses in Carmel Valley have another 30% more to drop.

The only reason you would be cash flow positive is because you have a large down payment. If you cash out, you can invest the money other places and make it grow.

15 years from now, prices might just be the same they are now.

You cannot deduct interest expenses on a rental against ordinary income. Of course, interest expenses would offset your rental income. When you depreciate your rental house, you defer taxes but you have to recapture depreciation upon sale. Talk to your CPA.

[patientlywaiting]

sd2oc, take my opinion as a very bearish one.

You’ve hardly paid anything to principal so to me, it’s not beneficial to hang on to the house. I believe that houses in Carmel Valley have another 30% more to drop.

The only reason you would be cash flow positive is because you have a large down payment. If you cash out, you can invest the money other places and make it grow.

15 years from now, prices might just be the same they are now.

You cannot deduct interest expenses on a rental against ordinary income. Of course, interest expenses would offset your rental income. When you depreciate your rental house, you defer taxes but you have to recapture depreciation upon sale. Talk to your CPA.

[sd2oc]

thank you all for your insightful comments! in answer to SD Realtor’s question, if we rented out our SD home, moved to OC, and just started stockpiling money for 2-3 years, then yes, we would probably be able to afford to buy up there without selling our home in SD (this process would be accelerated in the event of more OC declines/slowed in the event of a faster OC recovery). Former San Diegan, you make a good point about us owning the home free and clear in 15 (now 13 =) years, and in the meantime having someone pay our mortgage for us while we still get to deduct interest and property taxes. do even the most bearish of bears on this forum think the house will be worth more in 13 years than it is now (independent of inflation, that is)?

[sd2oc]

thank you all for your insightful comments! in answer to SD Realtor’s question, if we rented out our SD home, moved to OC, and just started stockpiling money for 2-3 years, then yes, we would probably be able to afford to buy up there without selling our home in SD (this process would be accelerated in the event of more OC declines/slowed in the event of a faster OC recovery). Former San Diegan, you make a good point about us owning the home free and clear in 15 (now 13 =) years, and in the meantime having someone pay our mortgage for us while we still get to deduct interest and property taxes. do even the most bearish of bears on this forum think the house will be worth more in 13 years than it is now (independent of inflation, that is)?

[sd2oc]

thank you all for your insightful comments! in answer to SD Realtor’s question, if we rented out our SD home, moved to OC, and just started stockpiling money for 2-3 years, then yes, we would probably be able to afford to buy up there without selling our home in SD (this process would be accelerated in the event of more OC declines/slowed in the event of a faster OC recovery). Former San Diegan, you make a good point about us owning the home free and clear in 15 (now 13 =) years, and in the meantime having someone pay our mortgage for us while we still get to deduct interest and property taxes. do even the most bearish of bears on this forum think the house will be worth more in 13 years than it is now (independent of inflation, that is)?

[sd2oc]

thank you all for your insightful comments! in answer to SD Realtor’s question, if we rented out our SD home, moved to OC, and just started stockpiling money for 2-3 years, then yes, we would probably be able to afford to buy up there without selling our home in SD (this process would be accelerated in the event of more OC declines/slowed in the event of a faster OC recovery). Former San Diegan, you make a good point about us owning the home free and clear in 15 (now 13 =) years, and in the meantime having someone pay our mortgage for us while we still get to deduct interest and property taxes. do even the most bearish of bears on this forum think the house will be worth more in 13 years than it is now (independent of inflation, that is)?

[SD Realtor]

Yeah I was gonna recommend the Solana Beach station… I kind of figured that commute would add up.. You pretty much summed it up well.

Lets talk about using the home as a rental. Not a bad idea at all if you make a few assumptions. First off, if you turn the home into a rental, I would make the assumption that you will indeed be keeping the home for a long time. I honestly don’t believe, (and this is ONLY AN OPINION, very speculative and not backed by any facts) that the market in CV will NOT be higher in 5 years from now as it is today. So that would presume that you would rent the home and it would continue to be a rental for you 5 years from now.

Also if you do rent the home out, you may want to use a property manager that gives you some options. Some PMs have a full service approach where they find a tenant from you, then they also maintain the home for you as well by taking a cut of the rent. Some of them have options where they just find a qualified tenant for you and put them under contract. Then you take over from there. You only get charged once which is nice. Depending on the quality of the tenant and the condition of your home, you may not need to give up so much of the rent to your PM. It is your call to make. Personally I don’t need or use a PM with my properties but that is me. Again, you need to measure your own capability.

As far as the tax liability goes, yeah I know that pain. Having rented the past few years I get killed on taxes and I hate it. However I think by only looking at taxes you may be missing out on the big picture. If you are going to do a correct calculation, you need to figure out how much you would be saving if you did sell your home. So no more property tax, no more HOA/MR fees, and you whatever cash you get back, you would be making a return (albeit a low one) on the money from the sale. Meanwhile, your cash is gaining interest, and it while it may be losing ground due to inflation, it will be gaining ground on housing. That is housing depreciation will be occurring faster then inflation, (hopefully). Otherwise those of us who are sitting on cash are indeed fools.

So the point is that in order for you to make a “fair” assessment of the sell now or not sell now decision, you need to run some numbers INCLUDING some possible future tax returns.

