FN FAL said:
After 7 years of living in the same apartment, them bastages finally had the nads to increase the rent. We have one garage stall, one numbered parking spot, two bedrooms and pretty big kitchen and living room, central air and heat. I'd estimate it at about 900 sq feet. The rent just went up to 650 a month...after 7 years of no increases from the original rent.
This is in Van Nuys, just north of L.A. I had a one room closet, upstairs, shower - no tub, for $1100/mo. They would have charged an extra $200/mo for a single roommate. The 'building' had 1970's appliances, a gas leak, occasional bouts of no hot water (every time the wind blew), and a psychotic landlord that claimed I was having loud parties every weekend. While I know folks that can have parties at their home while flying out of state, I'm not that capable. I really enjoyed the voicemail messages to "cut out the noise" upon landing in BFN Kansas.
After 6 months, the landlord raised the rent to $1200/mo. The hot water was no longer, the air conditioning didn't, and the toliet was falling off its mounts. The landlord had another fit when I declined to renew the lease. We're about to go to court over the substantial security deposit.
A walk-in closet size place goes for around $1395 a month and up if you have perfect credit. Add another couple of hundred per month for electric, gas, water, and trash. Feel very lucky if you get your own meter instead of an 'estimated' shared one.
Sure, with these rents you could buy a place worth around $200 -300 thousand. That'll get you a refrigerator box on a hazmat site.
If you wait out the 7 years to get on the Section 8 housing list, you can find a really nice 2 bedroom apartment in a nice area with a pool, spa, and landscaping in pristine conditions. However, you must speak Spanish, be pregnant with twins, a single mom, a recognized minority (which the gov't still defines as hispanic despite their majority in L.A.), and on welfare. Being a single Dad doesn't count.
Head north to Bakersfield and commute. The $150,000 home that is 1500 sq feet on a 1/4th acre lot is now $420,000. BTW, the jobs are in L.A. IFTA and the air charter places need a few pilots, but not many. The round trip to L.A., depending on your car, will be approximately $50 in gas and 2-5 hours depending on traffic.
The coast is worse. Santa Maria - a beaten up old 1 bd mobile home on a ranch with contaminated well water runs $1500 a month. An apartment, if you can find one, is in the 1000-1500 range for bachelors (no kitchen).
San Francisco (where some jobs are), see L.A.
Redding? Has a few jobs, and prices are not too insane.
Visit Craig's List and check out the potential areas. Move there before ruining your credit with flying.
Good Luck!