It really depends on what type of bit flipper you are. If you're an applications/higher level bit flipper, your job prospects are looking pretty good these days, especially mobile apps. If you're a backend enterprise bit flipper, you have more challenges in SD but there is some opportunities here and in orange county. If you're an low level embedded bit flipper that does connectivity bit flipping, you got Intel others here. And if you're in the "other" bit flipping categories, well yes it might be more challenging for you, but at least bit flipping and burger flipping will soon pay the same for you, after SD adopts $15/hr for burger flipping like in L.A.
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@ 103966: No problemo! Seriously, we should ask whoever runs this board for a subgroup labeled QCOM investment strategies, or something. It would be interesting to trade insights and opinions with others who have personal knowledge. While the bulk of quick appreciation in real estate has been made in the short run, rentals are still a very viable option. But unless you are willing to invest "sweat equity" or spend the money to do it right, you can also lose your shirt. The key is pricing your rental right, and keeping your renters happy. My recommendations: (1) Hire a pro to professionally market and manage your property. If you have a full-time job, even if you do a lot of the maintenance yourself, this is a must. You can't be everywhere 24/7, as I found out, when a renter called about a plumbing malfunction, when I was on a business trip in L.A. Also, they have experience screening tenants. After awhile they know who will be reliable and who will be a "problem."(2) Having a handyman/contractor who is willing to take repairs 24/7 is a godsend! Give your renters the number. INSIST as a condition of the lease that they have all repairs done by your repair person. After undoing a sh*tload of bad do-it-yourself jobs done by renters, you realize it actually does pay off. (3) If your rental has a yard, pay someone to mow the grass at least every 10 days, keep the trees trimmed and gutters clear, and inspect the sprinkler lines for leaks. This keeps vermin like skunks and rats from moving into your crawl space, prevents roof leaks, and also keeps your tenants from moving due to high water bills caused by sprinkler leaks.
sure, but do you have the right skills that other companies are looking for after years of working for QCOM?
sell your property folks and buy chinese stocks. it's like housing in 2004. it only goes up.
Anonymous103961, sorry, my sarcasm detector was malfunctioning today. I totally agree with you, and it's refreshing to see some of you older/wiser people that's been doing this real estate side thing for much longer than people like us. I'm not saying real estate is a bad thing or even flipping is a bad thing. It's a great thing...at the right time. It's my opinion that now is not the time to do it, unless you've been doing it for a very long time. We're near peak. In some cases, we're over peak. I'm not one who believes real estate prices are going to come crashing down here (since Q engineers are just a small percentage of the entire housing market here). But the bulk of the appreciation has already been made, unless we're considering the high end, which for most people is out of financial reach. I'm not seeing that great deals in short sales or REO's here anymore, or for that matter, many parts of CA.
103933: You're right about the real estate sales (2) You need to know enough about construction to know what to avoid. (I come from 4 generations of contractors. I've pretty much repaired everything, somewhere....); and (3) You better have damn good liability insurance. Because when hipsters buy houses and something goes wrong, they usually have their attorneys on speed-dial!
Alas, even medical marijuana as jumped the shark as a job opportunity.
Foot massage business is an option.
If you're just starting out as a real estate agent now, you have a lot of headwind going against you. Too many of us already have our broker licenses off to the side (we got them during the downturn and they came in handy when we needed to buy REO's and short sales all across CA). The license isn't hard to get. It's getting the connections to the supply of sellers, which starting out, you won't have. And with the way things are, you can't get a broker license right away without having prior experience, unlike before. That's part of many regulation changes). So you'll start out as an agent as a slave for some other broker that's willing to take you in. You're better off trying to open a medical MJ shop. Just saying...
Or you could get a real estate license!
Intel is having a hiring freeze. Politics in Intel at least in the mobile platforms group is as bad as QC if not more. Depends on where you are of course, but will be tough to get total compensation package of QC at Intel. Definitive example -a senior staff at QC will find a level 8 at INTC lower than expected. Level 9 at INTC is tough to get hired into unless you have very specific skills. But work life balance is definitely better at INTC...
intel hiring freeze and enters cost saving mode. no hiring at all.
I think it is hard to find new opportunity in SD
be a ride flipper. (aka cab driver for Uber). or a bed flipper. (aka run a hostel on airbnb). or a house flipper. (cause it can only go up in value).