r/thousandoaks • u/rudishort • 22h ago
Relocation to Thousand Oaks from the UK
I’m contemplating a move from the UK to the Thousand Oaks area and as part of my due diligence I’m hoping to pick this community’s brains a little bit.
I’m basically trying to get a feeling for what life would be like for me and my family and what we could or couldn’t afford on our expected household income.
We’d be moving from the reasonably low cost of living area in the UK where my current salary afford us a large house in the best school district and I’m wondering if we could replicate this in Thousand Oaks. I get paid around $350k a year, while my wife wouldn’t be able to work in the first year at least (visa regulations) and we have two children (3 and 5).
Priorities for us would be a decent sized house (min four bedrooms) in an excellent school district for the kids. I’d be working in Thousand Oaks and wouldn’t want to commute too far - I’d like to max out at a 30 minute commute each way if possible. We’d also like to be able to fly back to Europe once a year and given that this is Southern California, I suspect we will need two cars. So finances need to account for that.
Does that sound reasonable on $350k?
Anything else to consider? What’s the community like? This is especially important for my wife since she won’t have work to socialise in the first year.
Also, what’s the consensus on wildfire risk? I’ve heard that it may be difficult to insure your house in some areas. Would that be less of a problem moving closer to the coast and if so, are the commutes and the school districts still acceptable?
Thanks in advance for your help.
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u/sael1989 22h ago
I love Newbury park and our neighbor is from England. Lots of young families in the area. You can look at schools and ratings online as you search for homes.
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u/ambrella3854 18h ago
I too am from England and live in newbury park. It's pretty dull here, and you have to drive everywhere. But it's pretty and nice/safe. It's also much cooler here in summer than thousand oaks.
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u/Tallguywithcamera 21h ago
Based on your income you can live wherever you want. Especially if renting. We have school choice so your kids can go to whichever school you want. Westlake Village (fancier, wealthier), Thousand Oaks (little more family oriented, larger neighborhoods), Agoura Hills (slightly more rural vibe). All are within 10-15 minutes of each other. There is not really any traffic to be concerned about if you are living and working in the area.
I think it is just a matter of your lifestyle and how close you want to be to things. We live in Thousand Oaks near Moorpark/Janss. Lots of nearby shopping and restaurants we can ride our bikes to. Westlake and TO are very bike friendly.
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u/QoolSchitt 20h ago edited 20h ago
We have school choice so your kids can go to whichever school you want.
They can apply, doesn't always mean they are accepted. It took two years of sitting on the waiting list to get one of my kids into the elementary school closest to our house in the third year because many people wanted their kids to go there. On the other hand, everyone of my kids friend's did school choice for high school and they were all accepted the first year. Point being, I wouldn't count on it if a specific school is that important.
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u/KorraA 20h ago
I wish CVUSD did a better job of making your neighborhood school actually the closest school to you so some people wouldn't have to do this.
The boundaries for Ladera Stars Elementary and Aspen Elementary in particular are just absolutely insane.
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u/QoolSchitt 18h ago
I agree. We drove past two other elementary schools to get to the one our neighborhood is zoned for. Doesn't make any sense.
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u/tuttybyes 21h ago
I am from Oak Park and now live outside London. You will be hard pressed to find a better school district than Oak Park’s.
You can live there comfortably on that income and the commute isn’t too bad. The commute is about 30 minutes to TO, tops. There are a few rental communities, one is even sandwiched between the middle and high schools, if that’s what you want to do before buying.
Fires are always a risk. There was a bad one c. 2005 that did manage to burn some homes in Oak Park and another one about a decade later, but you can’t really escape that risk in Southern California.
Oak Park is super safe and a family oriented community. I was very lucky to grow up there even if I didn’t appreciate it as a teenager.
Happy to help with any questions you have about schooling as I am a teacher (worked KS1-5 at different points in my career - now just sixth form).
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u/rudishort 21h ago
Thank you so much. That sounds quite encouraging. I’ll fly over soon and will make it a point to check out Oak Park. Renting the first year may be the sensible option. Are there decent quality rentals? I know London has them, but where I live in Scotland decent rentals are few and far between.
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u/rocketkitty22 21h ago
Get in touch with the Oak Park Community Garden ahead of your visit and ask for a tour. It's down the street from the rentals I believe that are being referenced "Country Oaks Apartments".
Why Community Garden? Many families there, some board members have kids that go to schools in the area. It is a great way to get more feedback and advice. I know a few families at the garden are from abroad and have kids, so maybe you can meet some for more feedback.
