Cost of living in CA

[kenny]

Oh, and I can't believe plastic bags aren't banned everywhere either! It is really, really not a hard habit to break. I will refrain from getting on my soapbox about it. It's one of the few things I am extremely judge-y about because it affects MY environment and the world we all share, and it's such an easy problem to fix.

Please BE judgy.
It's the only way things improve.

Being judgy ended slavery, gave the women the vote, etc. etc.

This "Thou shat not judge" thingie was one of the stoopidist things humans ever invented.

Judging means you have a brain and still use it, which is threatening to certain institutions.

 

[monarch64]

Oh, and I can't believe plastic bags aren't banned everywhere either! It is really, really not a hard habit to break. I will refrain from getting on my soapbox about it. It's one of the few things I am extremely judge-y about because it affects MY environment and the world we all share, and it's such an easy problem to fix.

Please BE judgy.
It's the only way things improve.

Being judgy ended slavery, gave the women the vote, etc. etc.

This "Thou shat not judge" thingie was one of the stoopidist things humans ever invented.

Judging means you have a brain and still use it, which is threatening to certain institutions.

I know, right? I wasn't apologizing for being judge-y, just saying I wouldn't preach about it here in Aprilbaby's thread. I started a thread about re-usable bags once and shockingly, there was some drama because it made people feel judged.

 

[kenny]

No prob Mon.
That topic is just one of my pet peeves.

 

[liaerfbv]

I live in Florida, on the SW coast.
The weather here is fine, seriously we moved from NYC 22 years ago and we compare the weather all the time and about 95% of the time in the summer NYC is hotter and more humid.

It really annoys me when people do this. Yes, other places than Florida are hot, and even as hot as Florida. I'm not disputing that. But telling someone the weather here is great comparable to NY (your example) heat and humidity is unrealistic. Let's talk facts, quickly gathered from theweatherchannel.com. The temp in NYC on average is over 70 for 4 months a year - June, July, August, and Sept. The temp in Tampa, FL (a coastal example, which is less hot than the interior of the state) on average is over 80 for 7 months - April through Oct. The average humidity in NYC ranges from 60%-80% throughout the year, hitting the peak of 80% for 2 months per year (July and Aug). The average humidity in Tampa ranges from 70%-90% for 6 months per year (April-Sept.). I won't even elaborate about the amount of rain - apparently Miami on average gets 20in more per year than Seattle (that was a new fact for me!)

If you love the weather in Florida, more power to you. But telling people the weather is "fine" without giving them the facts is not helpful. The weather is extreme here. I'm sure anyone planning to move here would do their own research, but coming from a lifelong Floridian, it's not all it's cracked up to be.

 

[Sparklelu]

Whoa, sorry I struck a nerve. But "I'm sick of hearing" that the weather in Florida is too hot, too humid.
That has not been our experience and I felt I was within my rights to report as such.
I will say We have some crappy days, it's raining right now, but over all the weather is "fine".
I would never trade some humidity and a thunderstorm for the crap weather we endured in NYC. I'm not going to go research stats, but from my personal experience having lived in NYC for 35 years and Florida for 22 the weather is better in Florida.

If an intelligent person were to contemplate a move I'm pretty sure they will not just rely on the posts here on PS. And if the OP wants further clarification on my or anyone's definition of fine they can ask.

 

[kenny]

Whoa, sorry I struck a nerve. But "I'm sick of hearing" that the weather in Florida is too hot, too humid.
That has not been our experience and I felt I was within my rights to report as such.
I will say We have some crappy days, it's raining right now, but over all the weather is "fine".
I would never trade some humidity and a thunderstorm for the crap weather we endured in NYC. I'm not going to go research stats, but from my personal experience having lived in NYC for 35 years and Florida for 22 the weather is better in Florida.

If an intelligent person were to contemplate a move I'm pretty sure they will not just rely on the posts here on PS. And if the OP wants further clarification on my or anyone's definition of fine they can ask.

Hey.
How bout ... people just vary?

For some it's too hot and humid, and for others it's not.

Like many things it's as much about people's take on the thing than the thing itself.
We all tend to think it's only about the thing itself.
That we all do this is something to be aware of and work on, that is if we'd like to live a more accurate and pleasant life.

 

[Imdanny]

It's outrageous, IMO.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Sorry, I haven't added to this since I have been traveling. I just wanted to add that I have loved in sunny Southern California most of my life. I live in Orange County, between LA and San Diego. I'm about 30 minutes to Laguna Beach, and and an hour to Big Bear Mountains. I love it where I live, and plan to retire here.

What I wanted to add is that it IS possible to retire in a decent part of California without breaking the bank. No one mentioned senior properties. If you're of retirement age, over 55, there are a lot of senior communities, beautifully kept, with GREAT amenities for WAY less than $300K. The closest one is called Laguna Woods, and it is literally a hop skip away from great beaches, highways and civilization! You don't have to live in the boonies to pay under $300. Monthly HOA's are in the $4-600 range, but if you have an income after retirement, that should be no problem. The amenities include on site fire station, police stations, buses, clubs to join, medical assistance etc. Lots of great things! I went to look at a couple properties with my parents a couple years ago, and for a single detached home it was in the $275K range, prices may be higher now, but for an attached condo, they were closer to $200K. Have your real estate agent look at senior communities if you're over 55. I know of another one in Seal Beach, which is further North along the Coast, between Newport Beach, and Long Beach.

 

[movie zombie]

may I ask why you want a 1500 sq foot home in retirement?
imo, smaller is better.

you can move to Dorrington, California, in the Sierra Nevadas for under $200k.
you will also have to drive in the snow in winter, have your driveway cleared, and drive to get to any museum, etc.
however, you can ski in winter and fish in summer.

certainly not the ambience of Palo Alto or any of the coastal areas.

 

[iLander]

There are plenty of cost of living calculators on line.

I'm not totally sure how accurate they are, but here is one on the CNN Money website:

http://money.cnn.com/calculator/pf/cost-of-living/

Maybe that will help.

 

[Gem Queen]

This is a very hard decision to make. Why don't you rent out your big, beautiful house and take off in a motorhome and see what is out there. I would love to do that.
In my opinion, Orange County is a great place. I live in Huntington Beach and I love it. I always say, why retire anywhere else! the houses in my neighborhood are about $800,000 and we live a little over a mile from the beach. We live off the Santa Ana River Trail, so we have to have flood insurance. It is, in my opinion, very expensive. $1000 a year. Luckily, We bought ours at a very young age. Everyone comes to my town on vacation.... well, not everyone. The taxes for us are about 1 1/2 percent. Some things are high, but my son lives in Washington and food is really high and they can't be outdoors all year round. It is give and take.
I do love Florida, but unfortunately I suffer from Candida, overgrowth of yeast, and it is just too humid for me.
I would venture out and have a great time picking your new retirement town.
Good Luck!

 

[Modified Brilliant]

I recently visited The Villages in Florida for business and here are some of my personal observations: It is a huge town; most everyone here gets around using a golf cart (some are very high-end), there are tons of activities self-contained within the villages so you don't have to travel, there are lots of different communities within communities that have their own shopping and styles of homes, it appears very safe and people (mostly 60+ years of age) appear happy, relaxed, and physically fit. The weather can be very hot and humid with pop up thunderstorms and quick heavy rain showers and you are not near the ocean. Orlando is about 45-60 minutes away. Again, just my personal observations. Hope this is helpful.