We're thinking about abandoning California
 

The once great state has been destroyed by bureaucrats with out of control taxes and job killing laws which have left the state at the bottom of just about every category used to measure quality of life. Our once Nation leading public schools are 46th in the US and worse yet rank 1st in cost per student thanks to the Teachers Unions and Legislature. State taxes also ranks near the top though you would not be able to tell from our crumbling infrastructure. Out of control taxes on businesses have lead to cost of living increases high enough to get the attention of the wealthy let alone those of us who work for a living.

This is no easy task having to up and relocate a household. We own two homes which like most in California have lost half their equity. We are one of the lucky ones though having purchased one 20 years ago and the other 13 years ago when prices were reasonable. Making things easier is the fact that my wife has been out of work for over a year and I'm in medical sales which makes my job transfer seamless. Our son is a little over 3 now and we are getting geared up for his first years in school which also makes this easy. At 3 he is not quite old enough to have developed fiends he will miss in a move of this nature.

So here is where we are considering.

Texas, specifically Austin Texas. The city is modern with low unemployment, low crime and ranks near the top in public schools. The weather is nice which is a must in our quest for a new home. After-all, we are from California and could not imagine having two sets of rims and tires for the seasons.

So...I'm wondering if any of you who live in Texas or those of you from any area in the US which is conducive to raising a family have any ideas or recommendations.

Thanks,

Michael

I can tell you where NOT to live.

NY.

NJ.


carry on.

Yep...They have a lot in common in terms of their legislative agenda. California is just a bit more wacky.

I lived in SF and LA, I'll never live in CA again.

My cousin just moved to Dallas from NYC. Other than the obvious HUGE differences between NY and Texas in terms of cost of living, lifestyle (drive vs. walk/public transport), etc, he likes it a lot.

I don't have much to add other than the fact that I have a good number of friends from Austin who love the city. Its definitely as much of a San Francisco type of city as you are going to find there, in the sense that they describe it as artsy and fairly liberal minded. Get ready for a lot more heat though.

Cost of living should be amazing in comparison.

I live in Dallas and love it. Great economy, great weather, easy to travel to all parts of the country and Mexico, no state income tax and the list goes on. I actually grew up in Chicago where most of my family is but have been in Dallas now for 16 years (since college). You are a little late to the party as a lot of CA transplants (as well as all other parts of the country) have been moving here for years--but better late than never. I have friends in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach and they love Austin and Dallas. Depending on what you are looking for all of the big cities in TX are different--Dallas is more cosmopolitan, Austin more liberal and great live music scene, Houston I've never really been able to figure out. If you are in Medical Sales and are traveling a lot Dallas obviously has a lot more flights than Austin. The reason I like Dallas is Austin is only 3 hours away and great for weekend trips. Dallas has professional sports teams. Austin's professional team is obviously UT. Since you are from the Bay Area I would think Austin would be a great fit but you really have to visit the other cities to compare. As far as weather it is a little more humid in Austin than in Dallas--but nothing like Houston obviously.

Any other questions please feel free to hammer away.

No advice where to live, but don't make the mistake
a lot of people make by not spending enough time
living in the desired location before making the move.

Don't trust me on this. Trust the countless people who
we have seen over the years who for one reason or
another move out thinking this that or the other is going
to be different or better only to find that their new location
doesn't live up to their expectations. Now they find themselves
trying to come back.

California isn't perfect by a long shot and much of what you
describe is a fact. However we have found the positives
outweigh the negatives by a long shot. Especially when you
remove emotions from the equation.....

Wish you the best with your decision..

Regards B&R

I really love Austin. It's a fantastic city, my cousin went to Law School there and it was so fun to visit. Have you considered Denver or Las Vegas? I have a decent number of friends that have relocated from CA to both those cities and really loved the transition

:iagree:

Living in San Diego I always remind myself why I love living here so much every time the plane begins to land and passes over Stunning Balboa Park and Downtown San Diego. I'm reminded of why I live here each time I hike at Torrey Pines state reserve or roller blade at the boardwalk or simply enjoy 85 degree days in December. CA isn't perfect but it's a fantastic place to call home

My first pick would be Texas as well. Because of the politics and the people that live there. Second would be Utah because of the snow. :thumbup:

Pretty interesting article with
some very good supporting
arguments on the plus side
for making the move.