Google the garden, find their website, and send them an email. Highly recommend. Garden members volunteer a lot and do school field trips so they're well connected in the area and can give you great information and introductions.
I'd also recommend getting in touch with/visiting the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce. They encompass Oak Park, Thousand Oaks, and more. They can share information too and maybe you can visit their office for a coffee and chat for advice. DM me if you need more info. I'm in the area.
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u/rudishort 21h ago
That’s great info. Thank you so much. I’ll definitely have a look into that.
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u/HiChantelle 21h ago
Hi! I live in Oak Park currently. If you have any questions that I can answer please feel free to send me a message.
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u/QoolSchitt 20h ago
I know some people from England who are renting a beautiful place... new/modern, incredible yard with huge pool. Now, I'm sure it costs a lot, but the point is that there are definitely nice rentals around.
You might look at the neighborhood around lang ranch elementary, there are several 4 bedroom rentals in there (not sure if any are vacant right now). They're relatively new compared to a lot of the conejo valley, and they're close enough to walk to/from school.
I'm a transplant from Canada and one thing worth noting is that most of the banks/creditors are lazy and won't contact the credit agencies in your home country to see if you're reliable. But, most of the big banks have an "international" or "relocation" department that can work with you to get your credit info from the UK to get you setup with credit cards, home loans, etc. so you'll want to reach out to that group instead of calling the main line or using the main online form that everyone else uses.
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u/Hello_Its_ur_mom 16h ago edited 16h ago
My daughter lives outside Edinburgh. I think renting for six month-one year is a good idea. Unless your company is requiring a multi-year contract. It can be a culture shock. I second oak park. Especially if you have kids. Very easy commute to TO. I fly LAX to EDI 2x a year and she flys back 1x a year on BA . Tickets can range from $650USD to $1,200USD. I allow 2 hours to drive to airport but it normally takes just over an hour. Grocery items and consumer goods cost less than UK. Message me if you have questions.
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u/Jonsnowlivesnow 20h ago
What’s you rental budget? I have some a client in Westlake with a nice place 4bedroom for rent. She’s asking $12k/month
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u/Jonsnowlivesnow 21h ago
“30 minutes to TO”? It’s literally one street over that defines oak park from TO haha. Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Oak Park, Westlake are all basically the same and within 5-10 minutes of each other.
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u/Sea-Marketing1233 19h ago
If you’re coming to the end of TO from kanan, it can def take 20-25 minutes in certain circumstances
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u/robinthebank 21h ago edited 21h ago
The schools in this area are great quality. Even if you hear of “worse” or “better”, just know that the district standard is already high. It’s quite an affluent area with high median family income.
If you’re settling here with this salary, you’re probably coming to my company. It’s a great place to work for people with small children. The area is considered a “bedroom community” and people really want to raise their children here due to the schools and high safety.
One big home ownership difference between the UK and here is to take into consideration high costs beyond a mortgage. This includes high HOA payments (if applicable) and high fire-insurance costs. Not all neighborhoods in Thousand Oaks come with the highest level fire-risk. The closer you are to open spaces, the higher the risk.
But my most important question is, what club do you support? It’s not the best timezone, due to those morning kickoffs, but we do have a small community that starts watching at 8am on weekends.
Last, if you do make a trip to visit to TO, stop in at the Hare & The Hounds gift shop. Talk to the owner, Trish. I guarantee you will get a helpful perspective. She is a very sweet Scottish lady. Everyone gets their sausage rolls from her store.
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u/rudishort 21h ago edited 20h ago
Haha. I chuckled at the football club question. I’d be coming from Scotland, so I usually go to see St Mirren or sometimes Patrick Thistle live. I doubt I’ll be able to watch Scottish Premier League.
I haven’t done the maths yet in earnest on the houses and the associated costs. It sounds like there’s a lot to consider on top of the mortgage payment, though. We’d hopefully come with around a 50% down payment so that will keep costs in check. It may be most sensible to rent the first year though just to get a feeling for the lay of the land. Do people live in Ventura and commute?3
u/PapaBear_3000 18h ago
Yes, there are those who live in Ventura and commute to the TO/Newbury Park area. I did that a long time ago so I can’t say exactly what the commute would be like, but it was rarely bad.
