Cost of Living in San Jose, California vs. Boston, MA
Sandra
We stay near Boston, MA but have been thinking of moving to
california, Silicon Valley in the near future. Currently only my
Husband has a job (SW Eng.) . I expect to take up a job aswell
hopefully next year (I am a fresher, MS Comp. Sc. graduate) and till
now haven't been successful in my job hunt in Boston. We are expecting
our first child end of this year.
We have been renting an apartment for the last couple of years
($900, 2 BR) and intend to buy a individual house or townhouse (3 BR)
whereever we stay (ie Boston or CA). Excluding the mortage, there are
the other costs of insurance, taxes, food, child Day care (If I get a
job), later a good school (public or private - depending on the area
and school district rating we buy the house in). Plus there are
hundreds of other expenses which I may not have mentioned...
With that background, plus the fact that savings is important also
and if I don't get a job is it better to stay in Boston or is moving
to CA not such a bad idea???? Personally, we would prefer to move to
CA, Silicon valley area but we are confused on the cost of living over
there...How much difference can we realistically expect? We have a
budget of 400-450K max. on the house if not lesser.. I think you can
get pretty good 3-4 BR houses in a OK-good school district in Boston
and surroundings (or am i mad to think that ???)...Whats the scenario
in California???
Pls. help us on this. We need to make a decision pretty soon. Also
can husband or myself expect to earn more if we are near the Silicon
area :)...how about job prospects?
Thanks a lot. Waiting eagerly for your response.
Peter L
one of the most expensive housing markets in the country.
"Sandra" <sandra...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9e4494ce.04070...@posting.google.com...
Dean
> CA, Silicon valley area but we are confused on the cost of living over
> there...How much difference can we realistically expect? We have a
you can use homefair's cost of living calculator as a start. Don't use
Boston because the cost of living is extremely high in Boston proper. Use
your actual city or a comparable city. You can use San Jose since the cost
of living is similar to the surrounding towns.
http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html
If you're looking at housing in the bay area, check
http://www.mlslistings.com. $400K in a good school district will get you a 2
BR condo or townhouse.
--
Disclaimer: This post is solely an individual opinion and does not speak on
behalf of any organization.
Chuck
> Hi,
> We stay near Boston, MA but have been thinking of moving to
> california, Silicon Valley in the near future. Currently only my
> Husband has a job (SW Eng.) . I expect to take up a job aswell
> hopefully next year (I am a fresher, MS Comp. Sc. graduate) and till
> now haven't been successful in my job hunt in Boston. We are expecting
> our first child end of this year.
<snip>
Take a look at Austin, Texas. There are "high tech" jobs there and cost of
living is alot cheaper there than what you are used to.
You can get a nice (even new) 3-4 bedroom house for less than $200,000.
My sister lives in Georgetown, which about 20 miles out of Austin, and she
paid $160,000 for a 3-2-2 on a large lot. It's about 1800 SF and a NICE
house!
Also, no state income taxes in Texas.
Even check Houston or DFW area.
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"Chuck" <ch...@host.invalid> wrote in message
news:kdZGc.416$Te3...@newssvr22.news.prodigy.com...
>
> "Sandra" <sandra...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:9e4494ce.04070...@posting.google.com...
> > Hi,
> > We stay near Boston, MA but have been thinking of moving to
> > california, Silicon Valley in the near future. Currently only my
> > Husband has a job (SW Eng.) . I expect to take up a job aswell
> > hopefully next year (I am a fresher, MS Comp. Sc. graduate) and till
> > now haven't been successful in my job hunt in Boston. We are expecting
> > our first child end of this year.
>
> <snip>
>
>
> Take a look at Austin, Texas. There are "high tech" jobs there and cost of
> living is alot cheaper there than what you are used to.
>
> You can get a nice (even new) 3-4 bedroom house for less than $200,000.
>
> My sister lives in Georgetown, which about 20 miles out of Austin, and she
> paid $160,000 for a 3-2-2 on a large lot. It's about 1800 SF and a NICE
> house!
>
> Also, no state income taxes in Texas.
>
> Even check Houston or DFW area.
>
While living standard is indeed low, and Austin is a fine place to live,
it's misleading in terms of total taxes and expenses. There is no state
income tax in Texas, but they hit you with high real estate tax and
insurance costs. And while housing is cheap, the prices don't go up very
much, so you don't build up too much equity.
to...@sbcglobal.net
they've got jobs all over the US, dunno what's available in your specialty.
Lots available here in the Dallas area, and you can get a nice house for
$300k. I don't have any kids, so I don't keep up with where the good
schools are, but pretty much, if you live in a neighborhood of $300k houses,
you'll be in a good school district. In the Dallas school district, some
schools are horrible and some are extremely good, and some of the "magnet"
schools have loooooong waiting lists and outstanding reputations.
There are lots of conservatives and religious conservatives around here, so
if that's your cup of tea, you'll think you've struck gold. But there are
pockets of liberals and bohemians too, so all is not lost for folks with a
broader outlook on life.
