What was the final straw to make you leave?

[mojo goat]

With us it was the the sudden appearance of crime, homeless, and criminal illegals in our once small, safe and quiet town. This was our third move, we realized there was no place safe from the new norm created by the clowns in power, it had infested the entire state.

[dousan]

It was a combination more than one thing. From Orange County
Crime, politics, taxes, school district (we knew this buying our home though), traffic congestion, homelessness, and the unenjoyable careers. While they paid very well, it also ate up a lot of family time.
Gun laws is lower on the list but also knew really anywhere for the most part would be an upgrade there.

Moved 2019 so before peak but worked out because new place wasn’t over priced. Also are in the position that we had no family things holding us back. Was just wife, 3 kiddos (not in school yet) and myself at that time.

While we love Oregon and disappointed in the “law” we won’t be following anyways, it’s still light years better than SoCal.

Just consider all factors and general happiness in one’s situation. Life’s too short to be unhappy everyday when there are definitely better and enjoyable ways to live life.

[BAJ475]

Originally Posted by mojo goat

With us it was the the sudden appearance of crime, homeless, and criminal illegals in our once small, safe and quiet town. This was our third move, we realized there was no place safe from the new norm created by the clowns in power, it had infested the entire state.

Nothing made us leave. However, it was the Camp Fire that increased the value of our home in Chico that made it desirable to move while the getting was good! The fact that my brother and my son had moved to the CDA area just added to the reasons to move to northern Idaho.

Edit: I should add that there is a reason that it is called The Great State of Idaho while California has turned into a chit hole!

[BigBronco]

For me it was a combination of retiring and my wife had a work form home job she could take with her. We are know 12 minutes from our 3 year old granddaughter. Bigger house smaller overhead. Now when I look to the west on a beautiful red sunset I tell myself California is burning. Not too far off eh?

[Loaded_Potato]

To echo what many will probably say. Crime, homelessness, drug use, litter, politics, taxes, schools, I mean list is probably endless. The combination of many things not just one was the deciding factor for us. Most of all we wanted to get our kids out of CA and raise them right without being indoctrinated with liberal ideologies.

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[Fear58]

Young, planning a family. Didn't want my first born to be surrounded by socialist ideology. Even at 30 years old, it was easy for me to see the contrast of California from 1990s to 2020s. And the Democrat Roadmap for California showed no sign of letting their foot off the throttle, as far as I could tell. So I left.

Less taxes, better gun rights and all that was just a bonus for me.

[DesertDave100]

Competition for recreation. All the things people mentioned irked me a lot, but when I thought about why would one live in CA, and realized I wasn't enjoying it due to the crowds and unavailability of parking, access, etc. then that was the last straw. Nothing to hold me there, really. I was already retired.

[AirCav]

It was a mosaic of things for me but after i retired work was no longer a teather that coincided with becoming a felon overnight for owning certain property i grew up in Ohio and was missing green oh yeah and water that goes with that

also if shtf. there was no way to survive that in LA. county between the sheer amount of desperate people and few NATURAL resources

trying to get my daughter out but mentally she isnt there yet but i have a starter house waiting for her

[stormvet]

Josh Harder got elected in my district, I knew all was lost then. Ok not the only reason or the most important, but it certainly played a role.

[johnparjr]

Decided CA was just too expensive anymore to live here and wanted my youngest a better chance at a good life so we left CA in June.

[kwsr166]

The snowball kept growing. Crime, homelessness and then every week some stupid idea from Sacramento on how to "improve life" in CA, for someone other than the taxpayers. It was like they kept trying to one up each other with leftist/socialist crazy ideas.

[DaveInOroValley]

We wanted leave over fifteen years ago but couldn't. The spiral down he toilet started even before then. A once great and possibly the best state to live in and work in was destroyed by the policies and mismanagement that voters continued to vote for.

It was like Albert Einstein's quote on insanity times 10. Leaving California was the best decision we've ever made regardless of the "It'll be the same" comments from those that can't make the move.

[toro1]

When it became clear Newsollini was going to be elected Governor. I have to admit now, he has far exceeded my expectations for the destruction he has wrought.

[Senko]

I'd say everything. The shutdown and approach to the vid was tyrannical like everything else they do.

It coincided with our youngest going to college. So we got the house ready and sold it. I'm not sure my wife would have been ready to leave our home for the past 22 years without the shutdown.

We miss the memories made in the home, but that is our past and this is our future.

