Should I Stay or Should I Go?
"I'm always amused" that long time CA residents who already have
- established CA jobs/income,
- property in CA - presumably own homes outright after so many years, maybe bought before real estate prices went thru the roof, and
- grandfathered CA property tax increase protection
think someone like the OP from AZ and other out of state posters should have the same perspective & outlook as "33 year" and "all my life" CA residents. On top of the Federal fiscal concerns that impact all of us, CA faces more acute fiscal and other issues, seems like valid concerns for someone thinking of relocating. There's a reason population growth in CA has been at an all time low over the past 10 years or so.
Of course I don't think those from out of state should have the same perspective or outlook that I do, nor did I perceive that tone in any other "I live in CA" post. I just thought we were sharing ideas about how we may have considered CA and its troubles in our retirement plans.
I didn't see that the issue was limited to those planning to
relocate to CA. Maybe I misunderstood the OP.
For myself, I only shared those things that have entered in our consideration when thinking about whether to stay or go. I have lived in southern Illinois and southern Louisiana as well as in parts of TX and northern and southern CA. DH has lived in NC for a while while serving in the Army and has spent time in AZ and TX.
Living in those areas has helped us think about what is important to us in this time of our lives.
We got dragged up to the Bay Area from SoCal for DH's job 32 years ago. We didn't choose to come here. We owned a little house in San Diego Co., and when we moved up here, our house payment for the same kind of house was about double. The guy who moved us up here said we would take "a shellacking," and he was right.
Now that we have a choice, we are taking the time to look around and see if there is some place we would like better.
So far we haven't found it, but we have had many conversations about what we find appealing and what we don't choose to live with or without.
I would love to have more space around me than the 6000SF tract home lot that I live on; I would love to have more inside space than the 1400 SF I have. I would love to have a home newer than 50 years old (and it's not even a cute Victorian.)
On the other hand, as we age, that means that much less that we have to take care of or pay to heat and water.
You sure don't get a lot of house for your money in the Bay Area, but we all make tradeoffs, don't we?