Q for all you SoCal'ers

[AltimaJoe]

I'm kind of hunting for a job right now, trying to get back to the west coast. I do contract work for the government so I'd be looking at work on one of the bases around that area and I'm wondering what the cost of living is like. I know it's pretty high but it can't be much worse than the DC area. What I'm looking at are home prices or monthly rent prices... I wouldn't want to take a job out there and be broke because of a mortgage or rent payment! I know it's waaaaay off topic but I would appreciate your inputs!!

[dangeris]

I work for Lockheed Martin and we're always in need for people in contracts...email me and we can chat..

[AltimaJoe]

I've tried to work for Lockheed Martin, it was tough before because I was overseas and the only place that took me with a telephone interview was General Dynamics. They're a good company but I'm really sick of VA.

[dangeris]

I've tried to work for Lockheed Martin, it was tough before because I was overseas and the only place that took me with a telephone interview was General Dynamics.

how long ago was that?

[AltimaJoe]

July '07 is when I started with GD, officially out of the Navy and back in the states as of July 25th. Before that I applied to jobs all over the internet with GD, LM, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, BAE... a bunch of places starting in November of '06.

[dangeris]

What's GD?

[AltimaJoe]

General Dynamics! Or godd*** depending on your perspective.

[rjdmmfl1]

I'm kind of hunting for a job right now, trying to get back to the west coast. I do contract work for the government so I'd be looking at work on one of the bases around that area and I'm wondering what the cost of living is like. I know it's pretty high but it can't be much worse than the DC area. What I'm looking at are home prices or monthly rent prices... I wouldn't want to take a job out there and be broke because of a mortgage or rent payment! I know it's waaaaay off topic but I would appreciate your inputs!!

those are two different prices...home vs rent...in any case, my wife is a property manager, and we've discussed this many times regarding these exact two locations (DC vs San Diego. For a comparable area, the prices for rent are actually very close to each other. For an extremely nice 1 bedroom/1 bath in San Diego, I used to pay 1474/ month. And this was afor an A+ property... check this out... this is where I lived when I first got to San Diego...

http://www.fairfield-propertie...=6131

Here's a comparable place in Fairfax VA...

http://www.forrent.com/apartme...3.php

now of course, you could pay more or less in San Diego depending on which area you want to live in, but this is just an example. If you decide to come out to San Diego for a visit, I'll take you around the city and show you the nice areas and what you can expect to pay... realistically, if you want to buy, you'd want to rent for a while and save up for these overprices homes in SOCAL though...just my opinion!

[dangeris]

oh ok but you haven't applied to LM since then right? I know LM is hiring but not sure of what position. Some are virtual which would be the best kind!

[dangeris]

I used to pay 1474/ month. And this was afor an A+ property...

that's more than my mortgage payment and I own a 3800 sq ft home on 2 acres! I guess it's all about location. You're toasty warm there in San Diego and I'm freezing my arse off in northern PA.

[AltimaJoe]

Sweet, thanks for the links!! $1474 isn't TOO much more than what I pay right now, so if I got a comparable salary in that area I'd definitely be able to swing that. Have to wait and see what happens though, I'd really like to get back to WA but if CA is the closest I can get I'm going for it. If I can't find anything on the west coast I'm just going to find something further away from DC.

As far as applying to LM, the last app I submitted was September of '07. Since I'm starting a new job hunt with an updated resume I'm going to start applying again. Searching the site there are a few positions I could fit... we'll see how it goes!

Erm, edit: I got confused... who's doing what where now? Whoever has the home in PA is lucky. And whoever posted the links, thanks!Edit 2: I think all the coffee I drank this AM is responsible for my erratic post here.

[rjdmmfl1]

that's more than my mortgage payment and I own a 3800 sq ft home on 2 acres! I guess it's all about location. You're toasty warm there in San Diego and I'm freezing my arse off in northern PA.

Yeah, that's what all of my firends that own homes said when I told them what I was paying for that place. Oh yeah, and you are in northern PA, so everything there is prob gonna be less expensive than San Diego

[quick_shift]

Yeah, that's what all of my firends that own homes said when I told them what I was paying for that place. Oh yeah, and you are in northern PA, so everything there is prob gonna be less expensive than San Diego

just a little bit

[generic808]

When I lived in LA (6th & Harvard - Mid Wilshire area) I was paying $975 for a 485 sq ft studio! Of course, that's pretty cheap compared to where I live now. A studio of the same size here in Honolulu would run about $1100.

[edonissan13]

Modified by edonissan13 at 3:44 PM 2/11/2008

[adidas2go]

I work on a naval base in Point Mugu, CA. Its just above Malibu right on the PCH. Its the entire west coasts hawkeye squadron for the Navy. Huge following of civilian contractors here. Nothrup Gumman develops the aircarft. I live in a local city, Camarillo. Beautiful area. Base has its own private beach. I pay 1600 a month for a 1300 sq ft apartment. Great place to live!