TI is a good company to get started in . . . from what the engineers
there tell me, they like to take newbies right out of school, give 'em lots
of responsibility, and when they get good and start asking for more $$$, the
company says no. So then they move on to bigger and better and more
lucrative elsewhere. A few stick around, usually the folks who are good at
playing office politics, and work their way up.
An area to avoid like the plague: Manufacturing. That's where they put
people they can't fire but are, um, unwanted elsewhere.
Hope this helps . . .
"Sandra" <sandra...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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Chuck
"Peter L" <pete...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:2l3700F...@uni-berlin.de...
<snip>
I disagree about real estate not appreciating much in Texas. I don't have
facts and figures, but I know several people who have bought houses for
$80,000 and sold them less than 10 years later for $110,000-$120,000.
That ain't bad at all!
As far as real estate taxes go, we have been looking at houses in the
$100,000-$140,000 range and depending on what city we were looking in, it
was anywhere from about $1,900 to $3,200 per year. I have no idea how that
compares with other places around the country. And I am talking houses in
the city, around Ft. Worth area. I realize that taxes will be quite a bit
less outside the city limits.
Sales tax around here is about 8.25%, and I think that is a pretty common
figure around the state.
As far as insurance goes, I was talking with my boss about that a couple of
weeks ago. He has a house that is appraised around $140,000 and his
insurance is about $1,100 a year. He said that if he was within 1,000 ft of
a fire hydrant, his insurance would be closer to $600 per year.
Em@thisisfake.com Auntie Em
just as nice (if not nicer), why don't you consider someplace else.
Cities in the Midwest (especially the Northern part i.e. Minnesota,
Wisconsin, etc.) are dirt-cheap by your standards where the cost of living
is concerned and I'm sure the job market is pretty good for what you are
looking for.
As one of the other posters mentioned, there is Texas, which is a wonderful
state to live in. I'm sure there are a lot of good jobs in places like New
Mexico (although the educational system needs work), Utah, Nevada - sheesh
just about anyplace, where you won't be mortgaging your life away.
IMHO anyone who would pay that much money for a "regular" house is pretty
crazy. Where I live in Missouri (30 miles south of Springfield), you can
buy a beautiful, NEW, brick 1200 sq ft ranch on a big lot for less than
$100,000. If you bought something in a more reasonable part of town, then
you wouldn't need to work and you can be a mommy, which, by all rights is
what you should be doing anyway, rather than let some stranger raise your
child.
Best of luck.
Em
Em@thisisfake.com Auntie Em
> playing office politics, and work their way up.
Boy does that suck.
Em
glad she doesn't have to play stupid work games.
zmike6
wrote:
In addition, the Austin road system is horribly overburdened by rapid
growth in the '90s. And the job market is very tough, given the
number of laid-off tech workers still around plus a constant stream of
university grads.
How do people even get close to affording 500k or $1 mil for a house?
Are wages 5x higher in CA, or Boston? Just as a point of reference, I
work in Texas government, where a college grad engineer (at least at
my agency) starts at 30k and eventually maxes out at 48k, unless you
get promoted to management or some other special position. And over
the last 10 years we (Texas state employees) have received roughly 11%
in cost of living raises (~1% a year.) And it's illegal for public
employees to strike here.
bear...@cruller.invalid
zmike6 <zmike6@*SPAMBLOCK*yahoo.com> wrote:
> How do people even get close to affording 500k or $1 mil for a house?
Ah, the twenty-four thousand dollar question!
These are speculators' markets. The properties are an investment, not
home for working families. There's really no other way to view the
situation (unless you have enough money not to have to think about it).
Here in San Jose, home buyers have once again found themselves in
bidding wars after a brief hiatus of a year or so.
In this area, you, the prospective buyer, hurry out to look at a home
after home after home for sale and when you find one you like that you
can afford (more likely that you'll "settle") you *must* be ready to
make a good faith offer chopchop or they'll sell it to someone else.
Often, someone else will have made an offer while you are on your way to
look at the place.
No idea where all the money is coming from. The programs available to
help otherwise unqualified people to buy such expensive homes are many
here. There is funding from the cities, the counties and the state to
help get people started.
Christopher Green
Housing costs are very high there, but most other costs will be less
than you are used to in Mass. Your 400-450K will not go far in South
Bay; you may have to spend much more if you want a good location.
All taxes except sales tax will be much less unless you are far into
the top 9.3% income tax bracket. Insurance will generally be less,
auto insurance much less. Utilities will be a lot less, because you
won't have high winter heating bills. Food will cost less, unless you
use a lot of packaged prepared foods. Gasoline will cost more, but
your car won't suffer from road salt in the winter.
Public transportation is far from nonexistent but not up to Mass.
standards, Bay Area traffic is among the nation's most congested, and
commutes are among the nation's longest.
--
Chris Green
Em@thisisfake.com Auntie Em
news:djope0hklkmgoggiu...@4ax.com...
Yeah, boy! Sounds like a place I would want to live. NOT!!!!
eM
shinypenny
> How do people even get close to affording 500k or $1 mil for a house?
> Are wages 5x higher in CA, or Boston?
