Am I Crazy For Considering Moving to Los Angeles?

I was recently approached by an owner of a high end contracting business in Los Angeles to become their director of operations. They build interiors of restaurants, office buildings, and have hi-end residential clients, all masonry and decorative concrete. I know it's a huge change from a medium sized midwest city. Housing cost are astronomical. It's mainly in the Hollywood, Burbank, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Glendale, and north LA areas.

I know there's a huge group of people leaving Cali, most going to Texas, Las Vegas, and Florida. I spent 4 days there last week with their crews and liked the place MUCH more than I thought I would have. I know everyone has an opinion. let's hear them.....

 

That's rhetorical right?

 

No, you are certifiable.

 

Not if they are going to pay you a shit ton of money.
Actually a shit ton and a half since everything is so expensive there

 

LA can offer opportunity. Its pretty comfortable for someone who is familiar with Chicago, as it's laid out on a grid, and has similar neighborhoods and suburbs.

If the job is right for where you are in your career, builds your career (is a step up and learning new skills kind of thing) pays enough to overcome the higher cost of living (and gives you a ~10% or more raise on top of that), and you don't mind being there, go for it.

Have an exit plan going in. How long you plan to stay in the job, in the city, etc. You can always modify the plan if you want, but having a full plan makes it all better to deal with.

I worked out of Pasadena for a bit. It wasn't bad. There are some lower (relatively) priced areas near Pasadena just over the LA line that are pretty nice, and also parts of Burbank and Glendale are still (somewhat) affordable.

 

If the pay is in line with the crazy real estate, one of the two biggest downsides (those giant/overcrowded cities can be a bit much when you don't like people) is out of the way. Life is short. See new things. Trust me on that.

 

I go back and forth. If you can ignore the politics and you make enough money to live here it’s amazing.

My biggest problem is my kids may not be able to make enough money to live comfortably here. If we could all afford to live here comfortably, I haven’t seen a better place to live, primarily because of the weather and things to do.

People in the south are friendlier, and the Carolinas or Tennessee also attracts me, but if I made 400-500k a year and could supplement my daughter,I wouldn’t ever leave.

I just registered a truck this morning it was almost 800 for a year and that was with a 5k value. They nailed me an extra $269 just because it weighs 7800 lbs, actually had to go get it weighed at scales because it was out of state.

Gas is currently 3.29 to 3.79 depending on grade and where you are. Diesel is 3.59 to 4.29.

If you make good money that is all part of the sunshine tax.

Surprisingly, good sushi, poke and many nice restaurants are cheaper here versus when we go out with my daughter in Dallas.

Property taxes are much less % wise versus Texas

 

Enough to save for a pretty nice retirement in 10-12 years. About 3x what I make now, much less physical work than what I do now. Being paid for what I know, instead what I can do.

 

Where you moving from? Indianapolis? I'd say a resounding yes.

Seriously though, sounds like a great opportunity.

 

Autoclub, Willow Springs are pretty close. LasVegas Motor speedway isn't that far. Buttonwillow either.

Decent number of tracks to race on.

 

3x, get on a freaking plane and move. If you need a place to stay for awhile while figuring it all out I have a 5 bedroom place with only me and my wife, you can crash here for a week or two while figuring it all out.

You really owe to yourself to take the journey and add a new chapter to your life. I came out in 89 and didn’t want to, but the company needed me out here. I was a commissioned salesperson, but the pay was the same no matter where you lived.

I went, met my wife after a year or so in S Cal and got transferred back to Texas after only dating her for a month. Stayed In Texas about 3 months and quit to move back to California.

 

Until society looks at housing as a necessity and not an investment vehicle this is only going to get worse.

 

Well, there you go.....it's all relative to what you'll be making vs your expected cost of living (hopefully you've crunched those figures sufficiently). If you're going to end up more in the green than you are currently then perhaps its not the worst idea in the world. Especially if you're coming from a place that gets crap weather in the winter and you're like me and hate the cold.

 

I wasn't prepared to like LA as much as I did. I thought I would show up, take the tour, go home and back to life. I really liked the place, basically the north side of LA. I left Indy with a -12 windchill, arrived in Chicago with a -20 windchill, landed in LA to a 70 degree temp. Was like that every day there.

 

So wait, you're really telling us that you are going, not asking if you should, right?

 

Good on you for offering!

 

See ya soon Razr.

 

Do it.

 

Then he'll retire to Montana!

 

And ride Himalayans!