Are devout Catholic women going to be less interested in me because I don't have a high paying job?

[Xantippe]

“But, I also caution you to step away from the “I am a teacher, I will be poor” stereotype. It simply is not necessarily true. There are many teachers who make a fine salary, and also supplement their income in summers, or who move on to become administrators. You cannot say what the future holds.”

Agreed. Speaking as a SAHM with three kids who has been married for nearly 15 years, here is what’s unattractive:

1. a lazy man
2. a man who is selfish with his time and the family’s resources
3. a man who refuses to exert himself for the welfare of his family
4. a man who refuses to listen to his wife

If you can work steadily as a teacher, you may do very well. I suggest reading “The Millionaire Next Door” and Dave Ramsey’s “Total Money Makeover.” In TMND, one of the authors’ findings was that teachers and engineers are particularly likely to become millionaires through frugal living and consistent saving.

My husband makes a very nice income now, but when I married him, he was a grad student with an income in very low five digits (pretty much exactly the same as mine). That didn’t matter to me at the time. Now that we have three kids, two in private school and are buying a house soon, I appreciate his earning power, but I never expected us to be making so much money.

A monthly budget meeting is a very important part of our family life. On the last day of every month, we figure out how much money we made and then we figure out how to spend it in the coming month. When you get serious with a girl, you should start having regular talks about money and financial planning.

You need to be picky about girls, too. “Devout” is a good start, but there’s a lot more to marital happiness. Is she a good friend? Is she a gossip? Does she spend more than she makes? Is she a total slob? Can she cook a little? Does she have hobbies outside of shopping? How does she feel about credit and saving? Does she read? Etc.

 

[JackieMom]

I would not find a man less attractive because he was a teacher. I knew I wanted to stay home and have more than 2 kids, so I admit that earning potential was one factor I took into consideration when my husband and I were discerning marriage. I knew I did not want to be broke, and I knew I wanted certain things for my kids that cost money (three kids in Catholic school is $1,700 a month and I’ve got two more coming up.). We also live in an area where the average home price is about $500,000 dollars and average new teacher income is only $45,000. These are all the practicalities I took into consideration because, as you know, marriage isn’t only about love, but suitability and practicality. By marrying this person, will I have a good chance of living the life I want? My husband also felt strongly about needing to support his family so that his wife had the option of staying home. He was raised by an at-home mom, and he wanted that for his kids. That informed his choice of careers when he was deciding what to do with his life.

Having said that, you might live in an area where a teacher’s salary will stretch further. Your future wife may want to work outside the home to supplement your income. You may discern a smaller family. Your job is a respectable one and there are plenty of women who won’t mind that the income is limited. Have you thought about getting a master’s, or even a PhD? That might bump your pay up and open up avenues for working in admin.

 

[llenadegracia]

Also as a young woman who falls into the category of “devout Catholic women”, I would never be less attracted to a man who is college educated and working in a respected field. Teaching is an awesome profession. It’s not like your version of not having a high paying job is working at McDonald’s on minimum wage. You choose this profession (I’m guessing) because you enjoy helping others. Becomming a teacher isn’t a walk in the park…observation classes and student teaching…it takes a while to get your license. That shows that you’re an organized, thought-out, and logical guy. Pretty cool, if you ask me.

I know many, many families where one parent is a teacher and the other stays at home. Some have two kids but I do know one family with 7. None of them took expensive vacations and always watched their money, but they made it work and live a really comfortable and happy life. So it can work out pretty nicely. On top of that, it was a huge blessing having both parents home for the summer. Think of how great that’ll be for you and your future wife to be able to spend time with your kids during the summer and during Christmas break…truly a great opportunity to watch your kids grow up!

 

[WildCatholic]

Also as a young woman who falls into the category of “devout Catholic women”, I would never be less attracted to a man who is college educated and working in a respected field. Teaching is an awesome profession. It’s not like your version of not having a high paying job is working at McDonald’s on minimum wage. You choose this profession (I’m guessing) because you enjoy helping others. Becomming a teacher isn’t a walk in the park…observation classes and student teaching…it takes a while to get your license. That shows that you’re an organized, thought-out, and logical guy. Pretty cool, if you ask me.

