Warmth & skiing at the same time? (San Bernardino, South Lake Tahoe: bank owned, condo)

[sav858]

I think Grass Valley was a good suggestion and other places in the Sierra foothills like Auburn are good too. It's semi-rural but still close enough to the Sacramento Metropolitan area to find decent jobs within commuting distance. And it doesn't get too hot as much as the valley floor, July and August average highs are 86 and 87, and you get some light snowfalls from time to time in Grass Valley, not often and not much but it does happen.

If you are a ski and snowboard family you definitely want to live within a few hours of Lake Tahoe, there are so many resorts there to choose from. Squaw Valley is my favorite and its HUGE. Just take a look at some of the trail maps online at the various resorts around Tahoe. That is one thing I miss A LOT about Northern Ca, the great ski resorts in Tahoe.

So I'd think the Sierra foothills outside of Sacramento are a great fit, if you ask this in the Sacramento forum they can probably give you more informed answers.

[Luke9686]

I would suggest either the Fresno/Clovis areas or the Sacramento area. I know the Roseville area is nice. Check out the Sacbee.com and view their real estate section. You could try posting in that forum to get some suggestions on where to look.

[Twinkle Toes]

IMO we (me, hubby & kids) have the perfect sun & ski setup! We live in warmth (Coachella Valley) and drive to Big Bear or Arrowhead to ski - about an hour and a half away. We can also be at the beach in roughly an hour and a half.

[melmich]

So looking at some of the areas that people have given me to look into, what is the cost of living in places like Placerville or areas outside of Sacramento? What is the cost of an average 3br 2 bath home and utilites? Are energy costs high as well?
I know if my husband had a job transfer, the company would match salary to cost of living in the area. We definately don't want desert and dry and we want to live in good family friendly areas. Even though housing costs where we are from is very low, other things like groceries are high. Is there anything that evens out high housing costs or is EVERYTHING about living ANYWHERE in CA high?

[DMenscha]

You've described Calaveras County to a Tee.

www.gocalaveras.com

[rkb0305]

Originally Posted by Luke9686

I would suggest either the Fresno/Clovis areas or the Sacramento area. I know the Roseville area is nice. Check out the Sacbee.com and view their real estate section. You could try posting in that forum to get some suggestions on where to look.

If choosing between these two, the better but more expensive skiing is closer to Sac. Fresno/Clovis does have some skiing nearby, but smaller and not as nice.

[melmich]

Thank you for everyones help! DMenscha, do you have any suggestions for specific small towns that are family friendly, where you can have some acreage (1-5) and garden and that is affordable all at the same time?

[Inthesierras]

Lassen or Plumas county might be an option, depending on what kind of work you are in. There isn't much crime here. For $230, you can find a nice home with acreage. Susanville is 30 minutes from a small ski hill. Susanville is surrounded by lakes, reservoirs, and quite a few small rivers and streams. This area is very popular for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation. Quincy is very beautiful, surrounded by forest and has endless outdoor recreation opportunities. Most winters are mild snow wise. Every few years we will get 4-6 feet of snow within a few days. Our summers can be warm and usually dry, just like most of CA. The average summer temp is around 92-95. We do have forest fire issues up this way. But then again anywhere in CA has fire issues. Our growing season generally starts at the beginning of May and usually ends mid-September. You could always look at Siskiyou County and Shasta County in the very north of the state. Those areas also have access to skiing and are affordable.

The Lassen County Chamber of Commerce
Official site for travel and visitor information for Plumas County, Northern California
Real Estate Listings, Homes for Sale and Rental Property Listings – REALTOR.com®

Good luck!

[melmich]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

IMO we (me, hubby & kids) have the perfect sun & ski setup! We live in warmth (Coachella Valley) and drive to Big Bear or Arrowhead to ski - about an hour and a half away. We can also be at the beach in roughly an hour and a half.

Twinkle Toes.... what county is Caochella Valley in? Are there any reasonably priced areas there? How warm and how cold does it get? Do you need to heat your home? Thank you for your reply!!

[Twinkle Toes]

Originally Posted by melmich

Twinkle Toes.... what county is Caochella Valley in? Are there any reasonably priced areas there? How warm and how cold does it get? Do you need to heat your home? Thank you for your reply!!

Well, you said you didn't want desert and Coachella Valley is the Low Desert. It gets unbearably hot in the summer if you aren't used to it (115+). It never gets really cold here. Maybe 40's, but not for any length of time. Our standard winter day in the desert is in the 70's to 80's with a few 90's days thrown in for good measure. Most evenings during winter are in the 60's and 70's.

We rarely heat our home and we have roughly 4000 square feet. We do use the air conditioner during summer, but we are in the IID (Imperial Irrigation District) which is much cheaper than Edison, which is what we were on before when we lived in Palm Desert.

Coachella Valley is in Riverside County, although it is a fairly short ride into Riverside proper, the Coachella Valley is light years away. It's a completely different environment than Riverside proper. We have our cities, but this is a resort area so everything is lush and green with mountains and desert surrounding us.

You should at least check out the area. It's not for everyone - you'll see some people on these forums bashing my area, but that's okay. They don't have to live here and I find it to be Heaven on Earth, that's all that matters to me. I'm very happy here.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask or PM me.