Might be escaping Kommiefornia soon

[CZ93X62]

All great info! Thanks everyone.

Wifey dictates all . . . LOL. she wants to be close to our daughter plus I have to get out of the "Valley Fever" zone as it almost killed me two years ago. I will never completely get rid of it and the chance of recurrence is great if I stay here.

Yep, Valley Fever is a real thing and it exists in the soil in all the deserts and valleys of the southwest starting in west Texas.

Google coccidioidomycosis

Mike

No doubt about it. It was fairly well-known in the Coachella and Imperial Valleys when I worked there in the late 1970s. I don't know how reliable this info might be, it was related by a long-time resident not in the medical field.

Large portions of the Colorado and Mojave Deserts were in ancient times/Ice Ages pluvial or intermittent lakes, The 'dry lakes' we see today weren't always dry. Ice melt-off filled them, and good rain years sometimes still do. The present-day Salton Sea was intermittently up to six times its present size. That happened when 1) the Colorado River decided to change course or 2) Southern Pacific Railroad interests tried water diversion projects and things got away from them--for about 18 months in the early 20th Century. Lake Cahuilla/Sea of Reeds was 100 miles long at high stands, 51 feet above present day sea level. The Salton Sea is now at about 237' below sea level. It was HUGE, and it existed many times, as recently as the early 1700s--Spanish explorers and missionaries named it the Sea of Reeds.

Valley fever is endemic to soils once covered by these inland lakes. FWIW.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

Drastic natural events such as earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, blizzards, ice storms, floods, whatever – certainly exist but they are nothing new. In today’s world of 24 hours news with hyperbole to spare, internet information (some from news organizations and most from idiots with a smart phone), and a constant bombardment from several different agendas; it’s not surprising people get a little too focused on those natural events. They are not new.

When a tornado ripped across the plains in the 1600’s, there wasn’t much there to get damaged.

When the Tennessee river flooded in the 1500’s, no infrastructure was harmed.

When there was a massive forest fire in California in the 1700’s, nobody in Philadelphia cared (or even knew about it).

If one chooses to read some history, there’s no shortage of prior events. The great blizzard of 1888, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the Galveston hurricane of 1900, the 1974 tornado outbreak, and countless others. In the vast scheme of things, it’s easy to get a little over sensitive about events that have happened before and will happen again. And that’s not even considering the normal things like hot summers or cold winters in general.

Then you add to those human factors such as crime, taxes, population, pollution, poverty, expense, etc. and you start to realize that you’re going to make some compromises no matter what. It’s just a matter of which compromises you’re willing to make.

I grew up in South Florida. Hurricanes were just something you prepared for and dealt with when necessary. People that lived in cold climates prepared for winter and life went on every year.

You could live in tornado alley for 100 years and never be directly affected by a tornado. Or you could get hit 10 times in a row. You could live in a place with high prices and high taxes but also have a high income – it’s all relative. We make decisions and those decisions are ours to make. It is one of the many things that I love about this country.

 

[Missionary]

Thank you for the "water" information on NM ! That is a shocker !

 

[richhodg66]

We kind of stumbled onto the Flinthills of Kansas by accident. My tour in Alaska got cut short when they deactivated the 6th ID, I was far enough into my DEROS to get sent back to the lower 48 rather than go to Fort Wainright. I wanted to go back to Fort Sill real bad, damn glad that didn't happen in retrospect. Generally, Fort Riley isn't on most people's list as a great place, but I loved it early one and have ever since, getting close to 30 years living here now, longer than anywhere else I ever lived.

I am about as far north as I could possible stand, Winters are still rough to me, and the weather seems extreme whatever it is, hot as El Paso in Summer, cold as anchorage (sometimes) in Winter, just doesn't do either as long. The tax burden is higher here than it should be, but property taxes are lower in the county I'm in now than the one I used to live in. Very gun and hunting friendly place and has a lot of public land where I am.

I really can't think of anyplace I'd rather live, solid and sane good people and I highly doubt we'll see an influx of Californians anytime soon here.

 

[glassparman]

Well, my oldest it is in OKC tonight. He is going to look at a house we are interested in. Plus he works for Northrop Grumman the same as I do and wants to move there as well.

This just might happen soon!

 

[popper]

It is believed the Colorado actually flowed to the east at one time, didn't just change course. Visit the stockyard city in OKC, eat at the 'place' there, the food is good. Lots of truck stops so lots of wheel weights.

 

[dannyd]

If you work for Northtrop there's always Florida

 

[Michael]

A friend of ours sent these to us. Enjoy. Don't worry rated G.

