Where would you live in CA if you could choose for us?

[BodegaHead]

Yeah ,it might be a good fit for them, but it sounds like they might want more sun & warmth. PA has a good bit of sun & warm summer days, but
I heard a guy say who moved there from Portland,OR that it had almost the same amount of yearly gloom?

[katnip kid]

Well, it was certainly gray 'n gloomly yesterday, and COLD. Plus, it has been rainy, so it is damp. Much of this is due to remnants of the hurricane. So, your friend is probably correct, that we do indeed have our share of that type of weather.
Today is sunny, though! Cold, but sunny.

[Hawk J]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

I must admit that I was finding this post a bit unnreal also like CAVA1990. So I looked at the OP other post in Oregon forum regarding Ashland. I found the responses even more direct such as "Ashland is saturated with midwives and out of work craftsmen." I know that sounded a bit bit harsh to the OP. But in all honesty finding work in these places is really what it all boils down to. And craftsman type jobs are not plentiful in a down economy.

You may have to simply follow the work until the economy improves, as unattractive or unhip as that sounds. For now if he has a job in WA maybe, just maybe that is the best place to be until things improve. At least he's not on unemployment like thousands of other Americans. And when the sun does come out its drop dead gorgeous! There's nothing quite like it on the East or West Coast.










Derek

Beautiful pics Bro.

Some lustra (lustrum) back i took carpentry & mill & cabinet classes at Hartnell Community College, in Salinas.

We built a home each year in the class time, then sold the home by auction, at the end of year, to someone that had land. It was moved to their land, in two or three pieces.

[Hawk J]

I would like to recommend Grants Pass, Oregon. We have been buying our vittles in town fer five lustrum. Nice, friendly folks herebouts. We haven't ever had any problem.


http://web.thedailycourier.com/web_cam_2/

We live a bit northwest of Grants Pass, on a beautiful forested mountain, at 2,000', with artesian springs & a basspond, year round creek.
In the winter we get many partial sun days. We truly love living here.

I don't know anything about work opportunities in the GP area. I'm sorry.

http://www.grantspassoregon.gov/

[lrmsd]

I did not read this entire thread, but for others interested in this topic, I guess Santa Rosa CA in Sonoma County [city of 150k, but surrounded by rural, and parts of western Lake County which border sonoma county, would provide cheaper housing, but you would need to drive to find the farmer's markets,culture, etc of Sonoma county and parts of neighboring napa county.] Also, look on the outskirts of Healdsburg and Petaluma-rural, farm and agricultural-mostly for vineyards and larger scale aggie, but there are exceptions. Also, consider parts of the Russian River area.



These would be my vote in terms of access to coast, redwoods, country and san francisco only an hour or so away. 500k or less would be tough for 5 acres, but an acceptable home under that price, in a rural area right outside of town [less than 30 min for sure] is a definite possibility in that price range. You might need to look for awhile, but it's possible.

Another option is boulder creek, ca, in the mountains outside of santa cruz.

If one's heart is set on N. CA, these are my recommendations.

[italiangirl]

I live in Santa Rosa. I love it here, very friendly and a lot of hiking here on the east side of town. You wouldn't be able to buy a place with land for $500k right in town, but check out the far west side or up near Windsor, or nearby towns like Forestville or Guernville.
I think your family would love it here, and green building is only going to get more popular as time goes on.

[Enkiktd]

Maybe try the outlying areas of Sacramento? I know that areas like Elk Grove have large lots. I honestly can't speak of how nice or not nice it is, though.

For example: 10137 Bond Rd, Elk Grove, CA 95624 | MLS# 11059086

My parents live in El Dorado Hills which is a nice area but home values have dropped a lot in recent years, but that much land there would still be pricy. East of that you start to get into the pine forests and it's a lot more secluded and away from Sacramento, but land is cheaper.

You may find work in Sacramento seeing as a lot of the homes are older and are being sold/bought/renovated. Some of my family members flip properties and turn them into rentals in downtown Sac.

Davis might have what you need as far as the community goes, but won't be affordable as far as price for the land you're looking for due to the University and the need for student housing. Try Winters or Woodland, which are nearby and a little more remote, but it's not too hard to get to Davis or Sacramento, or even Vacaville to go shopping.

Additionally, if you want to stay more north, maybe the area around Redding would be okay? We go camping at Whiskeytown Lake near Shasta once a year and it's really pretty up there. It definitely does get hot in the summer though.

The combination of wants you have described in your initial post are a difficult combination to find, if not impossible to find, in California. Having a large lot will often put you far away from larger cities where you'd find work. In most areas of California we certainly do not have 4 distinct seasons (unless you're far north or northeast, where you may actually get winter). You mention that you are okay with "real 90 degree sun and heat," but real sun and heat in many of these places where you can afford multiple acres can reach above 100 and into the 110s in the summer. We mostly have sun and we have rain, and both can be very unpredictable. We can have a cold rainy day in the summer at any time. It's not really common, but it does happen.

[gilevich]

Is your home still for sale? Photos?
Kind Regards,
Claudia