I know many, many families where one parent is a teacher and the other stays at home. Some have two kids but I do know one family with 7. None of them took expensive vacations and always watched their money, but they made it work and live a really comfortable and happy life. So it can work out pretty nicely. On top of that, it was a huge blessing having both parents home for the summer. Think of how great that’ll be for you and your future wife to be able to spend time with your kids during the summer and during Christmas break…truly a great opportunity to watch your kids grow up!

Well thank you. I guess I just get a little worried about how women feel about guys who don’t have as much earning potential. And I did choose to be a teacher because i want to help people (granted its been tough finding a job since I graduated about a year ago) My main worry is that it will take me a while to get on my feet since i’m subbing and only working a minimum wage grocery store job, and while I want to date and get married fairly young, I want to get on my feet financially speaking but I need that job first.

Anyway thanks, your comments made my day:thumbsup:

 

[silentfactor80]

Okay,so I plan on becoming a teacher. I feel a strong desire to marriage, but it feels like a lot of the very strong and devout Catholic women I know want to stay at home with the kids. Now I think its Awesome to stay at home, but the problem is, is that since I am a teacher, my salary isn’t going to be that great. Sure I won’t be poor, but it won’t be enough to support a decent sized (2-3 kids) family and my wife. I feel though like a lot of the more devout women want a guy who makes more money. Not because they are gold diggers or want to stay at home for that reason, but because traditionally the man is the breadwinner and the provider. So will making less money make me less attractive to devout Catholic women?

I know its a silly question, but I just want to see people’s opinions. Anyway i’m not too concerned now. I’m young (23) I still work a minimum wage job while subbing, so i’m in no shape to take care of a family now since I just graduated.

Male teachers are a minority so use that to your advantage just like women do where they are the minority. You can become principle someday or you could have a business on the side selling lesson plans. You can become a department chair which also comes with a boost. Also, look at your benefits package. I think women would feel good knowing you have great coverage. The salary thing is eh. Of coarse some women may want to pitch in. If you are really worried though, try a “Catholic feminist” lol!

 

[mayxanh]

Making less money will make you** less attractive to women who value money more than they value you.** Who needs them anyway? Find a girl who doesn’t wear makeup or high heels. They’re lower maintenance. If she like to garden, and likes old cars, even better!

Well said

 

[mayxanh]

Sure I won’t be poor, but it won’t be enough to support a decent sized (2-3 kids) family and my wife.

Not true, the elementary teacher of my daughter has 6 kids and stay-home wife. They are** Catholics,** of course. The eldest kid has been admitted to medical school. You know, in North America, entering medical school today means printing money tomorrow …

 

[Sarabande]

Find a girl who doesn’t wear makeup or high heels. They’re lower maintenance. If she like to garden, and likes old cars, even better!

Not always true. My sister doesn’t wear make-up or high heels. She was also a tomboy and although she may not be high maintenance in certain things (like nards and balms and clothes) she is high maintenance in terms of her love of high tech gadgets, what she calls “geek” stuff, computers and stuff. And she’s very aware of not appearing “girly” and “high maintenance”. Her “low-maintenance” wedding was extremely stressful and more expensive than the ones that seemed “high maintenance” because she wanted it to appear a certain way so that it didn’t look “fancy” and “over-the-top”. My sister is a great girl, one of the funniest people I know with an incredible sense of wit and I love her dearly, but just because a gal doesn’t wear makeup or high heels definitely does not mean they’ll be low-maintenance in other ways. lol! So be careful what you wish for, although maybe most guys wouldn’t mind buying all the hightech stuff, video games, and such. That may not be high maintenance for them since they’ll enjoy it too.

 

[dulcissima]

You can support a family on a teacher’s salary. You just have to manage your finances, find someone with a similar outlook on money and who you can work well with.

I am divorced, annulled and remarried. My first husband had a large salary but was terrible about spending large sums without communicating (among other issues.) My new husband makes a fraction of what my first husband did, but we live much, much better because we are both careful and communicate about goals and budgets.

Salary is only a small part of the equation when it comes to supporting a family.

 

[chevalier]

My experience with that is interesting. Until I became catholic I used to think that all women really valued money (or financial stability at least) more than other traces of personality. Including catholic women. I really did.

Financial stability really is important to women, although our current cultural paradigm is sprinkled with taboos against admitting, naming or discussing this fact. For the record, I don’t believe there’s anything particularly bad about it, especially if we replace “financial” with “economic”, but we might as well go even further and talk about the foundations of our material existence. Better than $$$, isn’t it?

