I have been. Fixit ticket... had to buy plates because the other plate was missing and then buy a front frame kit, install it and drive to the CHP for inspection.

I wouldn’t count on that staying a whole lot longer. There are groups currently actively looking to dismantle Prop 13. It will start with businesses but won’t end there.

For those not familiar, the concept of Prop 13 is that they can only increase our assessed value for property tax by a limited percentage per year as long as you own the property (a sale resets the assessment). It allows homeowners to retain some stability and not be forced to sell their home due to suddenly no longer being able to afford the property tax for no fault of their own. It also allows businesses to project out with confidence that expense. One of the few tax statutes we have that actually makes sense.

Over 55, has to be downsizing and participating country (probably other stipulations too) The rule was designed for seniors needing to downsize but being stuck because a tax hike would price them out.

They still have to live somewhere if they get forced out of their home due to it suddenly becoming unaffordable, net zero effect... unless the idea is to force them onto the street or out of the state.

I think at the end of the day my summary of CA is.... it’s complicated.

There is a ton... a TON here that is awesome (people, climate, geography)... earthquakes are not a concern (other than a couple areas)... wildfires are probably our biggest threat from a natural disaster perspective, but for most of the state the impact is the August smoke. I think most our problems are self-inflicted, but... it keeps life interesting?

Do I have family who have left? Yes and they are very happy with that choice.

Am I leaving: No plans, but maybe someday? I’ll reassess when I get closer to retirement.

Would I move here: Probably not, but that is coming from the perspective of being presently irritated by all the smoke and just wanting to see the sun again, so maybe. I’m also presently irritated by the fact that I installed solar, produce a surplus of electricity over what I use, keep our thermostat over 80 most of the time and still am getting stung with a $500 tru-up bill from Edison. So.... bah!

I’m sure it varies by location. I have a 1600sqft rental worth about 250k and the policy is fire only. That costs about 600/year which is about half what the full coverage policy was when I was living there.

Our our wildfire risk in this area is zero though. Areas that is a risk in might need a separate add-on for wildfire coverage, not sure? I know some areas you want earthquake insurance (expensive in SF)... some areas you need flood insurance (if determined to be in a flood plain).

And that allows your dad to stay in his home that I’m sure was completely affordable when he bought it and wouldn’t necessarily be today. Such a difference is short term though as at some point your dad will want to downsize or move on and the house will be sold. Now the new owners will be paying the full amount whereas the folks who bought today will have the “cheap” tax assuming they stay. And the cycle will repeat.

I think this is one of the bigger factors in the market over the last decade or two.

It goes like this:
- Most people shop based on a monthly payment they can afford.
- There are two factors that determine that payment: a) how much you spend on a house and b) how much your interest rate is.
- You slash the interest rate and suddenly all the buyers across the entire market can afford more, a lot more actually. Depending on where they started in the market at minimum 75k more and probably on average about 150k more while keeping the exact same monthly payment.

- If all the buyers in the market can suddenly afford to spend 150k more without impacting their original budget.... well the market will react accordingly. Is that good or bad? The money is getting spent either way: it depends on who you would rather get it... the bank and their stockholders or the property owners/sellers.

- Here in CA the effect is amplified because we restrict new home construction and have area where there is literally no more space to build at all (SF).

Granted oversimplified and not the only factor but I think it is a significant one that people should be conscious of whether you are a buyer or a seller.

Depends on county/city the sale is made in (assuming a california dealer) because locality adds their own sales tax. If bought from an out of state dealer you self report based on your local city/county.

I would count on about 9%

Yes to deaths (within criteria, not sure the details).

Yeah you probably have us beat but maybe we can get close...

Before even getting my paycheck the following istaken out:

State Income tax for median income about 10%

Federal income tax is 10-40% depending on income.

There is state disability insurance, social security and medicare taken out.

My net check is about 65% of my gross.

Then we have sales tax on goods and services which does range but can be as high as 10.5% in some locations (8.5% where I live).

Then there are the hidden taxes. Fees added to almost every service/utility on top of sales tax.... Licensing fees, public utility fees, registration fees, permitting, zoning, surveying, gas tax (in addition to sales tax), recycling fees, electronics fees, etc. These all get added into the costs of our goods whether we see them itemized out or not.

It’s really hard to say, and it will vary by individual circumstances. Having it all over though does make you feel like you are being nickle and dimed to death, I would prefer a tax that is clear, known and up front.

This mornings air in the Valley... joy.

All the smoke is reducing our temps by about 10 degrees, so.... yay?

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I agree, but it’s better than Uban *barf*.

I can’t justify spending over 15/month on coffee either, nor can I stand coffee shops in general (going out of my way to wait in line to pay 3 bucks for regular coffee that was brewer two hours ago, no thanks).

My middle ground is good whole beans, a decent conical burr grinder (for consistent, even grinds) and a good drip coffee maker with a metal screen (paper absorbs the oils and fats that exist in coffee thus killing some of the flavor). Anyway it’s literally 3 minutes to good coffee anytime I want.

Not concerned here. No nearby fault lines and the soil composition in the valley absorbs any shockwaves very well. Maybe once every 10-15 years or so I’ll actually notice one but only if I happen to be sitting perfectly still at the time.

We do have a new fancypants “early alert” system. A few months back there was one I noticed and I got a text notification about 45 seconds.... after the fact.

So... no earthquakes (in this region), no floods, no hurricanes, no tornadoes, no freezing, no sunami’s, no fires (as long as you choose not to live in the mountains or canyons).... just hot summers and bad air.

It always amuses me how worried non Californian’s are about earthquakes. I’m sure the news makes it out to be much worse than it is when we do have one that makes the news. After all their job is to scare you into staying home and watching more news.

Temps are great here in the valley right now too. Its averaging 85 and forecasted to stay in that range for a while. We really only have about 6-8 weeks where the heat is really unbearable and thats what air conditioning is for.

The power situation is obnoxious. I have solar and I produce more than I use but because of the price structure I still have a high true up bill at the end of the year. Not enough to justify a battery system but with the 20% rate hike they are asking for (and will probably get rubber stamped) now it might get there.

No one thing but better forrest management can help. We stopped about 20 years ago then bark beetles gourged themselves, then there were large amounts of dead dry and rotten trees left hanging around with nobody to remove them and then poof. At least when we had logging an area would get harvested, cleaned and replanted. Growing up my grandparents had a house near Eureka in the forrest. I remember being amazed at how quickly a lot would grow back after being cleared and replanted.

For homes in wooded areas, better defensible space, materials and construction/design can help improve odds somewhat but won’t guarantee anything.

True, nothing will stop them, it is part of the natural cycle of the forrest. All you have to do is look at how the native trees evolved to survive and even depend on fire. I think it can be slowed and made more manageable though.