Living in Los Angeles

[Bevo]

I would not move to La. The nightlife is ok with Hollywood, studio city, and downtown but nothing like New York or Miami. Clubs and bars close at 2am which really sucks.

It's polluted and dirty with terrible traffic. The beaches are filthy with the exception of Malibu. No outdoor
Beach bars to show off the physique either.  If your considering Southern California I think San Diego is the better place to live.  Better women, better weather, and cleaner beaches. La Jolla, Laguna beach, all beautiful  places. Newport Beach is nice too. The place you mentioned where your going to work  (Compton) is terrible  and i wouldn't reccomend working down there. Very dangerous. Torrance and Carson aren't as dangerous but they are both filthy and way too  crowded.

Laguna, Newport, both are Orange County area. Pretty much OC is very nice to live, very expensive for sure and prob some of the most in the LA/OC area

Huntington Beach, Irvine, San Clemente, very nice too

You could say hi to chaos and coach there  

[SF1900]

I have spent ample time going to Compton for work over the past 10 years. Go to lunch there even dinner from time to time. I wouldn't live there but as far as working there I have never had an issue. Like most cities you have good and bad parts.
Living in San Diego is not an option. Even though I will be managing people from San Diego to Oakland but those will be 1-2 day tripsto all those cities. To be honest I will take horrible traffic and dirt over these winters in the Midwest. It is only August and everyone I know including myself is already dreading it. With a completely fucked up back the winter plays hell on it. I have 4-5 months straight of unbearable pain. It is not quite as bad in warm weather. I do appreciate your view and opinion on this though. Thank you.

I've also spent some time in Compton for work. It's fine during the day time. Like you, I even had lunch there in the afternoon. However, I wouldn't go there at night.

[Mr Anabolic]

Emmortal, your reply really resonated with me. Thank you very much. You have lived in all 3 areas I either live at or am considering moving to. Huge help. My young girlfriend will be coming with me. They are placing her in a job as well. My office will be in Compton. We have been looking nightly at housing. I would like to stay under $400k if possible so I am probably going to have to go with a condo to stay in that price range. I would like to keep my commute under 1/2 hr to Compton. We have looked at Carson, Torrance, Long Beach, Wittier, Lakewood, San Pedro and several other cities in that area. Do you have any cities you would recommend? Thank you again!

Under $400k?... in da hood maybe.  More like 600-700k.  Better to stay mobile and rent instead.
 The job might not work out. 

In 2005 I almost took a job in the Downey/South Gate area, but decided against it.  Glad I did, the company got acquired in 2009 and eventually laid-off all the employees. 

There are nice places to live in LA, but they are VERY expensive.  I've visited LA many times and know many people who currently live there.  Believe me, you do not want to live near any of the ghetto areas.   

I lived in San Diego for 10 years and I loved it.  Even though I hate the leftist politics/attitudes, I'll probably move back when I retire.

[gym**rat]

Under $400k?... in da hood maybe.  More like 600-700k.  Better to stay mobile and rent instead.
 The job might not work out. 

In 2005 I almost took a job in the Downey/South Gate area, but decided against it.  Glad I did, the company got acquired in 2009 and eventually laid-off all the employees. 

There are nice places to live in LA, but they are VERY expensive.  I've visited LA many times and know many people who currently live there.  Believe me, you do not want to live near any of the ghetto areas.   

I lived in San Diego for 10 years and I loved it.  Even though I hate the leftist politics/attitudes, I'll probably move back when I retire.

Actually I have found several nice condos in the range of 1,000 - 1,400 sq ft and in the range of $300-$400k. There are all in low crime nice areas. I am actually looking forward to a smaller place. I currently own a 2 story 4br 3 bath home. It is just me and my girlfriend. A couple months will go by where we don't step a foot in 3 of the bedrooms, formal dining and den. But I bought this as an investment because of the area and the price I stole it at. Big houses sell fast in the Midwest.

[Mr Anabolic]

Actually I have found several nice condos in the range of 1,000 - 1,400 sq ft and in the range of $300-$400k. There are all in low crime nice areas. I am actually looking forward to a smaller place. I currently own a 2 story 4br 3 bath home. It is just me and my girlfriend. A couple months will go by where we don't step a foot in 3 of the bedrooms, formal dining and den. But I bought this as an investment because of the area and the price I stole it at. Big houses sell fast in the Midwest.

