JeffKeryk & other Cali board posters…

SubieRubyRoo

SubieRubyRoo

Joined
May 15, 2012
Messages
9,000
Location
The land of USA-made Subies!
I was offered (with full support from a guy I trust) to take a quality manager position at essentially double what I made in the Midwest for the same job- a job in the Central Valley… I would be traveling back to Midwest every 6 wks @ company expense- have to hammer out details on car, but in your opinion, is ~75% increase over Midwest COLA worth it to find a place to rent, and live, in Fresno area? Trying to judge if it makes sense still paying Midwest cost of living for family& working remotely. Only CA residents please. Thx!
 
Although I live in FL I spent two decades in and out of San Jose, CA. The costs involved can be staggering. However, clearly many living there have sufficient income to have a superb quality of life. My peers that work out of SJC airport all have very expensive cars, boats, airplanes, far beyond what I’ve achieved.

I believe they are native or long time residents, purchased homes decades ago and don’t pay insane property taxes on their residence. however they bitterly complain about personal property taxes (plural) on aircraft.

there is also a personal property tax on vehicles.

A real world “spitball” guess is that you will need far more income to have the same standard of living in all respects, I’d say more than double. Forget the online calculators, they don’t live there.

Years ago I determined that I needed 260% of my income to move to CA and have the same 3 bedroom 2 bath ranch style home on 2 acres. (I paid $157k for my home in 2002)
 
Cujet said:
there is also a personal property tax on vehicles.
Click to expand...
Never heard of such a thing. Lived here for more than 50 years, and owned many vehicles of all sizes, shapes, and ages. I've only paid registration fees. Managed sweetie's car, only paid registration fees.
 
Shel_B said:
Never heard of such a thing. Lived here for more than 50 years, and owned many vehicles of all sizes, shapes, and ages. I've only paid registration fees. Managed sweetie's car, only paid registration fees.
Click to expand...

Sounds similar to an excise tax MA has or had when I lived there on vehicles. Wasn't much but it was yearly and based on the assessed value of your vehicle. Not sure what data they used for the assessment.
 
I live in Colorado and work for a company in Visalia which is just south of Fresno. Pros and cons everywhere. However, if you value family, I'd bring everyone out to Fresno and ask how they feel about it. Personally, I'd leave the family in the Midwest if they are happy there and commute for the job if the pay bump is worth it.
 
Not familiar with Fresno, But I did something similar back in 2017-2018 in Silicon Valley. Rented a single room for about 6 months before family came over. I would imagine rent in Fresno is a lot more affordable than in Silicon Valley, but also a lot depends on what sort of quality accommodations you expect. I just had a room and a shared bathroom, that’s it. Was not a big deal to me and I wanted to save as much as I could.

Also, Fresno may not be much, but it will most likely give you more future opportunities, there are plenty in CA. So renting something very modest may be a way to go because you may soon find yourself moving to the Silicon Valley, LA, Sacramento, who knows?
 
Shel_B said:
Never heard of such a thing. Lived here for more than 50 years, and owned many vehicles of all sizes, shapes, and ages. I've only paid registration fees. Managed sweetie's car, only paid registration fees.
Click to expand...
If it costs me $495 a year to register my 2008 F250 in CA, and that same vehicle is roughly $400 for five years in AZ, what would you call it?
 
I have lived in CA since1965. I consider the "central valley" to be uninhabitable. Besides crime and scorching heat for much of the year, that part of the state has some of the worst air quality to be found. And that's why housing is fairly affordable.

Regarding auto fees, our annual fee statements show two lines: license and registration. One is fairly reasonable, the other is based upon the value of the vehicle when new, and it doesn't go down very much until the car is over a decade old. It isn't called Personal Property Tax but it is a tax nonetheless. My 2019 Mazda CX 5 is over $500 a year complete and my 2021 Jaguar is close to $1100.

The median home price in CA is now over $883,000. I'd take a look on Zillow or Realtor.com for the areas you are considering and see what you can get for a half million dollars. You might not even want to live there.
 
Cujet said:
Although I live in FL I spent two decades in and out of San Jose, CA. The costs involved can be staggering. However, clearly many living there have sufficient income to have a superb quality of life. My peers that work out of SJC airport all have very expensive cars, boats, airplanes, far beyond what I’ve achieved.

I believe they are native or long time residents, purchased homes decades ago and don’t pay insane property taxes on their residence. however they bitterly complain about personal property taxes (plural) on aircraft.

A real world “spitball” guess is that you will need far more income to have the same standard of living in all respects, I’d say more than double. Forget the online calculators, they don’t live there.

