I am from NM and have been living out here because of work. My company has paid everything: gas, rental car, apartment. Well I am about to go back to NM and have this gut feeling that I am probally going to move back. If I do move back I would have to pay for my living expenses. I went out with some friends to look at condos. They were around 900 sq/ft and they want $350000+. How can anyone afford to live out here? $350000 will buy you a ****ing mansion in NM. I mean 4 car garage and 2500+ sq/ft. When I found this out it really made me think that I will never live in California again.

 

Not all places are that much. You don't have to live in the ghetto either, just must likely commute a bit. Cali is expensive as a whole. But luckily pay is way more too!

 

Location, Location, Location. I <3 the Bay

 

My x-girlfiend is a software engineer and she make around 70K. She can't afford a house yet. I only make 43k but that NM wages.

 

I <3 the bay also. But not enough to bankrupt myself, lol.

 

Yeah if you work out here for the same company and live out here they will most likely pay you more. Dunno where you need to live in the bay but if you told us maybe we could suggest some cheaper areas.

 

Well it is really all relative to where I get a job. I am a software engineering. I have been working in Santa Clara while I have been out here, but thats not the company I work for. It is our contracting company for the project I am on.

More so...I want to live where my car is safe, lol.

I have an apartment in Sunnyvale right now.

 

It's hard to buy a house right now with the way the market is... I'd say stay in NM and buy a hugh house

 

Don't let the door hit you on your way out of California.
There are way too many people here anyhow.

 

I really like the area and there is so much to do. NM is cool but you do run out of things to do.

 

That's not very nice. He's from New Mexico, not Mexico. Maybe you should waste your breath telling the illegal immigrants crossing into CA to leave.

Anyway, right now you probably shouldn't look into buying. Probably find another apartment to hold you over. There are some nice ones in the Santa Clara area that are safe and affordable. There are plenty of low income apartments that are extremely nice. You just have to search around. And as a software engineer, your starting income should definitely be higher since you are in the silicon valley and cost of living is high here.

 

I'm shocked you can find a condo for $350K...

If you don't have a combined income over $100K forget a condo
If you don't have a combined income over $150K forget a house.

It's the price you pay for living in such a great area, so close to so many amazing tracks, in the heart of Subaru tuning mecca.

 

that would be wasting my time

 

$350K for any type of property in the Bay Area is pretty cheap. That's a fact.

That's almost a $2K mortgage plus you'll have taxes and HOA fees. SO unless you can muster $2500/month just for housing, you're best bet is to live in NM and save.

Housing crynch aside, it's ALWAYS been expensive to live here...go back 5, 10 , 20 years...and it's always been relatively expensive...so there's no pojnt in waiting cuz it ain't getting significantly cheaper.

SF is a WORLD class city.
The job market is robust and diverse.
We have AWESOME weather
The list of restaurants, sports activites, and entertainment is top notch.

I could have just summarized mypost with:

You gotta Pay to Play.

 

poop on u!