Is There Rural Living Near Palo Alto California?

[toddwulf]

We just moved out of San Carlos, about 7 miles north of Palo Alto last year. Made a tidy sum on our house and used it to buy 12 acres, a tractor and a large house with a small mortgage.

Sales Taxs in CA are 8.25%. Real Estate taxes connot go up (Jarvis Gann intiative in the 70's) unless the house is re-assesed due to sale etc...Keep in mind we've got a screwed up Governor that want's to run your life the way he see's fit and oh by the way, he does want your money also as he is fiscally incompetent which will surely cost us all in the long run as Gov't doesn't know how to cut back.

Half Moon Bay is not as expensive as $1M-$2M/Acre. Try also La Honda and the area along the Skyline Ridge. Beautiful views of the Bay Area and the Pac Ocean - It's just about the only place where land MIGHT be affordable. Portola Valley, Woodside, Los Altos Hills- Just too expensive.

It Ain't cheap out here. Best of luck.,

 

[JATO_RaT]

Awww, see, Todd's just another example of a ex Bay area guy moving into the foothills. Todd, you guys pay 8.25 in El Dorado? We are 7.5 or 7.75% in sales tax. Anyway, great thing about living in California is that when and if you decide to move, you can go just about anywhere you want finnacially.

Government is like cancer in this state, it just grows and spreads. The nice thing though for those in many govenment jobs is the work of one is split up among about 5 workers. Not all, but many.

 

[Harv]

<font color=blue>Sales Taxs in CA are 8.25%</font color=blue>

Actually, California sales tax rates vary <A target="_blank" HREF=http://home.pacbell.net/hiner/salestax.htm>by county</A>. They range from 7.25% to 8.5%. /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

Where I live, it's 8.25, but when I go up to my tractor property it's only 7.25. Guess I should do more shopping up at the property.

<font color=blue> I still don't know how folks over there do it.</font color=blue>

Me neither, Rat. And I'm doing it.

 

[TresCrows]

You will be very sorry and I expect more than a little disappointed. J

 

[JATO_RaT]

Its certainly a great area. Be it the coastal range with the mammoth redwoods just around the corner, the Sierras a few hours away or some spectacular ocean views. Its no wonder the prices are high, everyone wants to live there. If one can make it work out financially, you will be in for a great adventure.
When I lived in Maine for about 6 months ( a buddy of mine and I built some homes there) it was interesting to hear older folks speak to us about their ideas of California. First and foremost was the idea of living where earthquakes are, second was the fear that they could not fit in, as though the pace would be to much for them. To bad Glueguy isn't here to comment on this. He could give you lots of great info on the area. As I recall he transplanted there from Illinois as well. He's the one who kept calling it "North California" instead of Northern California. All but one of my cousins now live in the SF/Oakland/Santa Clara area. All transplanted from Pennsylvania or South Carolina. I suspect they will never leave. No, I would not say you will be sorry, not by any stretch of the imagination. Will you be disappointed, well, I think not. It will be an adventure. Best wishes, Rat...

 

[gusg]

I moved from the Central Coast of California (San Luis Obispo or SLO) area to Michigan last year. SLO is about 160 miles south of San Jose. I had mixed feelings about leaving but left for family reasons. I grew up in Michigan for my first 22 years and was in California for 21 years. The area I moved to, Oakland County, I find is MORE expensive than California. I got the same amount of acreage (3 acres) with a larger house for slightly less money. By the way Oakland County has the second or third highest per capita income in the country which probably accounts for the cost of living.

Our car insurance and homeowners insurance doubled, property taxes doubled, income taxes will be higher, food is more expensive, etc., etc. On the plus side, gas is cheaper and I like the greenery. The schools are better here and I was starting to dislike the very liberal government that has been forming. I think it will get much worse.

I did work in L.A. and live in SLO County for 3 years. Only home on weekends. I did find a position with a firm in Santa Maria and that kept me home. I found that there were a lot of people on the Central Coast doing this, some for many years. The real estate prices were cheaper there but they are going up quickly. Just to give you an idea, a Bay Area company offered me double what I was making ($200K plus) just so I could afford a home.

Hope you find some acreage but be prepared to drive. A friend of mine lives near Salinas and drives into Sunnyvale everyday. It takes him many hours. He only gets to play on his tractor on the weekends.

 

[Bird]

Yep, Harv, Texas, too, has a state sales tax, but then cities are allowed to tack on a little more for various purposes, so almost anywhere we shop, we pay 8.25%, too.

 

[JATO_RaT]

Hey Gus, my oldest brother did much the same as you, just the other way around. He left Michigan in about 1991 and moved to Petaluma ultimately to Santa Rosa California. While in Michigan, he lived in Bloomfield Hills. He expressed much the same points you mention. Better grammer/high schools in Michigan, higher property taxes, his were $10,000 a year, high insurance etc. It seems to balance out in the end. While he really liked Michigan, thought it was beautiful, his family was here and why he came back. In my travels across the country, I enjoyed everywhere I went. The one thing about California that is distinctly different then most states is the diversity of geography. While California has some very liberal areas, it seems to concentrate in the big cities like LA and the SF/Oakland bay area, just like most states with big cities. The map of California was almost pure red (Bush) vs blue (Gore) with the big exception of the 2 main population centers that seem to most directly benefit from govenment benefits. It seems as more folks move here, especially from the East, they bring the liberal agaenda with them. There was a time when CA. was far more centered or to the right then the Boxer/Feinstein ( don't you have Biden?)crowd we have now. Would love to see that change, but I think the situation of less government and less taxes goes against all politicians beliefs, not just the liberal ones. I won't hold my breath. I try to avoid political conversation anymore as it makes me so stinkin cynical Rat...

P.S. My dad was with Aerojet back in the 50's, 60's and very early 70's

 

[TresCrows]

Sales tax is higher in Texas becasue there is no State Income Tax. There is no personel property tax either as I recall and don't they still have Home Owner Exemptions on a fairly substantial amount of a home mortage? Viva La Texas. J

 

[JATO_RaT]

Re: Is There Rural Living Near Palo Alto California? *DELETED*

I think everyone gets the home mortgage deduction on the interest paid as a matter of federal tax code. In California, we also have a portion of our property value reduced if it is our primary residence.