Yes. Boston is considered the silicon valley of the east. Both San
Jose and Boston have a high concentration of high tech jobs, which pay
very well. Boston also has a high concentration of biotech jobs and is
a hotbed for a variety of emerging startups, 90% of which ultimately
fail but the remaining 10% make the employees wealthy overnight when
they go IPO or get acquired.
Forbes or Fortune recently ran an article about the "Top 10 Best
Places to Get Rich" and both cities were in the top 10. They used
measurements including number of VC firms; number of millionaires;
salaries and opportunity; etc.
I think teachers are also paid higher than average, and I know that
police officers in MA make a decent living.
As for the cost of housing in Boston, those that are buying the
$500K-$1M houses are those that have already struck it rich, or have
lived long enough in the area that they've made a killing on their
former property and can afford to roll the equity into something twice
as large.
The bulk of the first-time buyers market, however, seems to be in the
$350-400K range. Within 128 belt this will get you a 2B/1B starter
home such as a ranch or condo. Outside of 128 and towards 495 (either
south towards RI or north into NH), if you don't mind a 45 min.
commute, this will get you a 4B colonial with a decent yard.
jen
shinypenny
> Hi,
> We stay near Boston, MA but have been thinking of moving to
> california, Silicon Valley in the near future. Currently only my
> Husband has a job (SW Eng.) . I expect to take up a job aswell
> hopefully next year (I am a fresher, MS Comp. Sc. graduate) and till
> now haven't been successful in my job hunt in Boston. We are expecting
> our first child end of this year.
Congratulations! Whatever house you buy, make sure it is lead-free.
> We have been renting an apartment for the last couple of years
> ($900, 2 BR) and intend to buy a individual house or townhouse (3 BR)
> whereever we stay (ie Boston or CA). Excluding the mortage, there are
> the other costs of insurance, taxes, food, child Day care (If I get a
> job), later a good school (public or private - depending on the area
> and school district rating we buy the house in). Plus there are
> hundreds of other expenses which I may not have mentioned...
If you decide to become a full-time SAHM, I would recommend staying in
the Boston area. Commutes in CA are terrible, much worse than in
Boston. I would worry that your husband would be spending too much
time on the road and not enough time with you and the baby.
If you decide to work and do the day care thing, CA may have an edge
over Boston. My CA friends find Mexican nannies that are willing to
work for peanuts compared to what I pay for day care in Boston. Of
course you have to make sure it's all on the up-and-up and you're not
inadvertently supporting an illegal immigrant - you could get in
trouble. :-(
> With that background, plus the fact that savings is important also
> and if I don't get a job is it better to stay in Boston or is moving
> to CA not such a bad idea????
I personally would not recommend moving to CA without a job already
lined up. My impression is that both San Jose and Boston are
rebounding, but the job markets are still tough. It will be doubly
tough for young people just getting into the job market. If your
husband is currently working, that's much better than being unemployed
and looking for a job in a new, unknown city. I'd stay put for now,
continue renting for another year or so, and wait out the economic
rebound a little longer. Babies don't need much extra room anyway.
I live in the Boston area and have considered moving to San Jose in
the past. I decided to stay in Boston primarily because to me it seems
there is more of a variety of industries - it's not just high tech -
there's biotech, financials, and the univerities, for example. IMO,
that makes Boston the better bet in terms of economy not collapsing
completely if one industry collapses.
> Personally, we would prefer to move to
> CA, Silicon valley area but we are confused on the cost of living over
> there...How much difference can we realistically expect? We have a
> budget of 400-450K max. on the house if not lesser.. I think you can
> get pretty good 3-4 BR houses in a OK-good school district in Boston
> and surroundings (or am i mad to think that ???)...
Have you looked at realty in Boston yet? Start shopping around.
If you are willing to go outside 128 to the 495 belt, or even head
south towards RI or north into NH, your $450 will buy you much, much
more. You'll have a commute but the commute will still be *nothing*
like San Jose. In CA commutes over 1 hour and up to 2 are the norm. In
Boston it's more like 40-45 minutes.
> Whats the scenario
> in California???
My impression is that the housing markets are fairly comparable in
terms of competition, how much your $ will buy, and appreciation;
however, you'll probably have to drive farther and in much worse
traffic in CA than in Boston. I would also bet that Boston would hold
it's value and be less prone to a housing bubble bursting than CA, due
to the fact it has more industries than just high tech.
Finances aside, while San Jose may have sunshine, I personally feel it
lacks the charm of Boston. It has all the charm of a tacky strip mall,
IMO. I found it very depressing. San Jose itself (which few people
actually live in) reminded me of the Disney World of the Corporate
World. Too sanitized for my tastes. If I *had* to transfer out there,
I'd probably prefer to go north and live near San Fran instead. At
least San Fran has character! And I would definetly miss all the
universities.
> Pls. help us on this. We need to make a decision pretty soon. Also
> can husband or myself expect to earn more if we are near the Silicon
> area :)...how about job prospects?
I think salaries and job prospects are about comparable. The only
difference is that Boston has a variety of other industries, so if
your hubby got desparate, he might find it easier to switch out of
high tech and use his skills in a different industry.
jen
Chloe
> How do people even get close to affording 500k or $1 mil for a house?