[Dougbert66]

The Covid lockdowns and rash of increasingly ridiculous laws did it for us. When my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in August of 2020 we accelerated the move timeframe from "we're leaving" to "we're leaving ASAP." Glad to be closer to family and in a free state (shall issue CWP, no pre-emption, minimal Covid crap, lower taxes, very little woke garbage, voter ID, etc.).

[desertjosh]

Seeing what they were pushing in the schools. We have been looking to leave for more than 10 years. Visited 5 different states to make sure we were making the right decision. Sold our house and lived in a single wide on my in laws property allowing us the funds to travel like crazy. Been here almost 2 years now and no regerts

[Mr T]

Literally, all of the above.

[kustomkat1950]

All the above, taxes, vehicle reg, and intense pressure from the technical director to take the shot. I had enough and left him in a lurch. Feel kinda bad about it.



Okay, I feel better now.

[ACfixer]

Yes, all of the above. I had been compiling a list lest I give in to another thing.... then another. Some great encouragement from other ex-pats here really helped me stay focused.

[-hanko]

Originally Posted by DaveInOroValley

We wanted leave over fifteen years ago but couldn't. The spiral down he toilet started even before then. A once great and possibly the best state to live in and work in was destroyed by the policies and mismanagement that voters continued to vote for.

It was like Albert Einstein's quote on insanity times 10. Leaving California was the best decision we've ever made regardless of the "It'll be the same" comments from those that can't make the move.

"It'll be the same" translates into those who say it don't have the balls, guts, and/or money to move.

The "wife won't leave California" is a very poor excuse.

[Sutcliffe]

The background check on ammo sales.

My longtime hunting partner was turned down after failing his background check the first year it was required.
The clerk said ‘not to worry’, about 20% of purchasers were denied and the process would work itself out over time.
WTF?

In Spring of 2019 my wife and I started road tripping every chance we got.
Our first interest was Eastern Washington. Walla Walla in particular. That didn’t really suit our needs. We ended up in Moscow and fell in love with small town ID.

We looked into weather and decided Californians might not do well in North ID. We settled on Treasure Valley and I really liked Emmett. Couldn’t find the right property.

Ended up four miles out of Middleton on four acres with an assortment of critters that make us happy.

Most of our neighbors are former Californians.

[wpod]

Born and raised in the mid-1900s in a small agricultural town in the Central Valley. A great place to grow up, back then.
Graduated late 70s, moved to Phoenix to attend a trade school. Moved back 10 years later.
The BATs were moving in. Farmland being paved over. Years later the mismanagement of water.
Final straw was mass release of criminals.
Moved back to AZ four years ago, for good. Now living beyond rural down miles of dirt road on our horse ranch. Three of our 4 adult children now live here too.
I drive 20 miles to work one direction, Wife works 20 miles the other direction.

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[beanz2]

They went Left, so we left.

One thing is to prevent the Libs from further ruining our new state. When we hear of a left-leaning person wanting to leave Cali, we try to talk them out of it. Tell them about the “lack of diversity”, the hard winters, how we terribly miss the family and friends back there, how “intolerant” the locals of California leftist ideas, how “religious” the people are around. Hope that would keep them there!

[desertjosh]

Originally Posted by Sutcliffe

The background check on ammo sales.

My longtime hunting partner was turned down after failing his background check the first year it was required.
The clerk said ‘not to worry’, about 20% of purchasers were denied and the process would work itself out over time.
WTF?

In Spring of 2019 my wife and I started road tripping every chance we got.
Our first interest was Eastern Washington. Walla Walla in particular. That didn’t really suit our needs. We ended up in Moscow and fell in love with small town ID.

We looked into weather and decided Californians might not do well in North ID. We settled on Treasure Valley and I really liked Emmett. Couldn’t find the right property.

Ended up four miles out of Middleton on four acres with an assortment of critters that make us happy.

Most of our neighbors are former Californians.

Nice, I'm in Emmett and my folks are in Middleton

[GW]

Gunmaggedon was the last straw.
We were traveling in Washington when we heard that all of it had passed. We bought a house in Vancouver 4 days later.

[oddball]

Echoing others, many factors such as taxes, cost of living, commie politics, traffic, the CA attitude in people, etc. We hated CA and it stressed us out daily, my wife and I loathed life in CA.

But the single event that was the last straw, that lit the fire under our butts, that made us start the wheels turning for a move was when the idiots of CA passed Prop 47 in late 2014, by nearly 60% of Californian voters. The following year, we started to visit states, cities, locations for a possible new home. Took about 3 years after 47 passed to reach Texas.

