Living in California
Work
California has some of the most exciting and best-paid work opportunities of anywhere in the US, from Silicon Valley technology start-ups to Hollywood studios. But it has always been a place that people flock to in the hope of making the big time, and for many that will mean disappointment. In April 2009, unemployment had soared from 5.2pc two years earlier to 11pc – well above the national average of 8.9pc.
And the vast majority of employment is in much more mundane activities such as restaurants, retail and healthcare. So the message is simple: don't think that the streets of California are paved with gold; far better to work out how you're going to make a living before you get there.
Climate
California offers some extremes in temperature. Death Valley, in the Mojave Desert, is the hottest place in the western hemisphere, with temperatures often reaching 120°F (49°C) at the height of summer. Other desert locations such as Palm Springs are not that far behind. But in Bodie, a ghost town on the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the north of the state, where gold was once discovered, temperatures fall as low as minus 18°C.
Beyond those extremes, most of the coastal strip of California – where the majority of the population lives – has what is described as a Mediterranean climate, predictably warmer in the south, with temperatures typically between 24°C to 29°C in Los Angeles during the summer months, and somewhat cooler at 17°C to 21°C in San Francisco. Despite the image, it's not all sunshine, either, as mists and smog frequently roll in from the sea. Inland, temperatures rise quickly, which is why some prefer to live in the desert with its warm, dry air.
Legal documents can be in both languages, so even this is not necessarily an issue, although to understand the UAE law fully you would need to read Arabic. There are a number of language schools which teach Arabic in Dubai, including Berlitz and the Arabic Language Centre, which has been in operation since 1980.
Financial
HSBC is the main UK bank operating in California, with a couple of branches apiece in LA and San Francisco. The higher average value of property means that California is more highly leveraged than most states in terms of mortgages, and its banks were among the pioneers in offering 50-year mortgages at the height of the property boom.
Generally, availability of mortgages is as good as anywhere in the US, but it also has one of the highest rates of delinquency – ie non payment – so conditions have been much tougher in the last year. One carrot to buy in the state is that in March California's government began offering a $10,000 tax credit for buyers of new homes, on top of the federal government's $8,000 credit for first-time buyers.
Healthcare
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities in California are among the best in the world, but as elsewhere in the US, private medical insurance is essential. A Senate bill which would have created a state-run system to provide healthcare to every Californian has been scrapped in the wake of the state's extreme fiscal difficulties.