The very last sentence on
the second page has merit as well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/07/business/07move.html

Q, unfortunately, that article is from over 4 years ago. There's been a LOT of changes in the U.S. since then.

Just bringing it up because people are talking about what's good thing to do NOW. I'm in CT, after having been in northern CA for 18 years, and always thought I would go back to CA. Now I don't know where I where I'd like to move to (and still earn a decent income). Probably going to stick it out in CT/NY for a few more years...

Especially in the housing market. My home was going for about $900K back then and might be worth $600K today if Im lucky. Actually, the housing market is ripe for those who want to relocate or want to come back to California.

Problem is the State of California is bankrupt and the schools already near dead last have more cuts in store for them. I see no improvement in the next decade and California has been on a downward spiral for decades. Crime is on the rise no doubt related to the poor schools, lack of resources, activities and opportunity. The State loves new taxes and the local municipalities pile on their own taxes and fees.

California will spend 16 billion dollars next year on our prisons alone. That equates to about $50,000 per inmate when in comparison California spends $7500 per student per year only to be near the bottom of the pack. Arnold is looking to release 45,000 inmates for so called overcrowding deemed inhumane by the beloved ACLU. What a great idea...

Unfortunately, if one has a house in another state, one has still potentially lost a lot too. I'm not going to talk numbers but I've lost $700K in equity -- that was going to be funding my retirement home... :(

Top 10 states to live in terms of quality of life. Texas is at 21.

1. Utah
2. Hawaii
3. Wyoming
4. Colorado
5. Minnesota
6. Maryland
7. Washington
8. Massachusetts
9. California
10. Arizona

America's Best States To Live - Forbes.com

America's Best Places To Raise A Family - Forbes.com

I just visited Austin and Dallas this past December. I was very impressed with Austin, specifically downtown. The abundant restaurant selections, beautiful buildings and very nice people make this a great place to be. The Dallas part was great as well, but did not have a chance to visit downtown, just the burbs area. The burbs was nice, but seemed to be like every burb area in the NY/NJ area, just with much wider streets!

Good Luck.

I don't consider California part of the 50 states of the United States, so if you do choose to move, welcome back! Texas seems like a decent place; my dad went to school there when he was young, and I have a pair or relatives further south in the same state. No glaring drawbacks that I've heard of from them, aside from the fact that everything is about 2 hours apart.

:confused:

You don't consider it part of the 50 states? Um what is state number 50 then? :rolleyes:

Mexico or Puerto Rico depending on whether you live on the west or east coast ;) you pick ;)

Two Virginias: Virginia, and that "other" Northern VA.

If I became the king of the state, I'd sell Northern VA off to MD probably. The two have way more in common.

I understand the timeframe but the spirit of the article
is still the same that's why it was posted.

Dallas:

Yahoo! Finance - Business Finance, Stock Market, Quotes, News

Texas:

Texas cities dominate Forbes list of best places for jobs | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Dallas Business News

Dallas Real Estate News, Housing Trends, Home Prices, Home Tours, Candy Evans, DallasDirt Blog D Magazine Blog Archive Seem Like Everyone Is Moving To Texas — They Are!

More people willing to relocate for new jobs; many moving to Texas - Dallas Business Journal:

MrLabGuy

Sounds like you have your mind made up. That's ok but
contrary to popular belief this great state isn't about
to fall into the ocean. (Barring an earthquake that is) :rofl:
The picture you paint isn't as bleak as you would like to make it.

I had some friends who came here from Texas and they honestly
couldn't grasp how to make it. So they went back. So I understand
to some extent.

I don't get emotionally involved with the states problems because
I have seen it change in all sorts of ways and people who live here
know how to work the system and not get fooled by the coffee
house gossip, political rhetoric and all the rest.

We know full well that no matter where you go it's going
to be the same thing in some other form. It will be some
other problem, some other issue. So we just adjust and
ignore the stuff that doesn't matter.