********

So here is a question… let’s say you kept this home as a rental and moved up there. Then let’s say you started to just stock up on cash. Save save save and keep saving. In a couple of years do you think you could afford to buy up there without selling your home?

SD Realtor

[SD Realtor]

Yeah I was gonna recommend the Solana Beach station… I kind of figured that commute would add up.. You pretty much summed it up well.

Lets talk about using the home as a rental. Not a bad idea at all if you make a few assumptions. First off, if you turn the home into a rental, I would make the assumption that you will indeed be keeping the home for a long time. I honestly don’t believe, (and this is ONLY AN OPINION, very speculative and not backed by any facts) that the market in CV will NOT be higher in 5 years from now as it is today. So that would presume that you would rent the home and it would continue to be a rental for you 5 years from now.

Also if you do rent the home out, you may want to use a property manager that gives you some options. Some PMs have a full service approach where they find a tenant from you, then they also maintain the home for you as well by taking a cut of the rent. Some of them have options where they just find a qualified tenant for you and put them under contract. Then you take over from there. You only get charged once which is nice. Depending on the quality of the tenant and the condition of your home, you may not need to give up so much of the rent to your PM. It is your call to make. Personally I don’t need or use a PM with my properties but that is me. Again, you need to measure your own capability.

As far as the tax liability goes, yeah I know that pain. Having rented the past few years I get killed on taxes and I hate it. However I think by only looking at taxes you may be missing out on the big picture. If you are going to do a correct calculation, you need to figure out how much you would be saving if you did sell your home. So no more property tax, no more HOA/MR fees, and you whatever cash you get back, you would be making a return (albeit a low one) on the money from the sale. Meanwhile, your cash is gaining interest, and it while it may be losing ground due to inflation, it will be gaining ground on housing. That is housing depreciation will be occurring faster then inflation, (hopefully). Otherwise those of us who are sitting on cash are indeed fools.

So the point is that in order for you to make a “fair” assessment of the sell now or not sell now decision, you need to run some numbers INCLUDING some possible future tax returns.

********

So here is a question… let’s say you kept this home as a rental and moved up there. Then let’s say you started to just stock up on cash. Save save save and keep saving. In a couple of years do you think you could afford to buy up there without selling your home?

SD Realtor

[SD Realtor]

Yeah I was gonna recommend the Solana Beach station… I kind of figured that commute would add up.. You pretty much summed it up well.

Lets talk about using the home as a rental. Not a bad idea at all if you make a few assumptions. First off, if you turn the home into a rental, I would make the assumption that you will indeed be keeping the home for a long time. I honestly don’t believe, (and this is ONLY AN OPINION, very speculative and not backed by any facts) that the market in CV will NOT be higher in 5 years from now as it is today. So that would presume that you would rent the home and it would continue to be a rental for you 5 years from now.

Also if you do rent the home out, you may want to use a property manager that gives you some options. Some PMs have a full service approach where they find a tenant from you, then they also maintain the home for you as well by taking a cut of the rent. Some of them have options where they just find a qualified tenant for you and put them under contract. Then you take over from there. You only get charged once which is nice. Depending on the quality of the tenant and the condition of your home, you may not need to give up so much of the rent to your PM. It is your call to make. Personally I don’t need or use a PM with my properties but that is me. Again, you need to measure your own capability.

As far as the tax liability goes, yeah I know that pain. Having rented the past few years I get killed on taxes and I hate it. However I think by only looking at taxes you may be missing out on the big picture. If you are going to do a correct calculation, you need to figure out how much you would be saving if you did sell your home. So no more property tax, no more HOA/MR fees, and you whatever cash you get back, you would be making a return (albeit a low one) on the money from the sale. Meanwhile, your cash is gaining interest, and it while it may be losing ground due to inflation, it will be gaining ground on housing. That is housing depreciation will be occurring faster then inflation, (hopefully). Otherwise those of us who are sitting on cash are indeed fools.

So the point is that in order for you to make a “fair” assessment of the sell now or not sell now decision, you need to run some numbers INCLUDING some possible future tax returns.

********

So here is a question… let’s say you kept this home as a rental and moved up there. Then let’s say you started to just stock up on cash. Save save save and keep saving. In a couple of years do you think you could afford to buy up there without selling your home?

SD Realtor

[SD Realtor]

Yeah I was gonna recommend the Solana Beach station… I kind of figured that commute would add up.. You pretty much summed it up well.

Lets talk about using the home as a rental. Not a bad idea at all if you make a few assumptions. First off, if you turn the home into a rental, I would make the assumption that you will indeed be keeping the home for a long time. I honestly don’t believe, (and this is ONLY AN OPINION, very speculative and not backed by any facts) that the market in CV will NOT be higher in 5 years from now as it is today. So that would presume that you would rent the home and it would continue to be a rental for you 5 years from now.

Also if you do rent the home out, you may want to use a property manager that gives you some options. Some PMs have a full service approach where they find a tenant from you, then they also maintain the home for you as well by taking a cut of the rent. Some of them have options where they just find a qualified tenant for you and put them under contract. Then you take over from there. You only get charged once which is nice. Depending on the quality of the tenant and the condition of your home, you may not need to give up so much of the rent to your PM. It is your call to make. Personally I don’t need or use a PM with my properties but that is me. Again, you need to measure your own capability.