Years ago I determined that I needed 260% of my income to move to CA and have the same 3 bedroom 2 bath ranch style home on 2 acres. (I paid $157k for my home in 2002)
Click to expand...
All your comments are right on. Being a CA native and buying our first home 40+ years ago is a huge tailwind to enjoying a decent standard of living. It is commonplace for San Francisco Bay Area dual income families with professional careers to be earning $350K to $500K per year. But, $1M homes in the San Francisco Bay Area are nothing more than starter homes in less desirable neighborhoods.

Of course Fresno will be less expensive than the SF Bay Area, but it's still California expensive. A 75% increase in your income to move there will not cut it - not even close. And I can almost guarantee you that you will not like Fresno. As a Californian I can tell you Fresno is the butt of jokes by California residents.

Scott

Edit: Here are some Fresno crime stats. Fresno's overall crime index is a 9. 100 is best. Absolutely abysmal.

https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ca/fresno/crime

Edit #2: And keep in mind that California has the highest income taxes in the nation. That, and a sales tax that averages 8% to 9%. Property taxes for homes range from 1% in unincorporated areas to as high as 1.75% in some cities. Just paying taxes in CA adds up to big bucks.
 
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First, let me say I am not that knowledgeable regarding the Central Valley; I don't wanna live there primarily due to the climate. If you don't care for Mid West climate, this might be better for you. Personally, I am pretty entrenched where I am...
Second, CA is a huge state population wise. People think were are a bunch of granola heads, but that is far from the truth. Politics and opinion are all over the map.
Fresno has its crime, but there are good places and bad places.
Regarding salary, remember CA state income tax is generally around 10%. Can be higher if you are lucky enough to make that much...

I suggest Googling Fresno Pros and Cons. Here's one result.
I would come out and take a look. If you wish, I have a great Real Estate Agent who is connected and could refer you to a good agent in the area. This agent will give you the straight stuff, no BS regarding the area, beyond living accomodations.

I can tell you one thing for sure, CA offers opportunity galore. We are crying for workers across the board. There is a reason we are the 4th or 5th largest economy on our own.

Good luck.
 
slo town said:
I’m not talking about heat. Fresno is a crime infested mess.

Scott
Click to expand...
Depends on the part. Clovis isn't terrible and the schools are excellent.

www.zillow.com

658 E Pinedale Ave, Fresno, CA 93720 | MLS #584650 | Zillow

For sale This 2188 square foot single family home has 3 bedrooms and 3.0 bathrooms. It is located at 658 E Pinedale Ave Fresno, California.
www.zillow.com www.zillow.com

OP, it really depends on your long term goals. Most long-distance commuters plan to do it for a few years, then either retire or relocate their family. Fresno is fairly inexpensive for housing compared to most of CA, but it is still a fairly "rural" area.
 
Fresno is a no-no, like The Critic mentioned Clovis would be my choice, lived in the central valley all my life, have no mortgage all my vehicles are paid off, wife and I are retired. There are good places to live here you just need to come out and spend a week or two and get a lay of the land. ;)
32cr-6.jpg
 
o.p., how long do you plan to work solo in fresno? i have no experience living in ca but my older son is a high-tech engineer in orange county. having visited him, socal isn’t for me. i worked overseas apart from my family early in my career. look up family challenges at home when an armed forces member deploys solo. it gets old fast for everyone, especially for the stay-behind family with older kids.

it seems that your potential employer really needs you, good. if me i would negotiate hard & without shame on the full compensation package: max 4 weeks away & 1 week paid home leave, business class airfare, company paid car & furnished apartment, retirement & profit sharing plans, advancement & relocation out of fresno later. it can’t hurt to ask…

what is your end game here? how long in fresno on temporary duty status? is this a one way path to a permanent move to fresno? does employer offer potential of other/better locations later? if you don’t like it by six months what is your exit plan?

wish great success to you!
 
c502cid said:
I live in Colorado and work for a company in Visalia which is just south of Fresno. Pros and cons everywhere. However, if you value family, I'd bring everyone out to Fresno and ask how they feel about it. Personally, I'd leave the family in the Midwest if they are happy there and commute for the job if the pay bump is worth it.
Click to expand...
That’s pretty much the plan if the money materializes. I’d probably find a long-term motel & live as cheap as possible, and fly home every few weeks. No intention to live here long-term, regardless of the money. No offense to those who live here; the landscape is gorgeous in places but I’m just a visitor. 😎
 
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SubieRubyRoo said:
That’s pretty much the plan if the money materializes. I’d probably find a long-term motel & live as cheap as possible, and fly home every few weeks. No intention to live here long-term, regardless of the money. No offense to those who live here; the landscape is gorgeous in places but I’m just a visitor. 😎
Click to expand...
Just a note, Fresno's airport (FAT) is a very easy airport to park at, just moments to the terminal and gates.
 
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