Relocate to California
 

All California experts-
My husband and I are thinking of moving from Raleigh NC to California. We love the ocean and love to hike and are looking for a place to live where we can do both of these activities and have a moderate winter and seasonable temps year round. (Within an hour to the beach is what we call close) A smaller city would be great. I know it is expensive out there...a 2 bedroom house for under $225,000..does such a place exist in California?

I would say impossible to buy a house for that amount and be within an hour of the beach.

In fact in may be impossible to buy a house for that amount anywhere in CA but if you can it will be well inland where the temps can hover around 100 degrees during the summer.

I think it's unlikely you'd find a house for that anywhere in California, but you may find a condo.

krowe,

of course you can find a house for $225,000-although it may be a stretch in San Francisco.

You do mean $225,000 is the down payment, right?

San Jose? Don't know the prop values there, though.
:)>-

Not in San Jose. Condo's go for 425K and up. Emphasis on the "and up".

San Jose? Thanks for the chuckle. Fixer Uppers go for $500K +

So, based on your criteria, why are you leaving Raleigh ? I just sold my 2 bdrm condo in Charlotte for more than that...You can not live in California for that price...

You also need a HEALTHY income to live comfortably here...

You might find such a place in northern CA or southern OR, by the time you get an hour inland from the coast, you are pretty well in the boonies. It would still have relatively moderate winters, though the beach time would be more walking than swimming (Alaska current).

There are also places further south within an hour of the coast where you might find cheap land ... the trick is to find water to go with it. There's a reason that 250,000 acre Zaca fire east of Santa Barbara hasn't burned any houses; there aren't many out there!

$225 is just not going to cut it, unfortunately. Maybe Fresno or Bakersfield or Redding or some place like that, but no place within an hour of the beach...not for less than 6 or 7, and that's for a very small fixer-upper. The Bay Area is one of the few places in the country where real estate is still hot.

And when curmudgeon says Northern California, s/he means NORTHERN California (not what most people refer to as Northern California, as in the Bay ARea, which really isn't that far north at all).

How about San Diego? Its mild climate, close proximity to the beach is why many vacation in this great town. Mountains are a little further away, but maybe you can combine both of your sports and hike on the rocks at the beach! (just kidding)
Seriously, we just bought a 2nd home in San Diego...a nice home near one of the universities. It was much more affordable that we had anticipated, because sadly the housing market there took a big hit with the down-turn in real estate, so the value of homes has declined. However, you won't find a decent home for $225,000.00...at least we didn't find any in that price range. Condo's only and they are small with no yard. You might be able to afford more of a house that you expect here in California...our friends just moved to NC and said the salaries didn't compare to those in the So. California area. I'd be glad to answer any questions you have about San Diego, I'm no expert, but would be willing to help!

Maybe way north, like Crescent City???
You'd be on the coast and not far from hiking areas in Oregon.

You have a winner in Crescent City. Homes for under $200K. Would I live there? Nope. But check it out.

Don't give up, some friends of mine bought a 2 bedroom condo in North Hollywood for 300,000, that isn't too far off your price ... It's a nice place, nothing fancy, but in a good neighborhood, and safe.

F&B- I said Condo's, not Single Family Homes. Which are over 500K for fixer uppers.

tripping, i was referring to maureen not you.

Sorry, but you are not going to find a single family home in San Diego for the price you can pay. Even condos for that price are almost impossible to find. House prices haven't dropped a lot here-yet.

Prices are dropping in the central valley. You probably can get a single family in your price range - but you will be 2.5 - 3 hours from the pacific. And it won't be in an upscale or even mid-scale neighborhood.

You might find something near the far north coast - and probably not as far north as Crescent city. Places like Garberville. Or inland in NE California there are LOTS of inexpensive places. But you'd be 5 or 6 hours from the coast and in 12 feet of snow in theh winter.

I found the place for krowe; almost... California Valley, near the blooming metropolis of Pozo. $229K for a 2BR house on 2.5 acres, and maybe 70 minutes from the beach, so not an exact match, but all the hiking you could want. No snow (or rain, for that matter). You can find it on Google maps or the like; zoom in with the satellite view :)

I think it was one of those 1920's land schemes, where someone subdivided a bunch of useless land and sold it sight unseen to credulous easterners. A few hardy souls actually live out there, but mostly the lots provide entertainment for the silly prices sometimes asked (until they get tired of paying taxes, they get sold by the county, and the cycle starts again).