As far as the tax liability goes, yeah I know that pain. Having rented the past few years I get killed on taxes and I hate it. However I think by only looking at taxes you may be missing out on the big picture. If you are going to do a correct calculation, you need to figure out how much you would be saving if you did sell your home. So no more property tax, no more HOA/MR fees, and you whatever cash you get back, you would be making a return (albeit a low one) on the money from the sale. Meanwhile, your cash is gaining interest, and it while it may be losing ground due to inflation, it will be gaining ground on housing. That is housing depreciation will be occurring faster then inflation, (hopefully). Otherwise those of us who are sitting on cash are indeed fools.

So the point is that in order for you to make a “fair” assessment of the sell now or not sell now decision, you need to run some numbers INCLUDING some possible future tax returns.

********

So here is a question… let’s say you kept this home as a rental and moved up there. Then let’s say you started to just stock up on cash. Save save save and keep saving. In a couple of years do you think you could afford to buy up there without selling your home?

SD Realtor

[sd2oc]

SD Realtor, thank you for your thoughtful reply! we only pay about $3K a month for all expenses associated with our home (and if we take into account the tax benefits, that number is even lower), so i don’t think we would have negative cash flow in renting it out. we’ve gotten quotes from a couple property management companies in the $3600-$4200/month range, minus 8%-12% for their fee). if i don’t have a rosy outlook as to the near future, however, does it make sense to rent out our home even if it generates positive cash flow for the time being? after all, rental rates could drop as well, right? and we might have a tougher time selling our home in the future, too.

on the other hand, selling our home now and then renting in OC (i agree with you about the market there, so i’d prefer not to buy for a couple years) means that we give up the tax benefits of home ownership. we already kick ourselves for not getting a bigger mortgage–i can’t imagine our tax liability if we had no home at all.

hence, our dilemma…

finally, yes, my husband does take the train, but he has to drive from our house to solana beach, take the train to irvine, and then drive to his office, so all together it takes about 2 hours each way. we would love to stay in san diego, but i worry that the commute will ultimately become unbearable (although my husband claims he’ll be okay if it means not having to leave–he loves sd so much!).

any additional thoughts? thank you again!

[sd2oc]

SD Realtor, thank you for your thoughtful reply! we only pay about $3K a month for all expenses associated with our home (and if we take into account the tax benefits, that number is even lower), so i don’t think we would have negative cash flow in renting it out. we’ve gotten quotes from a couple property management companies in the $3600-$4200/month range, minus 8%-12% for their fee). if i don’t have a rosy outlook as to the near future, however, does it make sense to rent out our home even if it generates positive cash flow for the time being? after all, rental rates could drop as well, right? and we might have a tougher time selling our home in the future, too.

on the other hand, selling our home now and then renting in OC (i agree with you about the market there, so i’d prefer not to buy for a couple years) means that we give up the tax benefits of home ownership. we already kick ourselves for not getting a bigger mortgage–i can’t imagine our tax liability if we had no home at all.

hence, our dilemma…

finally, yes, my husband does take the train, but he has to drive from our house to solana beach, take the train to irvine, and then drive to his office, so all together it takes about 2 hours each way. we would love to stay in san diego, but i worry that the commute will ultimately become unbearable (although my husband claims he’ll be okay if it means not having to leave–he loves sd so much!).

any additional thoughts? thank you again!

[sd2oc]

SD Realtor, thank you for your thoughtful reply! we only pay about $3K a month for all expenses associated with our home (and if we take into account the tax benefits, that number is even lower), so i don’t think we would have negative cash flow in renting it out. we’ve gotten quotes from a couple property management companies in the $3600-$4200/month range, minus 8%-12% for their fee). if i don’t have a rosy outlook as to the near future, however, does it make sense to rent out our home even if it generates positive cash flow for the time being? after all, rental rates could drop as well, right? and we might have a tougher time selling our home in the future, too.

on the other hand, selling our home now and then renting in OC (i agree with you about the market there, so i’d prefer not to buy for a couple years) means that we give up the tax benefits of home ownership. we already kick ourselves for not getting a bigger mortgage–i can’t imagine our tax liability if we had no home at all.

hence, our dilemma…

finally, yes, my husband does take the train, but he has to drive from our house to solana beach, take the train to irvine, and then drive to his office, so all together it takes about 2 hours each way. we would love to stay in san diego, but i worry that the commute will ultimately become unbearable (although my husband claims he’ll be okay if it means not having to leave–he loves sd so much!).

any additional thoughts? thank you again!

[sd2oc]

SD Realtor, thank you for your thoughtful reply! we only pay about $3K a month for all expenses associated with our home (and if we take into account the tax benefits, that number is even lower), so i don’t think we would have negative cash flow in renting it out. we’ve gotten quotes from a couple property management companies in the $3600-$4200/month range, minus 8%-12% for their fee). if i don’t have a rosy outlook as to the near future, however, does it make sense to rent out our home even if it generates positive cash flow for the time being? after all, rental rates could drop as well, right? and we might have a tougher time selling our home in the future, too.

on the other hand, selling our home now and then renting in OC (i agree with you about the market there, so i’d prefer not to buy for a couple years) means that we give up the tax benefits of home ownership. we already kick ourselves for not getting a bigger mortgage–i can’t imagine our tax liability if we had no home at all.

hence, our dilemma…

finally, yes, my husband does take the train, but he has to drive from our house to solana beach, take the train to irvine, and then drive to his office, so all together it takes about 2 hours each way. we would love to stay in san diego, but i worry that the commute will ultimately become unbearable (although my husband claims he’ll be okay if it means not having to leave–he loves sd so much!).

any additional thoughts? thank you again!

