PLease help! I am looking to relocate from Arizona to Cali. (San Diego: real estate, rental)

[Madelena]

Hello!

I need help! We recently moved from NYC to Tucson for a more relaxed lifestyle and after 2 years it has proven to be a little TOO relaxed and we miss the water ( it wouldn't be so bad if there were more fun things to do- I do love Tucson's wildlife). We are looking to relocate to a seaside town with nice restaurants and bars without the riff raff and college crowds everywhere- think the 'keys' but 30 years ago before it was overrun with designer shops and super high real estate. A baja lifestyle that's with fishing and fun. Any suggestions?

Madelena

[Snort]

Are you looking to buy or to rent? What price are you comfortable paying for California coast?

[Madelena]

Looking to either buy under $350k-$400k or rent under $1800.

[Snort]

The buying price puts you inland or in the ghetto. Rent could be just about anywhere on the coast for a 1 or 2 bedroom, decent, but not luxurious.
Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Diego, Monterey (if you like it cooler and quieter).

[Madelena]

Wow, thank you for narrowing that down. Don't want getto, now, even more narrowed down. Was thinking of San Diego, (mind you, I've never been to CA!) but I have a feeling SD has alot of families with children in developments. I'm looking for a smaller town feel. Perhaps you could tell me a bit more about Monterey, Sanata Barbara and the last one you mentioned? I don't want stuffy/celebrity towns, then again in my price range I'm sure I'm safe! LOl

I appreciate your input!

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by Madelena

Wow, thank you for narrowing that down. Don't want getto, now, even more narrowed down. Was thinking of San Diego, (mind you, I've never been to CA!) but I have a feeling SD has alot of families with children in developments. I'm looking for a smaller town feel. Perhaps you could tell me a bit more about Monterey, Sanata Barbara and the last one you mentioned? I don't want stuffy/celebrity towns, then again in my price range I'm sure I'm safe! LOl

I appreciate your input!

Monterey, Carmel, Pacific Grove are on the central coast.
Ever watched a golf tournament at Pebble Beach? That's the area.
It's a wealthy place ... especially Carmel.
Big Sur is right down the road.
Santa Cruz county, which you may like, is just up the road .... less than a 40 minute drive to the north and Santa Cruz is less than 2 hours to San Francisco which is to the north.
I recommend the Monterey Bay over Santa Barbara and points south. It's less crazy, congested and over populated up here.
And though you will be able to afford a fairly decent rental for around $1,800, you'll need some real good luck to find a good home to buy in your price range.
The coast of CA, until you get quite a bit north of San Francisco, is very, very expensive.
I'm pretty sure that i'm correct in saying that as of last year the average home in Santa Cruz county was near to 8K and i imagine that it's similar in Monterey / Pacific Grove / Carmel.
The Santa Cruz area is a bit younger i would say. UCSC is here but the students don't over-run the county. There is much to do here, day and night and the combination of Redwoods, the ocean and the lushness is lovely. The winter months are rainy but with many stretches of beautiful and relatively warm days in between.
The good and magic places where artists and free spirits like to be get bought up by the money people who want to claim and own so it's not easy to find those unadulterated places that we all miss.
It's still wonderful here.

[ferretkona]

Originally Posted by Madelena

Looking to either buy under $350k-$400k or rent under $1800.

Any area near the Oregon coast, up to and including Canada.
Might want to look in Mexico, can't own as a non-Mexican but a corporation can own.

[Paula Lynn]

Coos Bay, Oregon.

[CA central coast]

What does "TOO relaxed" mean?

[mir86]

Originally Posted by Madelena

Hello!

I need help! We recently moved from NYC to Tucson for a more relaxed lifestyle and after 2 years it has proven to be a little TOO relaxed and we miss the water ( it wouldn't be so bad if there were more fun things to do- I do love Tucson's wildlife). We are looking to relocate to a seaside town with nice restaurants and bars without the riff raff and college crowds everywhere- think the 'keys' but 30 years ago before it was overrun with designer shops and super high real estate. A baja lifestyle that's with fishing and fun. Any suggestions?

Madelena

What a small world! I grew up in Tucson but was born in Brooklyn and lived in Staten Island till i was 7 and now after coming back to Tucson from living in LA for a year, I'm looking to move to the bay area..Sonoma county near the university.

Anyways, if you like the relaxedness of Tucson but don't want it "too relaxed" then San Diego is your best bet. I would move to north county, I think its more family friendly and the beaches are beautiful there! Or even Orange County but its really slow there too, nothing to do except go to the beach or shop your life away, but it is very family friendly. There's a lot of hiking in that area though, as is the case for all of CA. I think if you go further north than Santa Barbara, the beaches will be too cold to bear. the water is still cold in San Diego, but its tolerable.

Good luck! you will love CA minus the expensive cost of living, but its definitely worth it once you can get past that!