Where Will You Settle In Us If Given A Choice

LA suburbs are second most expensive NOW after NYC and Bay Area …people who settled there in 1990s or before had it easy but now unless 2 people are making good money it’s not possible to get a good house there ..

pathetic ones with defects sell for at least 2 million there in the suburbs of LA and crime rate is very high there in many of the LA suburbs with huge gang problem ., it’s like in LA , you are in a good neighborhood and next you know in few minutes of drive or walk , you end up in a suburb with gang problems ..

 

I would say stay put in your current place as you said your husband's job gives pension.
Job security is must, you being on-off with career.. im in bayarea very difficult to manage, when I see people from east or Midwest, south I'm surprised to see how big houses, how much less tax or no state tax.
Here in CA ,37% is tax.
You can't save much if you move to Irvine, it's expensive city imposes so many rules, I have a relative there, he said can't grow any plants higher than 12 feet., must be kept in big size pots not on ground etc.
May be if you really want CA, you can move to Roseville(near bayarea but less expensive houses)for near LA or irvine...choose Chino hills, Eastvale, Temecula, Riverside, corona, diamond bar.