Where to live?

[JustinVGT]

Hey eveyone,I haven't been on here much, been so busy with school, work, and everything else. Well, I'm graduating in December. I am so excited to move on and be done with school. I applied for Officer Candidate School in the US Coast Guard. I was really hoping to get in, but I just found out last week that they will not give me an asthma waiver because I had very, very mild asthma as a child. When I applied for OCS, I thought if I get in great, if not, I'll be happy as a civilian just as well. So, now I'm all excited now that I have an idea of what I'm going to be doing in January. I have a good network of connections in some major companies so I don't think I'll be having problems getting a new job. I'm now thinking about where I want to live. Originally I was planning to stay here in northern VA, but now I'm thinking about moving away. San Diego, CA has been on my mind. I'm also thinking of NC, AZ, CO. It all depends on where I can find a job. San Diego sounds so appealing because of the nice weather year round, the ocean and beach, and mountains nearby. I'd like to live somewhere that is near water so I can get into sailing and boating like I have always wanted to do. I don't like extremely cold weather like MI, so I'm going to try to avoid that area. Although I know it's great in the summer (drove to Ironwood, MI, ~1200 miles in one day for a week this summer) and there is lots of water. I like the outdoors, want to get into sailing/boating, prefer warmer weather, but I do like the cold weather sometimes such as for skiing. Anyone want to tell me what they like best about where they live? I've heard mixed things about cost of living in the San Diego area. I heard it's expensive, about the same as here in Northern VA, but the suburbs are supposedly a lot cheaper. Anyone in CA want to recommend a nice place? One company I'm looking at has HQ in San Diego, so any places that have cheaper housing with a commute that's not too bad nearby? There is another company with a large naval contract that has several locations, including one in North Carolina. I need to get the name, but my contact says it's near the beach and cost of living is cheap. So, this is also sounding good. CO and AZ I'm thinking about because I had been there when I was younger and enjoyed it.

[Reynoma]

Does the location of other family members weigh in on your decision?

[Kari]

Well, I know I plan to go back home to southwest Ohio, more than likely. I'm going there for grad school, and I will probably stay once I graduate. Or else I'm going to New York City. But, if you haven't ever been as far away from home as California for any period of time, I'm not sure I'd recommend moving there straight off. You don't realize how much you miss home until you aren't there anymore. You may think you want out, but then you get out and you start missing what's familiar. Give it lots of thought first.

[JustinVGT]

I currently live with my immediate family here in VA. We are very close and that is my only concern about moving all the way to CA. My grandparents and some friends live in AZ, so I'd be within a days drive of them. My dad is from CO, so we have some relatives out there. My mom has some cousins in San Diego that I can get in touch with. Since I was originally hoping to become an officer in the USCG, I knew I would be stationed somewhere most likely far away from home. One of the places I heard that was great to be stationed in was San Diego. Now that I know that I'm going to be a civilian, I'm looking into living out there. Right now I'm looking at some apartment ads and the rent is pretty much the same as here in northern VA (about $700-1000/month for a 1 bdrm apt.). I know I can find cheaper in other parts of the country, but between here and CA, CA sounds better.

[JustinVGT]

About calling VA home, I guess I would. I grew up in the Army and have lived in different parts of the U.S. and parts of Europe. I've been here in VA for 11 years, but we just moved for the third time last November. I'm used to moving around and different areas. This will be a very BIG decision I will be making. A lot of it will depend on where I get a job offer. I can't wait to find out what I'm going to be doing.

[AKLGT]

my suggestion is to get a job first, then worry about housing. if you have a few offers to choose from, even better! good luck on job hunting. it's a pain in the (removed)! lol

[JustinVGT]

I'm getting a BS degree in Decision Management Information Systems with a minor in Information Technology. It's like a cross between business management and computer science, leaning more towards management.

[Psychobroker]

Being a Californian, I can vouch for the wonderful climate, lack of Hurricanes (), and variety of things to do, especially if you're into the outdoors. San Diego's a great town, close to Mexico (plenty of fun down there, just stay out of trouble and away from the Mexican police), and you're a lot closer to AZ than it looks.

