Got an offer to work down in Southern CA. I need some advice/help!

[Sean]

Hello everyone!

So, I got an offer to work in Carson, CA...not really where I want to live though...LOL

I'm thinking pretty much any city in Orange County and MAYBE Long Beach, if I'm close to the beach (I hear if you're not, it's a rough city). I've been looking at a lot of ads on Craigslist and a few other sites. If you know of a rental that has the following, please let me know!
- 1 car garage (WANT A 2 though)
- 1 bedroom
- 1 bath
- Laundry hookups
- Dishwasher
- Hopefully a driveway of some sort.
- Prefer a duplex or something along those lines.
- no more than $1200-$1300/mo before utilities

If I take the job, I won't be moving down until early August, so I have nothing but time. With that, I have a list of questions for Southern Californians!

1. A friend said I'll be taxed if I own more than one car? True?
2. I'm looking at the cities Westminster, Huntington Beach, Orange, Fullerton, Anaheim, Cypress - then south but no farther than Irvine, I want to keep my commute under 40 miles. Suggestions?
3. Could I avoid rush hour traffic if I go into work at 5 am???
4. How good is traffic on the 405, 605, 710 and Highway 91 in mornings/evenings?
5. Despite the difficulty, has anyone here managed to obtain a concealed carry permit?
6. What areas should I steer clear of for living areas?
7. How far inland can I go before it gets really hot and humid all the time? (I know Riverside gets pretty hot, but I won't be that far inland.)
8. I'm thinking of leaving my cars registered in Idaho - suggestions? Good idea? How does emissions work down there?
9. What other crazy hidden costs of living are down there? Besides the ridiculously high cost of rent and high sales tax?

Thanks in advance! They need to know my decision by Friday! lol

-Sean

[///digitalme]

yeah theres a good side to long beach and a bad side
well as for the traffic, yeah there is a lot of traffic on the 91 most of the time....but im not really sure on the 405 nor the 605 i dont really use those freeways i tend to stick to the 5....
but usually mornings suck you can be stuck in traffic...
theres a few good cheap places to live in orange, as well as garbage grove i mean garden grove lol

[Rodoni]

You should def keep your cars registered in Idaho for as long as you can. Don't even fuck with Cali smog laws. It'll just be easier to keep the idaho plates.

I don't think you get taxed for having 2 cars. I've never heard of that.

[Sean]

You should def keep your cars registered in Idaho for as long as you can. Don't even fuck with Cali smog laws. It'll just be easier to keep the idaho plates.

I don't think you get taxed for having 2 cars. I've never heard of that.

Awesome. Thanks! :D

[dr.gonzo]

Irvine can be pretty nice, at least some parts of it can be. The roads out here though (drool)

[Farbin Kaiber]

If I take the job, I won't be moving down until early August, so I have nothing but time. With that, I have a list of questions for Southern Californians!

1. A friend said I'll be taxed if I own more than one car? True?

NO.

2. I'm looking at the cities Westminster, Huntington Beach, Orange, Fullerton, Anaheim, Cypress - then south but no farther than Irvine, I want to keep my commute under 40 miles. Suggestions?

I say look into Garden Grove, It's a nice middle-ground to what The OC has to offer.

3. Could I avoid rush hour traffic if I go into work at 5 am???

As long as you are off the road by 7AM. I had to do 45 min to make it 12 miles at 5:45am. OC will be as bad.

4. How good is traffic on the 405, 605, 710 and Highway 91 in mornings/evenings?

LOL, you forgot the 55, and 22, the 5, and the whole "Crush" region.

5. Despite the difficulty, has anyone here managed to obtain a concealed carry permit?

It won't happen. You may be able to get one from Beverly Hills Gun Club head, the Sheriff, but it's a 5,000 donation to his campaign fund on top of the states fees. It is a "May Issue" State, so they reserve the right.

6. What areas should I steer clear of for living areas?

Most all cities have the good and bad, but a rule of thumb is the closer to a mountian, the better the neighborhood. Look into Rancho Santa Margarita, and Lake Forrest.

7. How far inland can I go before it gets really hot and humid all the time? (I know Riverside gets pretty hot, but I won't be that far inland.)

If you end up in the "Inland Empire" you are getting to the middle zone between Indio and the beach. Don't go past Chino/Corona.

8. I'm thinking of leaving my cars registered in Idaho - suggestions? Good idea? How does emissions work down there?

Yes, DO NOT REGISTER them out there, it will be a ration of shit, too much work.

9. What other crazy hidden costs of living are down there? Besides the ridiculously high cost of rent and high sales tax?

