Hello from Texas everybody!!

That size house for that kind of money would be a steal around here - and you'd get no land with it. Depending on location, you'd pay $600,00 - $1,000,000 for a house like that. The actual cost of gas is cheap here since we don't use very much. Electricity is generally bundled with gas, and depends on usage, of course. Raven and I don't use a lot, but I've heard of people spending up to $500 per month on gas and electricity. Don't know what the break-out price of water is, since we rent and it's included. Taxes on property depend on the cost when you purchased the house!?!?!

We pay $1550 per month for our three bedroom apartment, but that's very cheap, with the going price more like $2000 and up. Because there's no storage to speak of here, we also pay $350 a month for storage. So that's $1900 per month.

Gas (I pay $3.50 per gallon - and remember that gas prices go mostly into the pockets of the oil barons and not to taxes), insurance (we pay about $2800 per year for two cars and two bikes) and Food costs are also higher than other places on the U.S. mainland, but I can't compare the food costs with U.K. prices, since I don't really know what things cost over there, in general. We also have a variety of other taxes and fees, generally higher than other places in the U.S.

[Music]

Ill stick to my prices Bernie and the rain . I suppose its relative to earnings
So what would A Industrial / commercial/ Electrician (Supervisor )earn? could still be tempted

Music

Hey USA Bear, yup California, Mass, and most parts of the Northeast, what I paid fo my house would by one bedroom of another, and maybe a closet to boot! Hell, in Pasadena, a 2-3 bedroom very small with carport starts at $600,000 and $1.5M gets you an average small 3-bedroom. I feel pretty lucky, making 65-70k per year hear is like $200-300k somewhere else. And the UK, whew, a little pricey too! I guess it's like some parts of Calif. and others, if you bought it 15-20 years ago, you are setting pretty. Here today in El Paso you would be shocked what $200k to $250k can buy you. 5-6 bedrooms, state-of-the-art architecture, 3-4 car garage, 3500 sq. ft. marble floors, yada yada...really nice by anyone's standards, and I used to be a realtor in Orlando and Miami, so I've seen some pretty nice crap there. $500k would probably qualify for the mansion to small estate stuff here. 7 -10 bedrooms, 3 or 4 acres, stables, 10 bathrooms, yada yada...BUT a lot of Californians are selling out, and buying up property here driving the price up.
Let me see, in El Paso a Supervisor electrician, if working for a large national company, say Boeing, Raytheon or GM, would make $65-80k. Probably more in California or the Northeast, USA Bear may know more on that one. My brother-in-law drives a locomotive for Union Pacific in Denver Colorado, he is 30 yrs. old, and makes 100k per year. But a house like mine ther runs about 175k to 225k...so a little higher.

BTW: I am picking up some pics of my Ultra, Chromer has laid down the gauntlet for an International Chrome Challenge! See the saga unfold in the "Beer Tent" !! I'll try and get 'em posted in about 3-4 hours...

Originally Posted by Music

Ill stick to my prices Bernie and the rain . I suppose its relative to earnings
So what would A Industrial / commercial/ Electrician (Supervisor )earn? could still be tempted

Music

Experienced electrician's wages run about $80,000 per year around here. As a supervisor, I would assume it might be considerably more, but don't have any figures. $80,000 would allow a couple to live about as we do. I'm not unhappy with our standard of living. If I worked, it would be better, but, then, of course, my biking would suffer! A single person making $80,000 would get along right well. It would be no great difficulty for a partner with very limited skills to get a job earning, say, $20,000 - $40,000 per year, so yearly income could be increased substantially by both partners working.

The issue is getting the OK from the government to make the move. This might be dependent on the need for electrician supervisors here. IMHO, it's well worth the effort.;)

By the way, I am from Massachusetts (about 5 years out), and the cost of living there is not remotely close to what it is in California. House prices can be somewhat high (depending on location), but not like out here.

[Music]

Cheers Bernie,
Lorraine the other half is a nurse, Sister on the intensive care ward.
I must admit I have been very disillusioned with the state of affairs over here
and been having thoughts is it time to take the plunge while the kids are still young

Rob

Well!

Experienced registered nurses average about $90,000 per year, and I wouldn't be surprised that that profession might be a more easy entry point for immigration.

If you both were able to get reasonable employment, you'd do quite well here. And it's difficult finding people who have moved here not liking it!

The NorCal region looks forward to growth in membership! ;)

Teachers and Nurses, especially nurses are in high demand...$70-80k is very reasonable for and experienced nurse...maybe even more in some locations! My friend went to a 2 year nurseing school, started at about 40k, now making 75k in just a few years, in a low cost of living area here in El Paso. Houston, Dallas, California, New York, Chicago, etc...they will all make a ton more...food for thought.

[Music]

Many thanks guys
Time to have a think perhaps

Rob

BaZa was kind e'nuff to upload some pics for me of my ride, in "The Beer Tent" I like that "Beer Tent" lotza sudz there! Of course, BaZa is stirrin' the pot with Chromer...