[damronjr]

CA may be great and wonderful in pictures, but let me tell you, unless you plan to make a large amount of money, living here is pretty ridiculous. I have been stationed here in San Diego for over 4 years in the Navy, and let me tell you, just living in an apartment here is stupifying. I had a 2 bedroom apartment in Lemon Grove, just east of SD, and my rent was $1150/mo, and that has increased significantly since then(Sep last year). You can get a crappy 1br in the ghetto for about $800/mo. Oh, and by the way, everything here is pretty much the ghetto. You leave 1 ghetto and drive into another. I refuse to raise my kid here. As soon as I am out in Apr06, we plan to move back to Texas where I am from. My wife is Mexican and her whole family forest lives here, but the schools suck, gas is ridiculous($2.40/gallon and rising!), houses are $300k and up(that is for the ghetto in a rundown shack mind you), and registration is out of this world. Last year my registration for my 2002 Chevrolet S-10 Xtreme was supposed to be $180! Fortunately I traded it in right after it was due. Sure, the weather is nice most of the time (when it rains people die, literally!), and the beach is grat, but it is just not worth it. In Dallas we didn't even have to lock our door to our house, kids played in the streets, rode bikes to school and town, here I wouldn't let my kid out of my site. Kidnappings, killings, and other such crimes are a norm here. A liquor store at the end of the block was robbed while we were in the to get a drink and some candy and that was something that happens at that liquor store on a constant basis. Traffic is horrible here too. I just can't see why anyone would choose to live here. Let me just say I am speaking for San Diego only. LA has traffic issues also that I know of having been there on numerous occasions, but other than that I can't speak for the rest of CA. I just saw SD on your list and wanted to throw in my 2 cents.

[JustinVGT]

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it. I've heard so many good things, but I want to hear the negatives and what it's really like also. About the rent, I haven't seen anything out there in person, but from viewing online, the costs are similar to here in northern VA. Maybe they are more ghetto then they appear in the pics. Rent out here in northern VA cost around $800-900+ for 1 bedroom apartments. 2 bedrooms cost between $900-1300+. The closer to DC, the more it costs, much much more. So, yeah I think it's expensive, but it seems to be the same where I live. Then I think I could move somewhere else with a lower cost of living. Traffic here in northern VA/DC metro area is also terrible. I forgot what we're ranked in the country but I think it's around 3rd worst. Violence I am a little concerned about, I don't want to live in a ghetto area.Anyone else have some opinions of San Diego or other locations that may be better in CA? How about other places such as NC, AZ, and CO?Thanks,

[JustinVGT]

I like MI in the summer , but I don't think I'd like those winters.

[JustinVGT]

No offers yet, haven't quite started since I just found out yesterday that it was a definite that I'm not going into USCG OCS. I am going to start sending my resume to some contacts in the next several days. CSC asked if I was interested in relocating to San Diego or Columbus, OH back in June. I told them I want to finish school first and they just want me to let them know when I can work full-time. So, I need to get in contact with them again. My father works for SAIC and I am looking into them as well. Quantum Dynamics Inc. is another company I have some good contacts in. I used to work with Unisys through a temp agency, so I have good contacts there as well. Booze Allen Hamilton, have a contact there that I need to talk to. I totally agree with you about going where I can find work. I'm not going to move until I know I have a job at that location.

[silver_vibe]

I love California, but I am a native Californian and all my family lives in the area. I would actually leave if I could find someplace less populous with the same climate and my extended family would come with me .The cost of housing has been ridiculous over the past 3 years. A 950 sq ft house in a crap neighborhood that sold for $120,000 in 1995 now sells for $390,000. I live about 125 miles north of San Diego, but I have been there many times. It seems very nice down there and the temperature seems milder than where I live. My summers can get pretty hot; 110 degrees is not uncommon. BTW-That translates to a $200 electric bill.I have some friends that came here from Wisconsin and they decided to move back because they don't want to raise a family here.

[JustinVGT]

The location I'm looking at in NC is Cherry Point and the surrounding area. It's near Morehead City and Havelock, on the middle of the coastal area. Anyone live in that area or know much about it?

[drunkenmaxx]

Quote, originally posted by silver_vibe » A 950 sq ft house in a crap neighborhood that sold for $120,000 in 1995 now sells for $390,000.holy crap!! you could get one here for $40-$50k!!!!