> Are wages 5x higher in CA, or Boston? Just as a point of reference, I
> work in Texas government, where a college grad engineer (at least at
> my agency) starts at 30k and eventually maxes out at 48k, unless you
> get promoted to management or some other special position. And over
> the last 10 years we (Texas state employees) have received roughly 11%
> in cost of living raises (~1% a year.) And it's illegal for public
> employees to strike here.
I don't think it's that the wages are a full 5 times higher, although from
years of reading the frugal living newsgroup I'm convinced that they are in
fact substantially higher. However, I suspect that people just resign
themselves to spending a much larger percentage of their income on housing
than they do in other places. That, as well as willingness to take on a
greater burden of debt.
Then there's the whole issue of how important one's housing is in the big
scheme of things. I know there are people who'd rather live in a $300K shack
on the beach than in my 10-year-old, 2,400 sf custom built brick home on a
wooded acre within a large Midwestern metro area. BTW, tech jobs are not
exactly plentiful here, and no sane person would put voluntarily put their
kids into the public school system <g>.
shinypenny
>
> I disagree about real estate not appreciating much in Texas. I don't have
> facts and figures, but I know several people who have bought houses for
> $80,000 and sold them less than 10 years later for $110,000-$120,000.
>
> That ain't bad at all!
That's peanuts.
My neighbors bought a condo here in the Boston area for $510K. One-1/2
years later, they just sold it for $640K, after being listed for 5
weeks. They made no improvements to it at all.
And this is supposed to be a "slow" market for us!
jen
shinypenny
Yep, it's similar in Boston as well. There are still pockets in and
around the city where you can buy a relatively inexpensive place, but
it'll be a fix-it-upper in a rough neighborhood. The school districts
aren't as good, but if you're patient, these areas will turn around.
It pays to keep an eye out and know what's happening in the community.
For example, my bets are on Allston right now. It is a working-class
town but Harvard just bought up a lot of property there and is
starting to build, which signals to me that it'll be gentrified over
time. Good place to invest. Same with Brighton, which is close to BC,
which also just bought up a lot of land and is planning to expand.
Also Boston has an advantage in that, in some towns, there are few and
far places to build new housing. That means if you buy a 100 year old
condo and renovate it, you will make a lot of $ because there's simply
no new housing competing. There's not enough inventory to meet the
demand, and no more land upon which to build, which is why so many of
those beautiful mega-million $ mansions are being split up and
converted into condos.
jen
bear...@cruller.invalid
shinype...@yahoo.com (shinypenny) wrote:
> Commutes in CA are terrible, much worse than in
> Boston.
Agreed, even though I don't know Boston.
A co-worker here in San Jose bought a house in Stockton, a two-hour
commute on a good day (no traffic problems, etc), halfway between San
Jose and Sacramento. He bought there because it was the only place he
could afford a satisfactory home for his family.
He stays in this area at his sister's apartment during the work week,
and spends weekends with his wife and kids at their new home (eyes
rolling). This is not an uncommon arrangement.
He closed last September. The Stockton house cost him ~$320,000 (I
haven't seen it so I don't know what it's like). When he and I talked
about it in late November, he told me that the week before, a realtor
had told him his house could easily fetch $360K.
That's how the market is here. It's not as certifiably insane as it was
during the tech boom, but it hasn't cooled off very much since, either.
bear...@cruller.invalid
<bearclaw-B902B7...@newsclstr01.news.prodigy.com>,
bear...@cruller.invalid wrote:
> In article <c8cb5319.04070...@posting.google.com>,
> shinype...@yahoo.com (shinypenny) wrote:
>
> > Commutes in CA are terrible, much worse than in
> > Boston.
>
> Agreed, even though I don't know Boston.
>
> A co-worker here in San Jose bought a house in Stockton, a two-hour
> commute on a good day (no traffic problems, etc), halfway between San
> Jose and Sacramento. He bought there because it was the only place he
> could afford a satisfactory home for his family.
>
> He stays in this area at his sister's apartment during the work week,
> and spends weekends with his wife and kids at their new home (eyes
> rolling). This is not an uncommon arrangement.
>
> He closed last September. The Stockton house cost him ~$320,000 (I
> haven't seen it so I don't know what it's like). When he and I talked
> about it in late November, he told me that the week before, a realtor
> had told him his house could easily fetch $360K.
BTW, I should have mentioned that the appreciation on that house in
those few months actually approaches this guy's (and my own) annual
gross income. Naturally, he has increased costs as well, but
still...he's a happy camper while I still rent.
aace
Sandra wrote:
--
Remove _nospam_ for reply...
Teddy R
Democrats in Californians/ Boston. Mass want to raise taxes on
people/families who make more than $200k year and yet it cost so dam much a
year to live there. I live in the Virginia Beach VA area and make 70k here,
that would to translate to 180k there and I would still be able to have the
house and the life style I maintain here. My little 250K Virginia house
would be about 500 - 700 in the bay area and 1.2 in SF.
"Chloe" <just...@spam.com> wrote in message
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Peter L
"Chuck" <ch...@host.invalid> wrote in message
You just confirmed what I said about real estate not appreciating in Texas.
Read estate in my area appreciated 25% last year.
