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[quote=lpjohnso]I think you have posted some great questions. We live in 1400 sq feet, 3/2 (with vaulted ceilings and a medium sized backyard) and we have 2 young boys. It is great for us. Any larger and there would be more to clean, heat, cool and buy.

We have been to those lovely 3000 sq ft model homes in Temecula for the same price as our place, and while it is tempting to “move up”, we believe less is always more. We want to have more quality, not so much quanity. We took our 1990s 1400 sq ft home and were able to remodel in a way that we would have never been able to financially do to a 3000 sq ft home. And everyone is right, the vaulted ceilings/open layout make a HUGE difference. I lived in a 3400 sq ft house in Vegas and it felt like a claustrophobic maze.

I don’t like the thought of getting a larger home to accommodate the kids and more stuff only to have the kids move out one day. I think it would feel too big and lonely. So then, people may say, just down size to a smaller home when the kids are gone. I wouldn’t want to do that because I would love to stay in the same house as my kids did growing up. I would love them to be able to “come home” with their family one day to all of the memories of the house that they grew up in. I never had that. We moved around constantly. That kind of stability and nostalgia is very attractive to me.

Having a decent sized backyard has been great for the kids, especially in my lazy days when I don’t feel like going anywhere but I can open up the back door and the kids can still get there vitamin D and wiggles out. I would much rather have a smaller home and a larger back yard. That’s really were the kids want to be anyways.

Our boys have shared a room and we have kept the 3rd bedroom as a play room/guest room. It has been great. I believe my kids have grown closer because of it. I have a friend who desperately wants his 2 boys to share a room because he did with his brother growing up and they are extremely close, but unfortunately his wife is not going for it. My mother grew up on a ranch in an 800 sq ft home with 3 other siblings who all shared 1 room and they all turned out great. WIth that said, just last week my oldest (he’s 6) declared he wanted his “own” room and so we moved him into in the play room/quest room. So, it has been great to have an additional room in case the kids really want to be separated, but funny thing is, now my 3 year old is sleeping next to the 6 year old in the new room. Lol! They really do prefer being by each other, but we’ll see how that goes as they continue to grow older.

My advice to you and yours: stay in your home in Encinitas, make it the best you can, and add on and open up the ceilings or walls if you feel like you need to. :)[/quote]
Thank you Lpj!

Wow…I’ve been waiting to mention this topic I started with the wife because people keep chiming in with such great thoughts and I want to go over everything with her together when we have a moment. I’m pretty sure when we do she’s going to think I wrote your post to prove a point…it is just so in line with so many things I believe in.

The reason I started the topic is because I do not want to be naive and think that my way is always the right way. I want to be open minded about possibly being wrong and I wanted to hear from people that have been there and their experiences which is exactly what you shared and so appreciated here. I’d love to have my kids come back with their kids one day and show them the home they grew up in. I like the idea of sitting on the same porch and holding my grandkids the same way I currently hold my son with him crawling around and just being so curious about the world as is the stage he’s in right now. Maybe I’m just a big softy in that sense or have a bit of nostalgia since I was the one that moved around a lot as a kid. My parents got a divorce (as do many) and both were constantly moving around with dad always upgrading simply because he could and mom just struggling to keep a roof over her head by doing whatever it took to do so. I remember how my brother and I love top ramen and sunsets because it reminds us of being young with mom and we did not understand the gravity of those two things until talking with her recently. I mean..of course everyone loves sunsets (or at least most), but it was crazy to have her tell me how it was the only thing she could afford for a while there and she wanted to make us smile. The amazing part is how we did not even realize how broke she always was until recently when she mentioned it. We actually had a blast trying to improve the top ramen with our own ingredients and spices not realizing till we were older that it’s one of the least expensive items in the store. I think there is a little hidden lesson there that our children often have no idea how rich or poor we might be and that it does not matter to them until they get older…what a shame it is that this belief is lost sometimes as we grow up and start comparing each other to our friends, collegues, etc. On the other hand my wife’s parents pretty much live in the same home she grew up in. I think I might have admired her families simplicity and structure as something that might help her to believe that more is not necessarily better. That her being raised the way she was might help our children one day because we can both agree that less is often more and the difference between what a need and a want are.

allright…enough from me. I guess I got a little carried away there, but I just really appreciate that you took the time to add to this topic and speak from your experiences on it. I appreciate everyone’s comments, but I feel yours just really hits home on this one for me. Thank you!