There’s especially nothing wrong soever with a woman electing not to be part of a man’s choice to get an education and consequent job line that doesn’t pay. Sure, she might go for his passion for his chosen field, if he actually has that passion, but she doesn’t owe him any equal opportunity rights.

I believe it’s important for people to realise that they are making choices, (and that choices often mean that when you pick one thing, you can’t have the other,) and realise what choices they are making. The next step would be to accept maturely the consequences of one’s choices, for example when they entail a low probability of finding what you seek.

 

[SlackerCatholic]

Not true, the elementary teacher of my daughter has 6 kids and stay-home wife. They are** Catholics,** of course. The eldest kid has been admitted to medical school. You know, in North America, entering medical school today means printing money tomorrow …

Do you follow politics and current events at all? Because this won’t be true anymore once the new health care law fully implements next year, and it’s been getting harder and harder for doctors in the last decade. They get demonized for overcharging when all they are really trying to do is recoup their costs and make enough to stay in business under ever more regulation and stingier insurance reimbursements. They face the constant threat of lawsuits, and courts make it easy. Now with “profit” in health care being decried and even described as evil, doctors won’t hold nearly the status or make the money they used to.

 

[mayxanh]

They get demonized for overcharging when all they are really trying to do is recoup their costs and make enough to stay in business under ever more regulation and stingier insurance reimbursements. They face the constant threat of lawsuits, and courts make it easy. Now with “profit” in health care being decried and even described as evil, doctors won’t hold nearly the status or make the money they used to.

I am heard of these absurdities happening in the states. Fortunately, I am living Canada where it is very hard to sue a doctor unless you have a really solid ground. We also have free health cares implemented by the government for long time. Doctors do effectively get paid by the government. In average, Medical doctors are still way much better off compared to other professionals such as computer programmers or engineers

P.S. : I am not doctor though, poor me

 

[Debora123]

Okay,so I plan on becoming a teacher. I feel a strong desire to marriage, but it feels like a lot of the very strong and devout Catholic women I know want to stay at home with the kids. Now I think its Awesome to stay at home, but the problem is, is that since I am a teacher, my salary isn’t going to be that great. Sure I won’t be poor, but it won’t be enough to support a decent sized (2-3 kids) family and my wife. I feel though like a lot of the more devout women want a guy who makes more money. Not because they are gold diggers or want to stay at home for that reason, but because traditionally the man is the breadwinner and the provider. So will making less money make me less attractive to devout Catholic women?

I know its a silly question, but I just want to see people’s opinions. Anyway i’m not too concerned now. I’m young (23) I still work a minimum wage job while subbing, so i’m in no shape to take care of a family now since I just graduated.

Why do you think that most devout Catholic women want to stay home? This is not true. I would actually argue that most of them don’t mind having a career.

Unless you’re talking about the very traditionalist Catholic women, then yes, I’m sure the majority will really want to stay home.

 

[Tony2255]

I think if they were “devout” Catholic then the question of earthly riches matters very little to them. A “devout” Catholic woman wants a Catholic man rich in spirit, faith, works, and love.

My wife and I both prefer for her to stay home, but financially that isn’t feasible at the moment. But we keep working towards that goal.

In my opinion I think Catholic women have forgotten just how important their roles are. Or maybe we men haven’t shown them.

It’s my view that stay at home Catholic moms are the foundation and backbone of a strong Catholic family and parish. They are the ones spending countless hours guiding our children and preparing teachings and functions etc etc.

Yes they may not be allowed to become priests, and not to sound blasphemous, but I don’t see how a Catholic woman’s role is any less vital. I truly believe that we need to go back to having women stay at home. They provided a stability that we are sorely lacking.

 

[SlackerCatholic]

We also have free health cares implemented by the government for long time. Doctors do effectively get paid by the government.

It’s not free. I know this thread is not really the place for this discussion, but it’s NOT free. That idea is so destructive and gives the government too much power.

 

[JackieMom]

Financial stability really is important to women, although our current cultural paradigm is sprinkled with taboos against admitting, naming or discussing this fact. For the record, I don’t believe there’s anything particularly bad about it, especially if we replace “financial” with “economic”, but we might as well go even further and talk about the foundations of our material existence. Better than $$$, isn’t it?