>
> As far as real estate taxes go, we have been looking at houses in the
> $100,000-$140,000 range and depending on what city we were looking in, it
> was anywhere from about $1,900 to $3,200 per year. I have no idea how that
> compares with other places around the country. And I am talking houses in
> the city, around Ft. Worth area. I realize that taxes will be quite a bit
> less outside the city limits.
In California it's 1% of the sale price of the house, never going up as long
as you own the house.
>
> Sales tax around here is about 8.25%, and I think that is a pretty common
> figure around the state.
>
This is at the high end of sale taxes.
> As far as insurance goes, I was talking with my boss about that a couple
of
> weeks ago. He has a house that is appraised around $140,000 and his
> insurance is about $1,100 a year. He said that if he was within 1,000 ft
of
> a fire hydrant, his insurance would be closer to $600 per year.
>
That's pretty high.
NA
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/07/08/already_high_house_costs_jump/
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"Sandra" <sandra...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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Peter L
"shinypenny" <shinype...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c8cb5319.04070...@posting.google.com...
> the Boston area. Commutes in CA are terrible, much worse than in
> Boston. I would worry that your husband would be spending too much
> time on the road and not enough time with you and the baby.
First of all, CA is a state, Boston is a city. Commutes in California can
be dreadful, or extremely easy. It's a huge state. But even comparing the
worse traffic in CA (LA, SF), Boston does not take a second seat to it.
Cindy, CA
> All taxes except sales tax will be much less unless you are far into
> the top 9.3% income tax bracket.
You will hit the top income tax bracket of 9.8% if you make more than
$47,000 in California.
Insurance will generally be less, auto insurance much less. CA does
NOT have "no fault"
Utilities will be a lot less, because you won't have high winter
heating bills. In San Jose it is pretty moderate. You still need some
heat in the bathroom during the winter and air conditioning helps in
the summer, but you can live without.
Food will cost less, unless you use a lot of packaged prepared foods.
Trader Joes is in SJ as it is in Mass...so is WHole FOods. Those are
the "fancy" stores.
Gasoline will cost more, but your car won't suffer from road salt in
the winter. and you may have more miles put on, depending on the
distance from home to work. Public transportation is NOT like it is
in Boston....NOT AT ALL...
Public transportation is far from nonexistent but not up to Mass.
standards, Bay Area traffic is among the nation's most congested, and
commutes are among the nation's longest.
Go to a local TV or newspaper site during a morning or evening commute
to see traffic speeds.
I have moved a lot, due to husband's job in the Navy. I always
subscribed to the local newspaper before the move to get a glimpse.
Now you can do it faster and easier via the web. Look long and hard
before making a final decision. You do not have to spend all of your
money on a house; the market is pretty much at its peak now...only so
much you can qualify for and you do not want to max yourself out if
you are possibly going to want to stay at home and raise your own
child, instead of having strangers in a new community do it for you
only so you can work to pay them.....
Cindy
hc23hc
Chuck wrote:
>
> My sister lives in Georgetown, which about 20 miles out of Austin, and she
> paid $160,000 for a 3-2-2 on a large lot. It's about 1800 SF and a NICE
> house!
But it's ... in Texas.
"Location location location!"
.
.
.
shinypenny
> "shinypenny" <shinype...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:c8cb5319.04070...@posting.google.com...
> > sandra...@yahoo.com (Sandra) wrote in message
> news:<9e4494ce.04070...@posting.google.com>...
> >
> > If you decide to become a full-time SAHM, I would recommend staying in
> > the Boston area. Commutes in CA are terrible, much worse than in
> > Boston. I would worry that your husband would be spending too much
> > time on the road and not enough time with you and the baby.
>
> First of all, CA is a state, Boston is a city.
Yeah, I figured the OP would realize I was using "CA" as short-hand
for San Jose, which was the town she was asking about.
Did you have a "second of all"?
jen
Chuck
"hc23hc" <hc2...@rtl.ne> wrote in message news:40EE301B...@rtl.ne...
You must be thinking about west Texas!
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Peter L
"shinypenny" <shinype...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c8cb5319.04070...@posting.google.com...
> "Peter L" <pete...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:<2l594iF...@uni-berlin.de>...
> > "shinypenny" <shinype...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > news:c8cb5319.04070...@posting.google.com...
> > > sandra...@yahoo.com (Sandra) wrote in message
> > news:<9e4494ce.04070...@posting.google.com>...
> > >
> > > If you decide to become a full-time SAHM, I would recommend staying in
> > > the Boston area. Commutes in CA are terrible, much worse than in
> > > Boston. I would worry that your husband would be spending too much
> > > time on the road and not enough time with you and the baby.
> >
> > First of all, CA is a state, Boston is a city.
>
> Yeah, I figured the OP would realize I was using "CA" as short-hand
> for San Jose, which was the town she was asking about.
I have never heard of anyone using CA as a short hand for San Jose.
>
> Did you have a "second of all"?
Second of all, Boston traffic can be just as dreadful as the worse of south
bay traffic.
Asmodeus
> Second of all, Boston traffic can be just as dreadful as the worse of
> south bay traffic
Boston drivers are legendary; California drivers are not.