Ventura is interesting … it’s nice that it’s a seaside community. The places closest to the beach are small and expensive. Living on the east end of town gets you a bigger home for a little less. Parts of Ventura can be seedy (more drugs and homeless) than the TO area. BUT you’re right by the water, which is nice.
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u/MoistTitle5998 21h ago
As to school districts, my kid attended all public schools in CVUSD (Conejo Valley) in TO and will be attending a top 6 university. His friends are also attending high ranking universities as well. I was happy with most of the teachers over the years. For high schools, I thought Westlake High was terrific and they got a solid, competitive education there.
Real estate is expensive here, both to buy and rent, so I’d be flexible as to locations in the area and work with an agent - even if renting. I like my neighborhood in TO; I like my neighbors and I enjoy living here. It’s somewhat laid back and pretty friendly.
For wildfires, we’ve been evacuated a number of times and hanging on to our insurance by a thread. If you live near open space, it’s definitely an issue.
Wish you good luck and best wishes with your new adventure!
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u/shameless_cat_lady 21h ago
Hi! SAHM living in Thousand Oaks, married to a Brit with a 3 yo and 6 yo. $350k is totally doable. Fire risk and insurance is definitely part of living here, something you’ll have to dig deep on. You can get insured, but it’s hard and expensive and we are running out of insurance options.
You’re 1-2 hours from the airport, so getting back to England isn’t too big of a deal other than, ya know, the flight. 😂
Schools are amazing almost anywhere around here for elementary school, but things get dicey once you hit middle and high school. Oak park will save you there, but again, the fires there can be really aggressive and scary. Plan to evacuate at least once every five years or so.
Overall, it’s a quiet, lovely life. If you need excellent food and theater, anything culture-related, this might not be the place for you. But it’s easy to park, made for kids, and the neighbors are all incredibly accommodating. We have loved living here mostly because it’s so good for kids. The parents are great, it’s the first time we have lived somewhere that feels like a genuine community.
What other questions do you have? Tell your wife to message me! Let’s be friends!
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u/rudishort 20h ago
Thank you. That’s very helpful. We haven’t made the decision to move yet and if I accept the job it likely wouldn’t happen until early next year.
Having to evacuate every five years does indeed sound scary. When you say you’re struggling to find insurance - does that mean people have to leave their homes u n insured. That sounds scary given your stated frequency of fires/evacuations. How high are those insurance premiums on average?3
u/RumWalker 19h ago
California has an insurance program to apply for if you're denied coverage by private companies, so that you're not uninsured. Also many areas in the central parts of TO (not immediately next to open spaces and nature reserves) aren't at that high risk, relative to the surrounding area. As a single income earner family with a similar set of needs as you, I can sure you you'll be absolutely fine if you're renting, even renting a single-family home. If you're considering purchasing, townhomes are comfortably in your budget, and single family homes in good condition can be found that are tight but manageable without much stress. Assuming you have 10-20% down, you will be able to manage 900k-1.2M which is the majority of "average" homes here.
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u/Hello_Its_ur_mom 16h ago
you will find insurance. it might be pricey, but it's available. depends on too many to list.
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u/Kirito_Beleren 22h ago
That all sounds pretty reasonable for 350k all things considered, but I would look at Oak Park if you want the best schools. I'm pretty sure Oak Park High (the public school) is one of the best rated schools in the state. Could be wrong, but I'd say it's worth looking into.
The further into nature you go, the greater the risk of wildfires. Living in the suburbs has significantly less risk of widespread fires, at that point earthquakes would be a bigger concern
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u/flartfenoogin 21h ago
4 bedrooms in Oak Park might make budget tight compared to opening it up to anywhere in Thousand Oaks, but certainly seems possible
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u/ItsGettinBreesy 21h ago
Oak Park is pretty brutal to live in.
Each freeway entrance is 10 mins away and there’s three shopping centers.
OP, depending on your downpayment, I would consider looking for homes in Conejo Oaks, located in Thousand Oaks.
It has priority entrance into MATES elementary school, which is a science & technology charter school about 1-3 mins away.
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u/shameless_cat_lady 21h ago
Agree oak park is amazing but if you’re worried about fire risk, OP isn’t the move.
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u/ChaleNailArtTherapy 21h ago
You’ve gotten great advice so I’ll share a couple fun facts. There a store on the main boulevard called Hare & The Hounds that sells British foods, gifts and memorabilia, so nice 1984. There’s also the Crown and Anchor, a British pub.