[SD Realtor]

sd2oc I believe the two events are independent and may be treated as so.

Let’s start with your home in CV.

What you decide to do with it depends on your outlook for San Diego housing.

– If you believe the market is going to bottom out soon and then appreciate then you may want to wait and hold on to your home and then sell when the market comes back up. (Personally I do not believe this is the case) If you do hold on to your home you can rent it out. Turning the home into a rental is an outstanding way to help shelter some tax expense. Note that once you do NOT live in the home 3 out of the last 5 years, you will lose the capital gains exemption once you do sell the home. Yet to be honest, I would not worry to much about that at this point. The real question is, given your mortgage payment, mello roos (if you pay them) and HOA (if you pay them) and any additional expenses like prop tax and insurance will stack up against rent. More then likely you will have a negative cash flow but how negative is something you would need to calculate.

– If you believe the market is going to go down and continue to go down for the next several years then it would be best to sell now. Personally my opinion for CV is that the market will go down there and it will then be flat for awhile and then start go rise slowly. I think that CV detached homes have held up quite well and the lions share of depreciation is ahead for these homes, not behind. I think that the area is susceptible to problems if we see disruptions in employment and/or interest rate hikes. Yet I don’t think it is something that will happen in the short run. However in the next 2 years it will be interesting to see where CV is at.

6 months from now? Well I don’t think things will be radically different but we will definitely be in a period where seasonally there are fewer buyers.

**************

As far as buying goes my advice, and I cannot stress it enough) would be to rent for awhile if you can. I think the OC is going to get hammered and it is perhaps even more stretched then SD is in the high priced home areas. I also think the OC is a year or two behind SD in the depreciation cycle.

**************

As far as staying home and commuting goes? Well… Does your husband take the train? I know it is kind of a chore but I think it is not nearly as taxing sitting on the train as it is sitting in traffic.

**************

Anyways not sure if I gave any definitive advice. My personal choice would be to sell CV, even if it means a loss, and rent in the OC… pocket cash and in a few years buy a nice big foreclosure or distressed property in Laguna.

SD Realtor

[SD Realtor]

sd2oc I believe the two events are independent and may be treated as so.

Let’s start with your home in CV.

What you decide to do with it depends on your outlook for San Diego housing.

– If you believe the market is going to bottom out soon and then appreciate then you may want to wait and hold on to your home and then sell when the market comes back up. (Personally I do not believe this is the case) If you do hold on to your home you can rent it out. Turning the home into a rental is an outstanding way to help shelter some tax expense. Note that once you do NOT live in the home 3 out of the last 5 years, you will lose the capital gains exemption once you do sell the home. Yet to be honest, I would not worry to much about that at this point. The real question is, given your mortgage payment, mello roos (if you pay them) and HOA (if you pay them) and any additional expenses like prop tax and insurance will stack up against rent. More then likely you will have a negative cash flow but how negative is something you would need to calculate.

– If you believe the market is going to go down and continue to go down for the next several years then it would be best to sell now. Personally my opinion for CV is that the market will go down there and it will then be flat for awhile and then start go rise slowly. I think that CV detached homes have held up quite well and the lions share of depreciation is ahead for these homes, not behind. I think that the area is susceptible to problems if we see disruptions in employment and/or interest rate hikes. Yet I don’t think it is something that will happen in the short run. However in the next 2 years it will be interesting to see where CV is at.

6 months from now? Well I don’t think things will be radically different but we will definitely be in a period where seasonally there are fewer buyers.

**************

As far as buying goes my advice, and I cannot stress it enough) would be to rent for awhile if you can. I think the OC is going to get hammered and it is perhaps even more stretched then SD is in the high priced home areas. I also think the OC is a year or two behind SD in the depreciation cycle.

**************

As far as staying home and commuting goes? Well… Does your husband take the train? I know it is kind of a chore but I think it is not nearly as taxing sitting on the train as it is sitting in traffic.

**************

Anyways not sure if I gave any definitive advice. My personal choice would be to sell CV, even if it means a loss, and rent in the OC… pocket cash and in a few years buy a nice big foreclosure or distressed property in Laguna.

SD Realtor

[SD Realtor]

sd2oc I believe the two events are independent and may be treated as so.

Let’s start with your home in CV.

What you decide to do with it depends on your outlook for San Diego housing.

– If you believe the market is going to bottom out soon and then appreciate then you may want to wait and hold on to your home and then sell when the market comes back up. (Personally I do not believe this is the case) If you do hold on to your home you can rent it out. Turning the home into a rental is an outstanding way to help shelter some tax expense. Note that once you do NOT live in the home 3 out of the last 5 years, you will lose the capital gains exemption once you do sell the home. Yet to be honest, I would not worry to much about that at this point. The real question is, given your mortgage payment, mello roos (if you pay them) and HOA (if you pay them) and any additional expenses like prop tax and insurance will stack up against rent. More then likely you will have a negative cash flow but how negative is something you would need to calculate.

