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Old 09-28-2013, 11:35 AM
 
143 posts, read 393,641 times
Reputation: 76

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Like Ventura, Santa Barbara areas, but they are too expensive for us. Saw a nice (?) new gated community in Santa Maria, but read varying reviews of living in the area. Would Lompoc be any better? I realize it's interior. Looking for home or condo home up to $350-$375k max, ideally built after 1990. Might first rent it out IF local HOA rules, etc. permit, but for the long term it would be our retirement home.
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Old 09-28-2013, 01:03 PM
 
Location: TOVCCA
8,452 posts, read 14,957,050 times
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Will anyone visit you from a distance? Santa Maria is 161 miles (easily 4 hours in usual traffic without stopping) from LAX.
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Old 09-28-2013, 04:12 PM
 
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Good ol' Lompton... not sure you'd find it too different from Santa Maria.
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Old 09-29-2013, 12:01 AM
 
Location: Idaho
6,330 posts, read 7,679,800 times
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Housing prices in Lompoc have increased a lot more than in Santa Maria because people who work in Santa Barbara/Goleta couldn't afford to purchase there. The influx of commuters have driven up prices more than usual.
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Old 09-29-2013, 08:06 AM
 
143 posts, read 393,641 times
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Yes, we realize the distances involved to SM and environs. Nearest airport San Luis Obispo. Have also considered northwest Washington, and western North Carolina, even more "isolated." I'm from L.A. and have driven through SM. Not sure if I've ever been to Lompoc. Wife more scared of earthquakes than isolation.
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Old 09-30-2013, 12:57 AM
 
Location: Santa Maria
54 posts, read 95,454 times
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Santa Maria has an airport with flights to LAX and Las Vegas. Additionally the Amtrak Pacific Surf-liner connects to the Burbank airport as well as Union Station in LA.

The drop in housing prices two years ago allowed my me and my wife and a chance to do something we never thought we would able to afford to do and that is buy a home on the Central Coast. In fact we bought a second one. Both in an older neighbor hood in Santa Maria. While it doesn't have the "walk around downtown charm" of many of the other central coast cities, the weather is very good and we are close enough to the center of town and are very comfortable bicycling to most places nearby. We have not retired yet but are there as often as possible. We live in a much more rural area toward the hit central valley so Santa Maria provides a lot of benefits that previously were a very long drive away for us. As you are from LA you may find just the opposite.

You might consider Orcutt to the south and north to Nipomo, Arroyo Grande, Pismo, San Luis Obispo. Each has a little different feel and demographic. You could spend a weekend at the Santa Maria Inn and check out some of the neighborhoods and see if any would be a good fit.
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Old 10-01-2013, 02:07 PM
 
143 posts, read 393,641 times
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Thanks. I took a quick look on Trulia.com and they may all be above our budget (hoping to stay close to $350k). Saw manufactured homes for $250k. Ouch. Location, location, location. The new home gated community in Santa Maria (Lavigna) has homes from $250-$350k. SM looks to be a bit less expensive than the other areas, but also perhaps less desirable area. I will keep researching.

Even looked up as far as Atascadero and Paso Robles. Prices a tad lower thee, but average temps a whole lot higher. Pismo Beach nice, but much more expensive. Even San Luis Obispo rather pricey. Would be interested in specific neighborhoods in Santa Maria that are good.

Last edited by Tiger108; 10-01-2013 at 03:16 PM..
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Old 10-01-2013, 04:26 PM
 
Location: The Great West
2,084 posts, read 2,609,077 times
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Did you check out Orcutt yet? Most posters around here recommend it. It is safer and a bit more spread out. Overall, the south side of Santa Maria is better.

Edit: I thought you had already looked into Lompoc. That may be an option. The south side is much better and has some nice new homes and many older ones.

I have heard Arroyo Grande is very nice but I can't imagine that it would be much cheaper than SLO. Maybe someone else with more knowledge on the subject could weigh in on that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by zombocom View Post
Good ol' Lompton... not sure you'd find it too different from Santa Maria.

Have you ever actually BEEN to Lompoc or Compton? Almost all the crime is around the high school and it's gang-on-gang.
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Old 10-01-2013, 07:19 PM
 
Location: The Great West
2,084 posts, read 2,609,077 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ddennis669 View Post
Santa Maria has an airport with flights to LAX and Las Vegas. Additionally the Amtrak Pacific Surf-liner connects to the Burbank airport as well as Union Station in LA.

The drop in housing prices two years ago allowed my me and my wife and a chance to do something we never thought we would able to afford to do and that is buy a home on the Central Coast. In fact we bought a second one. Both in an older neighbor hood in Santa Maria. While it doesn't have the "walk around downtown charm" of many of the other central coast cities, the weather is very good and we are close enough to the center of town and are very comfortable bicycling to most places nearby. We have not retired yet but are there as often as possible. We live in a much more rural area toward the hit central valley so Santa Maria provides a lot of benefits that previously were a very long drive away for us. As you are from LA you may find just the opposite.

You might consider Orcutt to the south and north to Nipomo, Arroyo Grande, Pismo, San Luis Obispo. Each has a little different feel and demographic. You could spend a weekend at the Santa Maria Inn and check out some of the neighborhoods and see if any would be a good fit.
Oops, you pretty much have the perfect post here and I just repeated your points. I need to read better!!
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Old 10-01-2013, 07:33 PM
 
Location: Santa Maria
54 posts, read 95,454 times
Reputation: 56
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiger108 View Post
Would be interested in specific neighborhoods in Santa Maria that are good.
Orcutt. Seems to be the place to go. A lot of variety in housing too. I tried to buy a condo north of St. Josephs HS. I really liked that neighborhood. Of course I never lived there. I wasn't quick enough. There are a number of nice places south of Clark St too. I don't know what the real estate folks have named these neighborhoods but they run up in price with the newer stuff.

I like the older neighborhoods near downtown. My favorites are Palm Court and Speed Street. However if you like a newer and more suburban feel, you might consider east of 101 between Main and Alvin.
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