[MrBlond]

No free street parking left in Hollywood thanks to homeless camps.

[borderguy]

A kid at my son’s high school shot 15 people and killed two of them.
Quality of life was sucking greatly as well.

[M76]

I’m just living vicariously through these posts in miserable
californiapocalypto until retirement; family obligations have
me anchored but I’m outta here. Until then it’s sh*thole city.

[covingtonhouse]

We made an exploratory trip to N. Idaho in January of 2020 with a three to five year plan to move. Covid layoff in March of 2020 changed that to a 3-5 month plan. We got two properties ready to sell in two months, rented a place in CdA in May of 2020, and closed on a house in July of 2020. My plan was to finish out the job I was working on in Menlo Park by February of 2021. Covid and vax bullship basically led to me walking away in August of '20 and not looking back. I left excellent money and awesome health bennies, but would have had to work in SF Bay area for two weeks at a time, and flying back on weekends. Hard decision for sure, but way happier up here. Drawback is no health insurance, no steady income, but the stress level is less than half. 2A freedoms didn't even factor in, but it's a bonus.

[scout II]

We moved to Nampa Idaho 2 years ago for most of the same reasons as everyone else. The decision was made easier when my wife's work started letting everyone work from home. I could get a job anywhere in my field but moving to Idaho allowed me to retire early. Win win for us.

[nitroxdiver]

Originally Posted by beanz2

They went Left, so we left.

One thing is to prevent the Libs from further ruining our new state. When we hear of a left-leaning person wanting to leave Cali, we try to talk them out of it. Tell them about the “lack of diversity”, the hard winters, how we terribly miss the family and friends back there, how “intolerant” the locals of California leftist ideas, how “religious” the people are around. Hope that would keep them there!

Well played

[GW]

Originally Posted by M76

I’m just living vicariously through these posts in miserable
californiapocalypto until retirement; family obligations have
me anchored but I’m outta here. Until then it’s sh*thole city.

If you can swing it, buy property now in whatever state you're thinking of. Rent it out for whatever it takes to make your nut, including property managers to keep an eye on things. Then, when its time to move you give notice to the renters and move in. That's how dear wife and I did it so other than the down payment and closing costs, the house paid for itself for the 2 years it took us to finish out our careers in the PRK.
So, if you can afford it now, buy it now because things are not going to be cheaper further down the road.

[Sutcliffe]

Originally Posted by desertjosh

Nice, I'm in Emmett and my folks are in Middleton

Fortunately, small town ID doesn’t lack for those.

That rest stop at Freeze out was a big factor for me. What a view of a nice little town.

We’d been living in Airbnb for three months and the wife was going stir crazy and wanted a place-NOW.
I would have waited for something in Emmett, but we are happy with no regrets.

[Garand Hunter]

All of the above was foretold to me by the Almighty Dude up beyond the clouds around 2010 with the inspiration " Things are coming to California that do not belong to you and your family. " The wife and younguns refused to believe it even when its blaring you in the face. Finally most of them said lets move to Tennessee last year. Can you believe $ 45 to register my 2017 Dodge Ram instead of $ 465 in 2021 ! Etc Etc The God Father's great horse Feces view of life under socialism etc.

Psalm 1

[kwsr166]

It sneaks up on you, one stone on your chest, then another, then another, then another and you start to have trouble breathing and before you know it, you can barely breathe. You dont realize how out of breath you were until you get out.

[GlockN'Roll]

I got tired of the ocean, the forests and the desert, the great weather and the beautiful women.

Wait, what was the questions again?


You can run, but you can't hide...

[mojo goat]

[QUOTE=GlockN'Roll;27440830]I got tired of the ocean, the forests and the desert, the great weather and the beautiful women.

Wait, what was the questions again?


You can run, but you can't hide...

Glad to hear you are OK with the current conditions in southern Calif. I wonder how much worse will it have to get before you deem it unacceptable?

[PartyBarge]

Proposed mando kid vax and the homeless lady living in a bush down the street.

[ibanezfoo]

Originally Posted by mojo goat

With us it was the the sudden appearance of crime, homeless, and criminal illegals in our once small, safe and quiet town. This was our third move, we realized there was no place safe from the new norm created by the clowns in power, it had infested the entire state.

Wood finish

Seriously.

Of course all the high taxes, traffic, laws, yadda yadda.

But I went into a Rockler woodworking store to get some varnish and the shelves were empty. When I asked why they said that CA had banned all of them. What human being believes they have the power to "ban" something like wood finish from other human beings? It was either leave or do something really bad...