Californians Adjust To New Life In Texas

This couple left California due to the cost of living, crime, taxes, etc. etc. etc. But now they're not so sure they can get used to living in Texas!

babylonbee.com

Californians Move to Texas Episode 2: The Cookout

Our Californian couple is back in Texas, and this time, they have to face their biggest culture shock yet: a Texas cookout. Will their marriage survive?

babylonbee.com

Californians Move to Texas | Episode 3: The Church

Everyone's favorite transplants from California, Steve and Timpani, are going door to door trying to get their new Texas neighbors to vote for Beto O'Rourke. And then, plot twist, they end up in a good old-fashioned Baptist church!

babylonbee.com

Californians Move to Texas Episode 4: The Gun Range

Steve and Timpani's marriage is put to the test as the ex-Californians come up against their biggest Texan challenge yet: a gun range!

babylonbee.com

 

[glassparman]

My oldest son has been sharing those videos with my wife and I. Very funny stuff! None of us are remotely like that.

What a lot of non-californians don't realize is that California is big, really big with many conservative counties. It's mostly the big cities that decide the end results unfortunately.

My particular representative is Kevin McCarthy.

Most of the rural areas such as mine, are deep conservative/christian.

Mike

 

[RBHarter]

Weird counties like Kern that is about 60% empty desert , 10% uninhabitable mountains and 25% Bakersfield

 

[glassparman]

Back down in Dallas visiting my daughter. OKC was nice, lots of nice houses but not gonna do it at 7.2% interest! Holy Molly!

Anyway, I'm guess I'm just sitting tight for now. The work location is good as I spent a week there so that's a plus for future planning if I move before I retire. The building is right across from Tinker AFB.

I really like the Purcell and Blanchard area south of OKC. Nice rolling country roads and some wooded areas.

That's it for now! Heading home on Tuesday . . . maybe I'll get some casting in when I get home.

Mike

 

[462]

That's it for now! Heading home on Tuesday . . . maybe I'll get some casting in when I get home.

Have a safe trip.

Anxiously waiting range reports from at least two of them.

 

[L Ross]

Back down in Dallas visiting my daughter. OKC was nice, lots of nice houses but not gonna do it at 7.2% interest! Holy Molly!

Anyway, I'm guess I'm just sitting tight for now. The work location is good as I spent a week there so that's a plus for future planning if I move before I retire. The building is right across from Tinker AFB.

I really like the Purcell and Blanchard area south of OKC. Nice rolling country roads and some wooded areas.

That's it for now! Heading home on Tuesday . . . maybe I'll get some casting in when I get home.

Mike

Hahahaha, we bought our first home under the peanut farmer admin. 18.2% interest rate. 7.2%, a bargain.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

Hahahaha, we bought our first home under the peanut farmer admin. 18.2% interest rate. 7.2%, a bargain.

The rates got to 20% during that madness.

 

[L Ross]

The rates got to 20% during that madness.

And we survived. And Mike, don't forget two other factors. Mortgage interest has some deductibility, and you time line is finite. What is you happiness worth?

 

[Glaciers]

One of the differences between the high rates then is the price of the homes.
$100,000 houses in the late 70’s are 4 to 5 hundred thousand now.
My kids house in May Valley Washington was purchased for just over 200,000 - 20 years ago is now worth 1.2 million.
I don’t know what it all means, but anything I would say from this point is political so I’ll just say later.

 

[glassparman]

Well, Momma is in charge on this deal so I gotta go with her.

Not selling my house in Mojave that is paid for. My younger boy and his wife live in the guest house. My oldest will move wherever we move and works for Northrop Grumman as well. He is living in the house too.

If I was going to sell then buy, it would be a different story. I just don't want to get caught making huge payments so close to retirement. If I buy that house now, I'll work until I'm 70. If I stay put, I'll retire in two years when I hit 62. Unless things change drastically in the next year, I guess I gotta just wait it out.

Mike

 

[popper]

Mortgage under 7%? Never had one of those! 5-6% should be the normal rate in good times. 2% is danger zone! Look to present economy as evidence. Free $ never helped anybody. Well Dad did have a 2% 10 yr note after WWII, on a 12k$ house. Could just barely afford that.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

It’s all relative. 1960’s dollars had more buying power than 1980’s dollars. Today dollar has less buying power than 1990’s dollars, and so on. Earning potential also changes over time.

Interest rates follow the economy and there are a LOT of factors involved. The price of money (the interest paid to borrow money) is not set in stone. And interest rates do effect home prices. High rates reduce the number of potential buyers, so sellers are forced to lower asking prices.

You should never bite off more than you can chew but if the rates do go down (and they likely will at some point), refinancing remains an option if you don’t get over extended in the first place.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

Just a story about the peanut farmer days of 20% mortgage rates - I know a guy that worked for the federal government and he got transfered during that time.
He was riding down the road and saw a house for sale by the owner. The sign indicated there was an assumable mortgage. He wrote the phone number down and immediately found a payphone (WAY before cell phones).
He called the owner and confirmed the assumable mortgage and the low rate. He asked about the price for the house and it was reasonable. He told the seller that he would buy it. The seller asked, "Don't you want to look at the inside of the house"? he replied, Nope, when can we close?
He bought it for the asking price and almost sight unseen. It turned out fine, he lived there until his next transfer and by then the rates had returned to acceptable levels. He turned a nice profit when it was all said and done.