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[quote=bearishgurl][quote=The-Shoveler]While I can see the exurbs taking longer to recover, over the long term in SoCal we are forecast to keep growing population at a fair clip. I think the exurbs will look a lot less exurbesh in 20 years.

SoCal is not quite Detroit either. The two are different, I think Shiller was painting with a wide brush.[/quote]

Re: the bolded stmt, this will only happen if a plethora of well-paying jobs move to the four CA “exurban-poor” areas as shown on the CNN/Money map.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/23/news/economy/poverty_suburbs/index.htm?iid=HP_Highlight

Blue or white collar … doesn’t matter … the jobs need to pay a living wage and have benefits. For the most part, the families moving to these communities by necessity don’t have a gasoline budget of $400+ month for one vehicle.

I don’t think “retirees” are necessarily attracted to these exurban areas, unless they are originally from there (and I DO know some that are). Most “retirees” or “near-retirees” in CA that would consider moving for retirement already own a longtime home in a more desirable area of CA so would have no incentive to relocate in a “Cali-armpit” in the absence of family there.[/quote]

I remember when Poway was considered a distant burb. Heck – when I first moved to UC (as a kid in the early 60’s) it was a distant burb.

I also know retirees who raised their kids in San Diego, kids still live in San Diego, but sold and bought in Murrieta. Wanted a newer home, lower maintenance, quiter, less urban lifestyle.

Lots of exceptions to every rule.

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I have – but in another state. (Pennsylvania)
These are the issues I dealt with:
– furnace was older than I was. Solution: got a maintenance contract on it (oil furnace) and when things broke, they fixed it. When I sold 7 years later – it was still running, but with replaced blower, and burner.
– no insulation to speak of. I got quotes and it was on my to-do list. It was cheaper than it otherwise would have been because the turn of the century twin had balloon framing. But still not something I could just write a check for. Solution: save towards insulating it, and wear sweaters.
– inadequate electrical, including some old knob and tube. Solution – replace about 80% of the electrical and put in a new panel. Blow off entirely the electrician who gave me a quote about 3 times more than the others because I was a woman. (Seriously – this guy noticed my tools out and said they were “cute”.)

I have friends who own older bungalows in University Heights and in Kensington. They’ve upgraded the wiring. One had a really cool reflective coating put on their flat roof – which dropped the summer temps considerably. Both have tried to keep with the charm of the older houses – keeping the old tile in the bathroom, etc.

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I’m not sure – but I think only one company actually stops on the island and lets you tour the old prison. I’m pretty sure it’s AlcatrazCruises.com.

ITA with sdr about booking in advance. I’ve never done the tour because I’ve always screwed up and forgotten to pre-book… and it was sold out for several days going forward.

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Interesting… I looked at some of the vendors… and I think I’m on to something with the LDS thing.

Augason Farms is based in Salt Lake City, UT.

Food For Health International is based in Provo, UT.

Mountain House is more of a camping food supplier, based in Oregon.

Shelf Reliance is based in American Fork, UT.

3 of the 4 vendors are based in Utah… No coincidence that more than half of Utah is Mormon.

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[quote=Diego Mamani][quote=UCGal]Or to Mormons. They need to stock up on a 4 years supply of food.[/quote]
Wow. I thought of churches such as the Mormon church purchasing these articles, but you’re saying that Mormon families might be buying them? Time for me to check what Wikipedia says about their need to plan for armageddon.[/quote]
I said they need to stock up on a year of food.

Then I did the math – and figured out it was a 4 years supply of food for a family of four.

Please don’t edit my posts when you quote me.

I’m not Mormon – but I have an entire branch of the family that is. And they have their supplies set up… rotating them through for freshness.

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[quote=Navydoc]Gotta disagree with everyone on the 3rd seat option. I use it on my X-5 all the time. When my wife’s family was over for Christmas we drove with all seats full on several occaisions. Actually passed up on the Cayenne because it didn’t have a 3rd set of seats. When we get back to San Diego this summer this usage will only increase. Different strokes I guess.[/quote]
I agree. I use the third row in my highlander a lot.
I agree that it would be a PITA for carseats. But it worked great with booster seats. I could put two graco turbo boosters in the back row – leaving room for 3 adults in the middle row. (I only have 2 kids).