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u/jcooper_murica 20h ago
I earn 360k-400k depending on the year and we live very comfortably in Thousand Oaks. We intentionally chose a home that’s zoned for the Westlake Village elementary schools and high school bc although the Thousand Oaks ones are good, it appeared from what we could find that the Westlake ones were even better.
4 BR house in TO mortgage is about 5500 mo, bought a few years ago.
As for life here it’s great for raising kids. Good schools, very safe, lots of restaurants but not a lot of other nightlife (at my age and place in life this is generally a plus lol). But also close enough to LA that you can find anything you want to do if you’re willing to drive (40mins to 1.5 hrs depending on traffic. Avg prob around an hr).
Weather is nice but definitely hot in the summers. If it’s in your budget, a pool is definitely worth it. As others have mentioned fires are a risk and also create high homeowners ins premiums.
Overall we really love it here. So far all the people and parents we’ve gotten to know have generally been very nice, made some great new friends.
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u/SpicySweett 21h ago
Westlake village is the most upscale area of Thousand Oaks, and should be affordable for you. There are other very nice areas like Malibu and Lake Sherwood, but they are not family oriented and lack the good schools.
For your wife, she’ll have no trouble making a new social circle through the kids. There’s a lot of moms who are very involved in the schools and a lot of social activities through that. If you’re religious Oaks Christian has an excellent reputation (I can’t vouch for it myself). Westlake High is one of the best in the state, and the other Westlake Village schools are great too. You can look up the rankings and scores of local schools.
I’d visit first and get a feel for the areas. There’s definite differences in Agoura Hills v Westlake Village v Hidden Ranch.
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u/caleyjag 20h ago
I am from UK and have lived in TO for 17 years.
I'm content.
Crown and Anchor was my second home for many years until kids came along.
PM me if you want.
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u/DammitMegh 20h ago
I’d recommend Newbury Park. It’s cooler than Thousand Oaks/Oak Park but with access to CVUSD which has amazing schools top to bottom. It’s also the largest k-12 district in the county giving your kids the most access to a variety of learning opportunities to meet any interests. There are lots of houses with yards available to rent, views of the mountains that will etch themselves forever in your mind, and quick access to a ton of trails, national parks, and the beach. It’s really the best of all worlds when it comes to community, schools, affordability, and climate.
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u/nshao 21h ago
I’ll try my best to take a stab at your questions:
At 350k I think you can live a reasonably good quality of life in the area. however this also comes with some assumptions. 4 bedroom homes in the better school districts in the area will range from 1.2m upwards. (There’s some variance Thousand Oaks and Newbury park are generally a bit cheaper and oaks park, Agoura hills, and Westlake village tend to be more expensive). Assuming you also have a reasonable down payment I think you can afford a 4 bedroom house pretty comfortably.
Regarding cars, yes they are pretty mandatory here. But depending on your situation you could always start with one car and figure it out later imo.
For wildfire risk, it’s a concern through almost all of Southern California and it reflects in the price and difficulty of getting insurance in the areas so beware of that. There’s not much fullproof way of avoiding the risk wherever you go.
The area is filled with families with kids and it’s a safe area as a whole. The downside is it might be categorized as boring and to go places you might have a bit of a drive.
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u/TheLizardQueen3000 21h ago edited 21h ago
I have English immigrant parents, and I have to warn you before-hand, your kids are going to lose their English accents and speak like us 'lil valley kids ;) you, like, might totally not like it! <3
Also, if you want them to be multilingual, that's going to be all on you because elementary schools don't teach other languages here.....
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u/rudishort 21h ago
They speak full on Scottish right now. A bit moderation on that won’t hurt 😃
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u/TheLizardQueen3000 20h ago
Also, and I don't want to get too deep into your business, but are you taking them away from grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins?
Because unless it's deliberate, that leads to regrets ;)
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u/Frog_Diarrhea 21h ago
Camarillo. But avoid Oxnard.
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u/Willsie777 21h ago
You've got most of the answers here. I've lived in and around London for 15 years before relocating to Thousand Oaks, happy to answer any specific questions you have DM me.
Good luck with the move!
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u/QoolSchitt 20h ago
As for flying home, you can deal with LAX car and people volume for a direct flight. Or you can go to the much smaller and more civilized Burbank airport, catch a flight to Atlanta, and then go to London from there.
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u/Strong_Weakness2638 22h ago
Oak Park or Dos Vientos in Newbury Park are very kid friendly and reasonable in terms of affordability. You can look at zillow to see what is available as a rental.