There’s especially nothing wrong soever with a woman electing not to be part of a man’s choice to get an education and consequent job line that doesn’t pay. Sure, she might go for his passion for his chosen field, if he actually has that passion, but she doesn’t owe him any equal opportunity rights.

I believe it’s important for people to realise that they are making choices, (and that choices often mean that when you pick one thing, you can’t have the other,) and realise what choices they are making. The next step would be to accept maturely the consequences of one’s choices, for example when they entail a low probability of finding what you seek.

I agree with this. Financial stability was and is important to me. I want to be able to stay home, send my kids to private schools, afford music lessons, and not live paycheck to paycheck. I want good health insurance, I want to be able to take the family on vacations, and I want to own a big enough home for however many kids we have. I’d like to buy organic foods, have a nice, safe vehicle, go to a nice salon, and get braces for my kids without putting it on a credit card. I want to help them with college, and pay for nice weddings. I don’t want my husband in a job with a high likelihood of layoffs or transfers. If this makes me petty… Well, I guess I’m petty. I like to think of myself as practical and a long-term thinker. But truly, if a man could provide these things on a teaching salary, then I would have had no problem dating him! I’m sure it just depends on where you live. And no - these things do not trump being a good person, smart, kind, respectful, faithful, etc.

 

[chevalier]

I agree with this. Financial stability was and is important to me. I want to be able to stay home, send my kids to private schools, afford music lessons, and not live paycheck to paycheck. I want good health insurance, I want to be able to take the family on vacations, and I want to own a big enough home for however many kids we have. I’d like to buy organic foods, have a nice, safe vehicle, go to a nice salon, and get braces for my kids without putting it on a credit card. I want to help them with college, and pay for nice weddings. I don’t want my husband in a job with a high likelihood of layoffs or transfers. If this makes me petty… Well, I guess I’m petty. I like to think of myself as practical and a long-term thinker. But truly, if a man could provide these things on a teaching salary, then I would have had no problem dating him! I’m sure it just depends on where you live. And no - these things do not trump being a good person, smart, kind, respectful, faithful, etc.

Yup, sometimes a small missing prerequisite can mean no deal, even though there are big things on the plus side (and some of them quite attractive). Imagine someone who’s otherwise perfect but takes a bath or shower once a week. The issue doesn’t trump all his or her good sides but still pretty much writes off the prospect.

I don’t want my husband in a job with a high likelihood of layoffs or transfers.

That can be hard these days, given the state of the economy. Also, jobs with higher salaries may be more affected due to the spotlight attracted when cost-cutting pops up. Lawyers for example.

Speaking of which there is another typical bad trade-off to be mentioned here: a lot more things can be afforded by the family if the man works 80 hour weeks. But he can’t be present in two places at once and so he won’t be with his family at the time, including, “when they need him most.” Chances are giving him an urgent phone call about a domestic problem when he’s in the middle of a high-octane stressful process (litigation, sales, advertising, medical decisions, whatever) might not work.

In fact, when he comes back home from work, children are likely to be in bed or heading there. And there’s a number of things he’s going to be too tired for. There’s a huge chance he wants to drop onto a couch, get a beer and watch some football on the TV or play some silly computer games to destress. (Which is something women don’t typically understand, although some find themselves in a similar situation, more likely leading to wine than beer, chitchat about shoes and purses with girlfriends rather than X-box, Facebook rather than games, which still allows them to see the man as a slob or childish individual while escaping that label themselves.)

Not to mention that high-paying jobs are high-pressure and that’s stress. Stress doesn’t help you consistently remain the kindest person ever. In fact, it makes you lash out, lash back and say things you later regret. And you’re tired and you need to unload the tension, anxiety, fear, aggression, frustration and whatever else it is. Sooner or later this will kick in, maybe after an initial honeymoon period where an attractive woman with novelty on her side could keep that tendency down.

In your case, judging by the list of things you’d like to afford, the husband wouldn’t really have an easy, unstressful job. More like a job where there’s plenty of work time and plenty of work stress. Many of the above factors could surface, if not immediately (when the chemistry is as its strongest) then later on, say, several years into it. There are some such jobs in which he could actually take days off whenever he wanted and as many as he wanted, the only constraint being that he won’t be paid for them (freelancers who operate a large number of small-sized contracts, people who own a business and don’t have a boss, people who can work from home, i.e. telework). But in most cases that won’t be possible. E.g. a lawyer likely wouldn’t be able to do that before he’s a respectable partner in his law firm, that being 40 and often en route to his first stroke. And half bald. But a designer or translator probably could.