--
/"\ ||
\ / ASCII RIBBON CAMPAIGN || I believe the very heart and soul
X AGAINST HTML MAIL || of conservatism is libertarianism
/ \ AND POSTINGS || --Ronald Reagan
Christopher Green
> >
> > All taxes except sales tax will be much less unless you are far into
> > the top 9.3% income tax bracket.
>
> You will hit the top income tax bracket of 9.8% if you make more than
> $47,000 in California.
9.3%, not 9.8%, and that's the single cutoff. The OP is married, and
the top tax bracket kicks in at twice the single cutoff. Comparing
Mass's flat tax to California's is almost apples-and-oranges, because
California allows itemized deductions and is as fiercely progressive
as Mass's is regressive. But you have to make a lot of money in
California to pay more income tax than you would in Mass.
--
Chris Green
shinypenny
> "Peter L" <pete...@hotmail.com> wrote in
> news:2l7s5iF...@uni-berlin.de:
>
> > Second of all, Boston traffic can be just as dreadful as the worse of
> > south bay traffic
>
> Boston drivers are legendary; California drivers are not.
I don't recall any driver in Boston ever shooting another driver. :-)
I'm not from MA originally - have been here only 12 years. Could never
understand how Bostonians got such a bad repuation as drivers. I have
lived in areas with MUCH worse and more aggressive drivers! A Boston
driver would never hack it, for instance, on the Sure-Kill expressway.
jen
Don Klipstein
>I don't recall any driver in Boston ever shooting another driver. :-)
>
>I'm not from MA originally - have been here only 12 years. Could never
>understand how Bostonians got such a bad repuation as drivers. I have
>lived in areas with MUCH worse and more aggressive drivers! A Boston
>driver would never hack it, for instance, on the Sure-Kill expressway.
I have driven enough in and near Philly, and seen how people drive in
NYC.
It apears to me that drivers in NYC are more aggressive than Philly
drivers, but in a more orderly way. Most of Philly's drivers are less
aggressive than most NYC drivers, but apear to me more rude and more
dangerous.
--------------------------------
Once in Philadelphia a driver shot another on the Schuylkill Expressway.
He was caught because someone saw his license tag at the time and place
of the crime.
He was found by a jury "not guilty" on the basis that there was
reasonable doubt that a driver could get from his job at the time he
signed out for (by hand) on a sign-out sheet to the place of the crime at
the time the crime was committed. If he did not lie about his sign-out
time but did not stop for lights, he could have gotten there without
breaking any speed limits.
- Don Klipstein (d...@misty.com)
bear...@cruller.invalid
d...@manx.misty.com (Don Klipstein) wrote:
> I have driven enough in and near Philly, and seen how people drive in
> NYC.
>
> It apears to me that drivers in NYC are more aggressive than Philly
> drivers, but in a more orderly way. Most of Philly's drivers are less
> aggressive than most NYC drivers, but apear to me more rude and more
> dangerous.
Heh.
In 1986, I had the misfortune of finding myself behind the wheel of a
shiny new car on the George Washington Bridge heading into New York at 8
AM on a Tuesday morning. <shuddering, eyes rolling at the very memory of
it>
The many bus drivers sharing the road with me were all very
professional. They tried their level best to help me and my passenger
off the bridge...over the _side_, into the Hudson River :-O
Now chronologically and geographically distant from that event, I can
laugh about it. It wasn't funny then, though. More like starkly
terrifying.
Mark
of living in SV has gone into the dumps the past 15 years. Sure, my
home is now worth 1.5m because of the gold-diggers who came here, but
I'd gladly give up much of that if things returned to the way they
were. Gone are the beautiful orchards, open space, farms where you
can pick your own cherries, ease of getting about and general
atmosphere. Get lost.
A long-time resident
Mark
PS: 450k budget for a house?? ROFL!!! I can see you've done your
homework..
sandra...@yahoo.com (Sandra) wrote in message news:<9e4494ce.04070...@posting.google.com>...
> Hi,
> We stay near Boston, MA but have been thinking of moving to
> california, Silicon Valley in the near future. Currently only my
> Husband has a job (SW Eng.) . I expect to take up a job aswell
> hopefully next year (I am a fresher, MS Comp. Sc. graduate) and till
> now haven't been successful in my job hunt in Boston. We are expecting
> our first child end of this year.
> We have been renting an apartment for the last couple of years
> ($900, 2 BR) and intend to buy a individual house or townhouse (3 BR)
> whereever we stay (ie Boston or CA). Excluding the mortage, there are
> the other costs of insurance, taxes, food, child Day care (If I get a
> job), later a good school (public or private - depending on the area
> and school district rating we buy the house in). Plus there are
> hundreds of other expenses which I may not have mentioned...
> With that background, plus the fact that savings is important also
> and if I don't get a job is it better to stay in Boston or is moving
> to CA not such a bad idea???? Personally, we would prefer to move to
> CA, Silicon valley area but we are confused on the cost of living over
> there...How much difference can we realistically expect? We have a
> budget of 400-450K max. on the house if not lesser.. I think you can
> get pretty good 3-4 BR houses in a OK-good school district in Boston
> and surroundings (or am i mad to think that ???)...Whats the scenario
> in California???