Gas, good food, car insurance, sanity

Thanks in advance! They need to know my decision by Friday! lol

-Sean

Answers in bold, You know what my standing is on it, but if your state can take me, then why can't my state take you again? It is a good place to live to get a real grasp on what life really means to you, hey, it may just be your bag. Good luck, and if you have any questions, shoot away.

[dreamer420]

you wont find a living place with all the things you want for 1300$ 1300 wont get you very much here. my friend in rsm paid 1300 for a 2bd 1 bath 1 car garage. utilities not included, etc.
it is not cheap to live here.
lake forest and rsm are nice, but theyre south of irvine. i live in lake forest, and its a great city.
traffic sucks most of the time.
conceal permit isnt simple, my parents had to give their oklahoma conceal permits up when we moved here.

its not a cheap place to live by any means, cost of living is expensive.
theres some shitholes where you can find cheaper housing, but obviously their shitholes. and theyre still more expensive than any other state.

[Farbin Kaiber]

Yeah, I forgot to tell you about the rent expectations. You are looking in the 15-1800/mo range for what you want, + utilities.

[VacMan]

Answers in bold, You know what my standing is on it, but if your state can take me, then why can't my state take you again? It is a good place to live to get a real grasp on what life really means to you, hey, it may just be your bag. Good luck, and if you have any questions, shoot away.

I agree with most of this but the not registering of cars. It might be a pain, but if you get nailed driving an out of state registration more than 20 days after you establish residency, they will impound your car.

My buddy Stuart kept his Ninja 500 registered in WA when he moved down here. Long story short, he got pulled over for WA plates and they towed his bike on the spot. The cop told him he'd seen him around a few times and it was the only reason he pulled him over. Impound fees, back registration, etc. etc. It's not worth the hassle, just smog the car and register it.

Fees must be paid within 20 days of entry or residency to avoid penalties. Any vehicle owned by a California resident must be registered within 20 days of entry into California unless a special permit was obtained. Nonresidents whose vehicles are properly registered to them in their home state or jurisdiction may operate their vehicles in California until they:

• Accept gainful employment in California.
• Claim a homeowner's exemption in California.
• Rent or lease a residence in California.
• Intend to live or be located here on a permanent basis (for example, acquire a California driver license, acquire other licenses not ordinarily extended to a nonresident, registered to vote).
• Enroll in an institution of higher learning as a California resident or enroll their dependents in school (K-12).

[Nic01101011]

consider Torrance or Redondo beach

[Alkasquawlik]

3. Could I avoid rush hour traffic if I go into work at 5 am???

i worked at credit suisse over the summer and commuted from thousand oaks to beverly hills monday through friday. i had to be at the office by 630, so i generally left TO around 530. i missed the rush hour traffic in the morning, and generally in the afternoon too because of my work hours.

4. How good is traffic on the 405, 605, 710 and Highway 91 in mornings/evenings?

I had to commute on the 101/405, and depending on what time you were on the road, you were fucked. It usually starts getting bad around 7 in the morning or so, and around 3-4ish in the afternoon.

[kronus]

I agree with most of this but the not registering of cars. It might be a pain, but if you get nailed driving an out of state registration more than 20 days after you establish residency, they will impound your car.

My buddy Stuart kept his Ninja 500 registered in WA when he moved down here. Long story short, he got pulled over for WA plates and they towed his bike on the spot. The cop told him he'd seen him around a few times and it was the only reason he pulled him over. Impound fees, back registration, etc. etc. It's not worth the hassle, just smog the car and register it.

As long as you have a license from the state you're from, I don't think there is a problem unless you run into the same officer a few times. I've been pulled for my NJ plates, but every time the "oh I just got here officer and I'm leaving in a few weeks" has worked for me.

[Farbin Kaiber]

^ Th**.

[Sean]

Yeah, I forgot to tell you about the rent expectations. You are looking in the 15-1800/mo range for what you want, + utilities.

Really? From a craigslist search, I've found lots of two bedrooms with one car for only 1400. Granted, some of them are probably not legit.

Thanks for your feedback!

Anyone have suggestions on where to look for rentals? I really don't want an apartment, but more of a townhome or something. But, I may have to settle for an apartment, it sounds like.

THanks everyone - keep it comin!

-Sean

[reelizmpro]

consider Torrance or Redondo beach

Redondo's kind of expensive but I agree. You don't want to live in OC and commute to Carson. Try looking in the Torrance/Lomita/San Pedro/Long Beach/Carson area.