SoCal Job Offer (1 Viewer)

[69LC]

Good Morning,

I posted this in another Southern California club section, but I'm looking for as much help as possible.

I just spent a week in Oceanside working. At the end of the week the company offered me a position. My wife and I love the west coast. I was stationed at Beale AFB some years ago and we explored as much of the state as an Airman's family could afford to.

I have some questions for you all.

What are average 3 bedroom homes going for in decent areas? It would be nice to be able to bike to the beach, but not mandatory. A garage and storage would be good for trucks, tools etc. I was told cost of living is about 20-25% higher there than in West Michigan. From the big of looking we've done today the cost of half the house we have now without 3.5 acres would be more than twice the cost.

How much of a pain is it to smog vehicles? We've never needed to. What does it cost to register a small car, old Mercedes diesel, 95 fzj 80 or modded 69 fj40 converted to diesel v8? What are other details to consider if one was to move out there? Are earthquakes a problem or just expected?

Thanks to anyone willing to offer ideas or insight,

Matthew

 

[landcruising]

Your looking at mid to high $600K for small older homes, and over $800k to be near the coast with what you are looking for. Better neighborhoods and views will cost much more. Smog for pre 1975 is not required but you want to check the CADMV.com sight to be sure. The 1995 80 will need to be code free and have all the original emissions equipment on to be smogged. If properly maintained should not be a problem, but a check engine light is an almost immediate retest and label as a gross polluter which will then require yearly smog checks, you want to avoid this before you smog and register. Older diesels I believe pre 1996 don't require smog checks, but check the DMV first.

 

[DomSmith]

Not to mention gas prices, sales taxes, property tax and most everything else is super high compared to the mitten.

I'm always amazed when I go back to see family and the gas prices are half of CA.

SoCal has a great climate and is a great place to live if you don't mind the congestion and expense.

Good luck.

 

[Brentbba]

Gross polluter does not mean automatic annual smog. I got labeled a gross polluter on my '94 way early in the cruisers life because of the '94 O2 sensor issues and recall. I've never had to do an annual smog test. Every two years like everyone else but I have to go to a test only station is about the only difference.

Get on Zillow and search for homes in the Oceanside and surrounding areas. One piece of advise. DO have a or your choice of stiff beverage before you begin looking at prices for anything close to what you may have in Michigan!

 

[DomSmith]

And there are a few spots in O'side you definitely want to stay away from.

 

[69LC]

This is all good info. Thanks guys. I have to do my research and present a wage/salary number.

 

[4runnerd]

I would agree about Oceanside: still kind of sketchy, but in the last decade it's come a long way. And it's still progressing- if you're dead set on being near the beach, it's pretty much the last place in San Diego County where you can get that close to the ocean for a "reasonable" price.

Unless you don't mind moving down to Imperial Beach, which is right up against the border. BTW, I'm not dissing IB for being next to Mexico (although many people here do), I lived there years ago and loved it- and I had an apartment right on the beach (and I do mean right on it) for a fraction of the cost of the same thing anywhere else in San Diego County (assuming you could even find something similar). But it's far from everything else, which was a PITA.

Really, if you're price conscious, you'd be better served by moving inland. As somebody else mentioned, Vista, San Marcos, and even Escondido are much more affordable, and really not that far from the beach. And the schools are better in North County, because the districts up here haven't been absorbed into San Diego Unified. On that note, if you have kids you'll want to stay out of that district.....

 

[fj40_73]

Been in oceanside since 2001. Love it. Small house on a hill with a speck of an ocean view.
I'm not saying I'm sending my kid to oSide high any time soon, but 1.5 miles to beach or dock ramp cannot be beat.

Oh ya and at 3:45 December 25, 2016... this is my view

 

[REDrum]

Subscribed.

Wife is considering a job in SD. I spent a lot of time out there '10 to '14. Very cool to hear O'side is cleaning it self up, aways found in attractive. Lucky we will not have the same real estate "wallet shock" as most exploring SD do.....

 

[1973Guppie]

I would agree about Oceanside: still kind of sketchy, but in the last decade it's come a long way. And it's still progressing- if you're dead set on being near the beach, it's pretty much the last place in San Diego County where you can get that close to the ocean for a "reasonable" price.

Unless you don't mind moving down to Imperial Beach, which is right up against the border. BTW, I'm not dissing IB for being next to Mexico (although many people here do), I lived there years ago and loved it- and I had an apartment right on the beach (and I do mean right on it) for a fraction of the cost of the same thing anywhere else in San Diego County (assuming you could even find something similar). But it's far from everything else, which was a PITA.

Really, if you're price conscious, you'd be better served by moving inland. As somebody else mentioned, Vista, San Marcos, and even Escondido are much more affordable, and really not that far from the beach. And the schools are better in North County, because the districts up here haven't been absorbed into San Diego Unified. On that note, if you have kids you'll want to stay out of that district.....

well said, we have been shopping for a home in san marcos for awhile, schools are good which is a major consideration for our 2 kids, short drive to the coast, we get in the car anyhow now to go to the beach....