[jimincalif]

Justin,I'm a SoCal native, 46 yrs old, I live in Lake Forest, which is S Orange County, S of LA and N of Camp Pendleton, maybe 70 miles N of the city of San Diego. I have sailed for 32 years, own a sailboat and also drive a Vibe. Soooo,Yes, SoCal is expensive, and housing prices are crazy. A 4 BR home that sold for maybe $350K in 1999 goes for $750K these days. Thankfully I'm not in the apartment market, I know rents are up, but not double over 5 years. Prices increase as you get closer to the water, but they aren't really cheap inland either. For housing prices go to realtor.com. I suspect there is also something on the web for apartments. Of course lots of younger folks go the roommate route. FYI, I attended an economic conference last month where a housing price drop of 10% to 20% is predicted.Calif is also a high tax state. Income tax reaches 9.3% at just $40K for a single taxpayer. Sales taxes run 8-8.75% depending on the county. Property taxes are lower than some states. What sort of sailing do you like to do? Race? Cruise? Dinghies, keelboats? Offshore, buoys? If racing, go to sailinganarchy.com, there are lots of posters there who sail the San Diego scene. If local cruising is your thing, San Diego area lacks, as Catalina Island is about 80 miles straight upwind. Only other local option is Mexico. I sail (cruise only, gave up racing 20 yrs ago) out of Long Beach CA, about 25 miles to Catalina. Obviously you need to go where you can get a job, but don't focus in on San Diego exclusively. Orange County and Ventura County are great areas. The weather is virtually the same all along the coast in SoCal, though summer water temps tend to be warmer the farther S you go (only get to about 70 max in August, no Gulf stream here). Winter skiing and other cold activities are a couple hour drive to the local mountains (assuming there is snow) or a 5 hour drive to the Mammoth Lakes area. Also the desert is about the same distance. I've camped every month of the year here, though it can get cold at night inland. (cold to me is under 50 farenheit)If you do consider moving here be sure to visit and evaluate your housing options first. Also, check out your potential commute on a WEEKDAY. I drive to San Diego maybe 6 times a year and I-5 is virtually always bumper to bumper from Carlsbad S to Mission Bay. Many people who work in Orange County live in Riverside area and commute in on the 91. That is about a 2-2.5 hour drive for 40 miles on a weekday morning. And it is only going to get worse as the state is broke and has no money for new roads. Public transit is a joke unless you live and/or work close to a Metrolink station for one of the limited commuter trains.I don't want to discourage you. Plenty of people find a way to make it here. At this point just graduating you've got a lot of options, it would not be a bad idea at all to try out other areas of the country. Good luck.

[JohnC]

How about living in a sailboat in San Diego? I moved from WA to AZ 24 years ago and have no regrets, the family and I love it here. We also love to vacation in SD, they call Arizonans vacationing there "zonies". Every summer when it gets hot enough to melt flesh here, there is a large migration to s calif.Then in the winter "snow birds" from the north invade AZ. Guess it's a ying/yang thing.Good luck with your decision, your lucky that you haven't found your misses right yet, as that would complicate the decision greatly.

[jimincalif]

I had a friend do the liveaboard thing about 15 yrs ago. But it is very difficult to do now. First virtually every marina from LA south to San Diego has a waiting list (I waited over 2 years for my slip in Long Beach). No new marinas have been built in SoCal for over 25 years, and with the control the environmental movement has over politics here, nothing new will be built, period. And because marinas are located over water or tidelands, it is state property and the state has told marinas to restrict liveaboard to no more than 10% of the total. So even if you get a slip you're not legal to live aboard (some do, call 'em "sneakaboards".) Some private marinas may have shorter waiting lists, but it is because the price they charge is over $20/ft per month.

[AKLGT]

so justin, any news yet?

[JustinVGT]

Hi Jim,Thanks for all the info. You asked what type of sailing do I do? Well, actually only my 32" sailboat (yeah 32 inch radio control ). I went out on two sailboats this summer when I was thinking about joining a sailing club near DC and really getting into sailing. The commute was just too far, so I didn't join. I've always loved boats and I really want to get into sailing. I read a book all about it this summer, I just need to live somewhere that I can get into it. Where ever I end up moving to, I'm hoping I can join a sailing club and meet some new people that are also into sailing. California sounds so appealing with the water, the mountains and the desert all so close. If I do get a job offer out there and consider moving there, I am definitely going to go check out the housing and try to find a place before I actually move. I'm thinking about possibly driving across the country for a road trip after I graduate and before I take a job. This way I can visit the places I may possibly live and also just for a nice trip. Not sure if I will, being close to 5,500 miles round trip, that is a lot of miles, a lot of gas, which means a lot of $$.Talking about commuting... I've mentioned how northern VA is bad, I don't know how it compares to So Cal, but my school is 35 miles away. It takes between an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and 45 minutes to get there in traffic. My last job to downtown Arlington across the street from the Pentagon took me 1.5-2 hours to get there one way, that was also about 35 miles. Rush hour traffic on RT 7 takes 30-45 minutes to go 10 miles due to very bad timing of lights and all the traffic.I'm definitely looking elsewhere than So Cal. Cherry Point, NC sounds some what nice. I just don't want to live out in the middle of no where and from what I've heard, it is. Are there some suburbs of the bigger cities in So Cal that are less expensive and still nice? Actually, I'm not only looking at So Cal, how about even middle and northern CA? Does the climate really change quite a bit in northern CA?Thanks,

