| 3 NOV 2004 at 11:45pm |
anthonyJourneyman
Posts : 1270
Joined: 11 JUN 2003
Status : Offline | In advising as to whether you will be happier in Washington than San Diego, it would assist me (and perhaps others) immeasurably if you could provide us with a bit more information: your mother-in-law, of whom you seem to be so fond, will she be making the move with you or will you be leaving her in San Diego?
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| 4 NOV 2004 at 12:16am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | Ponder
Have you taken a holiday in Washington? Have you checked out the schools available? I take it you've researched your employability up there and also the chances that your children may need to move away to find work.
What about family? Do you have close friends and relatives - what about the kids?
I emigrated 24 years ago from the rain and fog of Engliand to the dry sunshine of Australia and believe me, I don't miss the weather - just my old school friends - letters just aren't the same. It takes a lot of effort to make new friends when you're adults. And I'd do anything (except move back) to have cousins for my kids to play with and big family Xmas get-togethers.
The weather bit? Trust me, snow is for holidays - not day-to-day living. Old folk feel the cold badly, but in the sunshine, they live longer, better and cheaper.
PS What do you mean $2000 per month extra mortgage? Is that just the cost of housing? Can't you find a cheaper place in the sunshine? You really need to visit these places first.
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| 4 NOV 2004 at 1:10am |
Mr. WrecksSpace Cadet
Posts : 118
Joined: 5 OCT 2004
Status : Online | Anthony, how did you know I was so "fond" of my mother-in-law? I don't recall posting about her or anything, but I find the fact that you asked about her to be odd... but very accurate... seeing as I can't stand her - and, ya, she'll be staying in SD...
Anyhew, well, my family is scattered around the US, but my parents and sister are here in SD... and my best friend is here...
The whole point of moving is this: my wife and I make great money, as it would seem, anyway. But housing here is out of control... the "average" price of housing here in SD is about $450,000 to $500,000... and that is the MEDIAN... anything around $300,000+ are considered fixer-uppers... now... and I refuse to make a house payment of an upwards of $3,000 to $3500 per month just for weather and a nice zoo. So we move.
I love the rain, as does my wife. I can handle a little snow, but not a ton, which is why we are staying in the west coast. There is Arizona, but that is very, VERY desert-like and can get around 120 degrees at times... no thanks... there are more mild-temperature states, but most have a humid atmosphere - ack. Nevada is another option but there are no jobs available in my industry (IT) so nay to that...
I've done all my homework as far as schools, community, crime, taxes, COL, employment, etc... I know it back and forth, but first hand accounts of the area is what I want... We plan on going up there some time in March or April to check it out, a 2 week trip we are hoping... but if the majority of responses are "IT SUCKS" then I won't waste the gas...
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| 4 NOV 2004 at 2:43am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | NO! Ponder,
You must go and see it for yourself. Do NOT allow such a far-reaching decision to be made for you by the casual comments of strangers.
Seize the reins.... drive up.... see the countryside. You'll be going in Spring - it will be pretty then. What you need to decide is do you like the areas where the houses are that you can afford?
House prices are crazy everywhere. My own house is now worth 10 times what I paid for it 20 years ago.
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| 4 NOV 2004 at 3:14am |
mszvPrivate Detective
Posts : 751
Joined: 12 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Hi,
Where in Washington or Oregon are you planning to move. You won't get much if any snow in the western part of the states (the moderating influence of the Pacific ocean) but you will get overcast weather, rain, and, not all that often, some ice. I think you said "West Coast" but I wasn't sure.
I like Seattle - western Washington, on the coast, actually on a bay. I also like Portland (Oregon) a bit inland, on a river, but in the western part of the state. They are both great cities. There are, of course, other cities and towns, and the Northwest coast is absolutely beautiful. I don't live there - I'm talking about what I know about them from the people I know, and vacations. From my perspective, both of the cities I like have an excellent quality of life - beauty, outdoor stuff, restaurants, art and cultural stuff, good schools - all that. I spent more time in Seattle, and found it very charming, and what a beautiful setting! Portland is also great, and it has the advantage of being the only city on the west coast of the US with great mass transit.
I'm not as familiar with eastern Oregon or eastern Washington - in some parts it will be a lot colder and you will get snow. On the Pacific coast of the US, what moderates the climate is not so much that lattitude, but the proximity to the Pacific ocean - that wonderful body of water that makes the coast so livable.
You might want to look at the economic situation and the housing prices before you make the move. Although cheaper than San Diego (at least I think so), the house prices in Seattle, for example, have risen. I'd also look at the job situation. The last I checked, both Seattle and Portland weren't doing all that great. Hopefully it will get better. I think (but again I'm really not sure) that Seattle has more of an IT - a technology scene - more jobs, though I'm really not sure about that.
