California dreaming on a budget (Sacramento, Bakersfield: real estate, house, income)

[Movingwhere]

Hi there!! I desperately need some info. I am living in a small area in upstate New York and it's getting old. I am a single mother. I am an optician which usually brings in about $20+/ hr. I am searching for a safe place to raise my children but affordable on my current income. I know someone who lives in Encinitas and someone who lives in Marysville. Better north or south? I would love mild temperatures not too hot and I'm really sick of snow. I am Thinking of changing careers after I move and would love to get into real estate. Can anyone tell me where I should live?!?!?! Thanks in advance for any assistance!!

[SoCalTwinkie]

Temecula.

[SportyandMisty]

Needles.
Barstow.
Bakersfield.
Visalia.
Brawley.

Or, if you prefer,

Palo Alto
Atherton
Saratoga
Los Altos Hills
Los Gatos
Woodside

[jaijai]

Originally Posted by SportyandMisty

Needles.
Barstow.
Bakersfield.
Visalia.
Brawley.

Or, if you prefer,

Palo Alto
Atherton
Saratoga
Los Altos Hills
Los Gatos
Woodside

Who are you posting for?
Yourself?
It's one thing to be what you may think is funny or cute (neither btw) with regular forum members but it's just rude and inconsiderate to make a post like this in response to someone who knows nothing about California.
Why in the h*** would you either direct someone to places in California that you know darn well aren't desirable and most likely not what she has in mind or direct someone on a limited budget to live in some of the most expensive communities in the state?

[BayAreaHillbilly]

To the OP. Generally speaking, low cost of living and mild climate are mutually exclusive. Even the less sexy places in those climes are on the cheap side of expensive.

The cheap places here are inland, which means hotter than heck in the summer and cool or cold (especially at night) in the winter.

[Movingwhere]

Thanks all and I won't waste my time researching those suggestions, thank you JaiJai. I was leaning toward marysville but heard that there's quite the meth problem there. I am planning on around $200,000 for a house but I don't want to live in the ghetto.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by Movingwhere

Thanks all and I won't waste my time researching those suggestions, thank you JaiJai. I was leaning toward marysville but heard that there's quite the meth problem there. I am planning on around $200,000 for a house but I don't want to live in the ghetto.

How does someone making $40k/yr afford a $200k house, assuming you could find one that's not in the ghetto or the middle of nowhere?

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by Movingwhere

Thanks all and I won't waste my time researching those suggestions, thank you JaiJai. I was leaning toward marysville but heard that there's quite the meth problem there. I am planning on around $200,000 for a house but I don't want to live in the ghetto.

Not if you're a twicker.

***********
Seriously tho, as an optician you should do OK. In my part of CA finding a good house in a good area for 200K is easy.

[oddstray]

Originally Posted by SoCalTwinkie

Temecula.

Temecula gets quite hot in summer. In SoCal, it gets progressively more expensive as you get towards the coast and progressively hotter during summer as you head inland.

Maybe somewhere north of SF, in one of the smaller towns like Napa or Sonoma? Maybe even Sacramento, except you're talking hot summers there as well.

[gone down south]

Find the job first.....