[JustinVGT]

I thought about the live aboard idea. When I was about 8 years old and my uncle took me out on his boat, that is what got me hooked on boats. Even way back then I thought how it would be cool to live on a boat. I don't think I would live on one as my first place, maybe after I gain some boating/sailing experience. Then after hearing about the marinas in So Cal, not sure how well that would work out for me just starting out.Yeah, not having a misses right now lets me go where ever I choose. I'm trying not to get involved much with anyone right now since I don't know where I'm going to be in the next few months.

[JustinVGT]

No news Hope. I've sent out my resume to some contacts, but I'm still working on it. I just updated my monster.com profile and am searching for jobs around the country to get ideas on what I want to do.

[AKLGT]

are you looking online in the local papers for the areas you want?my good friend just got a new job, she quit her other one 2 wks ago, finished up her law school, passed the barr and was sworn in on the 5th. she got hired at the top law firm in Fairbanks and her first case is the multi-million dollar Fairbanks Catholic Church scandal. she also has her BSN in nursing, so she was a sure win on that one because she can read and understand the medical files, etc.

[JustinVGT]

Yeah, I'm checking the papers, monster.com, and companies' websites. The hard part is standing out from everyone else. That's where it's best to have a contact within the company. I'm busy working on my job search, hw, projects, studying, plus my present job. Can't wait to graduate! Only four more days of each class, only once a week each, then finals!

[AKLGT]

very cool. ya, i was job searching myself and when i did give notice to my current employer, to be the end of this month, they realized i wasn't just saying i was going to leave. i was actually going to be leaving!i put out my resume, my good friend is a head hunter, and so i went to many of the banks and credit unions but just couldn't find much that i was interested in. 2 weeks after we agreed on my last day, the big boss sat down with me, offered me a new position in the company (management, higher pay, same commission still, and then a department bonus plus threw in a trip to Vegas in April). i ended up accepting and then 2 weeks later the banks and credit unions started to call back! one was a branch manager position for a new sales branch paying about $10K more per year than my base salary. oh well, i've already given my word to my boss plus, with my commissions, i'm still online to make about $10-15K in commission so i'd be just about the same anyways. plus, have my 4 yrs w/ the company and paid time off, etc. so, i understand. job hunting really really sucks!!! best of luck to you!

[jimincalif]

Calif does have the weather, and the water, mountain and deserts, no question about it. As a practical matter though just like where you are now, if you have a long haul to the water it is difficult to get into sailing.You're what, 22ish, just graduating from college? Your idea of a cross-country road trip sounds great! I did one when I was 18, but wasn't in the mindset of evaluating the country for places to live on that trip. And the Vibe is a nicer ride than the VW bus I was in. Would have been fun to do another one after college, but I was broke and needed to get a job, so I can relate. But if you can swing the time and the $$$, go for it. Sounds like your commuting is much like here, so you know what you're dealing with. Calif is a huge state, and the areas are very different. The coastal stretch from Santa Barbara to San Diego is very similar weather wise with local flavor like all the TV & movie types in W LA and Malibu, beach communities, etc. Inland, E of LA San Bernardino/Riverside is growing rapidly, as the coast is all built up. Lots of growing pains, traffic. It is much hotter there in summer and cooler in winter, but closer to the mountains. The central coast is cooler and still more rural until you get up toward San Francisco, which has a "vibe" all to itself, different from the rest of the state in so many ways. The central valley of Calif is still largely farm country, pickup trucks, real farms, all the way up well N of Sacramento, hot in summer. The N Cal coast N of San Francisco is still largely rural. Beautiful scenery. Calif is very spread out, the cities are not like other areas, more like sprawl, so other than San Francisco and downtown LA, the populated areas of the state look like suburbs. Housing is expensive pretty much all over, but it does get cheaper as you move inland all over the state.From a sailing point of view, most of the action is either on San Francisco Bay, some in the Santa Cruz/Monterey area, or S of Pt Conception between San Barbara and San Diego. There are folks who sail the central coast, but there are few harbors and it is rough. N of S.F. there is even less recreational boating.Couple of web sites for Calif boatinghttp://www.latitude38.comhttp://www.thelog.com