It's all in what you want, isn't it? I would like to live in San Diego, but then, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (Silicon Valley), and house prices are ridiculous, the highest in the US. I love coastal California, but one does have to make a number of sacrifices to live here, and it's hard to know if it's worth it.
Good luck.
Regards, mszv
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| 4 NOV 2004 at 3:26am |
anthonyJourneyman
Posts : 1270
Joined: 11 JUN 2003
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Ponder (4 NOV 2004 1:10am)
Anthony, how did you know I was so "fond" of my mother-in-law? I don't recall posting about her or anything, but I find the fact that you asked about her to be odd... but very accurate... seeing as I can't stand her - and, ya, she'll be staying in SD...
You did post about her. Someone commented that playing a particular game would make you sterile and give you a brain embolism and you replied that you already get those afflictions from your mother in law. Well, so do I and that's on a good day!
Here's my advice. Forget about what people think about Washington. It doesn't matter. If you have a nosey, busybody, opinionated, interfering, butinski, obnoxious, all-knowing, no-one-is-good-enough-for-my-daughter mother in law, you've got to get the hell out of San Diego. Even if you move to a shack at the foot of Mount St. Helens, and scientists predict that there is a 98.6% chance that within a year the mountain will erupt and spew boiling hot lava for miles around its base that will destroy everything in its path, you will have made the right move.
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| 4 NOV 2004 at 4:29am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | oh god, why do I feel there's a mother-in-law from hell joke coming on?
I am so lucky in my mum-in-law, as is my husband. Can't imagine what it must be like to have an enemy in the camp.
Ponder do you have kids? If not yet, then move around freely - you won't want to disrupt them once they're settled. When you drive up, will you take a digital camera and post some pictures? I'm sure we'd all love to see these areas.
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| 4 NOV 2004 at 7:13am |
lakerzPrivate Detective
Posts : 654
Joined: 11 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Originally Posted By Ponder (4 NOV 2004 1:10am)
The whole point of moving is this: my wife and I make great money, as it would seem, anyway. But housing here is out of control... the "average" price of housing here in SD is about $450,000 to $500,000... and that is the MEDIAN... anything around $300,000+ are considered fixer-uppers... now... and I refuse to make a house payment of an upwards of $3,000 to $3500 per month just for weather and a nice zoo. So we move.
I read an article somewhere on housing prices and the cities that are most insane to buy property. I could swear that San Diego was listed as a lot higher than that. I'm talking about $800,000 as the median price for a house. Heck, $350,000-450,000 sounds like the median price for a condo. :-/
I wish I could be of help regarding Washington or Oregon, but I know next to nothing about both states.
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...
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| 4 NOV 2004 at 5:39pm |
Mike_ASorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 292
Joined: 21 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Since you don't seem to be getting all that helpful of info, I'll toss in my two cents.
I don't live in Washington or Oregon, but I really wouldn't mind it at all. They are great places to live. Some parts are quite crowded for my taste (the Seattle area itself in particular) but they are beautiful. I keep tabs on the area in case the opportunity presents itself to move there sometime.
My wife is from western Washington (pretty Washington she calls it, as opposed to ugly Washington on the east side). For what it's worth, that means my mother-in-law lives there, but we get along great so that's no problem. I also have some relatives in the area and spend quite a bit of time there. You rarely get snow along the coast even in northern Washington near the border with Canada, but you don't have to go far inland to find it in the mountains if you want to ski or something.
Most of my friends from my university days all live in the Portland area, so I keep tabs there as well. It's also beautiful, but the main problem at the moment is the economy. It's not the greatest. If you have a good job prospect in the area that you feel will be stable, go for it. If not, be very careful at the moment.
Really, the only thing keeping me out of Washington and Oregon at the moment is the economy and job prospects. Yeah, it rains a lot, it really does, but it's not that bad if you can handle all the overcast days. It's just so beautiful and comfortable around there that they are nice places to live.
Or go fishing. [i]- MI2 [/i]&&Okay. [i]- Me[/i]
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| 6 NOV 2004 at 11:09pm |
hlalexSpace Cadet
Posts : 127
Joined: 19 JUL 2004
Status : Online | Hi Ponder
I live in Astoria Oregon and have lived in CA. And I have a daughter living in WA. now. Here is what you'll find in OR at this time. We are having a little cold cloudy days. A little rain sometimes turns into a lot of rain. We get very little snow and when we do it only lasts about 2 days and then warms up enough to melt away. The price of housing depends on what you look for. If you can do a Fixer upper you'll find one for around $40 to 60K and if you want one that is already in good living shape then you'll pay as much as 100K and if you want a view it can cost you as much as 200 to 300K. The Taxes are pretty reasonable in Oregon. I do not think you would like Eastern Oregon as I also came for there and it gets really cold like -20 degrees and will stay there for months. And snow is beautiful but not when you have 3 or 4 feet frozen for as long as 4 or 5 months.