> Pls. help us on this. We need to make a decision pretty soon. Also
> can husband or myself expect to earn more if we are near the Silicon
> area :)...how about job prospects?
Mark
it's clear to me that you've done virtually no research on this
matter. You're about to make a substantial personal decision and you
don't even know BASIC data like housing prices or income levels in SV,
and you want to rush into a decision. That's just plain dumb. I've
done more research before buying a television for crying out loud!!
Mark
PeterL
> Stay where you are. It's because of people like you that the standard
> of living in SV has gone into the dumps the past 15 years.
What or where is "SV"?
leslie
: valde...@yahoo.com (Mark) wrote in message
: > Stay where you are. It's because of people like you that the standard
: > of living in SV has gone into the dumps the past 15 years.
:
: What or where is "SV"?
:
Silicon Valley, an area of California south of San Francisco.
Here's the link to a map of the area:
http://www.jointventure.org/svmap.html
Map of "Silicon Valley"
--Jerry Leslie
Note: les...@jrlvax.houston.rr.com is invalid for email
qwerty
Here are some cost of living comparison sites:
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/movecalc.asp
http://www.cityrating.com/costofliving.asp
http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html
I don't think you'll like the comparisons because the general cost of living
here being anywhere from 25% to 50% higher than Boston. The cost of a home
here is even worse. The median (not average) price of a home here in Santa
Clara County (Silicon Valley) is $600K and this is NOT a particularly good
house in a really good neighborhood. If that's what you want expect to pay
even more. I don't think you'll be able to find much in the $450K range
unless it's a real, and I mean a REAL fixer-upper. Even with the big
dot.com crash the cost of homes still increase rather dramatically.
EClaudius
"qwerty" <nos...@all.noway.com> wrote in message
news:4TZKc.12690$9J6...@newssvr25.news.prodigy.com...
bear...@cruller.invalid
"qwerty" <nos...@all.noway.com> wrote:
Moreover, when Google finally has its IPO, there will be several hundred
brand spanking new millionaires hitting the streets (longtime employees
with lots of stock options, just like in the boom times) with their
money burning holes in their pockets. Guess what they will likely buy
first thing? Okay, that's right: a home.
Now, guess what that will do to the already limited supply of homes for
sale around here.
Auntie Em
Ok SOMEBODY explain to me WHY anyone would want to spend
thousands of dollars a month on a mortgage for a house in San Jose. I
am utterly mystified as to the attraction. Please, somebody clue me
in.
Em
bear...@cruller.invalid
Auntie Em <Aunt...@yahoo.com> wrote:
LOL.
Well, it ain't that they're constructed better or more innovatively.
True believers talk about the incomparable weather (AFAIK, there are
only two places in the world with a Mediterranean climate model: the SF
Bay area and southern France).
Then there is the incredible appreciation of equity. Think "gold rush"
and you won't be too far afield.
Then there is Prop 13, which keeps you from being taxed on the real
worth of your property even as its value climbs to seemingly limitless
dizzying heights (Prop 13 is a primary reason why there are so few
sellers here, too--why would you sell something that increases so
quickly and massively in value and yet costs less and less to keep?).
Go to one of the <news:ba.*> or <news:sba.*> newsgroups and ask your
question there. I'm sure lots of bay area homeowners will swamp you
with their reasons why they deserve insane, outrageous prices for their
often ramshackle (fixer-upper!), elderly (character!), tiny (cute 'n
cozy!) properties (many of which wouldn't even bring $50K anywhere
else).
m...@privacy.net
>only two places in the world with a Mediterranean climate model: the SF
>Bay area and southern France).
What exactly is a "Mediterranean climate"?
What features distinguish it as such?
Beachcomber
Hot & sunny summers - mild spring & fall - ample rainfall - warm
winters - zero to little snow - no freezing temperatures - Good
climate for growing grapes, fruit trees - More descriptive of the Bay
area headlands then the SF Bay Area proper, which can be cold and
chilly, even during summer months.
qwerty
<m...@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:3npqf0ltjtr6a707t...@4ax.com...
> >True believers talk about the incomparable weather (AFAIK, there are
> >only two places in the world with a Mediterranean climate model: the SF
> >Bay area and southern France).
>
> What exactly is a "Mediterranean climate"?
"The Mediterranean climate is a special type of climate that describes a
regime of hot summer drought and winter rain in the mid-latitudes, north of
the subtropical climate zone. This climate occurs most noticeably in the
regions around the Mediterranean, from where the climate gets its name, but
also in coastal areas of California, South Africa and southern parts of
Australia. "
"In summer, the high pressure belts of the subtropics drift northwards in
the Northern Hemisphere (during May to August), southwards in the Southern
Hemisphere (during November to February). They are coincident with
substantially higher temperatures and little rainfall. During the winter,
the high-pressure belts drift back towards the equator, and the weather
becomes more dominated by the rain-bearing low-pressure depressions. Whilst
usually mild, such areas can experience cold snaps when exposed to the icy
winds of the large continental interiors, where temperatures can drop
to -40?C in the extreme continental climates. "
http://www.informationsphere.com/html/287.htm
> What features distinguish it as such?
