Has Anyone Relocated from the Midwest to LA?
 

After living all our lives in the Midwest, I have a job opportunity in LA that I have all but committed to. My DW of 30 years is 100% for it.This came up in January, so we've had a lot of time to consider it and now I have a solid offer.

Our two sons attended college on the West Coast, one has just graduated, the other will next June. Neither will likely return to the Midwest. My folks, now retired, have lived in SoCal for 30 years. My father-in-law spends winters in Palm Springs area. We have other family and friends spread up the coast all the way to Seattle. We've probably visited 45-50 times over the last 30 years including 3 times in the last 3 months, so we are very familiar with the area.

The job will be more of a lateral move pay wise, but does offer new challenges that are interesting to me. At my age, I don't believe that I will get too many more opportunities like this and we are ready to go for it. Eventually we would want to retire somewhere out West and I don't believe that it will be any easier to do this in 10 or 15 years.

Negatives are leaving family and friends here and of course the housing differential which is huge. We won't require a big house and we have pretty much determined that we will rent for at least the first year. We are most interested in a small, foothills community of Sierra Madre.

I'm not so much looking for advice in making a decision, I'm certain we are going to do this. I'm just wondering if others have made similar moves and how things turned out. I don't think that I mentioned this earlier but we hate winters more every year and that is a major underlying motivating factor as well.

I'm not sure if this is a travel related topic, more of a lifestyle change. However when I came to post I noticed another thread from someone contemplating a move from SoCal to the East Coast, so I guess there is a precedent for topics such as this.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

JoeG

I think you can adjust to any move if you are prepared for it and are eager to try it. You will be helped by the fact that you have so many family members already on the West Coast and you eventually want to retire on the West Coast. We moved to CA from the Midwest and it was hard at first and we still miss the Midwest, but we have made wonderful friends out here and mostly like it - except the hgh cost of housing. Fortunately for us, we bought our house here a long time ago so it hasn't been as bad as it would be now. We are also very fortunate to get back to the Midwest often. Good Luck with any decision you make!!

Well, I moved from western PA to LA for grad school. Over several moves I made my way out of LA into the South Bay and then to Long Beach. Wild horses couldn't drag me from here-- I love it. There is a large group of Fodorites that hate southern CA, giving the usual-suspect reasons: The smog! The shallowness! The cost of living! The occasional Wrath of Nature! The vastness of it all! My answer: Lived here, dealt with it, still won't go.

My advice is: As long as you accept that southern California is completely and utterly different from where you're moving from, and you can focus on the incredible array of wonderful things about the area and deal with the vast challenges, GO FOR IT.

Great things: Temperate weather (I'm so over winter), dazzling natural beauty, beaches, desert, mountains, cultural riches too numerous to mention (museums, theatres, symphonies, opera, galleries, nightlife, restaurants, etc., etc., etc.), year-round fresh produce (including multiple seasons for strawberries!!), easy to get out when you want to.

Challenges: Traffic, distances between things, smog, Big City Problems (including uneven accessibility to health care options), housing and fuel costs.

Even given that you know housing is much more expensive, have you mentally thought about the step down in size you will have to accept if you buy a home in this area? My town is pretty downmarket, and in my neighborhood a 1400-square-foot house (Craftsman bungalow, built in 1920) will list for about $700K. My 625-sq-ft condo would list for $250K. Think: Less vacuuming/dusting. The yard for your house will be small, but think about it: less mowing. Plant water-hardy foliage. Barbecue year-round.

As far as I'm concerned, the advantages outweigh the challenges. And your mindset adjusts very quickly to considering Las Vegas a weekend jaunt instead of a Huge Vacation Destination. Do it, and enjoy!

rjw lgb ca,

Your "great things" list sounds like it was written by my wife. We are excited by all those things and more.

We have a comfortable life now and could stay here forever, circle the wagons, and fade into the sunset. However we both feel that we have at least one more big adventure in our lives.

We have a brick English tudor in the best part of town. We have lived here long enough. Time to move on. We won't even be able to afford the Craftsman. It took me over a month to mentally overcome this obstacle. If we become too overwhelmed by this, we wouldn't do it and we want to do it. We are prepared to settle for the best accomodation, no matter how small, in the best area available.

