Sallie27

Please help!

My elderly grandparents are really suffering with the Midwest winters. They have some family in Southern California, around southern L.A. and also in Mission Viejo. They are on a very strict budget. Now, I know that So. Cal. is not the cheapest place to live - LOL!!! But just wondering if anyone knows of any little relatively inexpensive communities around southern L.A., as far south as San Diego. I don't have a $$$ amount yet, just going for 'cheap' and 'simple' and 'small.'

Thanks for your help!

janisj

Before anyone can really help you, we need at least a ball park budget. I'm afraid a So. California "cheap" might be a midwest "utterly, totally outrageous".

The simple and small we can help, but we'd need some sort of target $$ to give you any useful info . . . .

Sallie27

All right, let's see...I'd love to keep them in an apartment, tiny house, mobile home, or something for under $1500/mo. That's my main concern, housing costs.

Barbara

I think you need to enlist the help of the family in So Cal rather than the posters here.

mlgb

Or a realtor out of Southeast Los Angeles County. You might find that for a long-term rental, but for a few months, furnished, sounds tough.

rjw_lgb_ca

It might be a bit cliché, but how about looking in the desert? There are still some reasonably-priced communities around Palm Springs-- although there seem to be less and less of them.

Southeast LA County is a pretty good idea. Maybe the Inland Empire? There are some pretty parts of the IE. Even some of the central parts of Orange County are pretty and not ridiculously expensive.

There are several active senior communities in this area as well (Leisure World in Seal Beach comes to mind), so they will have many choices. That price for a nice one-bedroom or a small two-bedroom in this area isn't unreasonable.

gail

HUD has many buildings in all parts of the country for low income/low asset elderly (I work in one in Massachusetts). Also, most places in the country have some sort of low income elderly housing - and much of it is quite nice. In addition, some regular apartments, condos, etc have, by choice or being forced to, a percentage of units reserved for lower income people.

Income levels are relative to the area - so one does not have to be dirt poor to be eligible. It usually involves an income test, minus medical expenses, plus some places also test assets. Southern CA, with its high property costs, would have a higher limit than other areas of the country. For example income eligibility for a recent condo comlex near where I live in MA was almost $40,000 for a single person.

Sorry not to have a website or 800 number to which to direct you, but I would start by calling local elder service agencies.

Saraho

ttt

aileen679

forget about looking at a place in the desert. Elderly quite often find it very difficult to handle heat and dryness. Especially if they are not used to it or if they have a lung condition. it would mean that they would have to stay indoors most of the time. Air Conditioning can add $$$$ to their monthly bills.

Cali

I think $1500 a month is doable in some areas of LA and even Orange County (and maybe Sand Diego County) - you just have to look. Think it would be even easier in the Inland Empire. UIf they are only going to winter in Ca I don't think the desert (Palm Springs Area) will be bad at all. My parents have a home out there (they are from the Midwest) and they love it in the winter but don't do summers there. Their a/c is very minimal in the winter - of at all. Also, even if some a/c if needed it usually is less than the cost of heating in cold climates. Good Luck

ltr

I would suggest you look at Craig's List or the classified listings in the Orange County Register,Los Angeles Time or Pasadena Star News. It will give you an idea of the prices for rent and then perhaps you can ask about the areas that have affordable prices.

EmilySD

Northeast of San Diego is Temecula, Hemet, Ramona, even some parts of Escondido that should be within your budget. Just look at www.apartments.com and see what is available, you can even select senior communities, so you parents will have activites nearby. I was just looking into the exact thing for my dad. He may just rent a condo for Jan and Feb next winter. You could look at www.vrbo.com for that.

Happy hunting!

mlgb

Short-term rentals in the desert areas run about $2000/month, minimum, in the "season", for a small place. In the summer, count on a/c bills of about $250 a month for a small, well-insulated place, but much lower rents. It is true that the heat can be difficult for some people, but they often travel from July-September or have a winter home and a summer home. There are a fair number of seasonal rentals on vrbo.com to get an idea of prices.

nessundorma

Something tells me that the grandparents are going to want to be around the other relatives near LA and in Mission Viejo.

These relatives would be the best resources for locating an inexpensive winter rental, no?

Sallie27

Thanks for your help! The relatives in question in So. Cal. are also elderly and probably wouldn't be much help. I'm going to check out some of your suggestions now. THANKS!!!!!!!!

trippinkpj

My mother in law lives in Hemet (she's mid 80's) and loves it. It's dry and does get hot in the summer, but not as hot as the desert communities. I personally like Temecula better, although don't know if it's as affordable as Hemet. FYI, she lives in a very nice mobile home senior community there.

Barbara

Your relatives in Southern California may not be up to running around all over the place to look at places for you, but they will know which areas close to them would be OK for your grandparents. So. Cal. is a huge area and you don't want to plant your grandparents two hours drive from their relatives if they will want to visit them often.

A car is a necessity here. How are your grandparents at driving? Are they used to very busy freeways, or will that terrify them?

Sallie27

Driving = bad. Actually, his closest relative lives in Mission Viejo. She's doing some looking but not having much luck.

trippinkpj

Good suggestions to look into public transportation (or senior shuttle services & costs). My father in law (in Hemet) is still driving, although he's probably a couple of years away of stopping. The do have some shuttle services, although I like it's pretty limited.