Everyone is moving to California!

[bacillus1]

Didn't we decide in another thread that everyone was moving out of CA due to the drought and that the state would turn into a desert?

Today at brunch, instead of giving water automatically, the waiter asked us if we wanted water. True sign of a drought.
Ugh I'm sure this drought will drive rent up even more.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[BMBiology]

People who no longer can afford to live in the coastal cities have to decide if they are going to move to the desert or to another state. I would rather move to another state and WA should be on the top of my list.

 

[pezdispenser]

You have to buy a place and pay it off as soon as you can. Property tax is only 1.1-1.2% a year and annual increase can't exceed more than 2% (same rate of inflation). If you take care of your housing needs, it makes living in Southern California "affordable" and worth the extra state income tax.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Plus it has been easy building wealth and home equity out here in Florida, when you aren't weighed down by high rent/massive mortgage or state income taxes. I could just sell it all and transfer in to California at a later stage in my life.

 

[SpartanLaser]

Why California? The CPJE really sucks with its insane failure rate/QAs. Also the board of pharmacy has literally 2 people processing apps, so it takes them a good few months

 

[PharmtoCS]

As a pharmacist in coastal California, you face the triple threat of:

1) An extremely saturated job market
2) High student loans, especially if you went to school in California
3) High housing prices. You are competing with the techies who earn far more than pharmacists, had a 4-year head start on earning income, and have little or no student loans.

 

[confettiflyer]

Today at brunch, instead of giving water automatically, the waiter asked us if we wanted water. True sign of a drought.
Ugh I'm sure this drought will drive rent up even more.

By law they have to ask if you want water. Be glad we even have water to serve! Hahah

 

[confettiflyer]

People who no longer can afford to live in the coastal cities have to decide if they are going to move to the desert or to another state. I would rather move to another state and WA should be on the top of my list.

Seattle and Portland were on my short, I personally know at least a dozen people from CA and PA who moved to Seattle for work (mostly Amazon).

 

[confettiflyer]

Why California? The CPJE really sucks with its insane failure rate/QAs. Also the board of pharmacy has literally 2 people processing apps, so it takes them a good few months

You mean really awesome? Keeps the supply higher, I suppose, and our salaries higher as a result.

Well, they're high for other reasons, but if you believe CPJE has a high failure rate (it doesn't), then I guess that works as a reason.

 

[confettiflyer]

As a pharmacist in coastal California, you face the triple threat of:

1) An extremely saturated job market
2) High student loans, especially if you went to school in California
3) High housing prices. You are competing with the techies who earn far more than pharmacists, had a 4-year head start on earning income, and have little or no student loans.

Coastal CA has always been expensive relatively speaking, but the tech booms haven't helped either.

But you gotta admire an industry that has singlehandedly lowered the unemployment rate to under 5% in SF and SV, and is making our state coffers drown in $$$$$$ from tax revenue.

 

[jeffk805dent]

Even though the CA politics piss off people (though AZ seems to be trying hard to do that too LOL), the real turn off is the housing/rent cost. Its good for a single person or a married couple but its really tough when you get children. I've noticed the happiest couples in CA tend to be the ones where both are pitching in for living whereas here in AZ its more of a husband works, wife stays at home type scenario (not my cup of tea).

dumbest excuses I've heard for people not wanting to live in CA outside of housing cost are: hippies, gays, Muslims, earthquakes, fresh off the boat Chinese, smog. Ok whatever

Hoping to live near Santa Monica in a decade when I get all the savings. That and Coronado in San Diego are awesome.

 

[BMBiology]

As a pharmacist in coastal California, you face the triple threat of:

1) An extremely saturated job market
2) High student loans, especially if you went to school in California
3) High housing prices. You are competing with the techies who earn far more than pharmacists, had a 4-year head start on earning income, and have little or no student loans.

Fearmonger! LOL

If you are dating Miss California, would you really complain about how long it takes her to get ready? Everything has a price!

