The OP is obviously trolling or bragging, or both. If just bragging, that’s fine. CA is the best state in the US for landscape and weather.
I’ve lived in FL almost all my life and CA, NC and TN are the only places I’d consider for relocation. I’d mainly consider Northern CA, I’ve been many times and it is amazing.
It is currently 69 degrees in my area and the high will be 79 where I live. It’s perfect for walking around weather, but annoyingly warm for a post Thanksgiving 10 miler. Still, much better than 20 or 30 degrees.
California has its problems (as does ANYWHERE), but there is no doubt that it is a great place to live if you can afford it. Ocean, mountains, desert, amazing national parks, wine country, great universities and sports teams, one of the most unique and beautiful cities in the country...San Francisco, and then of course, Hollywood...oh, and the weather. Not everyone cares about pleasant weather all the time, and there are some crazy people who enjoy "seasons", but for most people, California weather is terrific.
Add In-N-Out and Jollibee, and you've got a winner.
I love California but if you didn't purchase a home 20 years ago or have generational wealth then the average person is priced out. Lucky for those whose parents bought for nothing in the 70s and 80s. Unlike other states, property tax in CA is based on the purchase price. So your boomer next door neighbor who bought his house for $70k is paying nothing in property tax. Meanwhile if you've moved in the past 10-15 years then you probably paid 600k-1mil for your home and pay 5-10x more property tax.
Ca. is stunningly beautiful and is blessed with great weather. As runners, lets be honest, we appreciate the outdoors and running in perfect conditions, I know I do.
Having said all that there are issues in Ca, mainly to do with it being over populated. Everyone wants to move there and housing prices are insane. Water is going to be a real issue and a growing one.
Yes there is lots of poverty, drugs and homelessness. Ive seen the same in nearly every big city I've visited.
Ca was always ahead of the country in terms of auto emission standards, I can see why they would go for electric over nuclear, esp in a place prone to earthquakes.
Fires, earthquakes, homeless everywhere, high taxes… Yeah I’ll keep my east coast 30 degree winter weather and smart wife with a doctorate. Too bad you can’t find intelligent women in cali. They all want to be actresses lol
I love California but if you didn't purchase a home 20 years ago or have generational wealth then the average person is priced out. Lucky for those whose parents bought for nothing in the 70s and 80s. Unlike other states, property tax in CA is based on the purchase price. So your boomer next door neighbor who bought his house for $70k is paying nothing in property tax. Meanwhile if you've moved in the past 10-15 years then you probably paid 600k-1mil for your home and pay 5-10x more property tax.
Your view on housing is correct for MOST people, but for people of retiring age who made average professional salaries in lower-cost-of-living areas of the country, they could afford to move there and buy a home in retirement if they want to without having generational wealth. I know, because I am considering it and could do so without a problem.
Ca. is stunningly beautiful and is blessed with great weather. As runners, lets be honest, we appreciate the outdoors and running in perfect conditions, I know I do.
Having said all that there are issues in Ca, mainly to do with it being over populated. Everyone wants to move there and housing prices are insane. Water is going to be a real issue and a growing one.
Yes there is lots of poverty, drugs and homelessness. Ive seen the same in nearly every big city I've visited.
Ca was always ahead of the country in terms of auto emission standards, I can see why they would go for electric over nuclear, esp in a place prone to earthquakes.
People used to want to move there. The population has been shrinking slightly the past 2 years.
I actually live in CA unlike most others in this thread.
This time of year is great for running in SoCal, better winters than anywhere else in the country.
The state has some drawbacks though.
- If you have a normal job - you aren't going to buy a house in coastal CA not now, not ever.
-inland gets hot as balls in the summer. You either have to have a job that starts late or drive to the coast every day to enjoy running.
-traffic is horrible. Everywhere is always crowded. Locals plan their lives around traffic and avoiding major events.
-you'll never be alone on the trails. In fact there will be times some trails are so uncomfortably crowded you can't train properly.
-homeless are everywhere. They live all over in parks, on sidewalks, on trails, etc. and nothing is done about them. If you live in an apartment expect trash all over your parking lot every day as homeless go through your dumpster for cans. Also theft and porch piracy is rampant. Never been porch pirated until I moved to CA.
Some positives
-solid running community
-major road races year round - I could peak for a race in july or january if I wanted to.
- winter weather and summer weather are better than most the country
- beach and mountains in close proximity (but the mountains are dry, nearly lifeless until you get out of socal)
I've lived a significant portion of my adult life in both CA (bay area) and MA (Western suburbs of boston). I prefer New england for the Rocky wooded trails (I prefer hiking mountains over running), easy access to NYC/Europe, small town feel. The weather isn't a huge factor for me as I love the snow and I really don't find rainy days in the 40s THAT bad, nor do I find sunny skies in the 70s THAT great. The weather has very little impact on how I feel, and I generally find ways to enjoy it no matter what the weather is. Backyard firepits in the snow with beers and friends I enjoy as much as sitting at the beach (which we do as well in the summer). I could definitely afford to relocate to CA, would just have to downsize from the 8 acres of land here to something much smaller yard wise to be in a similarly good school system for the kids.
I actually live in CA unlike most others in this thread.
This time of year is great for running in SoCal, better winters than anywhere else in the country.
The state has some drawbacks though.
- If you have a normal job - you aren't going to buy a house in coastal CA not now, not ever.
-inland gets hot as balls in the summer. You either have to have a job that starts late or drive to the coast every day to enjoy running.
-traffic is horrible. Everywhere is always crowded. Locals plan their lives around traffic and avoiding major events.