In the Sacramento Valley - around Yuba City - there are plenty of houses in your price range. The problem is that it isn't near the coast. I think it is about a 2-2.5 hour drive, but that part of the coast is gorgeous.

For comparison - my mom has a 2 br house - about 900 sq feet in Santa Cruz county, about 5 miles from the ocean. Her town is nothing special and her neighborhood is marginal. The house is old and has a lot of "defered maintenance". She had it appraised a couple months ago and AS-IS, it appraised at a bit over $500K.

Honestly, that is an unrealistic housing budget. You also need to be very careful of taxes, especially the Mello Russ tax in certain areas.

I think you need to at least double, if not triple your housing budget.

I'm sure Ag3046meant <u>Mello Roos</u>

What's wrong with the Atlantic ocean?

Yes I did mean Mello Roos. Thanks.

jimingso, I was wondering the same thing. :)

krowe- all of those talking heads and analysts are predicting that the housing market will &quot;bottom out&quot; around 1st quarter 2009. Maybe you will find a place in your price range then?

haha. the best you will find is a 1-bedroom condo about 2 hours from the beach. of course, if you're willing to live in South Central for example, it's only about 1.5 hours from the beach.

Aw, it's not nice to laugh! Anyone who has moved around the country knows real estate will break your heart--what's cheap in one area would be exorbitant in another. krowe, get a good map of California that includes zipcodes, pick a few towns within an hour of the coast, and head over to realtor.com. Search by zip to get an idea of what your money can buy. Sounds very basic, but it will be an education. (Pour a glass of wine before you begin, if you're so inclined.)
Happy trails!

I don't believe you can find a home at that price anywhere in the state of California within 1 hour of the beach.

Seriously, 400sf studio condos in Seattle (my city) go for more than that.

suze, I thought so too but looking at MLS houses in Crescent City start at about 150K.

Nice Condos in Santa Maria, CA are running in the $400K range... homes here in Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande CA are at least in the 600K and even an hour north in PAso RObles, where the weather is quite a bit warmer but it's still 1 hour from the beach... homes are at least in the 400K range.

Can you be a bit more specific of what part of coastal CA you're looking?

I've always had the idea that this area is still the most affordable on the coast... but I&quot;m two minutes from the beach... not an hour.

i hope krowe you haven't left us!
have you thought about the Oregon coast? or Portland, Or? the housing market is more affordable and you could purchase something nice in your price range. Oregon has a beautiful coastline (although the water is cold, but so is the ocean water here in San Diego).
A quick drive outside of Portland and you can ski on Mt. Hood, you can boat on the Columbia River Gorge (Portland), etc.

Hello, I don't know why some people have to be mean. California and the west coast in general is incredibley expensive.400-500,000 for your basic starter home. A plumber and a teacher might live in a $600,000 home. I live near Tahoe. maybe if you like mountains you can be in the foothills outside sacramento and still be 2 hrs away from th ocean. lakes and rivers where you live. the freeway system in N. cal is good so getting to the coast isn't bad. You might be able to find something near Salinas. central Cal. maybe an hhr to the carmel coastal area. Just watch the neighborhood you pick. You are probably limited to a condo.

bajagreta... have you been to Salinas lately? It's just as pricey as here in Arroyo Grande/San Luis Obispo... only 30 minutes from the coast and you pay for it!

bajagreta: Sorry - the foothills east of Sacramento are not 2 hours from the coast. On a good day, Sacramento/Roseville/Elk Grove can be just about 2 hours out. But w/ the traffic on I-80 it is often a good deal longer drive. The Placer/El Dorado/Nevada/Amador county foothills are another 45 mins to 1 hour away -- AND have <u>very </u> expensive real estate.

I don't think anyone is being mean, only realistic.

You are simply not going to find a 2 bedroom house in livable condition for less than $225,000 on the coast of California. Period. You'll be lucky to find one at twice that price.

Agreed - I don't think anyone has been mean. Obviously the response isn't what the OP was hoping the hear because it basically means she and her husband are very unlikely to find what they are looking for here. That's just the reality though.

Also a mobile home or manufactured home maybe an option. Still not on the coast (maybe Salinas, 20 + minutes drive from the coast). Then you have space rents.

Thank you for all your responses. I figured it was extremely expensive but it doesn't hurt to ask.