I also agree that the leg room is lacking – which is why I stick kids back there more than adults. But I’ve ridden in the 3rd row with another adult and I’m tall and large… It can be done.

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[quote=Diego Mamani][quote=flu][quote=Diego Mamani]Did anybody else notice this at Costco?
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?prodid=11613699

Looks like they are catering to Branch Davidians-type of wackos…[/quote]

Yes, but those are for earthquake emergencies.
[/quote]
Earthquakes? That Costco item has “17,586 Total Servings of Emergency Food.” There’s no way food supplies would disappear for that long in an event of an emergency. They are either catering to institutions, or cults like the branch davidians…[/quote]
Or to Mormons. They need to stock up on a years supply of food. That would feed 3 meals/day for 4 years for a family of 4… or 3 meals/day for 1 year for a family of 16. My Mormon grandfather was from a family of 14… so it’s not all that out-there.

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oartypup left the building for her ranch in another state a while back. With her gold/silver/guns/farming supplies. She was the biggest doomsayer.

Arraya is still here. Still predicting a dramatic change.

Both are/were interesting to read.

I’m not as doomy as either of them… but I’m not optimistic. I’m just making my home as self sufficient as it can be – in case I have to shelter in place following an economic collapse… trying to deleverage – which won’t help with inflation, but will help me subsist on less. Putting in my veggie garden soon. Started the prep this weekend. Seedlings are started… If I can’t afford the grocery store food – I’ll grow my own.

As far as rioting in the streets – that could happen… the OWS thing shows there’s potential for it.

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[quote=svelte]Here is a guy building a 90,000 sf house, and guess what he has a room devoted to? See page 4…

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-03-14/versailles-the-would-be-biggest-house-in-america#p1

That room is much too gawdy for us (that statue! that carpet! that furniture!) but the rest of the room is not far off what we were thinking with ours…[/quote]
Can’t really call that a man-cave since it’s her closet, per the caption.

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The owners look like horders. Scary. Does the RV come with it – it has a dedicated picture, so I assume it does.

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[quote=ssprings]Being an computer engineer working on smart phone chips, I always hesitate to switch to smart phone. Being connected all the time doesn’t doesn’t appeal to me.[/quote]
This.
I don’t even like my boss to have my cell #. He has it – but knows I don’t like that he has it.

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Totally agree about triangulating people in a crowd. We first started doing that at disneyland when we’d split to take one kid on one ride, and the other kid on a different ride.

The party scenario – your answer came from walking in and talking to the owner, not from the smart phone.

I’m a list writer. But I do it old school. I sometimes take pictures of the list with my dumb-phone. I also use the camera on my dumb phone to take pictures of items in a store to consult with my husband… I text the pics to him and then we talk (voice) about whether to pick it up.

I have a gps in my car. It’s portable and doesn’t require a monthly service… so I was able to take it to europe, not get a special sim/phone service, or pay roaming.

Wikipedia on the fly? If it comes up at a party – someone *else* always has a smart phone – I make *them* look it up. 🙂

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As mentioned in the article – retiree health care will be hit first. There’s legal precedent – even when it *is* contractually indicated (as in union contracts).
I’m just finishing up an excellent book called “Retirement Heist” by Ellen Shultz (WSJ). She goes into great detail how healthcare benefits were much easier to cut and then eliminate, compared to pensions.

Her book does not cover public employee plans. But it’s pretty eye opening anyway.

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Add me to the luddite camp. I never went to a data plan. I could never justify the monthly wallet hit.

I have internet access at home and at work. Why do I need it in the car when I’m going to/from work?

When I’m at kids sporting events, I want to pay attention to the kid… not my phone. And if there’s down time waiting for a kid – I always have a library book with me.

I’m cheap… that’s the basic reason.

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I am very impressed by your humanitarian selflessness.
Very inspiring.

And yes – composting toilets. WW can give you all the info you need.

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