LOL I had to laugh when I read your article. Having just been in San Francisco last week. Unfortunately it was for a funeral. But while waiting to pay our respects at the funeral home, my daughter spotted a real estate agent putting up a for sale sign and inquired about the price. Built in 1925 with no garage and needing about $200K in repairs they were asking a cool $1.7 million!

But I am a transplant from CA., born and raised and having spent all 58 years of my adult life in the Golden State. Last year we came to the Springfield, Missouri area to visit family. They are also transplants from CA. I couldn’t believe what we found. Pretty green rolling hills, vast lakes, clean towns and cheap housing. We bought a home for $165k that would cost over a Million bucks in CA.

Plus no PG&E screwing us with their ridiculous electric rates. We pay 50% less for electricity here. In fact everything from garbage, water, gas, food are all cheaper. AAA auto and home insurance is one-half with higher coverage.

With the money I saved I bought a new car and hired a gardener to cut the grass. :-)

The Golden State my ass! The best part of my whole trip is when I dropped the rental car off at SFO and caught a flight home.

Not a day goes by that I don’t run into other CA refugees who have fled as well.

I was born here, but raised all over the nation, as my step-father was in the military. I lived in Grafton, Il. when I was 10 as a Nike-Hercules missile battery was there and my dad was a missile engineer. I did not like the humidity [we lived 800 yds from the Mississippi] but the rest was ok. I know my mother was afraid of tornadoes, but we have earthquakes here, so it’s a tradeoff.

If I did not have a wife who is a tennis instructor, I’d move to Alaska, a place where I spent 4 years when I was young and loved it.

As I said, my kids have already decided that the Republican party has ruined their country and we should head for Canada. I’m still an American, but I do wonder why it is that our life is purported to be so much superior to those who live in Canada. Or Australia, for that matter. I think life is pretty good in all these places.

theoracle,
Can’t wait for you to move to Canada…PLEASE!! The thing that’s wrong w California today is it’s socialist controlled legislature and too many illegal aliens (I DO blame our government for that one).
30 million or so Californians (about the population of Canada) must have some good reason for staying. Must be the weather.

i was born & raised in California (southbay area). i love the beach!!
i came to arizona to visit a friend, and saw how inexpensive the houses were i bougth one. i am a single mother, and believe me, i know i would have never had afford one in California. Now i am here in Arizona with a huge 4 bedroom 2 living roome house with a huge backyard with a pool, and it only cost me 150k, that house in CA would have been 1/2 a million. Anyways, i have been here 3 yrs. and i have to admit i miss California, the beach, the people, the life! and the weather!! i know i may regret it someday but i am about to sell my house and go back…i am so bored and lonesome here. i can’t bear the weather…i’m going home to california.

Alexandra I never said that the total living conditions were terrible. However, I think for most Californians existence is not quite as nice as living at the beach. I’d love to live in La Jolla, because I can’t think of a better life, but I also am fairly sure I won’t become independently wealthy in the next couple of years, so for my ‘overall’ quality of life, the best move is out of California. I love the beach, but I can live without it, I hate heat, and since I’m near San Bernardino, it gets hot way too many days. With heat there is smog blanketing. I am happiest when the outside temperature is about 60 degrees, so moving north is probably best for me. Good luck with your move and thanks for the comment.

hi there this is a god site lol

Garden Fountain lover…

I do agree with you here, but still you have to try to see it from other angles….

My wife and I are both professionals and we were living in the Bay area. We moved in January 07 to Houston, Texas. We were renting a two bedroom apartment for $1750/month and paying over $1000/month in state income taxes in California. We now own a 5 bedroom, 3500 square foot house in Houston (built in 2001) for $1500/month and we pay not state income taxes (Texas does not have them).

California has its nice points but unless you are wealthy, you cannot afford them. Good bye California.

David, you’re right of course, but I’m sure the weather was nicer in SF than anywhere in Texas. Still $1000 a month pays for a lot of air conditioning.

Thanks for the comment.

My wife and I both lived in California growing up, but have now been away about 20 years. Currently, we live in Atlanta, GA which has a much lower cost of living. We both have a burning desire to move back to Northern California (Sacramento area). Are we crazy? We have such fond memories of the area. Could our family of 5 survive there on $100K/yr? Would we get there and hate it? Any advise you can give would be appeciated.

Wow - I wasn’t aware the cost of living was less in Atlanta. I was under the impression it was as expensive as L.A. I was born in Sacramento, but haven’t been there since I was a child. I have a friend who is moving back to Southern California because he and his daughter can’t get by on 65K per year there. So since I know his lifestyle is not extravagant, I would say it might be possible - if you want to get a house, I would advise bringing a huge down payment. Housing in that area is ridiculous - not as bad as San Francisco or Marin counties, but expensive. Anything to house a family of five would begin at $400k.

The housing bubble hasn’t burst yet, but it is starting to show signs of deflation - so it might be a good time to begin to get things moving.

As for getting there and hating it - you would know better than I, I have no memories of the area. If I was going to move to that area, I would be looking at somthing north of Sacramento, or trying to miraculously live on the cheap in San Francisco.

Let me know how it turns out. Thanks for the comment.

I’m not from California and have never been there. However, for some reason I’ve had this fondness for the state and always pictured myself moving there someday. I’m in my last year of college and am considering moving there after graduation. Many people have warned me against it, saying it’s going to be too expensive, I wouldn’t know anybody, and all sorts of discouraging things. But I’m from New York, the cost of living here, is just as high as in California. I’ve been doing my research and speaking with some friends who live there. I even plan on visiting and spending my summer there. Is there any advice you can give me before I take such a major step and move across country?

Chance, look before you leap. If you can afford to live near the ocean, you’ll probably be happy, if you have to live where the temperatures are not so moderate, you might prefer elsewhere, but (having never visited New York) from my knowledge of your state, I might think anywhere in California could be better.
Just do some study before making permanent changes.

Hi Im Steve from London, England, ya thats right,I lived in California from the age of 5 months, and left at the age of 16, and have missed it like mad ever since. I am now 42 and looking to move back .

The cost of living here in Cali has a wide range. Some is more expensive–but sooo worth it! No opressive humidity. The state bird is not a mosquito.
We’re very accepting of individuals and we don’t have to conform like everyone not cut by the same cookie cutter is an outcast not to be trusted.We love the unique qualities just much as the similarities. We have everything from the high mountains, to beautiful beaches, rivers and tons of microclimates to choose from. Our produce is year round and fabulous. Very few of our senior citizens are ol’ fuddy-duds that are ghostly pale and grossly overweight and totally sedentary. You see them out jogging or power walking, driving nice sports cars, dancing, golfing and really getting the most out of life. The Hawaiians I met on vacation in islands there said they call this “East Maui”. We share the same ocean and mild climate, but we have more jobs and better prices. Many Hawaiians move here when they finish school, and as beautiful as the Hawaiian islands are that’s very complimentary. There are many reasons to stay right here in paradise. I love it and wouldn’t choose any other place. Come by for a visit! It’s a big state and there’s plenty of room.

Sheila, I live here- have for most of my life, and am truly ready to leave. The climate is dreadful if you live more than about 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean - case in point - 100+ degrees here today, smog is oppressive, and I keep getting harassed by the senators to conserve water and power. Now I am not having a problem with conservation except that the Governator keeps putting those commercials on television, asking everyone and their Aunt Matilda to come to California - without one thought that the resources and infrastructure are both in deep decline.

I truly wish about half the population would move to Idaho or Wyoming - let’s them cope with the masses.