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Right on! Thanks everyone who contributed on this one. I’ll have to go over this with the wife and talk about some of the points raised. We do sometimes wish our ceilings were a little higher for that roomy feel. I like how someone mentioned the minimalist aspect that we could have more space, but it might just end up being cluttered with a bunch of stuff we do not need anyways. Reminds me of backpacking when I was younger and how it is so hard to pack and figure out what is necessary and what is not, but once you are gone a couple months you realize you actually do not even need everything that you have in your bag. We are actually on an 8900 square foot lot so we might go the route of adding on one day, but who knows. I know I’ve learned a bit here and appreciate all the comments. Thank you!

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[quote=SDHopes][quote=sdsurfer][quote=SDHopes]As the OP of the Temecula thread,
I can tell you that we didn’t move to Temecula for the size of the house.

In fact, we are a family of four and have happily lived in small apartments just as well as large homes.

What my family has learned living in both situations is this:
Extra space is great for storage (all that baby gear) and play areas. A yard is great to have as well once your little one is older. However, nothing beats the great outdoors. Even if you have the biggest house- your kids will still want to go to the park with their friends. You can live in a small apartment and provided there is park access (maybe even a pool or the beach nearby) then you are going to be just fine.

Hope this helps![/quote]
Thanks! Don’t get me started on the baby gear…that stuff is crazy. I mean…a wipe warmer? that stuff has gotten out of hand. I definitely agree with the outdoors. I grew up in a rural area and loved shooting bb guns and hiking around. I can’t wait to get my kid a red ryder….well I can wait a little bit. ha![/quote]

Yes, it seems that for most people their best childhood memories are outdoors. No mention of house size.[/quote]
Thanks! Yes…I remember camping in the backyard and having a blast.

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[quote=Former SD resident]I’ve lived in both types of homes and can say I’m happier in a smaller home with a larger lot. We just moved back to SoCal from North Carolina and there we had a very nice 3000sqft home (which is average to small for where we were) and here we have a 1800 sqft old house and I am happier. The kids get to spend more time outside here where as in NC it was either to hot or to cold to be outside all the time. Here since we got an older smaller home our lot is large 1/3 acre and has room for pool and grass area for kids to run. Being the one who cleans and home I’m also happier to clean a smaller space, also the cost to cool the place (even our small space here) is about triple the cost of NC. I honestly don’t understand the need or desire to have a larger home unless you live in an area where you can’t spend much time outside, but that’s just me. we have 2 kids boy and girl so they each have their own room and we have a separate office, I don’t think our house feels cramped at all. The previous owners were the original owners from the 50s and they said there were 5 kids and 2 parents that lived in our 4 bd home, now that might feel a little cramped to me.[/quote]
Thanks for the insight! I can appreciate that you have experience in both areas. Makes perfect sense that in a colder or hotter climate more indoors might be somewhat necessary while in a desirable area not so much.

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[quote=SDHopes]As the OP of the Temecula thread,
I can tell you that we didn’t move to Temecula for the size of the house.

In fact, we are a family of four and have happily lived in small apartments just as well as large homes.

What my family has learned living in both situations is this:
Extra space is great for storage (all that baby gear) and play areas. A yard is great to have as well once your little one is older. However, nothing beats the great outdoors. Even if you have the biggest house- your kids will still want to go to the park with their friends. You can live in a small apartment and provided there is park access (maybe even a pool or the beach nearby) then you are going to be just fine.

Hope this helps![/quote]
Thanks! Don’t get me started on the baby gear…that stuff is crazy. I mean…a wipe warmer? that stuff has gotten out of hand. I definitely agree with the outdoors. I grew up in a rural area and loved shooting bb guns and hiking around. I can’t wait to get my kid a red ryder….well I can wait a little bit. ha!

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Yeah I was not really looking for a correct answer, but the opposing viewpoints and hopefully with some reasoning/first hand experience to back it up.

Personally, I’m just starting with an 8 month old, but we do plan to have more. However, I sometimes think we might just stay put and ride it out where we are instead of upgrading or getting a larger home just because we can/if we can at that time. If someone were to apply their logic would be find by me. I was thinking more of a discussion than a test.

I definitely understand that the decision is up to me and my family and anything anyone says is just their opinion, but I’m curious why people feel one way or the other.

