Contemplating move from upstate NY
Hello all! My husband and I are seriously considering a move to the LA area from upstate NY in the next 3-4 years. The firm I work for has an office in Encino (would be hybrid), but I’d likely also have the option of working remotely.
With merit raises and a COL adjustment I’d ballpark my annual salary to be $120-130k, being conservative. Combined we might be around $180k if I had to guess (he’d have to find a new job).
About us: in our early 30’s, no kids, own a home with a very low mortgage interest rate (thanks 2020) in a pretty low cost of living area. We enjoy being outdoors, coffee shops, great restaurants, live music, bars every now and then, theater, traveling, record stores, and we’re beach people.
We’ve been to the area twice, once stayed in Playa Del Rey and the other in Burbank. Liked Playa a lot, and it seemed easy to get to places we wanted to go, although it felt a bit sleepy. We really liked Los Feliz, Echo Park, Silver Lake, Culver City, and then of course the major areas that are probably unrealistic on this salary.
I see Pasadena, Encino, and Long Beach mentioned a lot on this sub which we’d be open to. And yes we would have a car.
Tell me everything- the good, the bad, the ugly. I would probably sell the home because being a landlord on another coast for a bit of cash flow each month doesn’t seem appealing. Is that crazy? I know homeownership would probably be unrealistic, at least for the first few years out there. Also I know visiting and living somewhere can be completely different experiences. What do we need to know? What areas should we have in mind?
Thanks so much!!
EDIT: not planning to have kids, so school system is not a factor. Also understand we’d be renting for several years initially.