House prices will start turning down again soon, it's inevitable.  If OP can hold on and rent for a couple years, he will be able to buy at a much cheaper price.

[gym**rat]

House prices will start turning down again soon, it's inevitable.  If OP can hold on and rent for a couple years, he will be able to buy at a much cheaper price.

The bitch of renting is I will lose some of the benefits of my relocation package. Which is very generous.

[Mr Anabolic]

The bitch of renting is I will lose some of the benefits of my relocation package. Which is very generous.

I've been in this situation too... they're picking up all the closing costs, I bet.  How long do they give you to buy?

[gym**rat]

I've been in this situation too... they're picking up all the closing costs, I bet.  How long do they give you to buy?

It is much more than that. They pick up any realtor fees on selling mine too. They actually have a company to manage the selling and buying. They give me a nice sum of money to move my belongings. More than enough to hire a company to do it all. But if I pack it in pods and unpack the pods at the new home I will end up getting to keep about $10k of that allowance. It states I have 3 months to buy but can be extended with a request. You just have to show effort to locate a home because they will be paying for my temporary housing during that time. Also if my house does not sell within 60 days the company they use to manage the relocation they buy it at market price.

[Primemuscle]

I have spent ample time going to Compton for work over the past 10 years. Go to lunch there even dinner from time to time. I wouldn't live there but as far as working there I have never had an issue. Like most cities you have good and bad parts.
Living in San Diego is not an option. Even though I will be managing people from San Diego to Oakland but those will be 1-2 day tripsto all those cities. To be honest I will take horrible traffic and dirt over these winters in the Midwest. It is only August and everyone I know including myself is already dreading it. With a completely fucked up back the winter plays hell on it. I have 4-5 months straight of unbearable pain. It is not quite as bad in warm weather. I do appreciate your view and opinion on this though. Thank you.

If money were no object, I'd live in Santa Barbara. I have very fond childhood memories of being at my parent's ocean front beach house there. ....If I win the lottery....!!

[gym**rat]

If money were no object, I'd live in Santa Barbara. I have very fond childhood memories of being at my parent's ocean front beach house there. ....If I win the lottery....!!

I wonder what that place is worth today? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Primemuscle]

I wonder what that place is worth today? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

All I know is that I could not afford it. My parents were middle-class. An true to those times, very overextended. I was just a kid who was living the life of Riley on his parent's dollar. It gave me the false impression that I somehow had a "silver spoon" in my life. Real life for me was a very rude awakening. I survived.

[Bevo]

If money were no object, I'd live in Santa Barbara. I have very fond childhood memories of being at my parent's ocean front beach house there. ....If I win the lottery....!!

That was prob when it was cheap too ha

My parents are retired in Santa Barbara, nice away from the "city" place

I grew up in Thousand Oaks

[Primemuscle]

That was prob when it was cheap too ha

My parents are retired in Santa Barbara, nice away from the "city" place

I grew up in Thousand Oaks

Do you think your parents would consider adopting me? 

My parents moved a lot. From the time I was 8 years old, I grew up in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, West L.A., Encino and Woodland Hills (in that order). My parents spent every cent my dad earned....there was no retirement for them. The beach house in Santa Barbara was a brief experience. It was one I will never forget. The summer days spent at State Beach, where I'd wander down to Venice Beach are also indelibly etched in my memory. Why the hell I currently live 80 miles from the coast in Oregon is a real mystery to me.

[calfzilla]

Do you think your parents would consider adopting me? 

My parents moved a lot. From the time I was 8 years old, I grew up in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, West L.A., Encino and Woodland Hills (in that order). My parents spent every cent my dad earned....there was no retirement for them. The beach house in Santa Barbara was a brief experience. It was one I will never forget. The summer days spent at State Beach, where I'd wander down to Venice Beach are also indelibly etched in my memory. Why the hell I currently live 80 miles from the coast in Oregon is a real mystery to me.

When I was a small child my grandmother lived in a house <1 mile from the Oregon coast. No idea why she moved. I loved visiting there. 

[Primemuscle]

When I was a small child my grandmother lived in a house <1 mile from the Oregon coast. No idea why she moved. I loved visiting there. 

