Good things come to an end...

[rjwaldren]

My boss let me know that my site would be announced for closure in ~2hrs. 7 years at a place were I more or less make the rules and choose my work. We'll close in November so it'll be a drag since the goals were just shot out from under us.

I should be reassigned locally, but I'm not sure I want to be. I've looked into the OKC area and love Pheonix, but the wife has a decent teaching job and doesn't want to be to far from daddy. The real sticker though is that we bought a house ~18 months ago and they housing market dropped - we'd probably still be about $50K in the hole if we managed to sell. I guess the other sticker is that kid #2 is due July 4. Kid #1 is the reason I didn't take a position in SoCal 4 years ago, we figured having family close by would be more helpful than it actually has been.

I've lived in Pheonix, Wichita Falls (preferred OKC to Dallas) while I was in the USAF and we were in the OC/Los Angeles area when we got married 6 years ago. We ended up back here in Central California where we grew up when the education jobs were collapsing in CA (I'm a IT/Cisco guy and my wifes a Elem Teacher). I fought returning to the Central Valley and have been looking for a way out ever since, so maybe this will force action.

[JR]

That's a tough situation, man. Bummer.

I've never lived in your area, but it would seem to be either really nice or really a drag - depending on whether you're facing east of facing west!

Good luck finding a happy solution.

JR

[RAFlorida]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune with your job.

I know what you are going through, been there before. Also the housing market as you say, is in a slump big time. Since you were in the USAF and in the IT field, you hopefully will be able to locate something where you want to be. I'd say try Florida, but they do not pay that well down here. Hope that all works out for you and your family soon.

[rjwaldren]

Pay is a big part of the move, I know my money would go alot further elsewhere and I could probably maintain if not increase my wages. My wife would definitely take a cut though. I think we could balance it out.

[poolhound]

Sorry to hear about your situation. I have lived in Phoenix for nearly 10 years and we love it.

Housing is depressed in most areas so if you move at least that means you will be getting something else that is "under valued."

Usually the Phoenix market gets you more bang for your buck that CA so if you can sell your place there and move here you could pick up something that would absorb your $50K and get more house.

[JR]

I kind of skipped over the part about your wife being a teacher. The retirment benefits are good for California teachers. Her investment of time in that system should not be overlooked. It will come in handy once the kids are raised.

Just a thought.

JR

[Warren]

This might not be much of a help, but many retirement plans allow buy-ins. If she leaves her currant position she could take her retirement monies and possibly buy into the plan available where you relocate.

[Tom Slick]

have you thought about the central coast? It has a high standard of living, low crime, good weather, high air quality, good schools. real estate is expensive but not totally out of line with the inflated areas of the valley (fresno/clovis). you do usually live in an older home, not a new tract home like in the valley.

teaching jobs can be a little tough to find, depends on the subject. your wife can easily stay busy 4 days a week substituting and she can keep CalStrs. IT jobs can be found, this area is trying to move to service/computer work. Currently we live on my wife's teaching salary from 1.5 jobs, I don't work, and we "own" a home. We don't have kids though.


I'm originally from the central valley, joined the AF, spent a little time at Sheppard AFB, got out of the AF, moved to the central coast and have lived here for 10 years.

[DonHo]

"Housing is depressed in most areas so if you move at least that means you will be getting something else that is "under valued.""
Housing prices in Oklahoma are actually up 4% from last year, the good news is housing is still much cheaper than on either coast. Also the cost of living is cheaper in Oklahoma, even the price of gas (but still ****ed high).

DonHo

[tuttlejr]

If you go to OKC, check out Edmond just north of OKC. Has everything that you might want. I do not live there but my son does. It is getting to be a fair sized city.

[crokett]

Sorry to hear that rj. I sent you a PM.

[rjwaldren]

Fortunately, my wife hasn't been in CalSTRS long so that won't be a big issue. She shouldn't have a hard time as long as jobs are available, most states have easier requirements for out of state teachers than California so. That's not a dig at the qualifications of teachers in other states - California tends to think very highly of itself, and most of it's failures are traceable back to administration rather than the teacher.

[rjwaldren]

I've never made it up to Edmond, but I know the southern side of the area very well - Norman, Moore, etc. There does seem to be alot of growth up that way. The thing that struck me about OKC from the first time I went there is how peaceful and homey it seems. I was teaching at Sheppard AFB and would head there rather than Dallas whe I needed something I couldn't find in Wichita Falls. Dallas seemed more stressful than LA to me.

Then there's Pheonix, I was at Luke AFB for 6 years and had a hard time leaving. In fact when I got out of the AF I was headed there and never coming back to CA, but ran into an old High School GF while visiting my parents. Two kids later (almost), three moves and several jobs later...

[Uncle Cracker]

With a teacher in the family, you should definitely pass on FL right now. Voters nixed a tax referendum and a gambling bill (or something like that) that the state warned would negatively affect education, and they've been going at it with a vengeance to make their point. Most counties are laying off teachers and consolidating schools at an alarming rate. I've been paying high school taxes for years, and the lottery is supposed to be a windfall for education, but it seems that money is going somewhere else...

No matter what, though, you should hit the ground running. Go someplace you like, and hustle your butt off to get ahead of those who don't.

[MilDoc]

Well, if you do make it to OKC, I loved Norman (lived there 7 years) but it's not a "small town" anymore. Lots of traffic, but still a great place to be. My best friend of 48 years still lives there and I visit often.

Moore? Well, no.

OTOH, Edmund is very nice too. Have a few friends from residency days there.

Given gas prices, live close to work! And if you do get there, I envy you! I've been looking for my kind of job there for 8 years (there is only ONE).