Work is the next problem here. The area don't support any form of good work so this is a problem. If you can work Reasurants or motels or a few retail jobs then you could probly make it work. As for Tech or Electronic jobs you may have to look into the Protland area where there is some there. As for schools maybe you and your wife don't have to worry to much about that. Our schools aren't as fancy as the school in CA. Most of the area schools run 4.5 to 5 days a week and have summers off. The Portland area is a little warmer and has less rain. But it is only 80 miles from Portland to here. Housing is more costly in Portland so that is something to think about to.
The Washington coast is very much like the oregon coast as far as weather goes and jobs and housing. It isn't a good place for the better teck jobs but the Seattle area surly must be better. Seattle will get a lot more snow and they have hills so if you aren't into driving in it you might want to think about it a lot.
If you would like to write me I'll be more than happy to help you and send you pictures and any info I can.
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| 10 NOV 2004 at 9:10am |
Mr. WrecksSpace Cadet
Posts : 118
Joined: 5 OCT 2004
Status : Online | Thanks to everyone that had input, especially to hlalex who is the grand prize winner, brining the most info and laying it out... thanks a million!! What a rough few weeks it has been... my wife and I have been churning this thing over and over... we plan to go up there and visit both states some time early next year... my only worry is my wife... my kids are 3 yrs and 3 months so I know adjustment there won't be so rough... I love change and embrace it... but going up there to live would be pretty wild as we know NO ONE... all of our family is here in SD... what a beeatch it is that housing and COL here is so ridiculous... I just browsed some homes for sale here and the "fixer uppers" are now at around $400,000 to $450,000.... and it just gets more depressing from there... I feel kinda pulled in 2 directions really... staying here with the family and renting 'til I take the dirt nap, or moving my "Core 4", as I call us, out to a home and a place to take root. I'm in the tech/IT field so I have to go where those jobs are...
Geez, being a responsible adult really sucks sometimes...
And what a downer post this is, eh?
How about some happy thoughts?
Er... um... in addition to my awesome wife and kids, which is ALWAYS a happy thought, Half Life 2 is only 5 days and 23 hours away!!
Hey, thanks again everyone... and keep the comments coming if you got them... I love the diversity in opinions...
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| 10 NOV 2004 at 10:16am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | Ponder
If I may....? The success of your move really depends on how close your wife is to her mother. I emigrated 12,000 miles to remain close to mine. We live around the corner ~ I don't even want to be in another suburb.
I see her often and she was wonderful when my children were young.
Think carefully about what it will mean having no cousins at birthday parties... no relatives at Christmas and Thanksgiving or New Year or Easter. Yet every friend you make in your new home town will disappear off the social radar into the bosom of their family at those times.
The house prices sound crazier than ours.
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| 10 NOV 2004 at 2:31pm |
MissBSchattenjger
Posts : 2217
Joined: 15 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Originally Posted By Caroline (10 NOV 2004 10:16am)
Ponder
If I may....? The success of your move really depends on how close your wife is to her mother.
Ouch! idn't think of that while reading the responses. Yeah, that could definately come into play. My mother cried when I moved 15 minutes away (years ago)! Now, she and my father are going to have to move about 4 hours from us and we are all very upset. I guess it just depends on how close they are.
If they are very close, maybe mom would be willing to move with you? If she sees the differences in the house prices, she may be tempted.
My name is Bethany and I'm the daughter of Gamergal/Michelle.
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| 11 NOV 2004 at 5:51am |
Mr. WrecksSpace Cadet
Posts : 118
Joined: 5 OCT 2004
Status : Online | Well, my wife and her mother are not close at all... they have been off and on for years and things happened recently that pretty much severed anything that was there... I have stayed out of it as far as what she should do about it (unless of course she asks me) but the mother-in-law is on my wife's list of reasons TO move... mine too in a way... not near the top, but on the list...
I'm close to my parents that live here, and I only have 1 or 2 friends (I'm not to hip on having a lot of friends) but my parents love to travel so them coming up to see us or us coming back down here to visit would happen often enough...
My wife is kinda the same way where she has "friends" but all her "really" close ones have moved away as well... so she's more amped to move than me in a way...
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| 11 NOV 2004 at 11:42am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | Well I wish you good luck and happy hunting. I'm sure you'll find the perfect place to settle. You both want to move, so go for it. And judging by the amount of research and thinking you are putting into it, you won't leap before you've looked. Commitment and a positive attitude are crucial to resettling yourselves - you sound like you have them already.
Don't forget the camera when you go touring next year.
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