Spike

If having forms printed in English and Spanish will bother you then you might want to reconsider relocating to California.

Also, as PamSF stated earlier, we're having a real crisis with the education budget right now. You should follow the story in the papers and see how it turns out before school starts again in the fall. With three kids that would be a big consideration for me. And private school will probably be out of your budget.

Barbara

Spike is absolutely correct in saying that there is a crisis in funding for education in California. However, there are still very good school districts, and not very good districts, with most in the middle somewhere. Housing costs tend to be higher in areas where the school district is very good.

J_Correa

Most Californian's primary language is English. I speak English and Spanish and it has been so long since I have spoken Spanish that I have forgotten so much that I have trouble with the language.

wendyj

i would consider san diego. it's beautiful. i think you could survive on 89K a year, but then, i don't know what the expenses are like for a family of 5. look in north county - i think it's more reasonable than central San Diego.

golf in san diego is HUGE. so many courses, and callaway golf is in carlsbad. san diegans are outdoors 10 months out of the year (if not year round), so expect an active lifestyle and plenty of sunshine.

you don't say what your husband will be selling, but pharmaceuticals and biotech is very big in SD...if your husband's company sells either of those things, you'd be set.

also, i hope you were kidding about the language thing. i guess things are different in other parts of the country, but CA is very diverse. San Diego has a large spanish-speaking population, but you don't need to know it if you don't want to know it.

wendyj

p.s. you mentioned that your life revolves around your neighbors. i want to warn you (and may catch some flack for doing so): neighbors aren't that friendly in California. I grew up in CA, and rarely knew the names of my neighbors. I did have neighborhood friends when I was young, but the truth is that people tend to keep to themselves (I lived in San Jose and San Diego until 2000). You are more likely to meet your friends through your interests and your children. Neighbors are not unfriendly, but don't expect a freshly baked pie on your doorstep.

J_Correa

I agree with Wendy about neighbors. I've lived in CA my entire life. We've usually known the neighbors well enough for them to watch our house while we're gone and to chat a bit in the driveway, but we've never really socialized with our neighbors. There are some neighborhoods where the people know each other well, but I don't think that is the norm. Like Wendy said, people aren't unfriendly or rude, they just tend to keep to themselves.

Sherri

I have lived in CA my entire life. Grew up in central CA and have lived in So.CA for over 20 years. The L.A. County area is good for business (I am in sales as well) and I think that your family would be really happy living in the Santa Clarita valley (Valencia area north of L.A.). Last data showed this area as the 5th safest place in America for a city of it's size according the FBI. The public schools are excellent (I have 2 kids)- many CA distinquished schools in the area. The temp runs about 5 degrees hotter than the LA basin, but we do not get the "June gloom" that hits the basin from around May to July. You are close to the beach (35 minutes to Ventura or Santa Monica or 1 hour from Santa Barbara), 1 hour from the mountains and really close to downtown L.A., Hollywood or the westside. There is real sense of neighborhood in the area and it is great place to raise kids. Many members of the law enforcement and people that work in the entertainment industry live there because it is close enough, but still far enough away from L.A. Housing prices are going up, but there are still quite a few really nice homes that are reasonably priced. San Francisco would not be my choice and Sacramento is OK, but you are stuck in the San Joaquin valley (hot, fog) and pretty far from the coast. If you decide on that area, the areas around Folsom and Rocklin are nice. Have fun living in CA!

patsy

Glad to hear that I'll be OK with the language thing....although, it certainly wouldn't hurt me to learn a 2nd language for my own enrichment. I taught elementary school for several years prior to starting my family so I'm all too aware of the crisis that many a district is suffering. As for neighbors, we have become close to several neighbors here through our kids. If for not having kids, we too probably wouldn't have met many of them so we'll do just fine there and won't expect any pies...LOL. Just found out this morning that we are coming into some unknown cash from my husband's grandfather (died before Christmas at age 98). It should be around $25,000 which will really help our savings account!!! I've having a ball reading up on all these great areas. They all sound great! Thanks so much!

holly

I would also suggest that you consider the Sacramento area. I would look a little north in the Roseville/Rocklin area. It is a little more conservative and may be a little more like home. These cities are in Placer County, so it will cost a little more to live there. It should still be in your price range, though.

fb

I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, but moved to the Sacramento area (Roseville) 23 years ago. We raised two children here and overall have been very happy. The weather is certainly better in San Diego and other areas closer to the coast, but the cost of living is lower here and most people would consider it safer, both in terms of safety and lack of earthquakes. I enjoy going back to East to visit, but have never been tempted to move back. If you have any specific questions, feel free to E-mail me:
[email protected]

wendyj

patsy,

it sounds like you guys are all set. now, go to san diego! you'll love it.

Quinty

Dear Patsy,
I too moved from a more modest environement (both in surroundings and family structure to Cali). I have lived in Sacramento, Davis, Tarzana (San Fernando Valley) and Lake Arrowhead (outside LA).
For your type of family (which is what my parents had) would be great for either Davis or Lake Arrowhead.
Davis is primarily a college town, but it's small and very safe. It's the kind of place where you can leave the doors unlocked and you don't hear any city noises. Lots of pollen though so watch out if you have allergies.