It’s important to understand that trade-offs are being made, that one can’t have it all, and that there isn’t really going back on the choices. And complaining wouldn’t be fair when it would seem to be taking it against the man that he can’t do two mutually exclusive things at the same time.

So in your case, you’d need to accept the absences and the stress, and the not even coming back home on some nights and coming back tired most of the others, as well as perhaps not having significant interests or hobbies outside work. Just like the other woman, who wanted a husband who spends a lot of time with her hand the kids and is the nicest person ever, would need to accept a much more modest life-style (and again, without complaining that her husband isn’t bringing home a larger salary).

(The example I belaboured above is actually a somewhat prominent cause of cheating when that happens. This should illustrate the amount of tension that bottles up here.)

Knowing the above, I’d probably make sure to talk about the “is theres” and “isn’t theres” with a woman before I entered into more serious commitments with her. I’d also need to be sure that she’s stable or committed enough to stand by her choice and would not, for example, take half my money to ride off with a very present, very sweet guy she could now afford to have. Or with a better provider if I struggle economically as a result of choosing my specific job line and market niche, or the economy going downhill.

 

[JackieMom]

Yup, sometimes a small missing prerequisite can mean no deal, even though there are big things on the plus side (and some of them quite attractive). Imagine someone who’s otherwise perfect but takes a bath or shower once a week. The issue doesn’t trump all his or her good sides but still pretty much writes off the prospect.

That can be hard these days, given the state of the economy. Also, jobs with higher salaries may be more affected due to the spotlight attracted when cost-cutting pops up. Lawyers for example.

Speaking of which there is another typical bad trade-off to be mentioned here: a lot more things can be afforded by the family if the man works 80 hour weeks. But he can’t be present in two places at once and so he won’t be with his family at the time, including, “when they need him most.” Chances are giving him an urgent phone call about a domestic problem when he’s in the middle of a high-octane stressful process (litigation, sales, advertising, medical decisions, whatever) might not work.

In fact, when he comes back home from work, children are likely to be in bed or heading there. And there’s a number of things he’s going to be too tired for. There’s a huge chance he wants to drop onto a couch, get a beer and watch some football on the TV or play some silly computer games to destress. (Which is something women don’t typically understand, although some find themselves in a similar situation, more likely leading to wine than beer, chitchat about shoes and purses with girlfriends rather than X-box, Facebook rather than games, which still allows them to see the man as a slob or childish individual while escaping that label themselves.)

Not to mention that high-paying jobs are high-pressure and that’s stress. Stress doesn’t help you consistently remain the kindest person ever. In fact, it makes you lash out, lash back and say things you later regret. And you’re tired and you need to unload the tension, anxiety, fear, aggression, frustration and whatever else it is. Sooner or later this will kick in, maybe after an initial honeymoon period where an attractive woman with novelty on her side could keep that tendency down.

In your case, judging by the list of things you’d like to afford, the husband wouldn’t really have an easy, unstressful job. More like a job where there’s plenty of work time and plenty of work stress. Many of the above factors could surface, if not immediately (when the chemistry is as its strongest) then later on, say, several years into it.

It’s important to understand that trade-offs are being made, that one can’t have it all, and that there isn’t really going back on the choices.

(The example I belaboured above is actually a somewhat prominent cause of cheating when that happens. This should illustrate the amount of tension that bottles up here.)

Totally. My husband is a litigator. A nice one! But yeah, I can’t just ask him to take a spur-of-the-moment afternoon off, and there are some times when he simply can’t take a call from me. There is no one to replace him, so if he’s got court or a depo or a client meeting he must be there. But he’s home by 6, and doesn’t work weekends, and doesn’t bring work home that often. It’s a stressful job, for sure, but could be MORE stressful (and more lucrative) if he worked in a large Los Angeles firm. As it is, we made the choice to put him through law school so that he would always have a solid income and stable job, but also made the choice for him to work at a smaller suburban firm so that the 80 hour weeks were not necessary. We feel like this was the best compromise.

