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Old 09-05-2016, 11:25 PM
 
Location: Living rent free in your head
42,845 posts, read 26,253,950 times
Reputation: 34056

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Auburn, Truckee, Placerville
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Old 09-05-2016, 11:52 PM
 
112 posts, read 120,050 times
Reputation: 334
For CA towns, I LOVE the area I live in... Chula Vista, CA. The downtown is very diverse, we are close to outdoor activities, housing prices are better than San Diego proper and the climate is amazing, even in summer. That said, we are not a "mountain community."

I am from the south and if you are willing to look at the south, I would recommend checking out Chattanooga, TN, Knoxville, TN and Fayetteville, AR. Very affordable cities... not a lot of heavy snow, but in Johnson City esp you can be close to heavy snow in the winter, but you would be farther away from a major airport.

Good luck!!!
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Old 09-06-2016, 09:12 AM
 
Location: Paranoid State
13,044 posts, read 13,862,607 times
Reputation: 15839
Check out Claremont, CA. It is a college town like Boulder. Mountains & skiing nearby.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claremont,_California

Here's a house in your price range:

241 Ferris St, Claremont, CA 91711 | MLS #CV16191933 | Zillow
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Old 09-06-2016, 09:24 AM
 
Location: California
1,424 posts, read 1,638,360 times
Reputation: 3144
Quote:
Originally Posted by SportyandMisty View Post
Check out Claremont, CA. It is a college town like Boulder. Mountains & skiing nearby.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claremont,_California

Here's a house in your price range:

241 Ferris St, Claremont, CA 91711 | MLS #CV16191933 | Zillow
Claremont is a good call. I was there with my brother this summer to look at the colleges. Its downtown is small but really nice.
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Old 09-06-2016, 12:20 PM
 
Location: San Diego
5,737 posts, read 4,692,864 times
Reputation: 12814
The only CA area I would recommend based on your requirements is the Tahoe area. Maybe even look at Reno/Sparks NV (lower hosing costs and taxes).

How about Coeur d'Alene Idaho?

Coeur d'Alene | Vacation - Stay - Play - Enjoy
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Old 09-06-2016, 12:39 PM
 
Location: On the water.
21,734 posts, read 16,337,681 times
Reputation: 19829
Some nice places being suggested. Though most of them aren't near any major airport as the OP listed in her criteria.

Bellingham, WA, Pt. Townsend, WA, Prescott, AZ, Santa Fe, NM all have easy access to major air travel - as well as being mountain country / recreation areas with live and let live populations - all within price range requested.
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Old 09-07-2016, 08:17 PM
 
Location: Monterey County California
295 posts, read 337,884 times
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Sacramento, Davis, Marina, Roseville How about some of those or at least some near them.
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Old 09-07-2016, 10:38 PM
 
Location: Silicon Valley
18,813 posts, read 32,491,098 times
Reputation: 38575
Quote:
Originally Posted by Axxlrod View Post
The only CA area I would recommend based on your requirements is the Tahoe area. Maybe even look at Reno/Sparks NV (lower hosing costs and taxes).

How about Coeur d'Alene Idaho?

Coeur d'Alene | Vacation - Stay - Play - Enjoy
I have a good friend who moved to Sparks, NV from southern CA and complains that it's bubba land. They have a four year plan to move somewhere else, because of it.

If you're into gun-totin' redneck type foik, and again we're talking about Trump supporter land, then Sparks would suit.

Just sayin', when thinking about anywhere to move, one of the things you need to look at is the town/county's voter statistics. If you wouldn't feel comfortable living where 99% of the population would vote for Trump, then you should find out if the area you are thinking about moving to would do so. And in Sparks, NV, most of your neighbors would be voting for Trump.

Because of the OP's description of what they're looking for, I don't think that would work for them.
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Old 09-07-2016, 10:49 PM
 
Location: Silicon Valley
18,813 posts, read 32,491,098 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyinCali View Post
What about Mt. shasta? I think the vibe would be similar to Boulder but it is much smaller.

Arcata likely fitd the budget and is a college town, so it has a walking area with restaurants. I think the weather there is meh year round and people might not be the friendliest right off the bat

I have never been there, but what about Chico?
Mt Shasta is a very, very, very, very small town. There is nothing there. Your closest town with any restaurants/shopping, etc., would be Redding.

Redding has a lot going for it. But, it's bubba land with a large republican-yet-pro-marijuana population. I lived there for a year, two years ago. It's the first and only place I've ever lived where there are actual radio commercials, with singing jingles, about marijuana dispensaries. Yet, those same pot-smoking folk will vote Republican.

For people from Boulder, CO, this would completely baffle them. It's a really weird phenomenon that only happens in northern CA pot-industry areas, from my experience.

Redding has a lot going for it. It's really pretty, has lots of recreation, great shopping. But, for dining options, you're pretty much limited to chain restaurants. And if you want to go hang out downtown, you're looking at a dead downtown mall that didn't work out - lots of empty storefronts, and a severe homeless population. Oh yeah, and it's over 100 degrees for 6 months of the year.

As far as Bellingham goes - I also lived there, and owned a home in Sumas, WA on the border of Canada. Bellingham has a lot going for it, as a small college town. That said, the weather is pretty much horrible most of the year. We had a saying in WA that "We have 9 months of winter and 3 months of bad sledding." And that is the truth. Bellingham would be much more liberal than the affordable areas of CA. But, I question whether or not Bellingham would be very affordable to the OP.

Bottom line: There is no such place as the OP wants that is affordable.
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Old 09-08-2016, 12:36 AM
 
Location: On the water.
21,734 posts, read 16,337,681 times
Reputation: 19829
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe View Post
As far as Bellingham goes - I also lived there, and owned a home in Sumas, WA on the border of Canada. Bellingham has a lot going for it, as a small college town. That said, the weather is pretty much horrible most of the year. We had a saying in WA that "We have 9 months of winter and 3 months of bad sledding." And that is the truth. Bellingham would be much more liberal than the affordable areas of CA. But, I question whether or not Bellingham would be very affordable to the OP.

Bottom line: There is no such place as the OP wants that is affordable.
I am in the Bellingham and Pt. Townsend areas most of every summer since retirement. I have visited winters. As I wrote before: it is rainy, gray and chilly damp for half the year, not 9 months, let alone 9 months + 3 of bad sledding - but yeah, I couldn't adapt to that. The 6 months from April through September, however, is vastly superior for me than even coastal California for beauty and outdoor activities both. Mt. Baker and the North Cascades are smashing. The Olympic Mountains across the Sound (Pt. Townsend) also. More hiking and skiing and camping and fishing venues than a person could cover in 10 lifetimes.

$600,000, as the OP suggested for real estate, will buy a slice of heaven up there. If they aren't sun worshipers. Plenty of terrific homes and land for far less.


Mt. Baker over Bellingham Bay, South Hill, Bellingham, Washington.


Mount Shuksan, North Cascades, from Picture Lake




Fall on Hurricane Ridge, Olympic Mountains



Summer hiking view from Hurricane Ridge.
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