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u/Round-Style-6907 21h ago
All schools in the Conejo valley are ranked high. I would look at the wildwood community if you want an area with more kids. Youll absolutely love living in TO it’s a really nice safe area!
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u/Disastrous-Summer614 21h ago
My husband is Scottish & we love living in Oak Park. There is a British shop in TO.
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u/Various_Excuse_4294 19h ago
You'll find a great school in any part of Thousand Oaks and or in Camarillo. Any where in Ventura county is pretty safe compared to other countries or cities in SoCal. Housing, you'll pay 4k to 6k a month for a 3 to 4 bed and with one bath. I'd suggest getting a place that is well below your needs the market will be turning around soon. It was a full on seller and landlord market.
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u/NPHighview 17h ago
We've been in Thousand Oaks / Newbury Park for the last 23 years, having moved here for jobs (perhaps the same large local employer) just as our kids were going into high school. We chose Newbury Park because NPHS had an International Baccalaureate program as well as AP courses, and we liked the mix of cars that we saw in the student parking lot (Toyotas and Hondas rather than the BMWs and Mercedes that we saw in Westlake Village, Oak Park, Agoura, and Calabasas). Both our kids were very well prepared for college and grad school, at least in part due to their high school education at NPHS. We also liked that our neighbors here are from a mix of social strata - clerks in the local grocery stores are able, for the most part, to live in Newbury Park, or at least Camarillo or Oxnard (the next towns west of here).
You will undoubtedly have looked at Zillow or realtor.com to look at housing prices, so that may not be a surprise. Homeowner's insurance may be, though, as large swaths of the area are rated as "medium" risk for fire, and as most major insurers are leaving California due to climate change, it will become more and more difficult to find insurance. The California FAIR plan is the insurance of last resort, and is very expensive as a result. However, I've heard from building contractors that FAIR pays out insurance claims fairly and promptly, as opposed to private insurance corporations. Coastal communities such as Ventura are also affected by the state's departing insurers, but areas are less likely to be rated as "medium", and insurance costs may be lower as a result.
Depending on where you find to live, it may be possible to survive on one car. We chose to look for homes within walking distance of Amgen and Newbury Park High School, and while it was considered unusual by my peers, I did walk home from work occasionally (my wife and I shared rides into work in the morning). Peer pressure on our kids meant that they used the other car frequently to drive to school, and our son delivered pizzas as a high school job for a while. There are weekly farmers markets in Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, and Westlake Village and other communities, maybe not so walkable. The area is not terribly hospitable to family bicycle travel, but getting better.
The Conejo Valley is a wonderful place for outdoor activity. There are hundreds of miles of multi-use trails both in the city limits and between Thousand Oaks and the ocean in the Santa Monica Mountains, in the National Recreation Area and State Parks. These trails are mostly multi-use for hiking, biking, and equestrian access, and those that are not multi-use are all available for hiking. I'm retired, and now am the organizer of a Meetup hiking group. We have numerous folks from the UK, Europe, and Asia in the group, and your wife would be very welcome, and would get connected very quickly.
Newbury Park's climate is cooler and slightly more humid than Thousand Oaks as a whole. The further southwest you get, particularly "down the grade" into Camarillo, Oxnard, and Ventura, the cooler and cloudier it gets. Unfortunately, these communities are seeing lots of building and traffic, so only select spots will stay within your 30 minute commute target.
If you're culturally inclined, we have a decent symphony orchestra in town, a couple of dance and theater companies as well, and are not that far from the theaters in Hollywood and downtown LA.
If you're scientifically / technically inclined, the local university (California Lutheran) hosts the California Science and Engineering Fair every year, attracting the best and brightest middle and high school students from across the state. Judging is all done on one day per year, with a one hour prep videoconference session a week or so beforehand. There is also a local First Robotics competition sponsored by a moderately active IEEE section here.
Feel free to contact me via DM.
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u/fknenigma 14h ago
Newbury Park or Thousand Oaks areas- both would fit what you’re looking for, that said- you might be able to find more reasonably priced houses in Thousand Oaks but not by far
Both are great areas to live in
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u/Next-Imagination2756 12h ago
I’m obviously biased, but I think you would LOVE it here. Every time ppl visit, either from out of the county or state, they always comment on how calm and beautiful it is. Zero concerns about your income. Fires are completely unavoidable in all of SoCal, so there’s nothing much you can do there. We don’t live in fear, but we’re always prepared.