JoeG

JoeG, In my experiences, I have several friends from the midwest that have moved to California. Once they arrive in California, get adjusted and acclimated etc., they never move back to the midwest. The amusing part is when they try to plan when to return to the midwest for vacation, trying to avoid snow, sleet, heat with humidity and so on.
I too, a few years back, sold my rather good size house and now live in about a 635 sq.ft. home. Oh, the liberty of being able to clean it in a short amount of time.
From reading your post I think you and your DW will do just fine. You sound "ready and willing" to make the move. And how wonderful that you have sons, parents, in-laws already here.
Just think of all the wonderful places you can vacation too. Yes, LasVegas and Hawaii, Mexico, Northern Ca, Oregon, Washington etc.
Good luck with your new venture.

Los Angeles is a very large place. If you go to the east of downtown you can find some wonderful neighborhoods where the housing costs are not nearly as high as they are on the west side. A lot would depend on where the new job is and how far you are willing to commute. The word on the street is that the bubble is going flat. I have friends who have listed homes in LA and OC counties this past summer and the response has not been as good as they had hoped. One of them told recently that they were about to reduce their asking price for the second time since July. It might just be a good time to make that move!

If your wife is onboard with the idea, you'll probably be OK. But you asked for experiences, so I'll give you a secondhand one:

Friends of ours moved from the Northeast to Florida after 30 years in the same place.

It's working out, I think, but they do feel some sense of isolation because it's harder to make friends at that point in life.

Whether you're prepared to overcome that (or if it bothers you) is a question you can answer better than anyone else.

here_today makes good points (as usual :) ): The housing market is zone-sensitive, and the bubble is definitely losing some air. Listings are not turning over as quickly as they have (units in my building that would have moved in two weeks are now taking two months), so the days of expecting premiums over listing price are ending.

Note that I live in a coastal city, so even given its downmarket status (so many people in Santa Monica, where I live, roll their eyes and scoff: "You live in LONG BEACH?! Eewwwww.") it's expensive. There are inland deals to be found.

Best of luck to you.

Oops-- I WORK in Santa Monica, and LIVE in Long Beach. Big difference. HUGE difference. Sorry....

Joe, the one thing I have to ask is this really a lateral move if your housing is going to be so much more expensive?

To me, it would almost sound like a paycut.

The flip side is that I would have no trouble living in a townhouse or condo which will give you more for your money.

Not trying to be a downer, just pointing out something that was a red flag to me.

Good luck!

We were transferred from Northern California to the Midwest. We were able to purchase any house in the town and we bought a BIG ONE! Almost double the size of our California house for the same money...and much nicer. Then we discovered that big houses did not make a difference. We were indoors all the time in the winter. We worked for 6 years to return to Northern California. We are back now and never leaving again.

Housing is tough for anyone moving to S. Cal or N. Cal for the first time. My recommendation would be to use the tax law to your advantage. Buy a bad house in a good location and fix it up. Sell after 2 years and pocket the gain up to $500,000 with no tax liability. You can do this in California as people want a "done" house and many are too lazy to fix one up. Uncle Sam now pays you to do this. Then use your gain to get what you want.

Many areas of the country this does not work. It will usually work well in California because of the good appreciation in the desirable areas. Our real estate goes through cycles, but usually heads in one trend...up.

Final word: Once you live one winter in California with no snow or biting cold and realize you can be outdoors 12 months of the year.....you are not going back to the Midwest. Do you ever hear anyone say they are retiring and moving NORTH? We pay a "weather tax" out here and it is worth it!

Go for it. An adventure always makes life more interesting. And you also have children and friends out there and know the area.

But traveldawg, I know of people that go NORTH on retirement. Actually I also know at least ten couples that have moved south, west or east and then moved back. It is usually because one of the spouses doesn't like being without their connections and roots. It's not always the female spouse either.

I will move North on retirement. A very good friend has moved back to MINNESOTA and will not return to Chicagoland. You learn to dress for weather and not everyone likes warm.

As rjw_lgb_ca might be able to attest to, being a Long Beacher nowadays, there used to be an "Iowa picnic" annually in one of the big Long Beach parks that at one point (after the war, when Long Beach's population peaked due to defense industry production) reportedly had more attendees than any city in Iowa except Des Moines. So yeah, people have relocated to LA from the midwest.

JoeG,

This sounds like a great opportunity for you and your family. We just did the reverse...coming from the midwest, the military sent DH to San Diego. We loved it there for 10 years, but towards the end our priorities shifted, and as soon as an opportunity arose we moved to Oklahoma, closer to family. If family is important to you (and it sounds like it is) then the choice seems obvious to me.