– If you believe the market is going to go down and continue to go down for the next several years then it would be best to sell now. Personally my opinion for CV is that the market will go down there and it will then be flat for awhile and then start go rise slowly. I think that CV detached homes have held up quite well and the lions share of depreciation is ahead for these homes, not behind. I think that the area is susceptible to problems if we see disruptions in employment and/or interest rate hikes. Yet I don’t think it is something that will happen in the short run. However in the next 2 years it will be interesting to see where CV is at.

6 months from now? Well I don’t think things will be radically different but we will definitely be in a period where seasonally there are fewer buyers.

**************

As far as buying goes my advice, and I cannot stress it enough) would be to rent for awhile if you can. I think the OC is going to get hammered and it is perhaps even more stretched then SD is in the high priced home areas. I also think the OC is a year or two behind SD in the depreciation cycle.

**************

As far as staying home and commuting goes? Well… Does your husband take the train? I know it is kind of a chore but I think it is not nearly as taxing sitting on the train as it is sitting in traffic.

**************

Anyways not sure if I gave any definitive advice. My personal choice would be to sell CV, even if it means a loss, and rent in the OC… pocket cash and in a few years buy a nice big foreclosure or distressed property in Laguna.

SD Realtor

[SD Realtor]

sd2oc I believe the two events are independent and may be treated as so.

Let’s start with your home in CV.

What you decide to do with it depends on your outlook for San Diego housing.

– If you believe the market is going to bottom out soon and then appreciate then you may want to wait and hold on to your home and then sell when the market comes back up. (Personally I do not believe this is the case) If you do hold on to your home you can rent it out. Turning the home into a rental is an outstanding way to help shelter some tax expense. Note that once you do NOT live in the home 3 out of the last 5 years, you will lose the capital gains exemption once you do sell the home. Yet to be honest, I would not worry to much about that at this point. The real question is, given your mortgage payment, mello roos (if you pay them) and HOA (if you pay them) and any additional expenses like prop tax and insurance will stack up against rent. More then likely you will have a negative cash flow but how negative is something you would need to calculate.

– If you believe the market is going to go down and continue to go down for the next several years then it would be best to sell now. Personally my opinion for CV is that the market will go down there and it will then be flat for awhile and then start go rise slowly. I think that CV detached homes have held up quite well and the lions share of depreciation is ahead for these homes, not behind. I think that the area is susceptible to problems if we see disruptions in employment and/or interest rate hikes. Yet I don’t think it is something that will happen in the short run. However in the next 2 years it will be interesting to see where CV is at.

6 months from now? Well I don’t think things will be radically different but we will definitely be in a period where seasonally there are fewer buyers.

**************

As far as buying goes my advice, and I cannot stress it enough) would be to rent for awhile if you can. I think the OC is going to get hammered and it is perhaps even more stretched then SD is in the high priced home areas. I also think the OC is a year or two behind SD in the depreciation cycle.

**************

As far as staying home and commuting goes? Well… Does your husband take the train? I know it is kind of a chore but I think it is not nearly as taxing sitting on the train as it is sitting in traffic.

**************

Anyways not sure if I gave any definitive advice. My personal choice would be to sell CV, even if it means a loss, and rent in the OC… pocket cash and in a few years buy a nice big foreclosure or distressed property in Laguna.

SD Realtor

[patientlywaiting]

This is a hard question to answer.

The problem with buying at the wrong time is that in today’s job market, most workers end up changing companies once every 5 years. Then intention to stay for the long haul doesn’t always equate the ability to stay for the long term.

If I were you, I’d sell and try to get my money back. Then I’d rent in OC. That’s because I’m pretty bearish about prices. I believe we’ll see 2000 prices again in SD. Your decision might be different if you think that prices will hold up.

Commuting such a long way is very costly in terms of transportation costs and wear and tear on the human body.

Best of luck to you and your family.

[patientlywaiting]

This is a hard question to answer.

The problem with buying at the wrong time is that in today’s job market, most workers end up changing companies once every 5 years. Then intention to stay for the long haul doesn’t always equate the ability to stay for the long term.

If I were you, I’d sell and try to get my money back. Then I’d rent in OC. That’s because I’m pretty bearish about prices. I believe we’ll see 2000 prices again in SD. Your decision might be different if you think that prices will hold up.

Commuting such a long way is very costly in terms of transportation costs and wear and tear on the human body.

Best of luck to you and your family.

[patientlywaiting]

This is a hard question to answer.

The problem with buying at the wrong time is that in today’s job market, most workers end up changing companies once every 5 years. Then intention to stay for the long haul doesn’t always equate the ability to stay for the long term.

If I were you, I’d sell and try to get my money back. Then I’d rent in OC. That’s because I’m pretty bearish about prices. I believe we’ll see 2000 prices again in SD. Your decision might be different if you think that prices will hold up.

Commuting such a long way is very costly in terms of transportation costs and wear and tear on the human body.

Best of luck to you and your family.

[patientlywaiting]

This is a hard question to answer.

The problem with buying at the wrong time is that in today’s job market, most workers end up changing companies once every 5 years. Then intention to stay for the long haul doesn’t always equate the ability to stay for the long term.

If I were you, I’d sell and try to get my money back. Then I’d rent in OC. That’s because I’m pretty bearish about prices. I believe we’ll see 2000 prices again in SD. Your decision might be different if you think that prices will hold up.