The other option is Lake Arrowhead and surrounding areas. That is where I live now and prefer it. My husband is also in sales and has access to all of LA and San Diego from this location, reaching the farthest areas in about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The real estate is shockingly reasonable up here, and the climate is nice. Most of the year would have an average of 70, never getting above 90 in the summer (and only for a few days if it reaches that). We do get some snow in the winter and it's nice to have all 4 seasons. It is also the type of area where you can leave your doors open, as it is a nice community oriented area. We have lived here a year and know all our neighbors and are active in the community. They also have excellent schools (curriculum) in the area. This is where Michelle Kwan lives, went to school and trains, and the high school cheerleading goes to national finals every year.
If you want to more specifically, I'd love to help you out. My email is [email protected]
Hope you find what you're looking for!

HaveVisaWillTravel

Everything is about negotiating. I would do some research and find out exactly what your husband's profession is paying on the west coast. My thoughts are that you could probably get more than 89K per year, plus perks like relocating expenses, etc. I realize that this is more about which area, but needed to pipe in to make sure you don't settle for anything more than you deserve. Anyone else???

nolists

I was raised and schooled (through college) in the Mid-west, moved to CA at 22, went back for 3 years about 5 years ago and returned because despite all the troubles out here, life is pretty good, but ...

Schools:
Contrary to teacher union spin, the problem with CA schools has little to do with funding and more to do with stupid spending. There are decent public schools, but nothing compared to what you are more likely used to unless you are coming from and under achieving urban area. Since you stay at home, you will have the time to supplement your kids education which is generally needed even in so-called "good school districts". The higher achieving districts here (80 %-ile) translate into about the 50 %-ile of the national averages.

Housing:
If your move is permanent, you will want to buy a home. Word of warning, California is very pocketed. You can live 3 blocks from bad crime areas and spend $1M for your home (West LA). You should definitely rent or have your husband's company pay for short-term housing (at least six months). You would be even wiser if you could get them to pay for 2 or more areas for 3-6 months each.

Areas:
If your husband is in sales, he will most likely have to travel, but will it be driving or flying?
If flying, consider north San Diego or south Orange county, good access to Lindberg Field and John Wayne airports. Also consider Ventura, because Burbank and LAX are not too far. I have friends who live in Elk Grove (near Sacramento) who chose the area because of access to the airport there for similar needs.

Santa Barbara is an interesting option, but it is sooooo expensive there. The locals are also a bit full of themselves. I lived there for nearly 4 years and wouldn't go back except for long weekends via the train. I would maybe suggest slightly further north, i.e. Lompoc/Santa Maria through San Luis Obispo but you will be isolated from any city life and only puddle jumper airports.

Politics/Taxes/etc:
Our governor and most legislature people are mind numbed union goons. From 1998, California's government grew 40%. During dot-com boom revenues were good but now ... things suck. They never consider cutting spending only raising taxes. Wouldn't it be great if we were able to spend stupidly and generate big debts and then demand pay raise because we are incompetent.

You will find transition hard, but after several years you'll wonder why you didn't do this earlier.

mclaurie

Wow Patsy, you've gotten some really great advice but I'm with nolists. I would first think about where your husband's greatest sales prospects are & how he'll be travelling to make sales calls. If it's by air, try to situate near one of the smaller airports. if by car, figure out where his prospects are, get a map & a compass & draw some circles. Travelling is one of the biggest issues in CA. The traffic is terrible. Also, there are companies that specialize in relocation. Maybe your husband's company would spring for you to consult with one of them. Good luck!

BarbaraS

Patsy - several years ago we move to California and lived in the Rancho Cucamonga area. It is near the Ontario airport and has affordable housing. The neighbors were very friendly and we really enjoyed the area.

joesorce

Learning a 2nd language would be great, especially if you plan to get back into teaching some day. But what you really need to do before coming is practice your driving. Find some neighbors and head out onto the freeway. Make sure that you are all in SUVs and have cell phones in hand. Now, line up 4 lanes wide and leave .2 feet of space between the vehicles in front and in back of you. Get up to 70 mph and slam on the brakes several times. Weave from lane to lane trying to get ahead of others. Honk your horn and apply your makeup while talking on your cell-phone and eating a bagel. (NO CREAM CHEESE, that stuff is too fattening for Californians!) Oh, and a very important tip, DO NOT use your turn signal until AFTER you have changed lanes. It's just not chic to let anyone know what you are about to do! Now, do not exit the freeway until you are a few feet PAST your exit. Then take a sharp right and zoom over the median strip into the exit lane. THE SECOND that the light in front of you turns green, wail on your horn to get the car in front of you moving.

And left turns...well, we'll save that for another day.

Quinty

Barbara,
Isn't it stinky down there? So many times when I am in Ontario or Rancho it smells like cow manure (dairy farms).
It would be interesting to know if you are in a part that doesn't get that foul wind!!

patsy

Unfortunately, I have heard about the terrible CA governor and the over spending in CA. California has the highest taxes and yet the bond rating just went down to the lowest of the 50 states. It does sound like the state is close to bankruptcy....not that this will ever happen. Now my husband is getting "cold feet" because of what he's been reading about the political and financial problems within California. He's decided to put off any relocation decisions for a month or so. If we do go through with it (which I suspect will happen) his company will pay for all our relocation expenses etc. Anyway, I'm kind of putting things on "hold" for several weeks and then we'll decide for sure one way or another and take it from there. You all have given me so much help!! I really have been reading up on all these great areas.

Barbara

Yes, California has financial problems right now, but so do most other states. In great part it's due to Federal policies which are not controlled by the Governor. I'm not a fan of Gray Davis, but it's unfair to give him all the "credit" for this. Also remember that California has the fifth largest economy in the world.