-you'll never be alone on the trails. In fact there will be times some trails are so uncomfortably crowded you can't train properly.
-homeless are everywhere. They live all over in parks, on sidewalks, on trails, etc. and nothing is done about them. If you live in an apartment expect trash all over your parking lot every day as homeless go through your dumpster for cans. Also theft and porch piracy is rampant. Never been porch pirated until I moved to CA.
Some positives
-solid running community
-major road races year round - I could peak for a race in july or january if I wanted to.
- winter weather and summer weather are better than most the country
- beach and mountains in close proximity (but the mountains are dry, nearly lifeless until you get out of socal)
This CA crime myth, and y'all act like this type of stuff never happens anywhere else (especially rural areas), is total BS. I grew up in a small town rural Nebraska, have lived in the Bay Area for now for 14 years. I distinctly remember my Aunt & Uncle and their country neighbors in the late 90s/early 2000s having issues with break-ins on their farm near Alvo, NE - trucks of dudes driving around looking for people not home so that can go smash & grab. They were putting up security cameras & keeping loaded guns handy way before Ring/doorbell cameras were a common thing that everyone had. And it hasn't gotten any better - my sister just moved into new place built on acreage just down the road on my Dad's farmland - some dudes saw delivery guys dropping stuff off on their back porch when the place was getting the finishing touches (but they hadn't moved in) and they had a TV stolen.
Same goes for drugs, definitely not just a city problem...
Stop believing everything you see on the news, touch grass.
I love California but if you didn't purchase a home 20 years ago or have generational wealth then the average person is priced out. Lucky for those whose parents bought for nothing in the 70s and 80s. Unlike other states, property tax in CA is based on the purchase price. So your boomer next door neighbor who bought his house for $70k is paying nothing in property tax. Meanwhile if you've moved in the past 10-15 years then you probably paid 600k-1mil for your home and pay 5-10x more property tax.
Having parents that own an expensive house, even free and clear is not a guaranteed entrance into the market in California. I built my house in 2004 and it has a rental on it too. I have three kids who are launching. If we were to try to pass the property on to them it would take a lot of money for the one who wants to keep it to buy his siblings out. It might be an unreasonable amount of time before that was possible if ever. They get some money but have to sell the house and divide it three ways. That might help the three of them get into starter homes in California, make a huge dent in a house in other markets, or buy outright someplace else.
I love California but if you didn't purchase a home 20 years ago or have generational wealth then the average person is priced out. Lucky for those whose parents bought for nothing in the 70s and 80s. Unlike other states, property tax in CA is based on the purchase price. So your boomer next door neighbor who bought his house for $70k is paying nothing in property tax. Meanwhile if you've moved in the past 10-15 years then you probably paid 600k-1mil for your home and pay 5-10x more property tax.
I agree as one of those with generational wealth (a house) living in Cali. I hope to one day make enough to afford to continue living here from my own earnings. Another big expense in the hilly regions is fire insurance, which for my house is about $15000/year. Fire insurance has skyrocketed over the last several years.
Enjoy the Inland Empire. Heading to the desert this weekend to go dirt-biking with other D-bags?
Spotted the hater. I don't like that activity, but it's a pastime for many very hard-working and honest blue-collar types with a solid grasp on family life and work.
I've lived a significant portion of my adult life in both CA (bay area) and MA (Western suburbs of boston). I prefer New england for the Rocky wooded trails (I prefer hiking mountains over running), easy access to NYC/Europe, small town feel. The weather isn't a huge factor for me as I love the snow and I really don't find rainy days in the 40s THAT bad, nor do I find sunny skies in the 70s THAT great. The weather has very little impact on how I feel, and I generally find ways to enjoy it no matter what the weather is. Backyard firepits in the snow with beers and friends I enjoy as much as sitting at the beach (which we do as well in the summer). I could definitely afford to relocate to CA, would just have to downsize from the 8 acres of land here to something much smaller yard wise to be in a similarly good school system for the kids.
It’s about preferences and values. A big house and acreage are unquestionably nice but if they’re part of the basket of goods that someone needs to consume to be happy, then coastal California is probably not for them, unless they’re very fortunate. As for me, those rank lower than being able to meet all my daily needs by walking and biking. With climate science well-established, it’s frankly unfathomable to me to live somewhere where one has to drive everywhere (and in a rational policy environment, that would be prohibitively expensive) though I know that sort of thinking isn’t for everyone.
As far as trails, at least half my miles are on dirt or gravel next to the water and I’m 3 miles from a huge regional trail system, a short run, bike ride, or bus ride. Anyway the weather here is consistently 60s and sunny, which I think we can all agree is vastly better than 70s and sunny.
I love California but if you didn't purchase a home 20 years ago or have generational wealth then the average person is priced out. Lucky for those whose parents bought for nothing in the 70s and 80s. Unlike other states, property tax in CA is based on the purchase price. So your boomer next door neighbor who bought his house for $70k is paying nothing in property tax. Meanwhile if you've moved in the past 10-15 years then you probably paid 600k-1mil for your home and pay 5-10x more property tax.
Your view on housing is correct for MOST people, but for people of retiring age who made average professional salaries in lower-cost-of-living areas of the country, they could afford to move there and buy a home in retirement if they want to without having generational wealth. I know, because I am considering it and could do so without a problem.
You said before you were retiring to the CA coast. Now you’re saying you’re moving to Burbank??! That’s not coastal and if you were as well off as you claim you’d move to Del Mar or Newport Beach, not Burbank.