Commuting such a long way is very costly in terms of transportation costs and wear and tear on the human body.

Best of luck to you and your family.

[patientlywaiting]

This is a hard question to answer.

The problem with buying at the wrong time is that in today’s job market, most workers end up changing companies once every 5 years. Then intention to stay for the long haul doesn’t always equate the ability to stay for the long term.

If I were you, I’d sell and try to get my money back. Then I’d rent in OC. That’s because I’m pretty bearish about prices. I believe we’ll see 2000 prices again in SD. Your decision might be different if you think that prices will hold up.

Commuting such a long way is very costly in terms of transportation costs and wear and tear on the human body.

Best of luck to you and your family.

[jimmyle]

4) stay in SD and commute to OC for the time being (and if so, for how long?).

I think I am the most qualified to answer this question.

I am commuting from Carmel Valley (Carmel Vista Rd. and Carmel Center Dr.) to Orange County (Garden Grove)to work. The drive is 80 miles one way. Shorter if your husband works in South Orange County. My work schedule is 6:30AM to 3:30PM. I leave my apartment at 5:10AM and get home at 5-5:15PM. My boss allows me this special work schedule because they need me. I drive 3 days a week. Staying at my sister’s house in OC on Wednesday nights and work from home on Fridays.

If your husband has to drive 5 days a week, then I don’t recommend it. But if he can negotiate for one or two days telecommuting then it is worth it.

I don’t mind driving 3 days a week and working from home on Fridays. Actually I enjoy the drive after getting Prius (a must) and getting 55 MPG.

People don’t believe I get 55+ MPG (9 MPG better than EPA) but here is the proof:

http://priuschat.com/forums/fuel-economy/43476-over-60-mpg-san-diego-anaheim-back.html

[sd2oc]

jimmyle, hello fellow prius owner! how long have you been commuting? even with our prius, my husband finds driving back and forth from home to work pretty tiring, so he just drives to solana beach, takes the train to irvine, then drives a second car to his office. telecommuting on fridays is a possibility for the future, but not guaranteed. i asked my husband how long he thinks he could handle the commute and his reply was: definitely 1 year, most likely 2 years, probably 3 years, maybe 5 years, and ehhhhh 10 years. interestingly enough, my dad commuted from nj to ny (which also took about 2 hours each way via car, train, and subway) 5 days a week for 30 years before he retired, so i know it is possible, but obviously not ideal, especially now that my husband and i have a baby. i hope you don’t mind my asking, but do you have a family? also, do you anticipate commuting for the long haul?

[jimmyle]

sd2oc,

I have been commuting for 6 months. The Prius seats can be uncofortable so I use a car cush which makes it comfy. I enjoy listening to music, books on tape or just a quiet time driving. I just got married last year, no baby yet. Yeah, I am in for the long haul. Maybe 5 years. I love my company and my work so I probably will be there for a while. One of my coworker drives from Temecula to OC for the last 18 years. He finally got a new car last year after his old car passed the 400K mark.

When did you get your Prius? Do you have the carpool stickers? What are your husband work hours? I don’t really need the stickers because I go home early(except on Thursday when traffic is heavy I take the 73 toll road to save 25 minutes).

[sd2oc]

jimmyle, we got our first prius in 2006 (w/ carpool stickers) and our second in 2007 (w/o). we are big prius fans. my husband usually works 9-6 (so he’s away from home 7-8 with the commute).

Chris Scoreboar, yes, OC does seem to be much more expensive than SD, which is funny to me because i much prefer SD!

[sd2oc]

jimmyle, we got our first prius in 2006 (w/ carpool stickers) and our second in 2007 (w/o). we are big prius fans. my husband usually works 9-6 (so he’s away from home 7-8 with the commute).

Chris Scoreboar, yes, OC does seem to be much more expensive than SD, which is funny to me because i much prefer SD!

[sd2oc]

jimmyle, we got our first prius in 2006 (w/ carpool stickers) and our second in 2007 (w/o). we are big prius fans. my husband usually works 9-6 (so he’s away from home 7-8 with the commute).

Chris Scoreboar, yes, OC does seem to be much more expensive than SD, which is funny to me because i much prefer SD!

[sd2oc]

jimmyle, we got our first prius in 2006 (w/ carpool stickers) and our second in 2007 (w/o). we are big prius fans. my husband usually works 9-6 (so he’s away from home 7-8 with the commute).

Chris Scoreboar, yes, OC does seem to be much more expensive than SD, which is funny to me because i much prefer SD!

[sd2oc]

jimmyle, we got our first prius in 2006 (w/ carpool stickers) and our second in 2007 (w/o). we are big prius fans. my husband usually works 9-6 (so he’s away from home 7-8 with the commute).

Chris Scoreboar, yes, OC does seem to be much more expensive than SD, which is funny to me because i much prefer SD!

[jimmyle]

sd2oc,

I have been commuting for 6 months. The Prius seats can be uncofortable so I use a car cush which makes it comfy. I enjoy listening to music, books on tape or just a quiet time driving. I just got married last year, no baby yet. Yeah, I am in for the long haul. Maybe 5 years. I love my company and my work so I probably will be there for a while. One of my coworker drives from Temecula to OC for the last 18 years. He finally got a new car last year after his old car passed the 400K mark.

