NCEP - El Segundo/LA people - semi @

[muffin0]

H may be taking a job at LAAFB, it’s with his current company so at this point it’s essentially his job, we are just waiting to hear specifics on relocation and salary.

Is anyone familiar with that area? I know great schools doesn’t mean shit, but are the public schools good? Is there a particular area we should look to live? (H would like to be as close as he can to work, but obviously will sacrifice distance if needed)

We live just outside of Tampa, so we are a pretty LCOL, with lowish taxes and no state income tax. I am a SAHM, I’m not against working, but would prefer to continue to be able to volunteer more vs work.

What salary would you say is comfortable? Where you could pay rent, be able to do normal fun things as a family and be able to grow savings. What is the bare minimum? We are currently mid to high middle class according to google the last time I checked, staying around that would obviously be preferred.

Thank you if anyone has answers, suggestions, information.

[mmmomof2]

I don’t have recent experience but El Segundo and neighboring Manhattan Beach are really nice but pretty expensive. I would talk to a local realtor to see what you can get for the money. A condo will be way cheaper than a SFH. Yard space will be harder to find the closer you get to the beach. Be careful about going too far away because traffic will be a nightmare.

Some parts of El Segundo have a lot of LAX airport noise and smell funny from the water plant on Dockweiler Beach so definitely look at a place before you commit!





ETA - oof just googled what $4K/mo gets you in ES and it’s not great.

[spwspw]

El Segundo has fantastic public schools and has a very small town vibe, while still being in close proximity to LA proper. Housing is expensive, not sure how rental prices are, but we were looking to buy there at one point (places with at least 3 bedrooms, 2 baths) and SFHs were upwards of $1.5M, townhomes were around $900K.

[alleinesein]

$8k-10K a month take home after taxes if you want to keep your current lifestyle and be able SAH. Rent or a mortgage payment is going to suck up a few thousand a month. Add in the cost of commuting to work (car, insurance, gas) and that can easily be $300-$1000 a month if you still have a car payment. I drive a 19-year-old car and, if I am working every week, have to fill up 2-3x a month at $3.50-$4.00 a gallon so it adds up. My monthly car expense runs at least $200 a month (car insurance and 2 full tanks of gas). If you have a gas guzzler, expect to easily pay $75-$100 for a tank of gas. Factor in another $500-$1000 a month for utilities (gas, electric, water, sewer, phone, cable/streaming).

I'd recommend doing an audit of your current expenses and figure out what expenses are necessary/essential and which ones are "fun" and get a rough idea of your basic monthly living expense. Then look at what you have left for housing and start looking for places in your budget; then realize that your budget is too low and up it by at least 50% and see what you can find!

[msmerymac]

Living anywhere on the west side/beach cities is $$$. Most people I know who have bought homes have had to move further out, usually to the San Fernando Valley, where you can still get a 3 bedroom house for $600k in some areas. Similar square footage is more like $1 million+ south of the Sepulveda pass.

I don't know about El Segundo, but Santa Monica schools have a decent reputation. You have to go WAY out to not be part of LAUSD, but within the district, school quality varies greatly. The Santa Monica school catchement is fairly big, but again, all over on the west side, so even the stuff outside Santa Monica proper is expensive.

BUT that's what's desirable. Manhattan Beach/El Segundo/Hermosa/Redondo (some of the main "beach cities") is a nice area, and as long as you work in the area, you should everything you need nearby. Plus, most people think you move to LA for the beach (which isn't totally true - downtown LA is like 20 miles from the coast), so you might as well show off. Dockweiler State Beach is right in that area and popular for bon fires.

Really, the key with Los Angeles is making sure you live within a reasonable distance of where you work, so regardless of cost, if you can make living near El Segundo work, it will likely make your H a lot happier than commuting from, say, Tarzana.

[heyjude]

No advice but it is so nice to hear of someone moving TO Ca instead of AWAY from it. WELCOME to the Best Coast. 😻

[ny96]

We’re in the LA area and love it. We’re farther East, but just started to get more comfortable when our combined income hit the 200k mark. On the Westside I’d expect to pay 4K+ for housing, and I’ll echo what everyone else said about moving close to work. I have had a 1.5 hr commute and now have a 10 min commute. The long commute (and LA traffic) not only eats away at your day, but also your mental health. My H currently has a 1-1.5 hour commute and he’s pretty useless for anything other than work on the weekdays.

[amberlyrose]

My office used to be right by LA AFB and I live part time in Long Beach. It's not a *terrible* commute and much better than coming from the valley or out east, but it does vary depending on the time of day.

The El Segundo/Playa del Rey area is very cute and feels like a small town in a big city. Costs are high but the beach is right there, too. Most of my coworkers nearby with families live in Redondo/Torrance, Manhattan beach, and Downey.

