I live in the Southern California - Orange County Area, and house prices are ridiculous! Bottom of the barrel homes - with wall-to-wall carpeting, vinyl flooring in the kitchen, no backyard landscaping, and white tile countertops - start at $600,000! Property taxes are 1.6% - so you are talking about at least an additional $1000/mo. just for taxes. It is unbelievably ridiculous! The payment is close to $3000 a month - even with 20% down. I don't understand why so many people want to live here. The traffic is crazy, and the home prices are just as crazy. Yeah I have the beach and Disneyland nearby, but is it really worth it?? I keep asking myself that! :O)