IMHO, the distinguishing features are long sunny, mild, warm & dry (less
than an inch of total rain for months) Summer days (average highs in the
70's) and cool nights (in the 60's or 50's). This means there's little need
for air-conditioning, although on occasion it can get into the 90's or even
the 100's. However, these especially warm periods usually only last 2-3
days and it's still quite cool in the evening. Winters are equally mild
with typical highs in the 50's & 60's and lows in the 40's or mid 30's.
Also 99% of the rain comes in Winter with about 14 or so inches of rain
usually arriving in a very light misting drizzle that can last for days at a
time. The rains usually start in mid October and end the beginning of
April.
Records & Averages:
http://weather.yahoo.com/climo/USCA0746_f.html - Mountain View
http://weather.yahoo.com/climo/USCA0987_f.html - San Francisco
http://weather.yahoo.com/climo/USCA0993_f.html - San Jose
Note: The closer you get to San Francisco the cooler & milder ther weather.
The South Bay (San Jose) and the East Bay can get quite a bit warmer &
colder. Of course that brings up the other common weather term used here
called "Micro-climates"!
Grinder
"Auntie Em" <Aunt...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:ll3pf0d9t6vhp8i3u...@4ax.com...
Versus where? I live in San Jose and like it. It is one of the safest
big cities in the nation. Great restaurants and malls are within minutes.
There are three major airports within an hours drive. I don't have to wake
up to the smell of Garlic or WORSE - mushrooms in the morning. Yada Yada
Yada.
Peter L
1. Uncle Sam pays part of your mortgage interest thru tax deductions.
2. Houses appreciates like crazy in this neighborhood. You bought a
house for 1 mil last year, this year it's worth 1.5 mil.
3. You have to live someplace, right?
4. Prop 13 keeps your real estate tax at 1%.
5. The company you work for just IPO. The stock you bought for $0.01
a share is now $45 a share.
6. San Jose area has one of the best weather in the US.
Christopher Green
"Mediterranean" is one of the standard types of climate;
characteristics of a Mediterranean climate are that it is warm
(frost-free or nearly so in winter) and summer-dry (rainfall is
concentrated in winter) without amounting to desert.
Mediterranean climate exists only in a few favored areas: around the
Mediterranean, the California coast, the west coast of Australia, the
Cape Province of South Africa, and the coast of Chile. While this is a
small area, it is much more extensive than "the SF Bay area and
southern France".
From a gardener's point of view, it means that the growing season is
year-round or close to it, and only the tenderest plantings need frost
protection; from a farmer's point of view, the same land can be
cropped five or more times a year. For everybody, it means that there
are no impediments to year-round outdoor activity and no great
expenditures for heating or cooling.
--
Chris Green
m...@privacy.net
>are no impediments to year-round outdoor activity and no great
>expenditures for heating or cooling.
That would be a nice climate to live in then!
I live in Missouri.... four definite seasons......
called a "continental climate".
Not much fun living in a continental climate. Ha!
Chuck
<m...@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:5gtsf0hhiqhsb96sv...@4ax.com...
Try N. Texas. We have 2 seasons. Summer and Winter. Spring and Fall last
maybe a week if we are lucky.
---
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m...@privacy.net
>maybe a week if we are lucky.
How's your winters tho?
Pretty mild?
Where at in N. Texas?
Chuck
<m...@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:8q5tf0d7s2po7lg98...@4ax.com...
Dallas/Ft Worth area.
Summers are HOT. Right now it's only 92 degrees. Not too bad. Normally this
time of year, it is over 100 degrees. So far it has been pretty mild this
year.
I would say that in Jan and Feb, it gets as low as the teens and as high as
the upper 30's unless a "warm front" blows through. I have seen it actually
in the 40's and 50's during these months.
Normally very little snow. We actually got a fairly decent snow storm last
year. (Pics at http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/yes...@sbcglobal.net ) Don't
laugh at my sons snowman! it was his first attempt at building one...
We got several inches over a 2 day period. Normally lucky to get 1 inch a
year. Normally ices over 2 or 3 times per winter.
m...@privacy.net
>
>
>Dallas/Ft Worth area.
I have some family in Ft Worth area. Burleson to be
exact. I like that area. Nice town
I would have thought the winters to be a bit milder
than what you say
Chuck
<m...@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:madvf056b85kkqi91...@4ax.com...
Burleson is about 15 minutes from me.
The winters aren't too bad, but when it does get cold, it is a bitter cold.
bear...@cruller.invalid
<bearclaw-0CE601...@newsclstr01.news.prodigy.com>,
bear...@cruller.invalid wrote:
Here's an example of the kind of BS you will be looking at for
substantially more than $450K:
<http://www.craigslist.org/sby/rfs/37249048.html>
This link will take you to an ad for a "fixer-upper" home for sale for
almost $700K (which the seller will probably get, if not more). In west
San Jose. Now, what would almost 3/4 of a million dollars get you in
Boston?
$$$$LOTTO
"Sandra" <sandra...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9e4494ce.04070...@posting.google.com...