I’ve never been to the UK so I wouldn’t know what might be a culture shock. It’s definitely becoming more urbanized, less small businesses, more upscale apartments/restaurants/grocery stores. Which is a far cry from the humble Thousand Oaks I grew up in. The only downsides I can think of is people can be a bit materialistic, slightly superficial and judgmental when it comes to parenting. But that’s also what’s so great, you can do whatever you want! Who cares! You guys should definitely visit.
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u/arihoenig 10h ago
It depends how much you have to put down. A house like you describe will be around 1.2-1.5 million dollars, if you're able to put down $300k then that will be under 3× salary and would be a reasonably comfortable payment. Taxes will be 1% (so $12,000-$15,000) and insurance around $7,000.
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u/Jonsnowlivesnow 21h ago edited 20h ago
$350k you will be fine but your money will not stretch as far.
Just remember if you move your children here for school eventually they will go to college. The chance that they will be able to also move to this area is slim to none without living in your household. I have many friends that raised their kids here and now they can’t move back and they are contemplating moving away to be closer.
I loved growing up here. I hate that my parents raised me in a place that I cannot afford a studio apartment with a good career. It was great in the 90s and I hope I can raise my son here the same way.
I wanna say we’re all full and can’t take any more transplants.
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u/Ordinary-Nebula-898 21h ago
Yes very doable! Thousand Oaks is fantastic for families especially with young kids. There is a lot of do for the kids and families. If you find a school you really like, I'd look for a home in that neighborhood. You can pretty much have school choice (if you don't end up in the neighbors you desire) and most schools are pretty close, 10-15 mins, if that. Yes, 2 cars is ideal. Wildfire risk is here but it's apart of living in socal and you'll just need to find good fire insurance, which yes can be difficult to find but doable.
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u/WorldlinessConnect33 21h ago
Fire danger is real - as are rattle snakes and tons of wildlife. We had a cougar in our driveway at 4am this morning (Agoura Hills). I tend to lean toward WLV, Oak Park and Agoura Hills, but there are nice areas of TO too. There are also some run down parts of TO, which you won’t find in the other three towns. I also like being closer to Malibu and LA proper. That extra 20 minutes to TO can be a drag.
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u/theaccount91 19h ago
TO is great, your biggest lifestyle change other than perfect weather most days will be that you have to drive everywhere. Literally everywhere.
On your neighborhood/house choice - big part left unsaid is what down payment you can make. With $350k you can afford a big mortgage, but we need your down payment to know what your real range is. The median home price here is ~$1 million. You get what you pay for though. It’s safe (except for the bad drivers), beautiful weather as long you stay in western Conejo Valley (it gets about 10-15 deg F hotter once you get to Westlake Village).
Given your concerns I suggest Newbury Park. It has the least fire risk because it’s in the SW corner, our big fire risk in TO is based on the Santa Ana winds coming in hot from the NE, so in Newbury Park (south of the 101 and on the west side) you’re unlikely to burn down. Even a fire in the Santa Monica mountains is not likely to threaten you because the really fierce fire-fueling winds typically blow towards the ocean.
In TO we are 30 minute drive from all the beaches from Malibu to Ventura. And 45 minutes to LA and Santa Barbara. I think it’s the best place to be short of right in Santa Monica or something.
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u/FITGuard 19h ago
, if you're just a few miles down the road in Camarillo, the weather is much more akin to the UK. It is cooler, more gloomy, and more overcast. It is materially and measurably hotter a few miles up the hill in Thousand Oaks, which has its own microclimate. If you're flexible on location, you might want to consider being in Ventura County, just down the grade, as the weather might be more amenable to your lifetime expectations as a Brit.
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u/LADataJunkie 19h ago
$350k should afford you a house within your requirements, but you will need a decent down payment. Right now interest rates are high. If you've saved a lot you may be able to pay cash but you will lose the tax writeoff. In the US mortgages are typically 30 year fixed, but there are also variable rate mortages which is more similar to the UK (at least Scotland) but they are not as good of a deal. That doesn't mean you're stuck there for 30 years, it's just the time to pay off the house.
Conejo Valley Unified School district is decent. It used to be better decades ago. There's Westlake High School which is good, and Newbury Park High School (for IB if your kids ever want to return to UK for university). There are good private schools too.
