A year out of BYU in 2008. I lived in Huntington Beach in a super crappy apartment.

I was so envious of my friends who had made it to the workforce a few years before me and were able to save some money and take advantage of the housing crisis and 09 and 10. We simply weren’t in a position to do so and I thought we missed out on our one chance to buy a house. We drove a ‘96 Acura that was a piece of crud. We saved like crazy. Then I went to grad school, came back and lived in a tiny home we rented. We scrimped and saved and bought a small home in 2017. We paid $1.2mm and I thought we were crazy paying that much.

Along the way, I got some raises and we built some equity in our home and bought a bigger home in the ward and neighborhood we really wanted to be in. Many others have done the same thing.

If I were in Utah, I would have done the same thing making 2/3 of the salary I make here. I would have rented for a few years, gone to grad school, rented some more, and then bought a starter home.

Prices are crazy, but they are also crazy in many nice places in Utah. I can’t believe the home price explosion in Draper, Highland, and Alpine.

But as many posters have said, if you can’t afford to live in certain parts of California, then why live here at all?? Growing up, I had three uncles who lived in Visalia, Bakersfield, and Modesto. Now that I live here in Orange County, I can’t comprehend putting up with CA politics and taxes to live in one of those three cities, no offense. It is scorching hot n the summer and you’re not near the beach. Get out of Dodge!

And to the linked post, our ward is not just all old people. We have a great youth program and our stake has a ton of youth. Our stake currently has 50 missionaries serving. It is filled with people who are doing or who have done what I did. Move here and sacrifice, knowing that you want to be here for the long haul, and save and save and wait for the right opportunity. It’s not for everyone, but it is an amazing place to live if you can get into a home.