When did you get your Prius? Do you have the carpool stickers? What are your husband work hours? I don’t really need the stickers because I go home early(except on Thursday when traffic is heavy I take the 73 toll road to save 25 minutes).

[jimmyle]

sd2oc,

I have been commuting for 6 months. The Prius seats can be uncofortable so I use a car cush which makes it comfy. I enjoy listening to music, books on tape or just a quiet time driving. I just got married last year, no baby yet. Yeah, I am in for the long haul. Maybe 5 years. I love my company and my work so I probably will be there for a while. One of my coworker drives from Temecula to OC for the last 18 years. He finally got a new car last year after his old car passed the 400K mark.

When did you get your Prius? Do you have the carpool stickers? What are your husband work hours? I don’t really need the stickers because I go home early(except on Thursday when traffic is heavy I take the 73 toll road to save 25 minutes).

[jimmyle]

sd2oc,

I have been commuting for 6 months. The Prius seats can be uncofortable so I use a car cush which makes it comfy. I enjoy listening to music, books on tape or just a quiet time driving. I just got married last year, no baby yet. Yeah, I am in for the long haul. Maybe 5 years. I love my company and my work so I probably will be there for a while. One of my coworker drives from Temecula to OC for the last 18 years. He finally got a new car last year after his old car passed the 400K mark.

When did you get your Prius? Do you have the carpool stickers? What are your husband work hours? I don’t really need the stickers because I go home early(except on Thursday when traffic is heavy I take the 73 toll road to save 25 minutes).

[jimmyle]

sd2oc,

I have been commuting for 6 months. The Prius seats can be uncofortable so I use a car cush which makes it comfy. I enjoy listening to music, books on tape or just a quiet time driving. I just got married last year, no baby yet. Yeah, I am in for the long haul. Maybe 5 years. I love my company and my work so I probably will be there for a while. One of my coworker drives from Temecula to OC for the last 18 years. He finally got a new car last year after his old car passed the 400K mark.

When did you get your Prius? Do you have the carpool stickers? What are your husband work hours? I don’t really need the stickers because I go home early(except on Thursday when traffic is heavy I take the 73 toll road to save 25 minutes).

[sd2oc]

jimmyle, hello fellow prius owner! how long have you been commuting? even with our prius, my husband finds driving back and forth from home to work pretty tiring, so he just drives to solana beach, takes the train to irvine, then drives a second car to his office. telecommuting on fridays is a possibility for the future, but not guaranteed. i asked my husband how long he thinks he could handle the commute and his reply was: definitely 1 year, most likely 2 years, probably 3 years, maybe 5 years, and ehhhhh 10 years. interestingly enough, my dad commuted from nj to ny (which also took about 2 hours each way via car, train, and subway) 5 days a week for 30 years before he retired, so i know it is possible, but obviously not ideal, especially now that my husband and i have a baby. i hope you don’t mind my asking, but do you have a family? also, do you anticipate commuting for the long haul?

[sd2oc]

jimmyle, hello fellow prius owner! how long have you been commuting? even with our prius, my husband finds driving back and forth from home to work pretty tiring, so he just drives to solana beach, takes the train to irvine, then drives a second car to his office. telecommuting on fridays is a possibility for the future, but not guaranteed. i asked my husband how long he thinks he could handle the commute and his reply was: definitely 1 year, most likely 2 years, probably 3 years, maybe 5 years, and ehhhhh 10 years. interestingly enough, my dad commuted from nj to ny (which also took about 2 hours each way via car, train, and subway) 5 days a week for 30 years before he retired, so i know it is possible, but obviously not ideal, especially now that my husband and i have a baby. i hope you don’t mind my asking, but do you have a family? also, do you anticipate commuting for the long haul?

[sd2oc]

jimmyle, hello fellow prius owner! how long have you been commuting? even with our prius, my husband finds driving back and forth from home to work pretty tiring, so he just drives to solana beach, takes the train to irvine, then drives a second car to his office. telecommuting on fridays is a possibility for the future, but not guaranteed. i asked my husband how long he thinks he could handle the commute and his reply was: definitely 1 year, most likely 2 years, probably 3 years, maybe 5 years, and ehhhhh 10 years. interestingly enough, my dad commuted from nj to ny (which also took about 2 hours each way via car, train, and subway) 5 days a week for 30 years before he retired, so i know it is possible, but obviously not ideal, especially now that my husband and i have a baby. i hope you don’t mind my asking, but do you have a family? also, do you anticipate commuting for the long haul?

[sd2oc]

jimmyle, hello fellow prius owner! how long have you been commuting? even with our prius, my husband finds driving back and forth from home to work pretty tiring, so he just drives to solana beach, takes the train to irvine, then drives a second car to his office. telecommuting on fridays is a possibility for the future, but not guaranteed. i asked my husband how long he thinks he could handle the commute and his reply was: definitely 1 year, most likely 2 years, probably 3 years, maybe 5 years, and ehhhhh 10 years. interestingly enough, my dad commuted from nj to ny (which also took about 2 hours each way via car, train, and subway) 5 days a week for 30 years before he retired, so i know it is possible, but obviously not ideal, especially now that my husband and i have a baby. i hope you don’t mind my asking, but do you have a family? also, do you anticipate commuting for the long haul?

[jimmyle]

4) stay in SD and commute to OC for the time being (and if so, for how long?).

I think I am the most qualified to answer this question.