[formerlyak]

I live in one of the beach cities mentioned upthread and grew up here because my dad was stationed at LAAFB. It's a great area.

El Segundo has great schools and is a very tight community. It is a bit closer to LAX, so it can get more congested in terms of traffic. But it is definitely worth looking at. I have a number of friends who life in El Segundo and are very happy.

I would steer clear of Manhattan Beach. There is definitely a "Manhattan Beach tax" - same house in Redondo or Torrance would cost you $500K less because Manhattan Beach is just crazy expensive. They are also having some financial issues in their school district - reserves are at risk of dipping below state-mandated minimums - and my have to lay off teachers and increase class sizes as a result. Having lived in this area for my entire school career and now have been back as a parent for a decade, I don't feel there is anything Manhattan offers that the other South Bay cities don't, so I don't see a justification for the cost.

Redondo is my favorite of the beach cities. We are the most diverse. We are the only district that has a dual immersion program at the elementary school level. We have amazing extra curricular programs. Our district maintains a healthy reserve and we pay our teachers more than neighboring districts (there is a database where you can find any public worker's salary). I have not heard any of my friends who teach in the district complain about salary or working expectations and most put in a ton of extra time to head up extra curricular programs. That says a lot to me. The neighbors invest in the neighborhood, which is also important to me. We also do a run at the kids' school for Veterans Day and officers from LAAFB come and participate. We have many neighbors here who are either military stationed there or civilians working on the base.

Torrance is also a good option that is a bit less pricy than any city with "Beach" in the name. West Torrance and South Torrance are the most desirable. Their schools are also good.

All of the above mentioned cities are not part of LA Unified School District, which to me is a plus. There are plenty of great schools in LAUSD, but it is just such a big beast of a district and there are issues that come along with that.

Please feel free to PM me if you have specific questions about any of these cities or the commute to the base from this area. I can also recommend a realtor who can help with both rentals and home buying in this area who is amazing.

[formerlyak]

I should add, you will not get as much house here for your money as you do in Tampa. But you will have much better weather. This is said just to manage your expectations.

I was helping a friend look for a rental house in my neighborhood and there were many 3 bedroom rental houses for $3500-$4000. Note that that doesn't mean it's super updated or has the latest appliances and such. But they were in good condition and definitely worthy rentals.

There are also lots of free things to do here for families - hikes, museums, etc. If you share some things your family likes to do or activities your kids are involved in, I can give you a better idea of those kinds of costs.

[muffin0]

Thanks everyone!

[justkly]

Jan 23, 2020 9:35:25 GMT -5 heyjude said:

No advice but it is so nice to hear of someone moving TO Ca instead of AWAY from it. WELCOME to the Best Coast. 😻

I want to move back home so bad, but my husband won’t go for it anymore. Everything I adore is there; including, the nightlife, the limitless adventure possibilities, the weather, and oddly even the traffic (because even when it sucks, a rare found treasure is waiting on the other side... I can be at the beach or in the snow in one hour whenever!), but to him it’s torture.

We are 30 year natives of CA, but have lived in 6 different states across the country in the last 10 years. NO other state can compare in my heart! Good luck OP. I hope you love it. That area is truly a gem!

[muffin0]

Jan 25, 2020 17:46:07 GMT -5 justkly said:

Jan 23, 2020 9:35:25 GMT -5 heyjude said:

No advice but it is so nice to hear of someone moving TO Ca instead of AWAY from it. WELCOME to the Best Coast. 😻

I want to move back home so bad, but my husband won’t go for it anymore. Everything I adore is there; including, the nightlife, the limitless adventure possibilities, the weather, and oddly even the traffic (because even when it sucks, a rare found treasure is waiting on the other side... I can be at the beach or in the snow in one hour whenever!), but to him it’s torture.

We are 30 year natives of CA, but have lived in 6 different states across the country in the last 10 years. NO other state can compare in my heart! Good luck OP. I hope you love it. That area is truly a gem!

Thanks! We're still unsure if it's even happening, but the more research I do the more and more excited I get. I love the idea that we can do and explore so many things. 

[goldengirlz]

I don’t live in that particular area, but I did a similar move (cost of living-wise) almost five years ago.

The numbers will never make sense. There’s no (realistic) salary at which Tampa won’t be the better deal. If you move, do it for the lifestyle.

Good luck with the decision. As much as I had pushed DH to apply to this opportunity (because I could not WAIT to get out of the South), when he got the offer (which was maybe 10% higher than his salary at the time), all I felt was fear. “It would be so hard to turn to this down,” I remember telling him, voice breaking, “and so very hard to accept.”

We got over our initial shock pretty quickly and haven’t looked back. Our house (and commute) will never be as great as what we left behind but overall we love living here.