 

[BMBiology]

Hoping to live near Santa Monica in a decade when I get all the savings. That and Coronado in San Diego are awesome.

Good luck with that plan if you are going to USC dental school~! You would be lucky to be living in the desert

 

[jeffk805dent]

Good luck with that plan if you are going to USC dental school~! You would be lucky to be living in the desert

jokes on you, I graduated from dental school a while ago and not from USC. Plus another joke is on you, I dont mind living in the desert, hence currently in AZ.

 

[confettiflyer]

jokes on you, I graduated from dental school a while ago and not from USC. Plus another joke is on you, I dont mind living in the desert, hence currently in AZ.

It'll all be desert anyway, when Northern California secedes and dynamites the CVP.

 

[confettiflyer]

\I've noticed the happiest couples in CA tend to be the ones where both are pitching in for living whereas here in AZ its more of a husband works, wife stays at home type scenario (not my cup of tea).

That's a bizarre idea to me...two-income household has always been the norm, I really cannot easily think of anyone I know (my generation or my parents') where the one spouse was absolutely 100% stay-at-home/no-income.

The closest anyone would get is doing Avon or Tupperware or something at home, but that's still 2nd income.

It's like, I've only seen that on television on one of those classic TV show channels.

 

[jeffk805dent]

That's a bizarre idea to me...two-income household has always been the norm, I really cannot easily think of anyone I know (my generation or my parents') where the one spouse was absolutely 100% stay-at-home/no-income.

The closest anyone would get is doing Avon or Tupperware or something at home, but that's still 2nd income.

It's like, I've only seen that on television on one of those classic TV show channels.

granted I'm generalizing but I've met some couples where the wife wants to be a housewife or stay at home mom. Nothing wrong with that if the husband doesnt mind but it becomes a problem when looking for houses, that extra money the wife could have had would have come in handy. This is probably more so common in the Midwest and rural areas, where its still the old school traditional family setting. My girlfriend works and earns a lot so its win-win for both of us since we both want to move back to CA to be closer with family.

 

[awval999]

Stay at home spouse is definitely more common in the Midwest, and I imagine that's what my family will end up being.

My wife and I went to California for two weeks last summer. Did the whole Highway 1 crawl. San Diego, LA, Big Sur, SFO, Wine country. Thank Jesus for frequent flyer miles and Priceline. Honestly loved it, except for most of LA (excepting Santa Monica which was amazing). Although your late June summer nights were a bit chilly.

What I love about the Midwest is baring a catastrophic job loss, I've already won the game. It's just so cheap. I have an updated 3/2 house in a top school district in walking distance to Whole Foods, restaurants, library. Student loans will be paid off by ~33. We have extra money to travel all the time, especially with my knowledge of the credit card miles game and Priceline. The only negative here is the winter, December - March is pretty meh. But I honestly, completely cannot imagine living somewhere where owning an average house is unreachable, where I'd spend all of my money on rent and have no money to jetset around the world. I've looked up how much a 3/2 house costs in Santa Monica. It's 5-10 times (or more) as much as my house.

 

[bacillus1]

By law they have to ask if you want water. Be glad we even have water to serve! Hahah

I want my water and I want my plastic bags!

 

[Prepharm1214]

Stay at home spouse is definitely more common in the Midwest, and I imagine that's what my family will end up being.

My wife and I went to California for two weeks last summer. Did the whole Highway 1 crawl. San Diego, LA, Big Sur, SFO, Wine country. Thank Jesus for frequent flyer miles and Priceline. Honestly loved it, except for most of LA (excepting Santa Monica which was amazing). Although your late June summer nights were a bit chilly.

