moving from CO to Camarillo area (Los Angeles, San Diego: real estate market, crime, broker)

[marianne1952]

HI there! My husband and I our 4 dogs and 2 cats (no kids) may be moving to the Camarillo area where my husband will be working. We really like rural and realize there is not much there in CA since everything is build up. We do not need a massive house . A large yard is more important ,and not being right on top of neighbors .
Question to your experts...is there any area more rural than not 30-45 min outside Camarillo? we plan to spend about 700 000- 800 000 on a house
Thanks!

[Charles]

Somis
Ojai
The area in between Moorpark and Filmore
Grimes Canyon & Balcom Canyon areas

On the coastal side Yuerba Buena Road & Deer Creek Road but not likely in your price range.

[marianne1952]

Thanks Charles!
Is the real estate market in a slump right now in CA?

[wbsacto]

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage presents CaliforniaMoves.com the real estate site serving all of Northern and Southern California, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, Sacramento, Orange County, Silicon Valley, Santa Barbara, San

[threeactingup]

I would second Somis, Fillmore, and would also suggest Saticoy and Simi Valley if you want rural. However, keep in mind that all of those areas are in the middle of a down turn right now and you may very well find yourself purchasing a home for $750K this year that is worth $650K next year. Not to suggest it won't turn around and eventually come back up but you may lose some in the short one. I wish I had a crystal ball to tell you where the bottom is.

Camarillo's prices have really jumped so finding something rural there will be really difficult I would imagine (we've been looking there in that price range) and what I am finding is older cookie cutter fixer-uppers.

Good luck to you though!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Charles

Somis
Ojai
The area in between Moorpark and Filmore
Grimes Canyon & Balcom Canyon areas

On the coastal side Yuerba Buena Road & Deer Creek Road but not likely in your price range.

Oops, I forgot about Casitas Springs and Oak View.

[trojo323]

Rural in Southern California is expensive, you can look in Moorpark, I find Simi really hot and congested in the summer, as it is the most easternmost. Camarillo is where I grew up and the weather is brilliant, unfortunately i would never describe as rural. Something with a 10,000 sq foot lot avg. about $700K with a 20 year old 2,000 sq. foot home.

Somis actually is probably perfect for you, as is the Santa Rosa Valley section, however despite housing slump, you are probably will still need to tune up your budget to about $1.1 MM

[Gael Force]

I agree. I have lived in Ventura County all my life and if a rural setting is what you seek, then be prepared to pay top dollar. The unincorporated areas of Moorpark offer acreage, but expect to pay well over the price you listed. Simi Valley is far from rural -- it's a bedroom community for LA commuters and is congested and inundated with cheesy strip malls. Simi Valley is concrete -- there aren't any open fields or agriculture.

Your best bet is Santa Paula, Fillmore, Moorpark, and Santa Rosa Valley and Somis (Camarillo). Homes in Santa Rosa will run well over a million! Santa Paula and Fillmore have large hispanic migrant farm worker populations and lots of crime for such small communities. Moorpark is a little more on the upscale end and thus pricey too.

If you are realkly intent on living in a rural setting, I would encourage you to explore San Luis Obispo County -- Atascadero and Paso Robles in particular where you can find acreage for much cheaper than here in ventura County. But, summers are not very pleasant in those areas -- 100 + degrees.

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by marianne1952

HI there! My husband and I our 4 dogs and 2 cats (no kids) may be moving to the Camarillo area where my husband will be working. We really like rural and realize there is not much there in CA since everything is build up. We do not need a massive house . A large yard is more important ,and not being right on top of neighbors .
Question to your experts...is there any area more rural than not 30-45 min outside Camarillo? we plan to spend about 700 000- 800 000 on a house
Thanks!

No offense, but wanting to be 30-45 minutes (drive) away from Camarillo sounds odd to me. Usually people who want to be 30-45 minutes drive away from some place look to Camarillo. Side note: in southern CA, 30-45 minutes driving often doesn't get you very far.

That said, rural areas in Ventura County are expensive. The population in VC is highly urbanized as something like 90% of the population lives within city limits. The unincorporated county areas are mainly industrial farming/ranching, protected parkland, or State/Federal back country. IOW, not places conducive to setting up residence. Those who do find an out-of-the-way spot outside of city limits usually pay a steep price for it. Farmers and ranchers manage because their land is their business, but using such land simply for residential purposes is expensive. Don't know if this info helps, but best of luck to you all the same.

[Rick Hazeltine]

It depends on your definition of rural. If you want a couple of acres minimum, then you're looking at a million-plus, but you said you didn't want to be on top of neighbors and a yard is more important than size of house. I live in the Heights section of Camarillo and there are a lot of properties that fit that description and I think you'll find something there in your price range. Some of the heights area is older tracts but much of it is one third to half acres lots with no sidewalks and smaller older homes or newer McMansions. If you find something in the Heights, look at all the mileage you'll save. The Estates section also has most homes on 1-acre parcels but the prices will be around a million, even for a dated fixer. I'd also look at Santa Rosa Valley, I think you'll like that area and you can find something around 800ish once in awhile. Good luck. I'm not a real estate agent or broker but my wife was born and raised in Camarillo and we've lived here about 15 years. If you need an agent, I can reccomend someone I've used many times over the years.

Good Luck