So here are the nation's most and least affordable housing markets as of the second quarter of 2005. These rankings are based on the median home sales price compared with median household income.

I know it's a little irrational of me, but I feel offended that 18 out of 19 Least Affordable places to live is a city in California. It might be because places like Anaheim, Modesto, Stockton, Riverside, Oakland, Fresno and especially Yuba City used to be the buttcracks of California. So what business do they have being on this Least Affordable Places to Live list? Who would want to live in those cities anyway? I had friends in Yuba City that did nothing but try to get out of that shower drain of a town. I remember back in 1997 during El Nino, a leavey broke and flooded Yuba City. I had a friend who had no choice but to live in the local high school as it was converted as a shelter. Furthermore, those cities used to be places that you held your breath as you drove though in hopes that your car didn't break down in Fresno. And sure Riverside has a UC school, but I had relatives in Riverside: they were hard-core drug addicts. Believe me, you don't wanna get stuck there.

So back to why I feel offended: is it because out of all the places in the country we could have moved to, I'm the one who chose California? B was definitely fine with this decision, and supported this choice, and even was excited about it. But we could have moved to a town in his home state Lansing, Saginaw, Detroit, Grand Rapids or Flint instead.

I know it's irrational to feel offended. I know why we moved here. We looked for jobs in both states, and California's job opportunities couldn't be paralleled. Sure Michigan might have five of the Most Affordable Places to Live, but I wonder what kind of life we'd be living if we had gone there instead. At least here, we're making money for the first time in our lives. But I do admit how disappointing it is to see that one-bedroom apartments selling for half-a-million-dollars+ in our immediate neighborhood. Even though we're making good money now, we can't really afford to buy a home here.

Labels: california, Michigan, real estate

( 1comments )

at March 22, 2006 9:49 PM  Ish said...

Its a terrible time to be in Michigan, and especially looking for a job in Michigan (though you'd meet a lot of people to have that in common with).

Ultimately you get what you pay for and the reason its so expensive out there is because of all the opportunities. I say you're better off. Me, I'm getting a job where it doesn't matter where I live, so I'll live somewhere cheap.