What I love about the Midwest is baring a catastrophic job loss, I've already won the game. It's just so cheap. I have an updated 3/2 house in a top school district in walking distance to Whole Foods, restaurants, library. Student loans will be paid off by ~33. We have extra money to travel all the time, especially with my knowledge of the credit card miles game and Priceline. The only negative here is the winter, December - March is pretty meh. But I honestly, completely cannot imagine living somewhere where owning an average house is unreachable, where I'd spend all of my money on rent and have no money to jetset around the world. I've looked up how much a 3/2 house costs in Santa Monica. It's 5-10 times (or more) as much as my house.

With the amount of travel I do I'm looking to get out of cash back type of credit cards and into a travel rewards one, could you share your thoughts on the best card and the shortened details of your knowledge in this area?

 

[rxglasshalffull]

the desert is a no no as a permanent residence, only for weekend getaway.

 

[rxglasshalffull]

i live coastal socal in a very affluent area where a two-bedroom 1000sq condo is about 450k - 500k. however i graduated at exactly 23 1/2 with no loans and have a spouse who is also a pharmacist graduated at 25 no with loan, we are doing just okay. for me, raised and went to school in ny/nj, there is NO price i wouldnt pay to live where i live. my lifestyle here is truly amazing. every day i drive to work and see all the beautiful scenery, i feel so blessed to live here. however not every part of california is great and not every part of california is expensive. of course the cheaper areas are crappier, just like every other place in this country. i see the appeal of a cheaper state, but i do go to the beach very often and go hiking by the beach at least once a week and i love the sunny and 70s weather all year round, hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, zoo, etc, countless activites all without 15 miles from me, and just the amazing lifestyle my city offers me. for me, i feel like im finally living. whereas when i was living in the northeast 30 min out of nyc, i felt like i wasnt offered the activities i wanted to do and the weather..i felt like life was passing me by. i am content living in a 1000sq condo here than a 3000sq house in texas, but everyone is different.
yes, pharmacy is saturated in the good parts of california, but guess what, pharmacy is saturated in all the good parts of the us where people want to live.

 

[jeffk805dent]

yes, pharmacy is saturated in the good parts of california, but guess what, pharmacy is saturated in all the good parts of the us where people want to live.

if it makes you feel any better, same applies with dentistry. Healthcare in general tends to have better job prospects in the rural and boonies, compared to engineering, accounting and finance where the jobs are a plenty in cities (at least compared to health care).

 

[PharmtoCS]

But you gotta admire an industry that has singlehandedly lowered the unemployment rate to under 5% in SF and SV, and is making our state coffers drown in $$$$$$ from tax revenue.

It'll all be desert anyway, when Northern California secedes and dynamites the CVP.

That is why I predict that the San Francisco Bay Area will be the last region to have its water supply cut off. Only a fraction of the water goes to SF/SV residents, whereas the majority of the water goes to agriculture which is nowhere as profitable as the tech industry, at least until the bubble bursts.

 

[awval999]

With the amount of travel I do I'm looking to get out of cash back type of credit cards and into a travel rewards one, could you share your thoughts on the best card and the shortened details of your knowledge in this area?

I could never do it justice. I am constantly learning. Here's a starter tutorial.

http://www.milevalue.com/free-first-class-next-month-2014-index/

 

[confettiflyer]

I could never do it justice. I am constantly learning. Here's a starter tutorial.

http://www.milevalue.com/free-first-class-next-month-2014-index/

Mileage programs have become much less generous as they've shifted from a miles flown model to a dollar paid model. Before my pharmacy days, I'd rack up miles from work related travel and to put icing on the cake, I'd find these crazy mileage run deals on FT and spend my weekend on a plane.

Kind of weird I guess, but it was a lot of fun.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

With the amount of travel I do I'm looking to get out of cash back type of credit cards and into a travel rewards one, could you share your thoughts on the best card and the shortened details of your knowledge in this area?

Its either the CapitalOne Venture Visa Signature or the Barclaycard Arrival World Mastercard, depending on if the extra $20 a year for the Barclay card is enough to justify the extra 0.2% cash back. Which for most of us moderately well off people - it is. I carry the Venture card. I put about $50,000 on the card last year (my entire life is paid through this card, more or less), so I walked away with $1,000 in free travel.

