What is your general opinion on tech centres outside California like Raleigh, Austin, Boulder etc? The living expenses in such places are a fraction of what we deal with in California. Is the job market in such places fairly stable? I have heard that work-life balance in such places is much better as well. I have worked in the Bay Area previously in a startup and I worked 60+ hours each week. Most of my friends did the same too. So, I am a bit hesitant on going back to the same place. Are places like Austin, Raleigh etc better perhaps in this respect?
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AND, once you get into the high 400's and then the 500's, you're easily taking 10-12K/year in RE taxes.
And furthermore, he found the mid-300's houses had significant detractors... the house will be on a dragway of a street, abutting a school, on top of the next house, in a bad area. He is a modest frugal person, but to feel safe he feels forced to look in the high 400's, and now outside his comfort zone in the 500's, and THEN still has to overbid. Again, not my idea of peace of mind.
A friend that just moved to austin said any decent house has a feeding frenzy as soon as it lists, then people outbid him, he's starting to ask more than 30k over, lost too many bids. Prop tax on a 350k house can run up to 7k/year, so what you don't pay in income tax, you'll pay in RE tax. Imagine your elec bill to fight the 100 degree heat for months on end, even at nite it only drops to the high 70's, high humidity. Traffic is MURDER. Doesn't sound like peace of mind to me.
I'm glad I moved out of CA last year after BRCM layoff.
got a good package and 2 months paid vacation ;)
Boulder, CO is great but only marginally cheaper. Average rent is ~2k/month. Decent house is minimum $600k. All of this is for living in Boulder.
Austin, Denver, Portland are great places for job right now with lower living expenses. The local economy is booming and companies are moving in areas. There will be salary adjustment compared to SD.
Once you omit housing costs, SD isn't horribly expensive to live in. Ever considered living in a mobile estate instead of a McMansion?
Lived in many places in usa
never saw a place as expensive as sd
People really have to work hard to pay the bills
Although sd is nice but for worker bees it ain't all worth
Would you like to live in beautiful sd with no peace or in 100 degree Austin with peace of mind in general
I've been wondering the same lately. For the past three years, I've been saving for a down payment on a house. With the latest announcement there is NFW I'm buying here. I look at other markets and could damn near do a 50% down payment for what I'd only be able to put 20% down on in SD. I really wish I knew if my team was affected.
Austin is great, so is Boulder although housing isn't all that cheap in Boulder.
Didn't like Raliegh all that much.
In austin home costs are ~350k for a 3400 sq ft house. lower taxes in general. lower cost of living. life balance is good. if you come here just don't vote blue. =P Austin is booming right now jobwise. Downside is dirty hippies and 100+ heat. For the former, make a sign of the cross to stave them off..... for the latter they invented AC.