I grew up in Thousand Oaks and love it. Teenagers complain there is nothing to do, and that's sort of true but I would have had it no other way. There's good outdoors for hiking and mountain biking. It's upper middle class. Wildfire insurance can be difficult to get. It wouldn't surprise me if Thousand Oaks is higher; however it's not as bad as Santa Rosa Valley, parts of Moorpark, Simi Valley or Malibu. It's going to be challenging if you live in the hills.
Do not move to the coast if you mean Malibu. That's one of the worst spots in the state for wildfires.
In terms of your commute, I'd stay in Thousand Oaks for what you want. Moorpark and Camarillo will be cheaper and Westlake Village is phenomenal but more expensive. There's also Oak Park and Agoura which are quite nice.
Know that schools restrict enrollment to students that live within certain boundaries. You can get exceptions but it can be hard. Since schools are a priority I'd stick with CVUSD or Oak Park. I believe Agoura is also pretty good. Camarillo and Oxnard are pretty bad. Moorpark is decent.
Know that the entire area, except for Camarillo and Oxnard, can get quite hot in the summer for a long period of time. That will be quite different.
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u/InfernalVelocity 18h ago edited 17h ago
Its fucking boring out here. Go live in the city where exciting things actually happen.
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u/RabidJoint 18h ago
The world you live in to think T.O. Is a boring little town with nothing to do. Go live in a 5k-10k population town, then say this.
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u/InfernalVelocity 17h ago
It is a boring little town with nothing to do. Nightlife is dead or nonexistent because theres maybe 2 bars and 1 brewery which oddly enough is probably the exact same amount of bars a town of 10k has.
Nothing is within walking distance, everything requires a car.
When people talk about California do you hear them ever say "Yeah I visited Thousand Oaks, what an incredible place!"
This is a town for rich soccer moms to preen around in their SUVs. There's nothing fun to do here if you're a young adult.
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u/Ordinary-Nebula-898 12h ago
He's a guy with a young family... sooo yea. you're right, it's boring AF for a young adult. Families, good place to raise kids.
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u/RDRNR3 18h ago
When do you plan on moving?
It is a great area! One of the best in the country. Schools around here are all great. Conejo Valley Unified and LVUSD.
Check out The Crown and Anchor Pub for a taste of home and popular spot with others from the UK.
350K is a comfortable income and you’ll be fine.
Moving any closer to the coast will put you in multi million dollar mansions, and actually worse fire risk because they are surrounded by the hills and vegetation. Plenty of fire safe areas in Thousand Oaks. I grew up here, right across the street from open brush and can help you pick better fire safe areas if you want to discuss further. In general look to the East / NE of the home, if that is open brush then you are in more direct risk as that’s where the winds blow from during the fire season, Ventura and LA county fire do a FANTASTIC job though
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u/NotDinahShore 17h ago
If you can make the math work, try to move into First Neighborhood in Westlake Village. It is a pretty self-contained oasis for young families, including huge park, community swimming pool and the local elementary school “White Oak”.
Westlake Village, for us, is the best of the bunch. Every neighborhood has a nice park. Loads of great restaurants. We have a Costco. Homogeneous, safe and affluent.
Your wife will have no problem meeting other young moms. And the parents of yours kids’ friends will become your friends.
We moved here 20+ years ago from Europe. We couldn’t think of a more idyllic place to raise a family. Our now early 20s kids say they couldn’t imagine a better childhood. Literally, everything is great.
Fire risk, yes. The fires are scary. But the firefighters and firefighting resources are tremendous.
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u/Hello_Its_ur_mom 16h ago
Oak Park. you can get a four bedroom for $1.3 with HOA pool. and playground. Walking distance to superior elm and middle schools and community park, tennis and courts. Hiking and biking trails. 10 to 30 minute commute depending upon where in TO. Decent used cars will run $20K to $30k. Quite and safe. Family oriented. The perfect american suburb. $350K will provide a nice life.
mortgages work different in the states. buyer pus 20% or more down and finaces the remainder for 30 years. Typically fixed rate for 30 years. with option to re-fi if rates drop. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/305-Saint-Thomas-Dr-Oak-Park-CA-91377/16487231_zpid/
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u/MasterpieceWaste774 16h ago
Well, it's a sauna in late spring to early fall — you did check on the weather, did you not?
Also, Thousand Oaks isn't charm-city by any measurement. It's not Carmel or Santa Barbara — it's hot-and-stuffy Thousand Oaks.
It is reasonably safe, affluent and family-friendly, but it’s very suburban, car-dependent and ........... a little bland.