I am commuting from Carmel Valley (Carmel Vista Rd. and Carmel Center Dr.) to Orange County (Garden Grove)to work. The drive is 80 miles one way. Shorter if your husband works in South Orange County. My work schedule is 6:30AM to 3:30PM. I leave my apartment at 5:10AM and get home at 5-5:15PM. My boss allows me this special work schedule because they need me. I drive 3 days a week. Staying at my sister’s house in OC on Wednesday nights and work from home on Fridays.

If your husband has to drive 5 days a week, then I don’t recommend it. But if he can negotiate for one or two days telecommuting then it is worth it.

I don’t mind driving 3 days a week and working from home on Fridays. Actually I enjoy the drive after getting Prius (a must) and getting 55 MPG.

People don’t believe I get 55+ MPG (9 MPG better than EPA) but here is the proof:

http://priuschat.com/forums/fuel-economy/43476-over-60-mpg-san-diego-anaheim-back.html

[jimmyle]

4) stay in SD and commute to OC for the time being (and if so, for how long?).

I think I am the most qualified to answer this question.

I am commuting from Carmel Valley (Carmel Vista Rd. and Carmel Center Dr.) to Orange County (Garden Grove)to work. The drive is 80 miles one way. Shorter if your husband works in South Orange County. My work schedule is 6:30AM to 3:30PM. I leave my apartment at 5:10AM and get home at 5-5:15PM. My boss allows me this special work schedule because they need me. I drive 3 days a week. Staying at my sister’s house in OC on Wednesday nights and work from home on Fridays.

If your husband has to drive 5 days a week, then I don’t recommend it. But if he can negotiate for one or two days telecommuting then it is worth it.

I don’t mind driving 3 days a week and working from home on Fridays. Actually I enjoy the drive after getting Prius (a must) and getting 55 MPG.

People don’t believe I get 55+ MPG (9 MPG better than EPA) but here is the proof:

http://priuschat.com/forums/fuel-economy/43476-over-60-mpg-san-diego-anaheim-back.html

[jimmyle]

4) stay in SD and commute to OC for the time being (and if so, for how long?).

I think I am the most qualified to answer this question.

I am commuting from Carmel Valley (Carmel Vista Rd. and Carmel Center Dr.) to Orange County (Garden Grove)to work. The drive is 80 miles one way. Shorter if your husband works in South Orange County. My work schedule is 6:30AM to 3:30PM. I leave my apartment at 5:10AM and get home at 5-5:15PM. My boss allows me this special work schedule because they need me. I drive 3 days a week. Staying at my sister’s house in OC on Wednesday nights and work from home on Fridays.

If your husband has to drive 5 days a week, then I don’t recommend it. But if he can negotiate for one or two days telecommuting then it is worth it.

I don’t mind driving 3 days a week and working from home on Fridays. Actually I enjoy the drive after getting Prius (a must) and getting 55 MPG.

People don’t believe I get 55+ MPG (9 MPG better than EPA) but here is the proof:

http://priuschat.com/forums/fuel-economy/43476-over-60-mpg-san-diego-anaheim-back.html

[jimmyle]

4) stay in SD and commute to OC for the time being (and if so, for how long?).

I think I am the most qualified to answer this question.

I am commuting from Carmel Valley (Carmel Vista Rd. and Carmel Center Dr.) to Orange County (Garden Grove)to work. The drive is 80 miles one way. Shorter if your husband works in South Orange County. My work schedule is 6:30AM to 3:30PM. I leave my apartment at 5:10AM and get home at 5-5:15PM. My boss allows me this special work schedule because they need me. I drive 3 days a week. Staying at my sister’s house in OC on Wednesday nights and work from home on Fridays.

If your husband has to drive 5 days a week, then I don’t recommend it. But if he can negotiate for one or two days telecommuting then it is worth it.

I don’t mind driving 3 days a week and working from home on Fridays. Actually I enjoy the drive after getting Prius (a must) and getting 55 MPG.

People don’t believe I get 55+ MPG (9 MPG better than EPA) but here is the proof:

http://priuschat.com/forums/fuel-economy/43476-over-60-mpg-san-diego-anaheim-back.html

[Chris Scoreboard Johnston]

OC is much more expensive so keep that in mind. I lived there for 20 + yrs before moving down here and things were so cheap down here when I bought it shocked me. If you compare comparable products you are going to pay more up there even with the crash.

[Chris Scoreboard Johnston]

OC is much more expensive so keep that in mind. I lived there for 20 + yrs before moving down here and things were so cheap down here when I bought it shocked me. If you compare comparable products you are going to pay more up there even with the crash.

[Chris Scoreboard Johnston]

OC is much more expensive so keep that in mind. I lived there for 20 + yrs before moving down here and things were so cheap down here when I bought it shocked me. If you compare comparable products you are going to pay more up there even with the crash.

[Chris Scoreboard Johnston]

OC is much more expensive so keep that in mind. I lived there for 20 + yrs before moving down here and things were so cheap down here when I bought it shocked me. If you compare comparable products you are going to pay more up there even with the crash.

[Chris Scoreboard Johnston]

OC is much more expensive so keep that in mind. I lived there for 20 + yrs before moving down here and things were so cheap down here when I bought it shocked me. If you compare comparable products you are going to pay more up there even with the crash.

[Author]

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