Leaving California was the best decision I ever made. Moved to a large city in the Southeast where I was able to build a brand new house in one of the nicer neighborhoods in town for the price of a 2 bedroom condo that needed some work in a mediocre at best area of LA. That was the biggest factor in the decision to move since I had pretty much ruled out home ownership in California. The lower taxes and gas prices are a bonus, as is not having to wait in long lines for everything from getting gas at Costco, to checking out at the supermarket, to going to the bathroom at a restaurant. All buildings have enough parking so you don't have to spend 15 minutes going around looking for a spot at any location and you don't have to plan your activities based on the traffic patterns. The improvement in QOL was night and day.