I'd be happy with a place in Gearhart with an ocean view. Sadly, that's not within my budget. Wha wha.

[Mr Anabolic]

It is much more than that. They pick up any realtor fees on selling mine too. They actually have a company to manage the selling and buying. They give me a nice sum of money to move my belongings. More than enough to hire a company to do it all. But if I pack it in pods and unpack the pods at the new home I will end up getting to keep about $10k of that allowance. It states I have 3 months to buy but can be extended with a request. You just have to show effort to locate a home because they will be paying for my temporary housing during that time. Also if my house does not sell within 60 days the company they use to manage the relocation they buy it at market price.

When I moved to San Diego in 2001, the company gave me almost the exact same things.  They mailed me a 15K check just for moving expenses, I spent only $3K of it and banked the rest.  I never did buy a house in SD (dumb I know), but I did have a great life while I was there.  You're fortunate... most companies are not this generous anymore.  You must have a very specific skill-set.

[Shizzo]

If money were no object, I'd live in Santa Barbara. I have very fond childhood memories of being at my parent's ocean front beach house there. ....If I win the lottery....!!

Keep dreaming, Prime! It is never to late to get what you want in life (Richard Gere to take you from behind)

[Emmortal]

House prices will start turning down again soon, it's inevitable.  If OP can hold on and rent for a couple years, he will be able to buy at a much cheaper price.

Doubtful.  LA has a unique problem of available land and a lack of affordable housing in new developments.  Even with city requirements for developers to build a certain percentage of affordable housing in new condo developments, those units go to the developers friends and family first before anyone of real need has access to them.  There's high demand and short supply and that isn't going to change any time soon.

About the only thing that would cause housing to go down or at least stop rising in LA would be a major earthquake.

[NelsonMuntz]

When I moved to San Diego in 2001, the company gave me almost the exact same things.  They mailed me a 15K check just for moving expenses, I spent only $3K of it and banked the rest.  I never did buy a house in SD (dumb I know), but I did have a great life while I was there.  You're fortunate... most companies are not this generous anymore.  You must have a very specific skill-set.

 

[Taffin]

Keep dreaming, Prime! It is never to late to get what you want in life (Richard Gere to take you from behind)

Hahaha!  I am ashamed to admit that the way this seemingly positive sentence switched made me involuntarily laugh out loud  

(Note to self - must try harder to act more grown up...)

[Primemuscle]

Keep dreaming, Prime! It is never to late to get what you want in life (Richard Gere to take you from behind)

He's not my type and I don't bottom.

[Mr Anabolic]

Doubtful.  LA has a unique problem of available land and a lack of affordable housing in new developments.  Even with city requirements for developers to build a certain percentage of affordable housing in new condo developments, those units go to the developers friends and family first before anyone of real need has access to them.  There's high demand and short supply and that isn't going to change any time soon.

About the only thing that would cause housing to go down or at least stop rising in LA would be a major earthquake.

People were saying ALL those things in 2005/06.  The speculators are in over their heads again, especially Chinese ones.  Flip/buying/renovate shows are once again proliferating cable tv and many of the so-called buyers are actors/shills.  Housing is not affordable for normal middle class, first time buyers.  Also, the US economy is much worse than they say it is and the unemployment stats are totally bogus.  I give it 1-2 years before the RE market falls hard again.  

[Primemuscle]

People were saying ALL those things in 2005/06.  The speculators are in over their heads again, especially Chinese ones.  Flip/buying/renovate shows are once again proliferating cable tv and many of the so-called buyers are actors/shills.  Housing is not affordable for normal middle class, first time buyers.  Also, the US economy is much worse than they say it is and the unemployment stats are totally bogus.  I give it 1-2 years before the RE market falls hard again.  

It's all about supply and demand.

[Mr Anabolic]

It's all about supply and demand.

When there is no longer any demand, supply is irrelevant.

[gym**rat]

First off, thank you to everyone that gave great advice and information. I took a lot of it into consideration when making my decision today. I unfortunately declined the job offer because it was not lucrative enough to justify making the move to LA area. I will probably now follow my plan B of working 4 1/2 more years then retiring and get a place in the Destin, Florida panhandle area. Me and my girlfriend are going down there is 3 weeks and will check out some properties while vacationing. Thanks again fellow getbiggers!