If money is not a constraint, CA is a good option. Bay area specifically. Cost of living is pretty high in CA
Money is ofcourse a constraint and that’s the reason for this post dear Not sure if putting all the money in real estate is a wise decision or not..
Property tax is a component you want to avoid. It doesn't add to savings. LA is something you might want to consider IF the property taxes are less compared to the other areas you have in mind. Someone I met moved to NC (almost 6 years back) because the cost of the house was very less. Not sure if that is still true. With your considerations, LA is the better one of the options you have in mind. I heard that it is polluted. I have been there twice, I think it's okay. A little hot, but if community is what you have in mind, then it may be okay. As far as investing in real estate, I don't think that is a worry if it's a place like LA.
Is your DH’s work location going to change or does he need to find another job? If he has to look for another job for your move to materialize then maybe start there. Let him look at opportunities, interview, get a feel for where he can land and then you can shortlist the places. Kids are resilient, they will thrive anywhere. Don’t worry too much about them. As long as they have some friends, a reasonably good school system, good state schools to pursue undergrad education, they should be ok. Look for what you want out a place. It’s a long term commitment for you and your DH. Make a list of what you want and definitely cannot put up with in a place you call home and then based on your DH’s employment change, you can pick a place.
DH found a remote job now and we are at a point to decide if it’s better to leave the current place..
Got it! A friend was saying she chose a place where her employer doesn’t have a presence so they won’t ever call her back to work I wouldn’t have been able to think of that.
Are you planning to rent your current home or sell it ? If I were you I will put everything in storage and then move to apartment during summer to place of your choice and experience life first hand before investing money . I think as fed keeps increasing the interest rate and all the stimulus money gets dried up which will be around late fall you will see decline in home price . But there is a talk the inventory might go down due to supply chain bottleneck and home owners hesitating to sell and move due to increase in mortgage rates . This is very delicate time of market . I would say explore before you invest . On an average in Bay Area homes appreciate between 10-20% every year . But Bay Area has lot more new homes to offer than national average . Honestly though your decision should be based on lot more research . But you will never be able to replicate Indian vibe . Parties gets boring after certain point. It isn’t same as in India . Even festivals gets lonely . If your husband has remote job will he reconsider moving back to India . Your kids are still in elementary. I wouldn’t worry too much about school . It is still a good opportunity to explore the culture .
I thought she was referring to LA, not sure how different LA is. But bay area is very expensive. Without both wife and husband working, it is difficult, unless one of them hit the stock market jackpot.
Thanks for the response! Yes India sounds awesome and if he agrees, I will be dancing up and down I am more interested to know if it’s ok to follow my dreams to live a particular life style which is being in LA or stay put in Midwest and save money cos his current job has pension security as well! Is it ok to forego the stable job and aim for something which may or may not work out just because it offers remote option and we can move anywhere after a long hiatus! I am seeing many Indians who are really career focussed and more focussed on building wealth whereas here I am longing for a place with a good weather and good friends ( again it’s uncertain how easy to find good set of friends although he has tons and tons of relatives around LA which was one of the reasons for us not to move all these years but now I am at a point where I have learnt to be mature enough to handle them) where I can call it home! Only confidence I have is, in me that if I work hard, I can land up in any role I desire for. But I am someone who had quit a high paying role with in 2 mins from a phone call from India when I heard mom had an attack! I have done it more than couple of times for my kids and that’s where I don’t trust myself in a long commitment. So asking him to uproot himself from his job for me doesn’t sound right at times but at times it’s one life, I have to live the fullest and not worry about what the future holds!
Yes not Bay Area - not cut out for rat race - as I said earlier I want to keep my career as a flexible option and not be forced to work to pay the EMI - I am more inclined towards LA