Again I wish you the best.

I fully understand the desire to go where the opportunity is, and circumstances seem to support doing it now given your family situation.

I also think Austin would be a good place to consider, from what little I know, and the reading I have done.

My question is, have you considered options outside the US?

International surveys on quality of life, liveability, crime, education, and city infrastructure would put Honolulu in the top of US cities, at around #29 (reference Mercer's report, and the EIU report, both released in 2009). San Francisco rates at around the same, at #30. There are 28 cities ahead of those two, however. Closest to you would be Vancouver (#4), or Calgary (#15). You would have to reset your expectations on taxes, however ;)

There is pretty much no real estate market appreciation in Texas over the last 10 years. But its still a nice place from what I hear.

Northern Va or Maryland. Plenty of jobs being next to the capital as well of plenty of educated diverse cultures makes it much more interesting. Good schools too.

This is a very interesting post to me. I have been relocating for over a year, and Austin has been at the very top of my list in many categories. It seems to be very well rounded in the most important categories to me: education (grad schools specifically), stable economy, culture and arts, recreation, cost of living, weather, friendliness of residents, taxes, relative growth.

The other cities that rank highly in my research:

Salt Lake City
Denver (where I am from)
Minneapolis
Scottsdale (spent a lot of time there)
Seattle

I came across this article today about a school district in Riverside California banning the Merriam Webster dictionary within all schools because it contains a definition of "oral sex" and a parent complained.

So instead of getting children's dictionaries for the lower grades, they're banning the MW everywhere.

Jayne Lyn Stahl: Ban Merriam Webster's Dictionary?

LeMans--I'm not sure where you are getting our real estate market info from. And the state of TX and WA are the only 2 markets where the housing bubble hasn't burst (meaning it's stayed flat over the past 3 years).

Why Invest In Dallas Texas Real Estate

I've heard good things about Austin, but I love CA! I'm near Sacramento. Grew up in Redding. Calif. has it all in terms of beauty. This state is amazing. I've traveled a bit and wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Damn, time to pack.

Maryland will spank you on taxes, just a FYI.

Yep :iagree: Very hard to move...........:thumbup:

MLG,

FWIW:

Born in TX. Austin has always been the "Belgium" of TX. Very nice family life. Urban and rural opportunities abound but it will be a completely different world than Urban CA. It is in the Hill Country, close to San Anton. Better weather for TX too. Solid restaurant scene and the BBQ is pretty solid :) I can send a short list if needed.

Never liked Dallas or Houston. Lived in both. Dallas was really dichotomous. Not much middle class. Houston is just, well...

Grew up in Denver, moved to Santa Fe (eventually) to get AWAY from the Californians (sorry), sprawl and pollution. Tried to find what once made Denver the best city in the country. Currently it is not the city is was. It reminds me more of Houston than anything else. Poor urban planning, traffic is horrendous; limited public transportation. Oh, and Denver has Breed Specific Legislation. No Rots, Dobs Pits or any other dog that is over 40# and might bark. Really shameful what has happened there.

It does have all major sports teams, opera, symphony, museums and a finally maturing restaurant scene. In the area are some of the highest rated public schools in the country. (Cherry Creek Schools, Smoky Hill High School) . 300+ sunny days a year. Golf and tennis in January. Winter gets cold and snowy but there is a distinct cycle of cold then warmer weather every 4-6 days.

The best place in Colorado right now is Colorado Springs and the area, e.g. Manitou Springs. Western slope is amazing as well, Telluride etc... North of Denver is not bad, Longmont, Louisville and even Boulder or maybe Golden.

MD is great, but as Wags said....way overbearing. VA. is more relaxed than MD. Both states have great extremes of ultimate urban life juxtaposed to VERY rural living. (think hillbillies) World class entertainment and restaurant scenes. Huge local focused attitude. A great deal of support for farmers and family industry. The proximity to NY, Philly and other cities will blow you away.

Never lived there, but Canada seems to be a realization of what the American Dream once was.

Good luck. You will love Austin.

:withstupi

Agreed. It does have its plus points though. Sort of.