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I think the 19% might be a little high, but I guess you never know. I feel like there is a tone in your responses that you want someone else to tell you to move now. Go for it! Be happy now instead of next year!!

It sounds like the only reason to stay is the possible appreciation and potential tax advantages of living there a full 2 years. The appreciation might balance out or work against you depending on if north county appreciates at the same rate. Who knows? It might be worth considering a 1031 exchange if you were to convert your primary into a rental through which the proceeds go directly to the purchase in North County and do not get taxed until you sell the property in North County. There is an aspect of qualifying for the loan and paying your rent at the same time, but where there is a will there is a way right? Another consideration is that the negative $500 would most likely be a write-off I believe depending on your situation.

I love visiting my family in Temecula and it suits them fine, but I also always enjoy returning home to Encinitas and feel very fortunate to love where I live. It’s expensive because it’s desireable and worth it in my opinion, but not everyone’s which is fine by me. Good luck with everything!

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Lot’s of good advice above! Personally, I would let them stay month to month and not say a thing since everything in the current lease remains and they sounds like good tenants. If you insist on a new 1 year lease then do not increase the rent too. I love the idea of my tenants staying in the property and paying my mortgage and in return I do not raise the rent on them and keep everything in good standing. I also like the aspect that if rents are going up around them they are even more likely to stay where they are and continue the win-win relationship. You can always update the property a bit when/if they move out and jack the rent a little at the same time if you choose to.

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I got the wifey a Kia Sorrento last year and she loves it.

I did the same research you did before I bought it and it was the best thing I could find dollar for dollar.

I think anything that gets good gas mileage is going to be cramped for the big dogs and the sup.

Everyone I know they has every had an Audi has had issues with repairs one way or another…maybe that is just my friends, but I do not think so.

Good luck!

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Here you go Todd.

Monique is very responsive and I would never use anyone else.

Monique Wilson
Exchange Resources, Inc.
619.528.1031

Josh

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I’ve never done one myself, but I’ve noticed a lot of people doing holding property in the name of a trust that bears the address. For instance…”123 Neptune trust” and I think believe they do one for each property. I believe it is a land trust of some sort, but I’ve never really talked with an attorney or anyone to learn more on it.

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Thanks so much for everyone chiming in!

We might have to look into Pismo one of these days. The wife and I love central California, but we always drove past that place.

We actually stayed at El Capitan canyon once. She loved it, but I’m not sure I classify that as “camping”…ha! I think their prices guarantee availability though.

In exchange from all the help everyone has provided I must mention we spent part of our honeymoon camping at Limekiln which is one of the southernmost spots in Big Sur and a really amazing place. You can actually have a campsite there that enables you to hear the river running by as well as waves crashing. It’s a really special place if you are in the area and also one of the ones on the list to close if that ever happens. They do not take reservations and if you show up midweek you tend to get a spot.

Sorry if I was kind of busy and did not contribute to the string as much, but it’s been busy at work and taking care of the baby.

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[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!

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[[email protected]]I am the friend and here is some of the reasoning.
1) Housing cost- For $350k I can purchase a newer home with 4-5 bdrms, and 3 plus baths, with a pool and a 3 car garage for my boat 😉
2)Even if I find something in my price range here there is a slim chance I will get it, it will be similar to the house in South Park where I was told I can’t even look at it unless I submit an offer.
3) This house Arizona would be in a high end neighborhood with premier schools while here for that I would get a condo in a low end neighborhood with poor schools take (10 out of 10 versus 5 out of ten using south park as an example).
4)This brings us to education…California has 500 plus million in unfunded teacher pensions and no plan how to pay for it, unless the genius Browns magic bullet train is the first train to be profitable.
5) Longterm Goals- it is difficult to plan for college tuition, retirement and gain equity when my wife has the best paying job she has ever had and we are living paycheck to paycheck in a 1000sq. ft rental for 2k/mo.

Maybe its hot, of Course I will miss surfing but its seems like a smart move even though some may disagree.[/quote]
Bullet train? that was random?

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Good stuff NSR. I’ll send him that website or send him to this thread.

Kind of interesting that food is more expensive as he does have 2 kids so food would be a big consideration?

On the wages part….I would personally believe that CA would attract more applicants thus having to pay a little more for the more qualified ones, but I also know people refer to employers knowing people want to live in CA so they can sometimes pay less.

Can anyone chime in on the job front? I think his wife would have to find a new job out there.

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