Anyone who can tell me for example what a fast food worker in orange county makes?

Ok just curious. I said something about housing costin so much out there and someone said that the wages were also that much higher. Doesnt sound like that is so. We pay about 2.6% per year in property taxes in Austin but it sounds like wages are pretty comparable.

My 98' Ford Ranger is actually sitting in front of me.  $83, plus it's a smog check year.  I think it's every other year for smog so that's at least another $50.

Just curious. So many people going back and forth from here to there and from there to here. Wanted simply to know if wages out there were commensurate with the housing prices. It appears that the cost of living increase exceeds the salary increase.

Please don't come to California, I'm trying to get as many people to leave SoCal as it is but someone keeps building new houses around my neighborhood   Between the people being pushed out of Orange County, LA County and people coming in from out of state it is now taking me 20-25 minutes to get 6 miles across town 

The last half of last year... i lived in Austin , Tx.  I can tell you that i had a HORRIBLE time finding jobs that pay even anywhere NEAR what jobs typically pay here.  Ive got a really wide variety of job experience, and even with that, i was unable to find a job that would pay me similar wages than OC jobs would.  Cost of living was less for the most part, so it evened out.  In CA, youll make more, but youll spend more on rent or a house, youll spend more on gas, food, etc.  The grass is always greener on the othere side.  hah.

7000 square feet is a lotta feet 

I work for "corporate america", I am a number, don't get me wrong - "I luv my yob main". They pay the same completely irregardless of where you live and they have employee's in CA, NV, TX, and AZ. I'm on the short end of the stick as San Diego was recently voted the most expensive city to live in in comparison's of wages to housing and cost of living in general. I was shocked that it's cost of living and housing vs. wages is actually higher here than it is in New York City. 

But if I didn't currently work for corporate america and if I weren't a number... I'd make about $15 an hour here and about $9 or $10 in TX.  A friend of mine used to live in TX in the same line of work as I am in.

About a year ago my G/F and I bought our first house, 5 bedroom, 2 bath, detached 4 car garage with an office on it's side, about 1/4 or 1/3 acre (I forgot already, I think 1/3) for $480,000 in east county (cheaper than San Diego itself). Our mortgage is $3250 a month and we bring home together about $3800 a month (combined).

Bro,
     Take my word for it.  Stay away from CA.  In addition to outrageous home prices, you pay higher electricity, gas, registration, property tax, etc.  My wife and I live in Clovis up near Fresno.  A fixer upper in our area which is considered "cheaper" than other parts of CA will run you about $225,000-250,000.  Average home prices in our area 10 years ago for the same house was $95,000.

I am paying $2000 on our mortgage.  We had considered moving to LA for a job for my wife, but the rent on a house we looked at was $3400 per month.  Now that was in Beverly Hills, so you are paying for location, but still pretty pricey. 

CA is almost a mandatory 2 income household unless you make awesome money.  I am in the military and make good money, but not enough to cover all of our expenses.  Even when I was making $22 per hour, it was really really hard to survive.

If you are a small business owner, you will get hammered on many different things.

CA is a great place to live and offers everything, but paradise comes at a high cost.

i wasnt considering moving. I was just curious if my bro was full of shit. Ill stay right here where I am! I make 60k a year and live 20 min from the lake and 5 min from down town in a 2000sqft house on a 1/4 acre lot that I paid 110 for three years ago.

But your property values wont go from 110k to 500k in 5 years

I realize that. I have only gone from 110 to 250 in three years but I still aint complaining about that. The rest of the country is imploding and we are now going up in values here. Hey I like California! Just wouldnt pay the price to live there.

Funny that you would say that! Most folks here would likewise say "Do the same for us!" unfortunatley that is the main migration route right now! Back and forth We are trading people everyday. Yall got the weather! Ill give ya that. I am not one of those "love Texas hate everywhere else" people. I do love Texas and it is where I will likley live my entire life but I like other places, just dont wanna move there.

I realize that. I have only gone from 110 to 250 in three years but I still aint complaining about that. The rest of the country is imploding and we are now going up in values here. Hey I like California! Just wouldnt pay the price to live there.

I feel ya . I love it here . The anal reaming the california realestate will give you is a little undesirable. I have family in El Paso . I'll keep my sights lookin east .

-beerjet-