US-101 btw Willits and Crescent City: where to rent? (Eureka: for sale, rentals)

[Grumbler]

Our daughter will be enrolling at Humboldt State University in Arcata. We plan to lease out our home in Boise, ID and rent a condo/townhouse off the US-101 corrider btw Willits and Crescent City for ourselves so we can be relatively close to our daughter.

We'll be looking for a town that feels comfortable, and has affordable rentals. Willits has a warmer climate while Crescent City is colder. I do like Fortuna, but there's not much out there in the way of housing. Any suggestions?

[TheDragonslayer]

Garberville and Redway are located in the southern part of Humboldt county and only and hour away from Eureka and Arcata. Between Willits and Humboldt county are the towns of Leggett, Laytonville, Piercy and Benbow. They are all very small but much warmer than the towns surrounding Humboldt Bay. There are also some inland towns in Humboldt county that are within a half hour to 45 minutes from Arcata; Blue Lake, Willow Creek, Salyer and Hawkins Bar. They are along highway 299 and the Trinity River, except for Blue Lake, it is along the Mad River and only minutes from Arcata.

[azoria]

I'm guessing that on the US-101 corridor btw Willits and Crescent City there's nary a condo/townhouse to be found.

Plenty of run-down homemade hippie houses though. If you like *quaint*.

[LivingLikeAGradStudent]

Does your daughter want you to follow her to college, to an isolated area 650 miles from Boise?

[Grumbler]

Originally Posted by LivingLikeAGradStudent

Does your daughter want you to follow her to college, to an isolated area 650 miles from Boise?

She'd be on her own at HSU. We'd just like to have family visits now and then which is cool with her as she knows that we'll keep our distance.

Another factor is my wife's health as she needs to be in a coastal climate. Not concerned about being in an isolated area as it's good to have some space and natural beauty. Besides, I love doing motorcycle road trips.

We used to live in NorCal before relocating to Boise back in 2002. However, am not well versed with rentals and communities btw Willits and Crescent City.

OTOH, if my daughter can't afford to be on her own then she might have to live with us. One of her friends, who graduated last year, went to HSU for the first semester, but had to transfer to BSU (Boise State) as the financial burden was just too much (college costs/housing/living expenses).

[Grumbler]

Originally Posted by azoria

I'm guessing that on the US-101 corridor btw Willits and Crescent City there's nary a condo/townhouse to be found.

Plenty of run-down homemade hippie houses though. If you like *quaint*.

It's not so much about condos/townhouses being available as it is about affordable rentals in a decent community. We're also good with small homes be they quaint or not.

I will need a garage for my motorcycle. Parking it outside is not an option!

[Grumbler]

Originally Posted by TheDragonslayer

Garberville and Redway are located in the southern part of Humboldt county and only and hour away from Eureka and Arcata. Between Willits and Humboldt county are the towns of Leggett, Laytonville, Piercy and Benbow. They are all very small but much warmer than the towns surrounding Humboldt Bay. There are also some inland towns in Humboldt county that are within a half hour to 45 minutes from Arcata; Blue Lake, Willow Creek, Salyer and Hawkins Bar. They are along highway 299 and the Trinity River, except for Blue Lake, it is along the Mad River and only minutes from Arcata.

What about the affordability and availability index? Have actually been through most of those towns during my road trips. Blue Lake is about as far east as we'd want to go (the bar in that town was in the 'Humboldt County' movie). I think McKinleyville would probably be the best choice, but am keeping our options open.

[TheDragonslayer]

I just finished doing a cleanup and yard work on a rental in my neighborhood. It is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath with a large living room and a kitchen/dining room. It has a 1 car garage and a good sized fenced yard. I can see the other half of the duplex from our kitchen window. It is off the Hammond coastal trail and within walking distance of the ocean and the Mad River. If you go on Google Earth and look up McKinleyville, I am on School Road at Fischer Avenue, our front yard faces south and the duplex is the third lot to the north. It is past a large lot owned by a church. My neighbor is asking $950 a month for the unit. There are other rentals available in town, some even closer to the ocean. Though we are close enough to hear the waves crash.

[losbozos]

I will be interviewing for a position in Arcata next week. And I am trying to find out what the housing/rental situation is like there. Looked on Craig's list but nothing but roomies and homes for sale. How does one go about finding an affordable rental? Cannot be S. of Arcata due to phone reception and 10 or so miles out is ok. Any advice?

[TheDragonslayer]

Are you interviewing for a position at the Mad River Hospital Losbozos? That part of Arcata is only a couple miles south of McKinleyville. One of the duplex's I maintain is going to be available by the end of this month. It is only a 1 bedroom studio with a very small yard and a driveway for off street parking. I do not remember what the rent was the last time the unit was vacant, but I thought it was in the $700 to $800 range. I maintain the yard there. One of my neighbors is the manager and her ex husband is the owner of the duplex, I have been maintaining the yards since 2001. It is in a nice area of McKinleyville that is about 2 1/2 miles inland from the beach, thus it is warmer and less foggy than lower McKinleyville where I live, which is less than 1/4 mile from the beach. When you are up here, take the Central Ave, Mck exit off 101 north of Arcata, it takes you right down the center of town. Your commute to the Mad River Hospital, if that is where you will be working, would be about 5 to 10 miles roundtrip.

Martin