And no, he’s not miserable, constantly stressed or near to having a stroke. He coaches soccer and goes to most of the kids’ stuff at school. We are super happy in our marriage. He doesn’t work more than 50 hours a week. I feel like we’ve made good choices in that regard!

 

[chevalier]

Totally. My husband is a litigator. A nice one!

Sweet times. Or not really. Last time I worked for a law firm, it was in the Litigation Dept. Still remember client-cabs back home at night, crawling out of the archive in the morning, jumping out of a taxi to make it on time, and 11:59 p.m. filings. Yup, looks like that’s your world. Or not.

But yeah, I can’t just ask him to take a spur-of-the-moment afternoon off, and there are some times when he simply can’t take a call from me.

Yeah. Knowing myself I might not rise to the challenge and manage to be sweet when I was dealing with some awful, mentally and physically depleting case with ten billion bucks in dispute, and got a call to honey please get two cartons of milk on your way back, oh and you might drop by Auntie Jane’s to check on her, and how about you drive me to the hair-dressers and my friend has a new purse… Nah, it doesn’t work even now, when I have a largely less stressful job and the callers are family and friends rather than spouse. Breaks my heart when I notice myself subconsciously using conversation-speeding techniques to make the interruption disappear.

There is no one to replace him, so if he’s got court or a depo or a client meeting he must be there. But he’s home by 6, and doesn’t work weekends, and doesn’t bring work home that often. It’s a stressful job, for sure, but could be MORE stressful (and more lucrative) if he worked in a large Los Angeles firm. As it is, we made the choice to put him through law school so that he would always have a solid income and stable job, but also made the choice for him to work at a smaller suburban firm so that the 80 hour weeks were not necessary. We feel like this was the best compromise.

True, some of the time the Litigation Dept. is the one that closes the earliest, much in connection with the fact courts and gov’t agencies typically work until an early afternoon hour. I think we finished earlier than anybody else except when something big was being filed, which looked like I described a while ago. But my frequent assistant (there was rotation) bought a horse once for the overtime back when she worked at the Realty Dept. which she amassed over a grand total of three days. I could not afford a horse at the time. My job description excluded overtime pay. Nobody has compassion for lawyers!

Still, I never really worked as late hours there as I did as a freelance (mostly legal) translator later on. I distinctly remember walking outside on 3 a.m. just to get the breeze and chill to wake up me up, and thinking, “dude, really, what are you doing throwing this at the feet of someone who can’t even get her act together and treat you with a modicum of respect.” Which changed perspective, quite. On the other hand, I was indeed able to set up a date in the middle of the day and just not take calls after toggling the out of office message.

And no, he’s not miserable, constantly stressed or near to having a stroke. He coaches soccer and goes to most of the kids’ stuff at school. We are super happy in our marriage. He doesn’t work more than 50 hours a week. I feel like we’ve made good choices in that regard!

Where’s that law firm? I gotta pack my stuff and file an application.

 

[JackieMom]

Sweet times. Or not really. Last time I worked for a law firm, it was in the Litigation Dept. Still remember client-cabs back home at night, crawling out of the archive in the morning, jumping out of a taxi to make it on time, and 11:59 p.m. filings. Yup, looks like that’s your world. Or not.

Yeah. Knowing myself I might not rise to the challenge and manage to be sweet when I was dealing with some awful, mentally and physically depleting case with ten billion bucks in dispute, and got a call to honey please get two cartons of milk on your way back, oh and you might drop by Auntie Jane’s to check on her, and how about you drive me to the hair-dressers and my friend has a new purse… Nah, it doesn’t work even now, when I have a largely less stressful job and the callers are family and friends rather than spouse. Breaks my heart when I notice myself subconsciously using conversation-speeding techniques to make the interruption disappear.

True, some of the time the Litigation Dept. is the one that closes the earliest, much in connection with the fact courts and gov’t agencies typically work until an early afternoon hour. I think we finished earlier than anybody else except when something big was being filed, which looked like I described a while ago. But my frequent assistant (there was rotation) bought a horse once for the overtime back when she worked at the Realty Dept. which she amassed over a grand total of three days. I could not afford a horse at the time. My job description excluded overtime pay. Nobody has compassion for lawyers!

Where’s that law firm? I gotta pack my stuff and file an application.

Sunny coastal southern California. Beach views, too!