Some things I miss about SoCal:
fresh produce! Year-round farmers' markets!
casual dress--you can wear anything anywhere without anyone batting an eye
predictability of the weather
so many activities right there
great variety of restaurants
all of our connections there

Some things I missed about the midwest:
change of season
true community feel
no one's a stranger
thunderstorms
unpredictability of the weather :)
bigger house


Good luck in your move!

Yes and I now live back in the midwest. I did not like living in SoCal. I loved the weather & beach but not much else. I decided I'd rather live someplace else and visit. Good luck!

JoeG - Sounds like you have really thought everything out and are ready to make the move. I think one of the reasons people don't like SoCal is because there are so many transplants and their families are far away. For you with your sons and parents already here it will almost be a "homecoming".

Another reason people don't like SoCal is because they don't feel a sense of community. There is no doubt that there are many areas where people commute, come home at night, shut their garage and never know their neighbors. There are also towns that have a strong sense of community. I live in one but it's in San Diego county. I think Sierra Madre would be a great choice because it is a smaller town that still retains that community feel. It's also right next to Pasadena which I love. Many years ago I lived in Monrovia so I know the area well. The Old Town area of Pasadena is vibrant and they continue to fix up Colorado Blvd. There are some downsides-worst is the smog in the summer-but it is so much better than it used to be. Winters along the foothills are beautiful. And of course the housing market is tough but sounds like you are prepared for that. I don't think the bubble is going to burst but it is slowing down right now.

Lastly, I believe that especially in some of the smaller towns in the LA area, the sense of community is there if you just look for it. Don't always be that commuter who shuts his garage door every night. Get involved in the things you like so you will meet your neighbors. Join a church group, volunteer to build a Rose Parade float, help at thrift shops or soup kitchens. If you like theatre, Sierra Madre Playhouse or others, always need volunteers. Becoming involved in my community has become the best thing I ever did for myself and my family.

Let us know how your move goes. When you get out here, we should have a Fodorite GTG to celebrate your arrival!

Thanks to all for such thoughtful replies - per usual.
To GoTravel: I have factored the cost of living into the mix somewhat. It's just that the money is not going to be so much greater that it makes the decision a no brainer.

traveldawg: I do believe that if we do this, the real estate investments that we make in CA, will still have greater appreciation in 10 years than if we stay put.
We are prepared to be stressed out and even second guessing our decision during the first year. But as you point out, once we make it through a winter without snow and biting cold, I do believe it will be worth it.

I don't want to make this a bash the Midwest topic - there are many good reasons to live here. Actually most of the people I know like this weather. We had a particularly cold and rainy June, July and August. One comment that really drove me crazy was when the weatherman would say " It's good sleeping weather!" Like I was going to go golfing this afternoon but the weather was so crappy I want to take a nap instead. We are looking forward to "good awaking weather!" We were attending the PGA Golf Championship in August. The weather on Friday was @ 60 degrees overcast with a slight drizzle. I overheard more than one person comment as we were walking in, " I like this is better than if it were 90 degrees." I'm thinking yeah, but it should be sunny and 75 or 80.

Paula:
Monrovia would be my second choice. Similar housing choices to Sierra Madre, nice neighborhoods, quaint commercial strip along, I think it's Foothill.
We have always liked Pasadena as well. Good shopping, the Norton Simon Museum, close the the Arboretum, Santa Anita. My parents lived in the Hastings Ranch area of Pasadena for about 10 or 12 years. We liked it very much. They were adjacent to a school and one day at lunch a group of boys broke into the house. My mother came home while they were there and of course freaked. Within one year they moved to a new construction home in Yorba Linda where they still live. They've made out very well. I couldn't afford to live there. However, I still like that old neighborhood feeling of Sierra Madre much better.

One other fun thing to look forward to. Last May I took adavantage of the Air France fare sale so we have a trip to France lined up before we make the move.

Thanks again,
JoeG

Joe, it sounds like you have already made your decision but are waiting for someone to push you off that cliff.

Go for it! You only live once and life is too short to have any regrets. I cannot see any negatives from reading your posts.

I think your hedge may be (just my opinion) that change can be so scary.

I wish you all the luck in the world and hope it is fantastic for your family!

Hi
Remember nothing is forever -- if you don't like SO CAL -- move back or move on. I moved there from the Midwest and am now back in the Midwest but happy for the experience -- the best ethnic food, jazz any night of the week and Hawaii is only 5 hrs. Have fun -- take advantage of what CA has to offer and accept the negatives ... get used to "Have A Nice Day".

GoTravel,
You're right about "being push off a cliff." That last step seems like the Grand Canyon!
JoeG