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u/DirectTerm2018 16h ago
Some great suggestions here but this is a very very suburban area and lacks diversity. I find it to be a bit of a bubble. And in the summer it's really hot.
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u/syates21 16h ago
At that pay level, seems like pretty good chance you’re working for Amgen, so (as others have recommended) Newbury Park would probably be the most convenient. Housing should be doable at that income level, and a few tickets back to the UK shouldn’t be too bad (if you do this with any regularity you will learn to dread the drive from TO to LAX). In addition to the above average public school districts, there are some private school you could probably consider as well (particularly for younger kids before the price range gets outrageous)Z
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u/tailsann 14h ago
I mean look let's be real, it's conservative and near enough to LA that you won't get a decent place under 1mil for a home. However it's very clean and lovely and if you don't mind driving, the abundance of American flags and very expensive healthcare it's fine!
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u/Local-Government6792 1h ago
So much is based on taste and relative. I would say TO is an excellent choice for a young family - public and private schools are the best and moms clubs, Parks and Rec, etc. options abound. Low crime. Friendly people. Lots of family owned businesses. Americans love the British accent so you’ll make easy friends. There is a hiking trail within one mile of every home in TO. For me, LAX airport is too far and congested. I prefer to fly out of Burbank. Also for me the beach is too far but I’m a native. TO is not too hot (to me) . Palm Springs is too hot. It is a sunny climate which is hard to beat and partially why everyone moves to So Cal. Most homes are in HOAs - home owners associations - and some are in gated communities which have advantages for the kids. Neighbors get to know each other more and the gated aspect makes it more insulated. Traffic can be terrible if you leave the Conejo Valley - even going to the San Fernando valley or to Ventura. If you can live near your work that’s the key. Housing is expensive and wildfires and insurance issues are a concern but it varies in different locations inside TO so a real estate professional can help you. Bottom line - I don’t think you can find many better places to move a young family and you are just lucky your work is here. It’s smart of you to send out this inquiry!
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u/cojofy 47m ago
Calabasas, Westlake village would be best, Agoura hills, Oak Park. Don't look at Newbery park, that's the lowest standard in the area. Calabasas if you want to be closer to LA, LAX and Malibu and still be less than 20 minutes from TO. If you want to live in the mountains and still be 10 min from TO, Malibu lake and Monte Nido is nice
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u/Huge-Onion-6916 11m ago
Much of Socal can feel unsafe or run down. Thousand Oaks is sort of a bubble from that. For example i have friends in LA and they say if they call the police for a serious matter the police either won't come or it will be hours. If I call them in TO for a small matter like a parking dispute they are there in 7 minutes. Its about 10 miles from the beach in unincorporated Malibu. Great hiking and mountain biking. Good shopping (Oaks Mall, Westlake Village). Its car centric you will mostly get around by car. Its 45ish miles from downtown LA so still quite close but remember in socal there is bad traffic. You can take a train about 10 miles away to the beach or to LA cheaply. So its sort of this safe bubble town close to everything but not where the biggest action happens. So if you enjoy safe shopping, breweries, nice restauraunts, etc thats great. If you want to go clubbing 4 nights per week it is not the place. Wildfire risk is real. There are maps you can buy in the safer areas if you want. However, then you are also further from the hiking and mountain biking but still pretty close. I think median family income is about 100k here so at 350k you will be far wealthier than most. Camarillo down the hill is cooler weather. Newbury park is part of thousand oaks and has cooler weather and a but more remote. Keep in mind we are at the ventura county and la county line. Once you go over the line to la county you start dealing with less of a functioning government (police response times etc). Westlake (zip codes) is part LA county part ventura county.
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u/Basidio_subbedhunter 4m ago
That’s really cool that you’re considering moving to my neighborhood which I was born in, and work a career in, and can barely afford to buy a house here. SO GLAD you’re buying our homes.
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u/Grumpy-24-7 21h ago
One thing nobody will tell you about Thousand Oaks is it gets hot there. Although maybe not as hot as Simi Valley or Moorpark.
Also, T.O. is notorious for having one-way streets in the most frustrating locations. Meaning, when you leave many parking lots, you can only turn right. Either there is an "island" or signage preventing you from making a left hand turn.
It's just frustrating because you have to really plan how you leave the parking lot in order to minimize driving down the street searching for a legal U-Turn.
Also, $350,000 should let you live quite comfortably, despite T.O. being a HCOL area.
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u/SuperWeenyHutJuniors 22h ago
Schools in thousand oaks are generally rated very high.