talking to a company in west virginia right now and they asked if i would be willing to relocate. still in the beginning stages right now but im looking for 60-65k a year. would this be decent pay out there? 60k here in cali gets you a decent apartment. pete
Well, it depends... It depends where you relocate to in WV. We have personal property taxes that must be paid on each vehicle, and residence annually. Sales tax is 6% on all items. Fuel prices run 25-40 cents per gallon higher than VA and OH (higher taxes per gallon) Insurance in WV is outrageous. We are having an insurance crisis in this state, and our state legislature is trying to correct that as we speak. Housing in Parkersburg is fairly reasonable, but climbing. There are good and bad areas to purchase in. Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown are all higher. Morgantown is a growing community right now, and with it being a university city, it is very expensive to live or rent there. There still are several homes in the suburbs that are realatively inexpensive. I guess I have lived here so long that maybe it isn't as expensive as i think, but I am just maturing and complaining that much more.....
Its a change of pace for sure here in WV, I was born and raised in SC, have lived in Houston, New Orleans, and Hope Ark and I have to say that I love it here, everywere has its pro's and con's...3shields covered it pretty good, sales tax on cars is 5%, everything else is 6%, if you move here you'll have to pay sales tax on the retail value of your autos to get tags in this state....all in all, I think its a reall value to live here myself, great people, weather is a nice blend of everything.....if your the out doors type then this is the place. What part of the state are they talkin about sending you too?
Thats good money in WVirgina. The price of land is going up up up. My aunt got a call from California from a person wanting to buy land. The land is not listed nor is it for sale just some one looking for hunting property. Where in WV. I hang out in the Ravenswood, Ripley, Point Pleasent area.
It all comes down to what part of WV your looking at o No: I live in central WV and I love it, but I moved here from the southern coalfields and down there is a lot ruffer on outsiders. But coming from CA, our cost of living will seem like chicken feed. 60K is a damn fine living in these parts :TU: If you have any questions about different parts of WV, just ask us hillbillies :Smarty:
WVA is a great place if you like the outdoors. Live near a college if you want concerts etc. Compared to CA, WVA is much lower cost of living. - Bill
What does a 3 bedroom house 1500 sq ft in Ca. run? Lets say near San Fran or LA. WV-MADMAN Where are you at WV?
I have two sister in laws in Oceanside ( closer to San Diegoand no where near the beach.) An 1100 sq feet house with 3 bedrooms two baths is 300K - 500K. One sister in law has theirs on the market ( 15 miles from the Ocean ) as described for 475K.
:eek2: Good lord! My home is 2100 sq feet, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 64 foot long porch (thats the best part) house is 13 years old, had new siding, roof and windows put in 3 years ago, 2 1/2 acres land, bank said 2 years ago it was worth 130k and I think that was pretty fair, 1100 sq foot house around here in good shape, 60k give or take. :TU:
Sis lives in California. My house that I paid 120K for would cost 400K out there! 65K a year here in Ohio is good pay for sure! Not sure about WV, but it can't be that far off. Oh ya, her 2 bedroom apartment in Sacremento was 1600.00 a month, nice appt., but dang!
I lucked out and bought my house 10 years ago, just before the house market went up :beer 1500sqf, hardwood floors throughout, free natural gas, with a three car garage, a one car garage, a storage building, and a workshop. All of which are heated. on 2 acres :Brow: I paid 30K in 95 :jd:
Family West Virginia is a great place to raise kids. Any outdoor sport they may be interested in is available with a very short drive. We have some of the best snow-skiing around. Crime rates are relatively low. There are several very good colleges in the state. A very historical state indeed. All in all, I was born here, moved away three times, but I have always come back to my home. John
I know of people who live in WVA and commute to the DC suburbs! (Gaithersburg MD) Heres why.... To put things in perspective . I live in a row house here in DC. There is a row house renovated across the street from me . It bigger than mine .Its "three stories above the street" --mine is two above the street. They split it in two. About 2000 sq ft each. New renovation, all hardwoods, new stainless kitchens, off street parking ,beautiful view of public housing.No yard no grass. Ready? 710K and 720k I bought my row house 10 years ago for 95,000. Ive spent some time in WVA -- 65k will probably be just fine and you wont have to drive in west coast traffic. good luck George in DC
Pete - Have you ever been out to the East Coast? Wasn't sure if you've lived in SoCal all your life or not. $60k will let you live fairly comfortably out this way. That goes for pretty much any 'burg......as long as you stay out of the big cities. Make sure you're ready to give up living in some of the nicest climates in the entire US though!!! Not to mention, the scenery!! :Smarty: :TU: If it's 'change of pace' you're looking for....you'll get it in spades out this way. :grin: Culture shock also comes to mind. I've been thru most all of the states in the East.....differences of course, but NOTHING like where you're at. Not trying to scare you off from coming out this way.....more like a friendly warning. p You'll get introduced to words some SoCal folks have only heard about......snow, rain(and lots of it), shoveling, COLD(the real stuff - not the cool breeze you guys get at night coming off the ocean), winter jackets, etc. There are benefits of course. You'd be pretty centralized to some of the best race tracks in the country.....and of course, to most all of the Buick events (QCR, BG, Norwalk, etc). If you haven't been out here by some chance, maybe arrange a visit with some of our board members. Sounds like there are several that are potentially pretty close to where you'd be going.
60-65K is good money in most any part of WV i know of. figure on paying about $ 175,000 and up for a nice house & lot. depends so much on where & what you want. i wish i made 60-65K here in DC. an old saying around here, west virginia: its almost heaven if you're a man or a dog, but its almost hell if you're a woman or a mule.
thanks for all the imput guys. i wouldnt mind the change in area as long as theres lots of trees and its in a safe area. to put it in perspective, i pay 1500 a month for a two bedroom apartment in la jolla. its 5 min from the beach and the weather is great. but its too high for me to buy a place out here. you cant even live in the poorest part of town for less then 150k. a decent area is about 300k. the apartment i used to live in was a 500 sq. studio and they converted to condos. my apartment went for 300k. so this morning i call another company in Allentown PA. same job same salery being talked about. how about this place? right now i get a base salary of 37k. with freelance and overtime i made 42k this other company is willing to talk to me with 65-70k to do the same job. would i be stupid to not pack up and leave?
allentown PA weather is about like in WV, both get snow. the land is flatter in allentown. housing might tend to be a little more in allentown. getting closer towards NY city, so cost of living starts up. WV housing tends to be more affordable IMO. the eastern panhandle is within commuting distance of DC.