Don't get the Starwood Hotels American Express that websites tell you is the best cash back per dollar spent in the industry. It is, technically, HOWEVER, you have to pay the regular rate for a hotel room using it. If you use Hotwire, Priceline, or Airbnb, the amount you save well outpaces the amount you get from the card.

 

[awval999]

Mileage programs have become much less generous as they've shifted from a miles flown model to a dollar paid model. Before my pharmacy days, I'd rack up miles from work related travel and to put icing on the cake, I'd find these crazy mileage run deals on FT and spend my weekend on a plane.

Kind of weird I guess, but it was a lot of fun.

You're doing it wrong Confetti. It's not about "earning" miles from flying. It's about earning them through sign-up bonuses.

 

[confettiflyer]

You're doing it wrong Confetti. It's not about "earning" miles from flying. It's about earning them through sign-up bonuses.

But sign up bonuses usually don't count for elite status. You can't bonus mile your way into AA EX PLT!

 

[RxStudentatUB]

As a pharmacist in coastal California, you face the triple threat of:

1) An extremely saturated job market
2) High student loans, especially if you went to school in California
3) High housing prices. You are competing with the techies who earn far more than pharmacists, had a 4-year head start on earning income, and have little or no student loans.

Do you think this triple threat will hit most of the country anytime soon? I had plans of living a quiet life in Montana or somewhere Midwestey, I had my share of crazy growing up in Baltimore. I would prefer to do so in a decent house which doesn't have to be blingy and on a reliable income which pharmacy no longer provides to some.

 

[bacillus1]

Its either the CapitalOne Venture Visa Signature or the Barclaycard Arrival World Mastercard, depending on if the extra $20 a year for the Barclay card is enough to justify the extra 0.2% cash back. Which for most of us moderately well off people - it is. I carry the Venture card. I put about $50,000 on the card last year (my entire life is paid through this card, more or less), so I walked away with $1,000 in free travel.

Don't get the Starwood Hotels American Express that websites tell you is the best cash back per dollar spent in the industry. It is, technically, HOWEVER, you have to pay the regular rate for a hotel room using it. If you use Hotwire, Priceline, or Airbnb, the amount you save well outpaces the amount you get from the card.

I got the Barclaycard in January. Already got 500 bucks in rewards. If you have a spouse, you'll earn even more. The $440 bonus for spending 3k in 3 months was nice.

 

[PharmtoCS]

Do you think this triple threat will hit most of the country anytime soon? I had plans of living a quiet life in Montana or somewhere Midwestey, I had my share of crazy growing up in Baltimore. I would prefer to do so in a decent house which doesn't have to be blingy and on a reliable income which pharmacy no longer provides to some.

Most likely #1 and #2 as more schools open and tuition continues to increase. If it is in an area where housing is in lower demand and cheap (i.e. Montana), then probably not #3.

 

[PharmtoCS]

But sign up bonuses usually don't count for elite status. You can't bonus mile your way into AA EX PLT!

There are a few credit cards that give you elite status if you spend a large amount every year. The Citi HHonors Reserve gives you Hilton Diamond Status for $40k/year spend.

 

[confettiflyer]

There are a few credit cards that give you elite status if you spend a large amount every year. The Citi HHonors Reserve gives you Hilton Diamond Status for $40k/year spend.

That's hotel, they have a completely different set of rules than airline loyalty programs.

tbh, status on airlines almost don't matter anymore. There's too many people with status and the real high rollers aren't flying commercial. The exception would be international carriers where the higher status will get you more things. My travel now is mostly WN and VX for leisure, so I'll just pay $$ for the higher class (VX) or flexibility (WN) instead of gunning for status.

 

[deleted158872]

i want to live in Cali, too, I love warm weather, but I'm too afraid of crime rates, earthquake, drought, and hefty property price there (don't want to live in apartment for the rest of my life)