 

[Warde]

Welcome, I moved in July for work from Florida, pretty great spot to be.

I live close to downtown SD, so cant really help you out up there in the sticks.

Enviously of all you people with yards, we dont have those around here

 

[Warde]

Unless you don't mind moving down to Imperial Beach, which is right up against the border. BTW, I'm not dissing IB for being next to Mexico (although many people here do), I lived there years ago and loved it- and I had an apartment right on the beach (and I do mean right on it) for a fraction of the cost of the same thing anywhere else in San Diego County (assuming you could even find something similar). But it's far from everything else, which was a PITA.

regarding IB, im new to the area so know nothing about it but the rental/buying pricing down there is way lower. I have zero qualms about being that close to the border, how hard is it to get up to downtown for a commute?
Are there no options for shopping down that far (target, vons etc..) or something?

 

[landcruising]

I think IB's stigma is mainly related to 5 things.

One its an older town that has not been revitalized like other beach towns. So its older and a bit grittier for lack of a better word.

Second, it has one of the highest beach closure rates in the country due to its proximately to the Tijuana River. It seems the beaches are closed due to contamination every time it rains. This may change soon as improvements continue to be made on the Tijuana Sewage treatment plant that often fails and dumps into the river.

Third there is not much to do there since it has not seen significant investment.

Forth, if you have kids, its schools seem to be rated very poor. When I was looking at property some years ago I looked at IB, but after talking with friends who were teachers they said the problem was lack of funding for non English speaking students. This brought down scores since not enough resources were available for students who spoke English as a second language. I think about 40% of the IB population speaks Spanish as a primary language.

Finally, it is kind of isolated from most of San Diego, the military owns all the property between IB and Corondo, the bay, the freeways, and the border kind of create an island effect, bad or good depending on your perspective.

On another note, it seems ripe for investment since it is one of the few southern California beach town that has not been completely demolished for new condos and shopping malls. And it is relatively affordable. If I had extra income I would invest in IB real-estate and will continue to watch for retirement property.

 

[REDrum]

Was in SD this past weekend, scouting for place to live.

Very suprized how Oceanside has cleaned up, was very impressed. PB is always fun but parking was hell. Encenidas has gone crazy upscale, out of our range. Even Ocean Beach has clean up since I was there last (8 years ago); but $700K for 800SF cottage next to a crack house is too adventurous even for us.

Overall, IMO, everything south of Pendalton on the cost is nice, but also stunning in cost. Seems 80% west of 5 is seven figures. Wife wants to walk to beach every morning to surf, well thats not going to happen 12 months a year in SD area.....

Saw dozens of clean no rust FZJ80s there!

 

[on3i11s]

Was in SD this past weekend, scouting for place to live.

Very suprized how Oceanside has cleaned up, was very impressed. PB is always fun but parking was hell. Encenidas has gone crazy upscale, out of our range. Even Ocean Beach has clean up since I was there last (8 years ago); but $700K for 800SF cottage next to a crack house is too adventurous even for us.

Overall, IMO, everything south of Pendalton on the cost is nice, but also stunning in cost. Seems 80% west of 5 is seven figures. Wife wants to walk to beach every morning to surf, well thats not going to happen 12 months a year in SD area.....

Saw dozens of clean no rust FZJ80s there!

spot any white ones in OB??

I love OB although it is much more expensive than living inland some down the 8. Had to move closer to the beach so we could surf more often so I understand where your wife is coming from! We are only renters tho I like SD but I wouldn't mind moving up north some to get away from the swarms of people

 

[REDrum]

spot any white ones in OB??

I love OB although it is much more expensive than living inland some down the 8. Had to move closer to the beach so we could surf more often so I understand where your wife is coming from! We are only renters tho I like SD but I wouldn't mind moving up north some to get away from the swarms of people

LOL, yes, we did see two white 80s while there, one in PB on Saturday and one in Encinitas on Monday. We may be shipping our CR based white 80 back to US soon (to port of Long Beach) so there may more blanco Toyotona there soon

Most surprizing part of the trip was how how pricy OB has got in 10 years. Will be back out in April for more town hunting east of 5

 

[on3i11s]

LOL, yes, we did see two white 80s while there, one in PB on Saturday and one in Encinitas on Monday. We may be shipping our CR based white 80 back to US soon (to port of Long Beach) so there may more blanco Toyotona there soon

Most surprizing part of the trip was how how pricy OB has got in 10 years. Will be back out in April for more town hunting east of 5

haha, there's definitely a couple of white 80's around here that I've seen...neither of those 2 were mine! We need more cruisers out here of any kind, there's way too many jeeps

I could only imagine how much OB used to cost back in the day. It is pretty expensive compared to where I lived 2 years ago 15 min inland.....and REALLY expensive compared to when I lived in South Carolina. You get what you pay for though, can't complain about living 5 blocks from the beach. East of the 5 is where its at! I live at the beach but only get to actually hang out down there on the weekends unfortunately

 

[Warde]

I dont know how you guys can live inland, I cannot deal with commuting in traffic.

I live 12 blocks from my office downtown. I dont even finish 1 song on my spotify before pulling into the parking garage.